Author: Megan MacGregor

Your Best Doctors Benefit is Available to Help You

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If you’re facing a serious diagnosis or recommendations for medical care such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation or other treatment options, your Best Doctors benefit can help. Before you decide on your course of action have your medical diagnosis, treatment plan and/or medical questions reviewed and answered by world-renowned medical experts – at no cost to you. As a result, you’ll be sure to have the right information, the right diagnosis and the right treatment plan. We’re happy to offer this free benefit to all benefits-eligible employees and retirees.

Why Do People Use Best Doctors?

Reasons people use Best Doctors: 32% need help deciding between treatment options, 26% have symptoms that aren't improving, 23% question their need for surgery, 6% are skeptical of their doctors, and 5% don't understand their diagnosis. Source for data is from the Best Doctors website.

People go to Best Doctors to find answers and leave feeling more confident about their decisions. Watch the video below to hear the Price family’s story. They share, “Had it not been for Best Doctors, I would have had a hugely more invasive procedure that would have limited function and extended my recovery time.”

How Does It Work?

Member Testimonial – Price Family CTABD from Teladoc Health on Vimeo.

Visit the Best Doctors website and click “Create a Profile” to register. You then have the option to use the following services:

  1. Expert Opinion: Have a physician conduct an in-depth review of your medical case and receive expert advice about medical treatment options. 
  2. Find a Specialist: Get help finding a specialist near you.
  3. Treatment Decision Support: You have access to coaching and interactive, online educational tools that offer in-depth and easy-to-follow information about your specific medical condition. Use these tools to help you make more educated, confident decisions about your health.
  4. Medical Records eSummary: With your permission, you have the option to allow Best Doctors to collect and organize your medical records for you and provide them on a USB drive. You will also receive a personal Health Alert Summary based on the records collected, giving you a total snapshot of your medical wellness.

Questions? Learn more on the HR website or visit the Best Doctors website.

Summer is the Perfect Time to Sign-Up for a Professional Development Course!

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With summer right around the corner, many students are heading home to refresh, recharge and prepare for another academic year. A quieter campus means you might also have some time to refresh and recharge your professional or personal development goals. Summertime is the perfect opportunity to look at your schedule and figure out which professional development courses available in the coming months interest you most.

Luckily, Organization and Professional Development (OPD) is offering a variety of courses this summer to help you reach your goals. Are you a new or experienced supervisor looking to improve your leadership skills? Or maybe you’re interested in finding out how to leverage your natural strengths and work behavior styles? Whatever your personal and/or professional goals, OPD has a variety of courses to help you succeed.

Courses to Improve Your Skills as a Supervisor or Leader:

Personal Development Courses:

Communication and Customer Service Courses:

You can find all current OPD courses on the HR website. Sign-up through the EBS Portal. MSU support staff should remember that they may have access to Educational Assistance to help with any course registration fees. Questions? Contact HR Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.

Performance Excellence Resources

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Do you have a Performance Excellence annual review and/or planning meeting coming up soon? Performance Excellence is a collaborative process between MSU support staff and their supervisors that ensures employees are continually developing their skills to contribute to the success of the university. Employees should be meeting regularly with their supervisors to discuss their Performance Excellence development plan and goals for the year. This encourages everyone to stay engaged and allows goals to be adjusted if needed. Whether you are an employee or supervisor, we have resources to help you get the most out of the Performance Excellence process.

Find Tips and Tools on the HR Website

There is a wealth of information available about Performance Excellence on the HR website including:

  • Detailed info about the process
  • Required training
  • Learning opportunities to help meet performance goals
  • Related forms
  • Tips and tools for success

Visit the Performance Excellence webpage and then select whether you’re looking for resources for employees or supervisors.

Professional Development Courses

Are you looking for resources to help you build skills in certain areas? Organization and Professional Development (OPD) offers a variety of instructor-led courses to help you reach performance goals. Find courses on how to thrive through change, manage difficult customers, or identify and maximize your strengths, among many others! Find a list of all current OPD courses here.

Supervisors can also find courses to help them navigate the Performance Excellence process, including this upcoming course:

And remember, eligible employees have access to Educational Assistance for any course registration fees.

