Mark your calendar for these upcoming programs:

June 10 - Managing Multiple Priorities

July 14 - Overcoming Procrastination

If you haven't already done so, visit our LifeMatters@CSUN website to learn about all of the services and resources available to you and your family/household members as part of your Employee Assistance Program benefit. 

You can access the LifeMatters website on your desktop, or mobile device. Visit https://www.mylifematters.com/.

Monthly Webinar

In addition, LifeMatters hosts monthly Webinars. Most Webinars are live, and some are posted for download. 

This month's live webinar, Overcoming Loneliness, discusses how to recognize the normal reaction of feeling emotionally or physically disconnected from others, and how to address this, and rebuild connections.

Join us Wednesday, May 19, 2021. You have two options to Participate: 

9:00 - 10:00 a.m.  or 
12:00 - 1:00 p.m. 

To register, click on the time slot above that you wish to attend, or go to mylifematters.com/my/webinars and log in using the password "Matadors."  You must register prior to the start of the webinar in order to attend.

The campus will be closed, Monday May 31, 2021 in observance of the Memorial Day Holiday.

Memorial Day Resources

• History of Memorial Day
• Memorial Day Order
• National Cemetery Administration
• National and State Veterans Cemeteries
• Arlington National Cemetery
• Displaying the Flag at Half-staff
• General Flag Display Guidelines
• Folding the Flag
• Poppy Flower
• Taps

Chancellor Castro has approved an Expanded COVID-19 Related Leave (ECRL) type for non-represented employees and employees in the following bargaining units who have reached meet and confer agreements:

• UAPD (Unit 1)
• CSUEU (Units 2, 5, 7, 9)
• APC (Unit 4)
• SUPA (Unit 8)

ECRL allows for up to 128 hours (16 days) of leave time from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021. Note the 128 hours is inclusive of the 80 hours under Senate Bill (SB) 95. The 128 hours are pro-rated for part-time employees and exempt employees may only use the time in whole day increments.

As of April 15, 2021 Teamsters ECRL time expanded to include all qualifying criteria as SB 95.; as such, each full-time (Teamsters) employee shall be allotted 256 hours of ECRL (Expanded COVID Related Leave) for use between January 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021. The total number of ECRL hours shall be pro-rated for employees whose appointment is less than full-time and done in a manner consistent with SB 95.

ECRL can be used for the following COVID-19 related reasons when an employee is unable to work or telework:

• Employee is subject to a quarantine or isolation period related to COVID-19 as defined by federal, state, or local orders or guidelines.
• Employee is advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine due to concerns related to COVID-19.
• Employee is attending an appointment to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
• Employee is experiencing symptoms related to a COVID-19 vaccine.
• Employee is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and seeking a medical diagnosis.
• Employee is caring for a family member who is subject to a quarantine or isolation order or guideline or who has been advised to self-quarantine by a health care provider due to concerns related to COVID-19.
• Employee is caring for a child whose school or place of care is closed or otherwise unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19 on the premises.

If you are interested in learning more about this leave type please contact your Benefits Leave Specialist.

We are happy to announce a temporary change to the HCRA and DCRA plans allowed by the recently passed Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) of 2021.

The CSU has adopted temporary plan changes to the CSU Health Care Reimbursement and Dependent Care Reimbursement Plans, which allow employees to make a one-time, mid-year enrollment change prospectively without a qualifying event during the remainder of the 2021 plan year. This one-time, mid-year plan change will allow employees to stop, enroll or change their current monthly contribution for HCRA, DCRA or both plans.

To learn more about the benefit plans please visit https://csyou.calstate.edu/Employee-Resources/Benefits/Flexible/Pages/default.aspx

Employees currently participating in the HCRA and/or DCRA will receive additional information to include monies contributed during the 2020 plan year via email from Systemwide Human Resources and a mailed letter from ASIFlex. If you do not receive a notice from ASIFlex by March 31, please contact ASIFlex at 800-659-3035

Important – HCRA Account Participants Only: You cannot cancel or decrease your HCRA account contributions if you have been reimbursed more than your existing account balance for 2021.

