May 17, 2021 News you need Benefits Open Enrollment ends May 19 The 2021 flexible benefits open enrollment period ends Wednesday, May 19. Benefit-eligible employees may review or change their benefits online. Learn more on our enrollment site and make sure you visit our Virtual Benefits and Wellbeing Fair. In addition, if you cover your spouse under a medical plan, you are required to complete a Spousal Coordination of Benefits form each year during open enrollment. FYI Flexible Spending Account (FSA) grace period extended The COVID-19 Relief bill has enabled the University to extend the normal grace period for those enrolled in 2020 Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA). Normally there is a 2.5-month grace period that allows participants to continue incurring expenses. For the 2020 plan year, that grace period has been extended by 12 months to Dec. 31, 2021, allowing you an additional year to incur claims for unused funds in your health and dependent care FSAs. At the end of the grace period, any remaining unused balances will be forfeited, per IRS regulations. Additionally, the maximum age of eligible dependents for day care purposes will be increased to 13 years (rather than 12) for the 2021 plan year only. Learn more about FSAs, including eligible expenses and how to submit a claim. TIAA Virtual Counseling Sessions Access virtual TIAA counseling by phone or on any device and learn about your retirement savings, managing debt and your investment strategy. Meetings are highly secure and private. Schedule a virtual counseling session. Learn more and register. Featured jobs The University is seeking applicants for the following positions. Please share these position descriptions to spread the word.
Work-life Blue Hen Heroes At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it felt like the world had come to a stop, but these employees persevered to keep the UD community up and running. This monthly segment on Working at UD highlights our Blue Hen Heroes who are working diligently each day to create and maintain safe spaces for us all, while continuing to meet challenges of protecting the flock. Employee Health and Wellbeing Employee Health and Wellbeing is taking part in Mental Health Awareness Month this month by addressing themes from Mental Health America's Tools2Thrive. We can build our resiliency together as a community at UD, relying on the many resources we have access to and connecting through various discussions. If you are struggling, you are never alone or without options, please seek help, which can be found here. Normalizing honest mental health conversations in the workplace is critical to reducing stigma. Tracy Willman shares her story of how her family was impacted by home quarantining, canceled graduations, remote work, the harsh political climate and ultimately how counseling helped them develop the coping skills they needed to process and thrive. Read more. Football season ticket discounts Delaware Football will be back in action this fall to defend its Spring 2021 CAA Championship. Show your Blue Hen spirit Saturdays this fall at the six home games. Season tickets start at $72 each when you buy four or more with the Friends and Family Pack, or UD faculty and staff members can receive a 20% discount on bleacher seats by clicking here or entering the promo code UDSTAFF21 on the general ticket page. Go Hens! Thank you for showing your love for UD! The fourth annual I Heart UD Giving Day on May 5 was a huge success, raising more than $1,010,643 from 6,258 donors (and counting!) and supporting more than 116 student, faculty and alumni-led projects. This record-breaking event would not have been possible without your generous support! To see the full results, visit www.udel.edu/iheartud. Save the date for Virtual Alumni Weekend! Join the UD community to virtually celebrate the 2021 Alumni Weekend, Friday, June 4, to Sunday, June 6. Events will include a Delabration Celebration with emcee Scott Mason, along with a special message from notable alumni and the UD Alumni Association Awards Celebration. Visit www.udel.edu/alumniweekend for more details. Employee Assistance Program Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is now being provided through ComPsych® GuidanceResources®. This is a free program available exclusively for State of Delaware Group Health Plan non-Medicare members and their dependents. Those not eligible to enroll in the Group Health Plan will have access until the COVID-19 pandemic has ended. EAP can help with a wide variety of work and life issues.
This email is approved by Jared Aupperle, Interim Vice President for Human Resources |