Online Resources through elevateU

No time to attend an in-person course? No problem! elevateU is a free online learning platform available 24/7 for MSU employees with courses, books and videos to assist with skill building. Resources cover a variety of topics and you can print off a learning transcript to show your supervisor a list of resources you’ve completed. Learn more and access elevateU here.

Questions? Contact the HR Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.

Reimbursement for a Non-Credit Learning Opportunity

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As an MSU benefits-eligible support staff employee, you have access to Educational Assistance. This benefit offers financial assistance towards your professional development after you’ve worked at MSU for an equivalent of 12 full-time service months. If you work less than full-time, the benefit is prorated based on your employment percentage.

You may receive up to $900 per year to use towards registration costs for a variety of non-credit learning opportunities, including trainings, seminars, workshops, conferences and courses. You will need to submit an Educational Assistance application to request financial assistance. You can access the Educational Assistance application in the EBS Portal under the My Career and Training tab. The learning opportunity must be considered job-related and from an approved institution/program to be approved for financial assistance.

You will need to upload two documents to your Educational Assistance application to receive reimbursement:

  1. Proof of Payment: The registration costs will need to be paid up front by either you or your department before you receive reimbursement. Make sure to submit proof of payment that clearly shows whether you or your department should be receiving the reimbursement. If you paid for the learning opportunity, you should upload a receipt that clearly shows you paid. If your department paid, you will need to obtain either the procurement card statement or the department operating statement (this would depend on the method of payment that was used) from your department’s fiscal officer.
  2. Proof of Attendance/Completion: There are a variety of documents that you can upload for proof of attendance, including a certificate of completion, formal email/letter of congratulations for completing or attending the learning opportunity, or confirmation of your registration if no other documentation was issued/provided.

PLEASE NOTE: Courses that you register for through the Courses for MSU Employees application in the EBS portal, such as Organization and Professional Development courses or MSU IT courses, do not require an Educational Assistance application. For these courses, you just need to select Educational Assistance as your form of payment when you register.

The Educational Assistance benefit also offers financial assistance for credit courses, which you can learn more about in this previous blog post. Find detailed information about Educational Assistance on the HR website. Questions? We’re happy to help! Contact the HR Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.

How to Get the Most Out of Classroom Training

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This post was written by Kathie Elliott, Sr. HR Professional for Organization and Professional Development.

It’s Tuesday morning, and you realize you’re scheduled to attend a course which you completely forgot about until this moment. You arrive late, and the rest of the class is talking about the pre-work they completed and brought with them. As you grab an open chair, you feel your phone buzz and see a text from your co-worker. You are late and feel unprepared and distracted.

At your table, you contribute very little and try to avoid the facilitator’s eye. Four hours later you leave and feel you were too distracted by the work day’s emails piling up and your feeling of unpreparedness to focus on what you were supposed to learn.

Sound nothing like you? Great! Still, do you have a nagging feeling that you could be getting more out of your training opportunities? Read on for tips.

BEFORE TRAINING

  1. Confirm Logistics: Know the location/time of the course and verify directions. Be sure to add in time for unexpected delays, like confusing Google directions or if you are supposed to be at Nisbet or at the Henry Center, Kellogg Center or other common locations. To be safe, check your email and junk mail for any class updates.
  2. Clear Your Calendar: Leave time for the class and a little time after in case you want to network or ask the facilitator a question. And give yourself time in the office afterward to think about what you learned, digest all that new information, and consider how to apply it. 
  3. Limit Distractions: Let your co-workers and family know that you’ll be attending a course that day and to not expect you to answer any calls or emails right away. Make sure you change your out of office message for your phone and email. Limit physical distractions by making sure you are rested, fed, hydrated, caffeinated, and prepared for fluctuating classroom temperatures. Favorite beverage, special dietary items, comfortable but appropriate clothing can enhance your learning experience.
  4. Bring Your Learning Mindset: Be a co-creator of your learning experience by coming prepared to learn relevant, immediately applicable skills. Many facilitators will send out reminder emails in the days leading up to the class with any prework or final notes. Then, try setting some goals for yourself. What are a few questions that you want answered? Do you want to meet and network with others in similar positions?

