Category: Human Resources

Jeremy Kohn, Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) chartered financial consultant, will be at Wichita State May 3 and 4 for in-person retirement planning meetings.

During the meetings, Kohn will help WSU plan participants confirm they are on track for retirement and provide specific recommendations on how to invest their TIAA funds.

Meetings can be scheduled at the TIAA website. Members who unable to attend May 3 and 4 can also can contact Kohn at jeremy.kohn@tiaa.org.

It is time to complete your annual conflict of interest (COI) disclosure. Pursuant to WSU and Kansas Board of Regents policy, all employees are required to annually disclose certain external interests, activities, and consulting arrangements.

This annual reporting period runs from April 1-30. Employees who have previously submitted an online disclosure will be prompted to review information previously submitted and make any necessary updates. Employees who have not recently submitted a disclosure will be automatically prompted to complete a new COI disclosure. You can access the COI disclosure form on myWSU.

Please note that, under WSU policy, all employees are required to keep their disclosures of external interests, activities, and consulting arrangements up to date throughout the year. This means that all employees must disclose job-related external interests as they arise and update disclosed interests if they change. Information about the updated COI processes and disclosure form can be found on WSU’s COI website. If you don’t see your question, please email COI@wichita.edu.

Employees enrolled in 2022 coverage through the State Employee Health Plan can earn a premium discount worth $480 annually and Health Savings Account (HSA)/Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) reward dollars up to $500 per year for each employee and covered spouse, just by participating and logging healthy activities throughout the year.

In April, there are six events currently scheduled worth up to 40 credits.

• April 4 – April 22, Register for Power Down and Sleep Well challenge by April 8. (four credits)
• 1 p.m. April 6, EAP Webinar “Balancing Work and Life.” (one credit)
• April 8, Wondr (Formerly Naturally Slim) session to kick-off. Registration ends April 3. (10 points)
• April 12, on-campus Biometric Screening at the Rhatigan Student Center (Room 266). Schedule your appointment today in the HealthQuest portal, or contact 1-888-275-1205, option 3. (Up to 23 credits)
• April 12, on-campus Health Coaching. Schedule your appointment today in the HealthQuest portal, or by contact 1-888-275-1205, option 3. (one credit)
•  April 20, EAP Webinar “Sleep: An Essential Component of Health and Well-Being.”  (one credit)

Take advantage of some of the On-Demand and online options to earn HealthQuest credits.

•  Online Wellness Assessment: You can earn 10 credits for completing this assessment.
• 2022 HealthQuest Program Overview Video and Quiz: You can earn three credits for watching this video and completing the short quiz.
•  Virtual Health Coaching Sessions: You can earn up to 15 credits (max one health coaching per day, one credit each) by scheduling Health Coaching Sessions. You can choose a health coach who is a nurse (RN), a dietitian or a trainer when scheduling sessions.
• Learning Modules: You can earn up to 12 credits by completing on-demand learning modules in the HealthQuest portal. There are many different topics to choose from.
• EAP On-Demand Trainings: You can earn up to 10 credits combined by completing EAP On-Demand trainings that you can access through the HealthQuest portal and attending EAP webinars (max one credit per day).
• Kansas Public Employees Retirement System Financial Wellness Learning Module: You can earn 10 credits by completing this five-week learning module.

The Office of Human Resources will be closed 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday March 29 for a team meeting. The office will reopen at 1 p.m. and will resume normal business hours.

The Office of Human Resources will be closed from 11:30 a.m. to  1:30 p.m. Wednesday April 6 for team development. The office will reopen at 1:30 p.m. and will resume normal business hours.

The State Employee Health Plan will provide a special open enrollment period for members interested in LifeTime Benefit Term Group Life Insurance with Long Term Care March 25 – April 25, 2022. All members will receive email notifications regarding the special enrollment period using the preferred email address they submitted during open enrollment.

LifeTime Benefit Term insurance, underwritten by Chubb, offers permanent term life insurance protection with the ability for members to access 4% of the policy’s face amount, tax-free to help pay for long-term care costs, whether due to a physical or cognitive impairment. Premiums for the base life insurance benefit are guaranteed never to increase through age 100 and coverage is fully portable.

Members interested in this program can register for any of the informational webinars below:

• 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 29 (Register for this webinar)
• noon Thursday, March 31 (Register for this webinar)

Members can also contact 877-720-2165 or visit the Kansas Department of Administration website. For more information, contact the SEHP at SEHPMembership@ks.gov.

Employee Appreciation Day is Friday, March 4. To extend appreciation for all employees, President Rick Muma and other members of the President’s Executive Team will host a come-and-go event with light refreshments 2-3 p.m. March 4 at the Rhatigan Student Center (first floor, Bluestem Room).

