HR News Updates | November 2017

The CSU Employee Fee Waiver and Reduction Program provides for the waiver or reduction of certain fees for employees who enroll in work-related courses offered by the CSU for the purpose of improving skills for existing jobs, or advancement in accordance with a career development plan.  In addition, an eligible CSU employee may transfer his or her fee waiver benefit to a spouse, domestic partner, or eligible dependent child. Only one person may use this benefit per semester, regardless of whether the individual uses the full two (2) courses or 6 units.

The CSU Fee Waiver module is currently available for Spring 2018 registration. In order to ensure timely processing, please submit your application no later than November 3, 2017.

For more information, visit: http://www.csun.edu/benefits/fee-waiver-reduction-program.

Awaken your best self with this fun, six-week online sleep program!

Our busy lives make it easy to take sleep for granted. But the right amount of shut-eye can reduce stress, spur your creativity, and help you lose weight. It may even make you look younger. To help you feel more productive, healthy, and focused, Human Resources has teamed up with Kaiser Permanente to bring you Rest and Revive. During this fun, easy-to-follow program, you will receive six weekly emails with practical suggestions for getting better rest — and avoiding common mistakes that keep you up at night. Along the way, you can find tips on physical activity, healthy eating, and making sure your bedroom is set up to help you sleep.

The first email will give you the tools to log your sleep habits and daily routines and assess your progress. Get ready — it’s the first step on the path to better rest.

Monday, November 6, 2017
Location: Online Program
Facilitated By: Kaiser Permanente and Human Resources

Please click here to sign-up and participate in the program: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YCDVM5D.

The University will be closed on Friday, November 10, 2017 in observance of Veterans' Day. Classes will not be in session and most campus offices will be closed.

Are you aware of our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) benefit, LifeMatters@CSUN? The program is designed to provide professional assistance to all faculty, staff and their families. The benefit includes three face-to-face counseling sessions available on a per problem basis with a licensed professional, and an array of work/life resources.

We invite you to visit our LifeMatters@CSUN website to learn about all services available to you and your family/household members. California State University, Northridge believes that the services provided through LifeMatters@CSUN can be a most valuable resource in helping faculty and staff maintain satisfying and productive lives, and we are pleased to include this service as an employee benefit.

Holiday Budgeting

Content includes: Helpful skills for keeping holiday budgets in balance.

To access webinars:

• Go to www.mylifematters.com/my/webinars and follow the directions on that page. Please sign in with your company password.
• For live webinars, click on the link for the webinar you would like to attend and follow the registration instructions. You must register prior to the start of the webinar to attend.
• Transcripts for non-captioned, archived webinars are available upon request.

LifeMatters Recipe of the Month

LifeMatters has a featured recipe each month. Log in to the website to view how to make an Apple Coffee Cake. Perfect for Fall and the Holidays! 

The University will be closed on Thursday, November 23, and Friday, November 24, 2017 in observance of Thanksgiving Day and Admission Day respectively. Campus will be closed and there will be no instruction through Saturday, November 25th.

We will discuss the factors that are, and are not used in determining the appropriate classification, the types of reviews conducted in the classification process, potential reclassification impact(s), and classification appeal process.

Tuesday, November 28, 2017 - 10:00 am to 11:30 am
Location: Human Resources Training Room, Oviatt Library 16, Garden Level
Facilitated By: Mika Williamson, Director, Recruitment Services & Compensation & Lynn Marks, Manager, Classification & Compensation.

For details and registration Information, visit: http://www.csun.edu/development/training/events/understanding-how-csuns-classification-compensation-system-works-20171128

As a reminder, you can view your current Benefits Summary and Dependent Coverage in the CSUN portal. If you submitted changes as part of the annual Open Enrollment period, you can view those changes in the portal by changing the date field on those pages to "01/01/2018".  Changes made during Open Enrollment (which closed October 6, 2017) will be effective January 1, 2018.