DURING TRAINING

Since you’ve taken steps to limit distractions and discomfort, you’re all set to be an engaged learner. If you need a push to stay attentive, try asking one of your prepared questions, offer to be the spokesperson for your table, or jot down a couple notes to share with a co-worker later. If you’re more visually inclined, why not try visual note-taking? Visual note-taking – which uses a combination of images and text to help synthesize info – is a creative way to pay attention and capture/group the info you’re learning in class so you remember it better later.

AFTER TRAINING 

Learning really doesn’t happen until it’s applied. Develop a post-training action plan and stick to it. In the amount of time it would take for you to brew a pot of coffee, you could jot down your top takeaways, action steps and goals, obstacles, resources and strategies, and how to keep yourself on track. Before you know it, you’ll be a hero at work for your willingness to learn new skills and share them with others

Options for Using Your Educational Assistance Benefit

Published on by Megan MacGregor5 Comments

Are you an MSU support staff employee looking for professional development opportunities? There are a variety of ways for you to learn and grow in your career at MSU. If you find a course or learning opportunity you’re interested in, don’t forget you have access to Educational Assistance! This benefit offers financial assistance towards your professional development after you’ve worked at MSU for an equivalent of 12 full-time service months. If you work less than full-time, the benefit is prorated based on your employment percentage.

You may receive financial assistance for a variety of learning opportunities. For non-credit learning opportunities, you may have up to $800 per year to use towards registration fees. It must be considered job-related and from an approved institution/program to receive assistance. Some examples of learning opportunities you can use this benefit for include:

For credit courses, you can receive up to 14 credits per academic year. Your financial assistance level is determined by your union group, the type of course you’re taking (graduate or undergraduate), and where you’re taking the course (MSU or another university). The course must be considered job-related, degree-related, or career/professional development-related.

Find detailed information about Educational Assistance – including how to apply – on the HR website. Questions? We’re happy to help! Contact the HR Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.

Please note: Academic Specialists have a program similar to Educational Assistance, please see the HR website for details.

Resources for New Supervisors

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Are you a recently appointed or newly hired supervisor or manager? Whether you’re brand new to your leadership role or an experienced supervisor looking for resources to develop your skills, there are tools available to help you. Information is available in various formats to fit your schedule and learning style including in-person courses, online resources and toolkits on the HR website.

Professional Development Courses

  • Fundamentals of Supervision on April 24
    Supervisors are a main determinant of overall performance, retention and morale in an organization. Participants with less than three years of supervisory experience will learn fundamental skills on how a supervisor adds value to the organization, how to move from peer to supervisor, tips to build communication skills and more. Learn more about the Fundamentals of Supervision course.
  • New Supervisor Essentials on May 22
    This course is for recently appointed or newly hired supervisors and managers of support staff. You will learn key tools you can use in your new role as a supervisor and a panel of supervisors will be available to answer your questions and share lessons learned. The Office of Employee Relations will also give an overview of important information that every supervisor at MSU needs to know. Learn more about the New Supervisor Essentials course.
  • Foundations of Student Employee Supervision Certificate Series starts June 19
    This four-session certificate series is designed for MSU professionals looking to enhance their skills in supervising and leading student employees. The series focuses on skill building and understanding the unique needs and challenges inherent in overseeing the work of student employees. These courses can also be taken individually, but you’ll need to attend all four to receive the certificate. Learn more about the Foundations of Student Employee Supervision Certificate series.

Online Resources with elevateU
The elevateU portal is full of online resources including eBooks, videos, courses and more – all available to you for free 24/7. Want to learn more about optimizing team performance, cultivating creativity or processing change? You’ll find resources on these topics and much more in the elevateU portal. Use these tools to help you build your own skillset as a new supervisor or share these resources with your team to help them reach their professional goals. Learn more about elevateU and access here.

Toolkits on the HR Website
The HR website contains a wealth of information useful to those in a supervisory role, including toolkits for various processes. Whether you have questions about how to hire support staff, want an overview of benefits options or need to know deadlines for payroll processing, these toolkits are available to assist you. Find toolkits for supervisors on the HR website.

Don’t Wait to Start Saving for Retirement

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For younger MSU employees, creating a comprehensive retirement savings plan may not be a top priority. Why should you plan for your retirement now when that day is 30 to 40 years in the future? But the young have a huge advantage when it comes to saving money for retirement: more time. This additional time allows the young to potentially benefit the most from compounding, which may lead to greater savings down the road.

