Category: Benefits News

This category is for articles and announcements related to your benefits as an MSU benefits-eligible faculty or staff member.

Questions about taking a leave of absence from work? Ask ALEX.

Published on by Megan MacGregorLeave a comment

Have you ever wondered what qualifies as a leave of absence or what steps you should take to apply? Try asking ALEX! ALEX is a new virtual educational tool that guides you through the process of taking a leave of absence from work and provides easy-to-understand guidance for every step along the way.

We understand that sometimes you need to take time away from work due to an illness, injury or adding a child to your family. Find out how much time you’re able to take and if you’ll receive pay during your absence. Whether you’re looking to take a leave of absence now, or just thinking about the future, ALEX is available to assist you.

Click the image below to launch the ALEX educational tool.


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This tool is for educational purposes only; please refer to the FMLA page on the HR website for more information on how to obtain the required FMLA leave notice forms. For assistance using ALEX, or to understand your FMLA options, please contact MSU HR at 517-353-4434 or SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu.

Source Newsletter- May

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

In case you missed it, here is the May 2018 Source newsletters.

There is a Source Newsletter for Support Staff and a Source Newsletter for Faculty, Academic Staff and Executive Management.

You can find older editions of the newsletter on the HR website.

Here are the headlines at a glance for this month’s Source:

Support Staff:

  • Health Care Coverage Update for Autism Spectrum Disordermay-ss-sourcenewsletter.jpg
  • Performance Excellence Webpage Updates
  • Clerical- Technical Recognition Award Reminder
  • Try a Flexible Work Arrangement for Summer
  • 7 tips for Managing Stress
  • Congratulations to Staff Award Honorees
  • Military Application Month

Faculty/Academic Staff:

  • Health Care Coverage Update for Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • 7 Tips for Managing Stress
  • Simmons Chivukula Award Winners
  • Clerical- Technical Recognition Award Remindermay-fas-sourcenewletter
  • Congratulations to Staff Award Honorees
  • Military Appreciation Month
  • Performance Excellence Webpage Updates
  • Faculty & Academic Staff Hiring Process Changes

Source Newsletter – April

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

In case you missed it, here are the April 2018 Source newsletters.

There is a Source Newsletter for Support Staff and a Source Newsletter for Faculty, Academic Staff and Executive Management.

You can find older editions of the newsletter on the HR website.

Here are the headlines at a glance for this month’s Source:

Support Staff:

  • New Benefit for Diabetes Management
  • SS NewsletterCVS Caremark Co-Pay Assistance for Specialty Drugs
  • Optimistic Aging: Charting Your Course for Retirement Adventure
  • Clerical-Technical Recognition Award Nominations
  • Activities for Kids this Month and into the Summer
  • Outstanding Supervisor Award Nominations
  • How to Find Your Educational Assistance Balance
  • HireRight Criminal Background Check Changes
  • Introducing I-9 Anywhere for Remote Hiring

Faculty/Academic Staff:

  • New Benefit for Diabetes Management
  • CVS Caremark Co-Pay Assistance for Specialty DrugsFAS Newsletter
  • Fellowship Programs on Teaching & Learning
  • Optimistic Aging: Charting Your Course for Retirement Adventure
  • Outstanding Supervisor Award Nominations
  • Activities for Kids Now and into the Summer
  • Clerical-Technical Recognition Award Nominations
  • Faculty, Academic Staff & Executive Management Retirees Luncheon
  • Introducing I-9 Anywhere for Remote Hiring

Manage Your WageWorks Account Anytime, Anywhere

Published on by MSU Human Resources2 Comments

Managing your flexible spending account (FSA) healthcare benefits is quick and easy with the WageWorks EZ Receipts App. You’ll love the convenience of submitting claims, uploading receipts and checking account balances directly from your phone.

According to one happy EZ Receipts App user: “I absolutely love the WageWorks EZ Receipts mobile app. It makes using my WageWorks benefits so simple. I just snap a photo of my receipt with my smartphone and submit my claim for reimbursement. I signed up for text alerts recently, and now I check my account and card balances when I’m on the go. It couldn’t be easier!”

Watch the video below to learn how to use the EZ Receipts App.

The WageWorks EZ Receipts App is available for download from the App Store or Google Play.

Starting in 2018, WageWorks became MSU’s FSA plan administrator. Have more general questions about MSU’s FSA plan administrator? Learn more about WageWorks and watch the Welcome to Your WageWorks Account video here.

Finding Care Made Easy

Published on by Megan MacGregor3 Comments

Part of your MSU benefits includes access to Care.com – a top-notch service provided free of charge to MSU faculty and staff to help you find quality child care, adult/elder care, pet care and more. You can post a job or find service providers in your area. Whether you have planned or unexpected care needs, Care.com will help you find the right provider for your family.

All care providers have undergone criminal background checks and can provide in-depth profiles and member references. Search with confidence for qualified care providers according to your requirements: ZIP code, experience, hourly rate, availability and more.

Need a care provider last minute?

If you need a care provider last minute, try downloading the Care@Work app. Find, manage and pay for a quality caregiver on-the-go with the Care@Work app. Download from the App Store or Google Play.

Need advice for choosing a care provider?

Are you ready to interview a care provider but not quite sure where to start? Care.com Community is an advice-sharing network that gives members a space to ask questions and share experiences. They have How-To Guides, like How to Interview a Nanny: Your Questions Checklist, along with articles and resources for both caregivers and Care.com members.