Thank you to all faculty and staff who attended the Benefits and Wellness Fair held on September 20, 2017. The event was interactive enabling attendees to meet with over 30 health care providers and campus partners. The event was held in the Student Recreation Center (SCR) with over 400 faculty and staff in attendance.

We hope you enjoyed the event, and your visit assisted you with getting ready for open enrollment and learning about the many on and off campus health and well-being resources available.  We look forward to seeing you again next year!

On July 21, 2017, the CSU issued revised Executive Order 1083, which provides direction on implementing the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act ("CANRA") (Penal Code §§ 11164-11174.3). This Executive Order identifies certain groups of employees as "Mandated Reporters" of child abuse and also imposes various obligations on and extends certain protections to those Mandated Reporters as well as their employers. As a covered employer, the California State University (CSU) is required to comply with the Act with implementation. The primary goal of the policy is to ensure the safety of children. Your voice can make a meaningful difference in a child's life and ensure that they have a future.

The policy identifies two categories of Mandated Reporters: General Reporters, who are employees legally required to report child abuse or neglect no matter where it occurs; and Limited Reporters, who are employees and volunteers legally required to report child abuse or neglect only if it occurs on CSU premises or at an official activity of, or program conducted by the CSU. 

Human Resources is in the process of advising individual employees if they are a reporter under this policy by email. The email will specify which reporter category the employee is and will also include an acknowledgement form which must be signed and returned to Human Resources.

For additional information on CANRA, understanding Child Abuse and Neglect, and how to report it, visit our website at: https://www.csun.edu/hr/canra.

You can view your Annual Member Statements by logging in to your MyCalPERS account at: https://www.calpers.ca.gov/page/active-members/retirement-benefits/service-credit/annual-member-statement.

It is estimated that thousands in attendance at the Route 91 Festival were California residents. The California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) can help Californians pay bills and expenses resulting from violent crime such as the Route 91 Festival attack. Victims of crime who have been injured or have been threatened with injury may be eligible for help.

If you or someone you care about was present at the attack, in the vicinity, or is a loved one of someone who was present, urge them to complete a special CalVCB application that can be found on the webpage linked below and submit it to the fax number listed. If direct victims have already submitted an application with the Nevada Victims of Crime Program (NVOCP), they do not need to submit an application with CalVCB as we are working closely together to streamline the process for these victims and they will be eligible in CA and NV with one application.

For the application and additional information and resources, visit: https://victims.ca.gov/lasvegas/.

Anyone who was present at the festival is considered a direct victim.  Anyone who was in the vicinity will be evaluated on a case by case basis in terms of program eligibility.  Applications for those who were in Las Vegas at the time, but not at the festival or in the vicinity, will also be evaluated on a case by case basis.

• If you or someone in your household needs additional resources or would like to speak with a professional about the attack, please remember that assistance is available to you and your family through LifeMatters, your Employee Assistance Program.  For direct assistance (Free & Confidential), call LifeMatters at 1-800-367-7474 or, log on to: www.mylifematters.com (password: Matadors).
• If a CSUN student needs additional resources or would like to speak with a professional about the attack, please refer them to University Counseling Services.  Be a friend, help them connect them with UCS by calling extension 2366 (option 1), or walk with them to UCS located in Bayramian Hall, Room 520.

Please ensure that your vacation balance as of January 1, 2018 is at or below your maximum carryover per your applicable bargaining agreement. You may view your leave balances online through the portal at www.csun.edu. Once in the portal, find the HR/Employee – Time & Attendance pagelet; click on View Absence Balances. If you are not able to view your balances, please see your department Timekeeper.

Also remember to consider your vacation accruals for November and December when calculating the number of hours you must use before January 1st. For details concerning the calculation of your “Maximum Carryover Hours” refer to http://www.csun.edu/benefits/vacation.

Special note for Faculty: After one (1) full year of employment, a California Faculty Association (R03) employee who accrues vacation (12-month appointments) shall take at least forty (40) hours of vacation each calendar year. Any part of the forty (40) hours not taken during the calendar year shall be forfeited by January 1 of the subsequent year (Article 34.7).