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Benefits forums scheduled through October
By Kim Goodin : October 12th, 2009Human Resources personnel will host a series of educational programs as the benefits open enrollment period begins Thursday, Oct. 15.
“We strongly encourage all faculty members and staff affected by UT’s benefits plans to attend these programs,” said Laura Miller, senior director of benefits and human resources information systems. “It’s a big part of what we feel is important — educating the UT community about what their benefits are and how best to use them.
“We started offering these programs last year and received a great response. I had many people tell me, ‘This is the first time I’ve really understood my benefits.’”
The programs are offered during the following dates and times on Health Science, Main and Scott Park campuses:
• Wednesday, Oct. 14, 3:30 p.m., Health Education Building Room 100;
• Monday, Oct. 19, noon, Dowling Hall Room 2315;
• Tuesday, Oct. 20, 9 a.m., Student Union Room 2592;
• Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2 p.m., Student Recreation Center Oak Room;
• Thursday, Oct. 22, 9 a.m., Dowling Hall Room 2315;
• Monday, Oct. 26, 2 p.m., Student Recreation Center Oak Room;
• Tuesday, Oct. 27, 9 a.m., Health Education Building Room 105;
• Wednesday, Oct. 28, 10 a.m., Scott Park Student Center VIP Room, Scott Park Campus;
• Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2 p.m., Dowling Hall Room 2315; and
• Thursday, Oct. 29, 9 a.m., Student Union Room 2592.
Open enrollment continues through Friday, Nov. 13. All employees must re-enroll by completing enrollment forms and bringing them to HR, whether they elect to make changes in 2010 benefits choices or not, to ensure their coverage continues after Dec. 31.
Forms will not be mailed to employees’ homes this year. In an effort to save resources and follow UT’s “green” enhancements, forms will be posted on HR’s Web site at http://hr.utoledo.edu. Employees who do not have access to computers may pick up enrollment packets in HR, which is located in the Transportation Center on Main Campus and is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“We’re saving about $40,000 by eliminating the printing and mailing of enrollment packages,” Miller noted. “It also helps us comply with UT’s goal of being more environmentally conscious.”
Miller said HR’s goal has been to offer benefits employees value while stemming cost increases. The result is several health plans from which to choose. A few of the features include 100 percent coverage at The University of Toledo Medical Center, extension of benefits for students up to age 25 on the consumer-directed health plan, and more consumer control regarding medical expenditures.
Employees who have questions following the educational programs may e-mail benefits@utoledo.edu with their specific inquiries. HR personnel will respond within 48 hours.
For additional information regarding the educational programs, contact HR at 419.530.4747 or e-mail benefits@utoledo.edu.
October 12th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
What a great idea to cut costs for envelopes, postage and manpower for assembling packages. However, employees will still need to print the forms and drive them over to HR (trees, gasoline, emissions). Although the forms can be submitted through campus mail, this presents a data security concern. Has HR considered a TRUE “green” enhancement… i.e. a paperless online annual enrollment? I’ve seen this at other institutions. Employees log in, update information if necessary, and submit the changes or confirm current information. A confirmation e-mail is sent to the employee shortly thereafter showing their enrollment status for each available benefit. This also saves data entry in the HR department since each employee enters their own data. The last time I submitted forms, I stood in line and then eventually came to a room where there were a few people sitting around a table taking forms and entering information into computers. How many hours and days did those employees devote to that task? In addition to saving paper up front, a paperless system would obviate the need to store or shred the forms. Of course the cost of the software must be considered during the current economic hardship. I wonder if the software would eventually pay for itself. Online benefit submissions would save even more paper, more employee resources, and provide more data security. Go Green (and save us all time too)! Hopefully this is something that we can look forward to down the road.
October 12th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
It would be nice to also have an information session on the Engineering Campus. We do have a nice venue called Nitschke Auditorium.
October 12th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Your program on the 14th at the Health Ed Building, Rm. 100, is that on the Main Campus or the Health Science Campus? I believe the HSC has a Health Ed Building too.
October 12th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
I would like to know if Human Resources could provide an explanation of why benefits choices are not simply “rolled-over” for those who do not fill out a new form each year? That would seem the logical, cost saving, and time saving thing to do. Filling out a new form for employees who do not elect to make any changes to their benefits choices is required, yet it seems entirely unnecessary.
October 13th, 2009 at 10:20 am
I’m all for saving money and being green, however… I told at least 12 people about this message, none of them read their e-mail or the announcements. I wonder how many employees will miss this and be without benefits. Benfits should be rolled over if there are no changes. WE need to spread the word to co-workers before they miss out.
October 13th, 2009 at 10:52 am
To touch on what Sara said, it is a great idea to eliminate the cost of mailing the packages to employees homes. All of us touched by the budget crunch, and that is every employee with the exception of the administration, appreciate the effor made to cut costs. If all departments make the effort to save in that way, hopefully we can weather the current economic storm. However, there is nothing “green” about this. We still have four to five thousand employees (conservative estimate) who will need to print out the forms and drive them over to HR. The only way to be green would be to have online processing as she mentioned.