HR Buzz

University of New Hampshire at Manchester

December 2011 January 2012 February Volume 8, Issue 5

Anniversaries
Years of Service

University offices will be closed Monday, December 26, 2011 - Monday, January 2, 2012. Staff members are required to use two annual leave/earned time days to account for December 29&30.

December
Bruce J Stacey Miho 26 years 16 years 13 years

This Months Feature: 2012 Benefit Changes

In case you did not have the opportunity to attend one of the Human Resources hosted Q&A sessions regarding the upcoming benefit changes, please see highlights below. Beginning January 1, 2012, all USNH Harvard Pilgrim Medical Plans will change from fullyinsured plans to selfinsured plans. All Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare members will receive new identification cards around the third week of December. This card will be for services or visits. All Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare members will also receive new identification cards from CVS/Caremark, USNHs new prescription drug coverage vendor. o There are over 65,000 vendors within the network- you are not limited to CVS. healthy choices and actions. Beginning in 2012, Wellness Connections Rewards will change from gift items to gift cards, which will be considered taxable income. The gym membership will also continue to reimburse employees up to $500 per year for a gym membership, however as of January 1, 2012, this benefit will also be taxed per IRS guidelines. Please continue to bring any and all questions regarding the upcoming changes to the Human Resources Office. As 2012 settles in and you encounter your expected and unexpected medical care, please do not hesitate to ask questions and seek clarification regarding your benefits.

January
Ginger L. Justin Donna M. Rachel 18 years 9 years 8 years 2 years

February
Lloyd Ashlyn 11 years 6 years

Employer funding to the Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) has been discontinued. Employees with account balances will have until December 31, 2013 to use their current HRA funds. After the 90 days claim date (March 31, 2014) unused funds will be forfeited. FSA funds will continue to be deducted before HRA funds. Wellness Connection will continued to be offered through Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare, rewarding employees and their dependents for their

FAQs
Q. I have questions about a medical bill I received, I dont understand the cost breakdowns; whom do I ask? A. The 800 phone number on the back of your Harvard Pilgrim ID card is a great place to begin. Customer service representatives are available to answer any and all questions related to your Harvard Pilgrim billing questions. A second great resource is HPH Connect, by visiting http://www.harvardpilgrim. org, you will have the opportunity to log in and view all of your benefits and eligibility, claims, authorizations, immunizations, illnesses/conditions, and much more. Human Resources is also a resources always available to you to help answer any questions you may have regarding your health benefits. Please do not hesitate to ask questions regarding your health care benefits.

HR Updates and Reminders

UNHM Updates and Reminders

The 2012 Holidays and Closing schedule is available: http://www.unh.edu/h r/holidays.htm New Harvard Pilgrim and CVS/Caremark (prescription drug plan) ID cards will be mailed the third week of December. The Harvard Pilgrim ID card is for services/visits such as a doctors appt. The CVS/Caremark ID card is for prescriptions. CVS/Caremark will provide prescription coverage for USNH

employees beginning in 2012, with this change, some prescriptions may change tiers, check your prescriptions here to see their monthly and mail away costs: http://www2.caremark .com/usnh/?prescriptio n-manager Effective January 1, 2012, there will now be a new middle tier for retirement contributions. Employees will be able to put in 4% and the university will match at 6%. Join the Office of Human Resources and the Employee Activities Committee on Thursday, December 21 for a holiday potluck. The HR Office will be supplying Backroom chicken tenders and

veggie lasagna. Side dishes and desserts are welcome but not required. All staff and faculty are welcome to attend. The staff and faculty members of UNH Manchester continue to be a very generous community, donating a total of $5,753 to the annual Granite United Way Campaign. Thank you!! The Office of Human Resources will be again sponsoring a family this winter season through The Salvation Army. If you are interested in donating to this years family, please contact Elizabeth by December 16.