If you have questions or would like to make a mid-year plan change please contact Benefits Administration at benefitsadministration@csun.edu.

All Faculty & Staff to Complete "Return to Campus Training"

Because of the “connectedness” nature of our work and the volatility of the pandemic, we must share the responsibility of protecting ourselves and each other. A safe work environment is only possible when everyone participates.

All employees, whether currently working on campus, authorized to return this Spring, or currently working from home, should have received an email notice are required to complete an online course called “Returning to Campus Guide for Employees.” The notice contained a link to CSU Learn, the Campus Learning Management System. 

The 23-minute online course provides information on CSUN’s COVID-19 guidelines and shared responsibilities, as well as strategies for limiting the spread of the disease. 

Campus Safety Protocols

Whether working on campus continuously, or periodically, its important to remember and practice campus safety protocols when cleared to be on campus:

• Stay home if sick
• Complete the Employee Screening Survey 
• Wear face covering
• Maintain 6ft distancing

Visit CSUNasOne for details and up to date information.

How to Report COVID-19 Cases or Potential Exposure

When reporting self or employee COVID-19 cases, the information will be provided to the Klotz Student Health Center for contact tracking, to Environmental Health and Safety for office sanitization and OSHA reporting, and to Human Resources for leave assistance.

• Faculty & Staff Self-Reporting Form
• Manager Reporting Form (For managers to report employee and student employee cases)

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is currently distributing the COVID-19 vaccine to residents in the following groups:

• Phase 1A – Healthcare Workers, Staff & Residents at Skilled Nursing Facilities, Staff & Residents at Long-Term Care Facilities
• Phase 1B – Education, Childcare, and Los Angeles County Residents, 50 and over.
• All individuals age 16 and older.

More information for LA County residents is available at the COVID-19 Vaccination Hub site.

Currently eligible workers may make appointments through their healthcare provider or as they become available through the Los Angeles County website at:

http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/vaccine/hcwsignup/.

For up-to-date COVID-19 Vaccination Information for CSUN faculty & staff, visit: https://www.csun.edu/hr/employee-covid-19-vaccination-information

For more information on health & safety, visit: https://www.csun.edu/csunasone/health-and-safety.

What to Expect After Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine

Vaccine eligibility has opened up for Californians aged 16 and over. As you get your vaccine, you may experience some side effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. They should go away in a few days. Some people have no side effects.  Read more from CalPERS.

CSUN Faculty and staff approved to work on campus during the Spring 2021 semester are eligible to participate in voluntary COVID-19 testing (at no cost). We have engaged a third-party vendor, Picture, by Fulgent Genetics, to increase our testing capacity and offer free, convenient at-home testing for employees as one of several initiatives in place to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.

Who is the Testing For?

• Testing is strongly recommended for all CSUN faculty and staff specifically approved to physically work continually or periodically on campus. Auxiliary employees should check with their HR Department.
• This testing is currently not available to faculty & staff working remotely.
• Please note: This type of testing is for surveillance testing of asymptomatic individuals (i.e. no symptoms). If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or had close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, we recommend you consult with your personal physician first.  Anyone who has contracted COVID-19 within the last 90 days should not participate in this ongoing testing.
• There is still value in testing even after vaccination, learn more.

For More Information and to Register:

• https://www.csun.edu/hr/covid-19-employee-testing

COVID-19 Live Paycheck Distribution Process

All employees not on direct deposit will have their state payroll checks distributed by U.S. Mail.  This distribution method promotes proper social distancing, as well as assists in transitioning workloads to support the academic year. In order to ensure timely receipt of paychecks, please follow the steps below as soon as possible:

Login to the myNorthridge portal and verify that your home address is accurate.  You can do this by navigating to the Staff tab and accessing the Human Resources/Employee pagelet.  In the pagelet select update my personal info.

Exceptions: 

If this process causes a financial burden to employees, they should email WarrantDist@csun.edu and request an exception to come to campus to physically pick up their pay check. This exception should be made no later than two weeks before payday. 

