State Health Benefits Program Annual Open Enrollment

This year’s Open Enrollment period for New Jersey State Health Benefits Program (SHBP) and the New Jersey Tax$ave program (flexible spending accounts) is the month of October. Changes made during Open Enrollment will be effective January 1, 2010. If you wish to make changes or additions to your health insurance coverage, forms must be submitted to Payroll Services on or before October 27, 2009. "Working For U" Benefit and Resources Fairs will be held in October on the Camden, Newark, and New Brunswick campuses. For more information, visit the open enrollment webpage.

New ID Cards for Aetna HMO Members

Rutgers employees who are members of the Aetna HMO health plan will be receiving new ID cards. Aetna has confirmed that plan information and coverage remain the same. The new ID cards will include logos to ensure health providers know which rates apply to claims. For more information regarding your Aetna HMO ID card or coverage, contact Aetna Customer Service at 877-STATE NJ (782-8365).

NJ Family Leave Insurance (FLI) Available July 1

New Jersey Family Leave Insurance (FLI) will be available beginning July 1, 2009. Eligible employees will receive two-thirds of their wages to a maximum of $546 per week for up to six weeks over a 12-month period to: 1) bond with a child during the first 12 months after the child’s birth, or bond with an adopted child within the first 12 months of placement; or 2) care for a family member (defined as a child, spouse, domestic partner, civil union partner, or parent) with a serious health condition. The Family Leave Insurance claim form is available online and can be accessed through the Get A Form webpage. For more information, contact your HR Consultant and/or visit the FAQ webpage.

OzonePass Program

The NJ TRANSIT OzonePass program ended September 4. Employees on the Newark Campus may return unused OzonePass tickets to the Business Office, Blumenthal Hall, no later than September 16 for a full refund. For more information contact Irma Mendoza at 973 353-5942.

Revisions to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

On January 16, 2009, new government regulations went into effect pursuant to the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The new regulations amend the FMLA to provide leave for a “military caregiver," defined as the spouse, son, daughter, parent or next of kin of a covered service member who is recovering from a serious illness or injury sustained in the line of duty on active duty. The amended FMLA also provides for leave because of certain "qualifying exigencies" arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent is on or called to active duty. For more information, visit the FMLA webpage.

The U.S. Department of Labor has developed forms for the various certifications and notifications required by employees and employers with respect to their rights and responsibilities under the FMLA. The university has adapted these forms for use in administering the FMLA, the New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA), and university medical leaves. Departments and employees should use these forms and discontinue use of any prior versions of letters or certifications. For more information and links to the new forms, visit the FMLA webpage. Forms are also available on the Get A Form webpage under "Family & Medical Leave."

Federal Minimum Wage Update

Effective July 24, 2009, the current Federal Minimum Wage rate will increase to $7.25 per hour. In order to remain in compliance with the law all departments, regardless of size, are required to post the most recent Minimum Wage poster prominently in the work area, where it can be readily seen by employees. To find a copy of the Fair Labor Standards Act (Minimum Wage) notice, visit the Notice Postings webpage.

COBRA Premium Subsidies Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) into law on February 17, 2009. The Act includes a provision for a 65 percent employer subsidy for COBRA premiums effective with the March 1, 2009 premium. Qualified COBRA beneficiaries will be required to pay 35 percent of the COBRA premium for up to nine months. The COBRA subsidy only applies to employees and covered dependents who no longer have health plan coverage due to involuntary termination or a reduction of work hours from the period September 1, 2008 through December 31, 2009. For more information, visit the FAQ webpage.

General Information for Spanish Speaking Employees

Webpages for Spanish-Speaking Employees
University Human Resources has begun providing employment-related information for Spanish-speaking employees. The main webpage includes links to information about benefits and paid time off, work/life resources, and key publications in Spanish. University policies are included as well.

Emergency Notification

In case of an emergency, every effort will be made to inform the entire campus of emergency updates through the cellphone text message alert system, broadcast e-mail, and the Rutgers-Newark website. http://www.newark.rutgers.edu/campusstatus/emergency.php

Please make certain you update your information to be notified of any emergencies via http://eis.rutgers.edu/intranet/ENS-Direct.html

Announcements from the Associate Vice President

Announcements from the Associate Vice President for Human Resources to the Rutgers University community.

Archived News and Events

• October 2009
• September 2009
• August 2009
• July 2009
• June 2009
• March2009
• January 2009
• December 2008
• January/February 2008
• December 2007
• November 2007
• October 2007