Wellness
APS Helplink Workplace and Wellness Webinars With office life continuing to take up many of our daily schedules it can be difficult to reserve time to attend professional development opportunities. APS Helplink, USNHs Employee Assistance Program offers ongoing, FREE, webinars and training tools to help you be an accomplished employee/supervisor and well individual. Please take a look and check out the many more listed through APSs website: http://apshelplink.com Company Code: USNH. Upcoming Webinars December 18, 2011Creating Your Personal Development Plan December 20, 2011- Tune up Your Search Engine January, 17, 2012- Financial Fitness: Living within a Realistic Budget February 21, 2011- The Art of Listening and Giving Feedback March, 20, 2011- Eating your Way to Wellness 10 Steps to Creating a Great Place to Work (Managers) Adjusting to the Aging Process Lets Sleep on It Personal and Professional Goal Setting The ABCs of working with the XYZs Knowing Your Limits: Elder Care Planning and Decision Making OnDemand Online Webinars

HR Toolbox
Sandwich Generation: Care givers in the middle Meet Valerie, a member of the sandwich generation. She spent much of last night at an emergency room with her elderly mother, who fell and needed a few stitches. It was yet another sign that her mother can't live on her own anymore. This morning, as Valerie rushed to get ready for work, her 14year-old daughter reminded her that she'd promised to help her with her Spanish quiz. Exhausted, Valerie snapped that she'd just have to study on her own. Of course, she spent the rest of the day feeling guilty. Like Valerie, many middle-age adults find themselves torn between the demands of raising children and caring for aging parents. More than 22 million Americans help care for their elderly relatives. That's nearly triple the rate of a decade earlier. But it's not surprising when you consider how quickly the elderly population is growing. Between 1990 and 2000, the number of people older than 85 grew from three million to four million. By 2050, there will be 18 million people older than 85, experts predict. 1 The squeeze is on the sandwich generation because many couples choose to start families later in life. Even parents whose children are grown can get sandwiched if they have to care for grandchildren on a full- or part-time basis. And when adult children move back home, a caregiver could find herself caring for aging parents, adult children, and grandchildrenall at the same time. Just when you thought life might be simpler and you'd have more time to focus on personal interests, leisure, and travel; everyone wants a piece of you. Ease your load by taking these steps: Tip 2 Caring for yourself is a necessity, not a luxury. You can't help someone else properly if you're run down. If you care for an elderly person and children, it's vital to get regular, relaxing, and healthful breaks. Don't feel guilty about itit benefits the people you care for, too. Tip 3 Plan strategies for how to complete all your duties. Use a calendar to track everyone's appointments and combine tasks when you can. For instance, schedule your father's doctor appointment around your daughter's soccer practice. And let your teenage driver practice by taking Grandma shopping. Specifics Communicate openly. If you feel sandwiched, the worst thing you can do is suffer in silence. First off, talk with your aging parent about his or her wishes and priorities. Find out if he or she has made plans or decisions about what should happen next. Talk to your siblings about how they envision helping out. Ask the same of adult children who are living with you. And don't leave younger kids out of the discussion. Find out how they feel about the time you spend caring for your parent. They might feel left out. Maybe they'd welcome a bigger role in helping you care for your parent. Or perhaps what they really need is a guarantee of a half-hour of your time each evening before bed. You may not be able to fulfill all your child's requests, but just having this discussion may help. Don't assume it's best for your parent to move in with you. This may seem like a tempting option because everyone would be under one roof, but ask yourself these questions first:

Make your boundaries clear. Discuss your concerns openly. Consider long-term financial plans. Take advantage of community services. Maintain important relationships with family and friends. Care for yourself emotionally and physically.

Identify your own needs and desires, and find out what matters to the children and parents in your care. Get the issues on the table, reach for compromises, and find solutions that will work for everyone. Key Tips: Tip 1 Help may be easier to find than you think. Many organizations are designed to help caregivers. Family or friends might be willing to pitch in, if you ask. Check out your local senior center, place of worship, or hospital to find out what's available.

Do you have the spaceand is it accessible for someone with limited mobility? Would your parent be able to tolerate your family's normal routines, including your daughter's daily drum practice or your son's love of TV cartoons and video games? How do your partner and kids feel about the idea? Do your kids get along with your parent? What contributions can your parent make to the household? (Rent, housecleaning, child care, gardening.) What if it doesn't work out?

APS Helplink http://apshelplink.com Company Code: USNH