Ready to use Care.com?

To access this service, enter the EBS portal, then log in with your MSU Net ID to be identified as an MSU affiliate. Visit Care.com/msu to start searching for quality care. The search service is free and wages for care providers are negotiated between the provider and user. Please direct questions about Care.com to the MSU WorkLife Office.

I used Care.com to find my provider and it was a great service for screening and communicating with caregivers. Thanks for the awesome resource. I would recommend it to anyone, and actually have, several times. - from an Employee at Michigan State University.

Financial Knowledge for All: Upcoming Workshops

Published on by MSU Human Resources2 Comments

Setting a budget. Managing debt. Planning for a loved one’s future college education expenses. You may find yourself in the midst of one or all of these financial situations and looking for financial knowledge and tips to help you manage everything. Retirement vendor, TIAA, is hosting several upcoming workshops as a part of their Financial Essentials education to provide free workshops to staff and faculty. Click the workshop location to register.

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Start saving and financial planning for the future.

 

Lifetime Income: Help secure your retirement
Wednesday, November 8, 2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Live Webinar

This webinar will discuss planning for retirement now, financial risks during working years and in retirement and the importance of creating an income stream for life.

College Savings Seminar
Wednesday, November 15, Noon – 1 p.m.
Chittenden Hall, Room 110

RSVP here by November 14.

This session will provide information on how you can start saving for your loved ones’ higher education expenses with Michigan’s 529 College Savings Plan.

Benefits Include Discounts!

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Did you know that as an MSU employee part of your benefits includes discounts at local businesses on and off campus? You can save anywhere from 5-20% on products and services you purchase regularly in the area.

To see a full list of all the discounts MSU employees are eligible for, visit the MSU HR website. Discounts range from arts and entertainment to food to legal services and pet supplies. In addition to this list, there are also specific discounts available such as:

    • Parkwood YMCA (East Lansing) 332-8657
    • Oak Park YMCA (South Lansing) 827-9700
    • Downtown YMCA Wellness Center (Downtown Lansing) 484-4000
    • Dewitt YMCA 668-9622
    • Westside YMCA (West Lansing) 316-9622
  • MSU also offers MSU Specific Discounts ranging from MSU Bakers to specific colleges, the Dairy Store and more!

Along with these discounts, MSU benefits-eligible faculty and staff have the opportunity to enroll in several voluntary employee-paid benefits programs, including an employee discounts program. Learn more about these programs on the MSU HR website.

Kicking Tobacco Off Campus

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

According to the CDC, tobacco use causes nearly 6 million deaths per year. It is projected that by 2030, that number will increase to 8 million. Kicking this habit alone can seem impossible. With the help of nicotine replacement therapies, medication, and formal treatment; the odds of winning the fight against addiction go up significantly! To help change MSU’s statistics, Health4U has designed a program to help the stop of tobacco and nicotine use for employees.

As an MSU employee (or benefits-eligible dependent) who is currently using tobacco and ready to take the next step in quitting, you are eligible for the free, confidential Breathe Easy program designed to help. In this program, you will be offered a choice of programming which can include medication, or can be completed without.

To register for an upcoming pre-enrollment information session, call 517-353-2596, email health4u@msu.edu or visit 116 Linton Hall. The next information session will be held on September 20, 2017, from 1:30-3:00pm in room 338 of Olin Health Center.

Learn more on the Health4U website or watch the video below!

See the Benefits of Enrolling in VSP via MSU Benefits Plus

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

When was the last time you visited the eye doctor? If the answer was, “I can’t remember,” you might want to consider scheduling a check-up. Annual check-ups are important to ensure the health of your eyes, and since August is National Eye Exam Month, there’s no better time to see your optometrist.

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Regular exams are important to ensure the health of your eyes.

MSU benefits-eligible faculty and staff have the opportunity to enroll in several voluntary, employee-paid benefits programs via MSU Benefits Plus. Included among these programs is vision insurance through VSP. This vision insurance coverage can help with the costs of exams, glasses and contact lenses for you and your family. For basic information about the plan and coverage rates, you can visit the MSU HR website.

Benefits-eligible faculty and staff can enroll for vision insurance during open enrollment in the fall. Outside of open enrollment, benefits-eligible new hires or newly-eligible faculty and staff have 30 days to enroll from their date of hire or date of eligibility.

VSP via MSU Benefits Plus is a great option for MSU faculty and staff members so they can keep their eyes healthy with regular check-ups!

Get to Know ALEX

Published on by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Do you still have questions about your benefits? ALEX is available to help!

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To learn more about ALEX, click here.

ALEX is a virtual benefits counselor that is
provided by MSU HR to walk you through everything you need to know about your benefit options. Even though open enrollment has ended for the 2017 plan year, ALEX can still be used in order to learn more about your benefits.

When you first navigate to ALEX, it will ask you some basic questions in order to figure out which benefit plans apply to your situation. You then have the opportunity to go through and take a closer look at all of the plan options. ALEX will give you the choice to learn more about each plan or to move on to the next section. There is also a menu bar on the side if you want to skip around and learn about certain plans.

It is important to note that ALEX is strictly an educational tool; you are not able to enroll for any benefits through this tool. Enrollment must still be completed through the EBS portal. To navigate to ALEX, visit the HR website and select the link under the section that applies to you (faculty and academic staff, support staff, variable hour employees or graduate assistants). Be sure to take advantage of this helpful interactive tool!