How Compounding Works
Compounding basically means allowing an investment to earn money while continually reinvesting those earnings over time. The more time you have, the smaller your original investment may need to be. In the hypothetical example below, a 25-year-old starts saving $5,000 annually ($416 per month) and a 40-year-old starts saving twice as much but waits until age 40 ($833 per month). 

The 25-year-old ends up contributing less money over time – $200,000 versus $250,000 – but ends up with a higher balance: $798,735 versus $566,317. In other words, the 25-year-old contributes $50,000 less but ends up with $232,000 more than the 40-year-old who waited to save.

As this example shows, younger investors may benefit from saving as much as possible as soon as possible. MSU offers two voluntary savings plans: the 403(b) Supplemental Retirement Plan and the 457(b) Deferred Compensation Program. Starting to save earlier in either plan means contributing a smaller percentage of income and potentially earning more than if you wait until you’re older to contribute. So while retirement may be a long way off, the choices you make today can have a dramatic, long-lasting difference.

You can learn more about MSU’s voluntary savings plans on the HR website, including information about how to enroll or make changes to your retirement plan contributions. MSU employees can change their contributions at any time throughout the year. Reference this Retirement Plan Comparison document to see the differences between the 403(b) Supplemental Retirement Plan and the 457(b) Deferred Compensation Program.

Of course, remember that investment returns are not guaranteed and will fluctuate — in some years you may have gains, and in other years you may have losses. But over time, any investment that has a net gain will have benefited from compounding.

Important Information: Please note, the example above is a hypothetical illustration only and is not intended to represent the past or future performance of any investment. The example assumes contributions are made monthly at a 6% annual effective rate, compounded monthly. and no withdrawals. Actual performance will vary with market conditions. Investing involves risk. There is no assurance that the goals will be met or that the solution or strategy will be successful.

Questions? We’re here to help! Contact the Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.

This article was written in partnership with TIAA.

Job of the Week – Editor/Graphic Designer

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This weeks’ job of the week is an Editor/Graphic Designer (#563294) for the Intercollegiate Athletics department.

The responsibilities for this role include determining and creating content, promotional materials and graphic elements to design and produce materials that reflect the mission and image of the MSU football program. The individual must be able to maintain contact with printers, editors, and clients to monitor production deadlines and budgets. Other responsibilities would include training student employees, recommending the reprinting, revision or discontinuance of publications, and coordinating the distribution of materials.

The ideal candidate would possess knowledge acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in Journalism, English, Graphic Design, Public Relations, Marketing, or related Liberal Arts program; three to five years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in reporting, writing, editing, proofing, graphic design, photography, research, public relations; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

For more details on the responsibilities of this position, and to view all our current postings, visit careers.msu.edu. Internal applicants should access postings through the Careers @ MSU tile in the EBS Portal.

Register for Upcoming Roadmap to Retirement Courses

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Are you thinking about retiring from MSU in the next 1-2 years? Thank you for your years of service to the university! We want you to feel prepared for this next stage in your life. To support you, we offer courses, tools and resources to help you plan for your retirement, including the Roadmap to Retirement course.

“We know it can be overwhelming to think about all of the things to consider when retiring. Based on our years of experience helping MSU employees, we’ve designed the half-day Roadmap to Retirement course to provide you with some of the most important information you will need as you prepare for this exciting transition to your next chapter in life,” says Dan Mackey, Human Resources Manager and Retirement Administrator.

This course gives you a chance to ask retirement experts questions and covers a range of topics critical to your successful retirement, including:

  • Your MSU benefits in retirement
  • An overview of Social Security
  • Financial preparation tips for retirement.

This half-day course is free to MSU faculty and staff. There are two Roadmap to Retirement courses available on Wednesday, August 7: a morning session from 8:30 am – Noon and an afternoon session from 1:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Ready to Register?

To register for Roadmap to Retirement, login to the EBS Portal and click on the My Career and Training tab, then the Courses for Employees at MSU tile. Find a complete list of available OPD courses on the HR website.

Retirement Resources on the HR Website

If you are unable to attend the Roadmap to Retirement course detailed above, there are a variety of webinars and online tools available on the HR website. The webinars on this page include the same presentation slides that are shared during the Roadmap to Retirement course.

Questions? We’re here to help! Contact the Solutions Center at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu or 517-353-4434.