Enjoy the Convenience | Enroll in Direct Deposit & Cal Employee Connect

In order to avoid unexpected mailing delays, we also highly encourage you to consider enrolling in direct deposit.  New enrollment may take up to two pay periods to process, so please ensure your home address on file is also up to date. The following link provides information on Direct Deposit for CSUN employees: https://www.csun.edu/payroll/direct-deposit.

Completed forms can be mailed to:

Human Resources – Payroll Administration
California State University, Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA  91330-8229

Additionally, employees may view their paycheck details and IRS Form W-2 by registering with Cal Employee Connect (CEC). CEC is a secure site run by the State of California’s State Controller’s Office and allows state employees to view paycheck information for the current tax year and two prior tax years and view Form W-2 for the past three tax years.  Access to CEC is available for current and former state employees.  More information can be found here: https://www.csun.edu/payroll/cec. 

As a California State University (CSU) employee, your pay check/direct deposit advice and annual W-2 are issued (hard copy) by the State Controller’s Office (SCO). Until now, these hard copy documents have been the only means made available to you by the SCO as a record of your earnings.

CSUN employees now have the opportunity to access this information and forms through Cal Employee Connect (CEC) which allows employees to view up to three (3) years of their earnings statements and W-2’s, along with personal information. Cal Employee Connect reduces state costs and workload by providing a tool for all state employees to access their earnings information electronically.

The statements available in CEC provide continuity to the statements previously printed by the SCO. CEC offers a range of tools to help you view your earnings, including a feature to compare statements side-by-side.

To learn more about CEC and how to view pay warrant and W-2 information, visit Cal Employee Connect.

The California State University is pleased to present Landed, a company dedicated to helping working professionals achieving​ their dreams of homeownership. 

Landed offers:

• Financial solutions, including their down payment program to help you reach 20%.
• A network of trustworthy agents and lenders to support you along the homebuying journey.
• Free homebuying resources and guidance to help you prepare for homeownership.

Landed’s Shared Equity Down Payment Program is designed to help you reach at least a 20% down payment in a shared equity investment, up to $120,000 per household. Investing alongside homebuyers, Landed shares in a portion of the gain (or loss, if any) of the value of the home once the partnership is terminated.

In addition to the down payment program, Landed’s services include providing an expert homebuying team to help navigate competitive offer reviews and homebuying educational resources to help employees prepare for homeownership. You do not need to be a first time home buyer.

For more information, please see the flyer and visit landed.com/sign-up-pre-steps.

Dependent Re-verification (DRV) is the process of re-verifying the eligibility of your spouse, domestic partner, children, stepchildren, and domestic partner children (family members) enrolled for state health and dental benefits. Government Code section 22843.1 mandates re-verifying the eligibility of your family members. Government Code section 22959 authorizes extending this review to your family members enrolled for dental benefits.

• The eligibility of your family members will be re-verified once every three years. The re-verification period is based on your birth month. Employees born during the following months are required to re-verify family members during 2021: January, April, July and October.
• For those employees with birthdays in July, you do not need to send in the Dependent Eligibility Verification Affidavit mailed to you by CalPERS. As a sustainable and convenient alternative, you will receive an email from Adobe Sign allowing you to complete your required Dependent Eligibility Verification Affidavit and attach the required documents. Please complete and submit your required documents prior to July 1, 2021 order for your dependent(s) to continue receiving health coverage and avoid cancellation on 8/1/2021.

For more information visit the following page: Health Care Dependent Re-Verification

The Spring PERSpective is Now Available: Look for it in your mail or read it online to get the latest news and updates on your CalPERS retirement benefits, health benefits, and news & events.

Read PERSpective Online

*When you open a new ScholarShare 529 College Savings Plan account with a $50 contribution (and sign up for recurring contributions of $25 or more per month for a minimum of 6 months) between May 24, 2021, at 12:01 a.m. and May 31, 2021, at 8:59 p.m. (PT), ScholarShare 529 will match $50 on or before January 31, 2022. Visit www.scholarshare529.com/529Day for terms and conditions.

You can print or download a copy of the following flyer here.