Showing appreciation for employees: Tips for supervisors

We know leaders are always looking for ways to show appreciation for faculty and staff often on tight budgets and in some cases, with a hybrid work team. While budgets may be tight and you may need to account for some of your team not being in-person, it is still important for leaders to show their employees that they are valued both as people and for the work they contribute to the university.

Below are a few ideas for leaders to show appreciation for their employees. There are no-cost and low-cost ideas and there are some creative ways to celebrate Employee Appreciation Day modified for a hybrid work team. These tips give you some ideas, but the main point is to show appreciation however you find meaningful. You know your team–get creative and make sure you  don’t miss the opportunity to express your appreciation:

• Make cookies or snacks and bring them in for everyone or consider having a department pot luck lunch with a fun activity to show appreciation for each team member.
• Host a virtual Employee Appreciation Day. Choose a fun theme, ask everyone to dress up (optional) and find virtual backgrounds that go along with your theme. You can ask your leader (next up the chain) to share an encouraging message or to facilitate a fun game for employees.
• Write a handwritten note to your staff and personalize it with recognizing something they have done that has made a positive impact on your team.
• Make a sign for each of your employees that says “I appreciate (insert employee name)” and place the sign on the employee’s work-space entry. Provide sticky notes to all team members and have them write a note about why they appreciate their team member and affix it on the sign.
• Have a drawing to give away prizes during a Zoom call. Prizes can be university swag already on hand, and you can use wheelofnames.com to pick winners.
• Create a Kudo Board to celebrate employees with an online group card filled with messages, GIFs, photos and videos.
• Share praise received from customers. This shows employees that their work matters and may give them a needed boost.
• Create a Hall of Fame where leaders can recognize someone in their division or college who made an extraordinary contribution to the institution’s ability to meet objectives in the past year.

Related resource: College and University Professional Association for Human Resources

Due to unexpected circumstances, the Human Resources (HR) Office front lobby will close through the end of business day for non-scheduled walk-in traffic Wednesday, Feb. 2.

If you have a scheduled appointment with an HR team member, they will meet you in the HR vestibule at the scheduled time.

If you need to schedule an appointment during this time, please contact 316-978-3065 or email the HR Service Center. The HR Office front lobby will reopen and resume normal business hours Thursday,  Feb. 3.

Annual non-teaching employee performance evaluations for 2021-2022 will be available for manager signatures beginning March 8. This will only be available if the manager’s direct report has submitted their employee signature in myPerformance.

Managers should log into myPerformance to electronically sign and submit their 2021-2022 evaluations by 11:59 p.m. March 14.

NOTE: The first step of the evaluation cycle, planning, for your direct reports 2022-2023 evaluations should now be accessible to managers through myPerformance. Planning should include expectations for competencies and goals beginning March 1, 2022, through Feb. 28, 2023.  Managers who have not already done this should enter this information into myPerformance (save and submit), then meet with their direct reports by March 31. Direct reports will not have access to their 2022-2023 evaluation until Jan.16, 2023. Because of this, it is important to provide the direct report with a copy to use as a reference throughout the year.

To ease the process, here are some helpful tips:

• Managers can progress through each page of the evaluation and select save and then submit on the final summary page for the 2021-2022 evaluation to be completed.
• Managers can check the box that says show completed and expired tasks if they think an evaluation has disappeared from their scheduled tasks.
• Don’t forget that the first step of the 2022-2023 myPerformance evaluation cycle, planning, is due March 31.

For more information about myPerformance training, quick reference guides and other resources visit the WSU myPerformance website.

Annual non-teaching employee performance evaluations for 2022-2023 are now accessible to managers to complete the planning step of the myPerformance evaluation cycle.  Planning should be completed by 11:59 p.m. March 31.

The 2022-2023 review period begins March 1, 2022, and ends on Feb. 28, 2023. Managers should add expectations, competencies and goals for the current review period then meet with their employees to review and provide a copy of their evaluation for reference throughout the year.

To ease the process, here are some helpful tips:

• Managers have unlimited access to update and edit content on evaluations in myPerformance evaluations until the employee self-evaluation begins Jan. 16, 2023.
• Managers can add co-planners during this step. A co-planner is someone who has managed a portion of the employee’s work assignment during the evaluation period.
• Remember to submit after saving every time you update a myPerformance evaluation. Direct Reports will not be able to see the information, and you will still have access to their evaluation, until Jan. 16, 2023 (even after selecting submit).
• Direct reports will not be able to access their 2022-2023 myPerformance evaluation until the employee self-evaluation step begins Jan. 16, 2023. It’s important that you provide direct reports with a copy (for reference throughout the year) when you meet with in March 2022 to review.

For more information about myPerformance training, quick reference guides and other resources visit the WSU myPerformance website.