Human Resources Updates and Announcements: October 2023

Publish Date

2023-10-09

Friendly Reminder

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

The State Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available to any UIS employee who participates in the State Employee Group Insurance Program (SEGIP), as well as any eligible dependents on their health plan. The EAP is a free, voluntary, and confidential program that provides counseling and referral services to employees. Employees are referred to a Guidance Consultant to assist them with a variety of concerns. All calls and counseling sessions are entirely confidential, except as required by law.

The EAP is accessible through our website and assists individuals with many topics, including wellness, relationships, work and education, finance, legal, lifestyle, and more.

Important Update

Tuition Waivers

Civil Service, Academic Professional and Faculty at UIS may be eligible to receive a tuition waiver. An important update to this academic year and moving forward: if you work and study at UIS and meet all other eligibility requirements, you no longer need to submit a tuition waiver request. The process is now automatic! All you will need to do is register for your UIS classes, and our system will handle the rest.

For more detailed information, including eligibility requirements and excluded academic programs, please visit: https://www.hr.uillinois.edu/benefits/tuitionwaivers/

For Your Information

FMLA: What is it and why use it?

We would like to remind all staff of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 and its availability for coverage of medical events affecting both you and immediate family members. FMLA provides employees with 12 weeks of unpaid leave (accrued benefits may be used to remain in paid status) for each consecutive 12-month period for which eligibility criteria have been met. FML can be utilized in both block of time and intermittent time usage. FMLA covers specific events, including: birth or placement of a child for adoption or foster care, the serious health condition of an employee or an employee’s immediate family member, a qualifying exigency of an immediate family member, or the care of a covered service member with a serious injury or illness.

Heather Moore is the UIS HR Leave Coordinator. Please direct any questions and FMLA applications to hkimb2@uis.edu. More information on the specifics of FMLA and application may be found here.

Announcement

I-9 Updates

Beginning August 1, 2023, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced an alternative procedure for E-Verify employers to remotely examine employee documents. This procedure would allow employers to remotely examine employees’ form I-9 documents. Because of the stipulations that come with the option of viewing documents virtually, the University of Illinois System (including UIS) has decided to opt out of this procedure. We will continue to complete I-9s by viewing original documentation in person. Remote hires will continue completing I-9s with a designated HR employer representative. It should also be noted that because UIS has departments that work on weekends and holidays, those days are considered “business days” for the purpose of completing I-9s. Section 2 of the I-9 form must be completed within 3 business days of Section 1 completion, so please be mindful that this includes weekends and holidays. If you have questions on this topic, please reach out to uishr@uis.edu.

Important Reminder

Employee and Student of Concern Forms

We would like to remind all faculty and staff of the Employee of Concern and Student of Concern forms that are available online to report the concerning, threatening, or worrisome behavior of an employee or student on campus. Please use the links below in a non-emergency situation. If there is immediate risk to life or property, please call UIS Campus Police at 217-206-7777.

HR Staffing Update

Workers' Compensation

HR Employee Heather Moore is now the UIS Liaison for Workers’ Compensation related questions and reporting. She may be reached at hkimb2@uis.edu when you have any issues or reports to submit for a workplace injury or incident.

Upcoming Trainings

We will be offering JDXpert and Cornerstone training on Wednesday, October 25th from 2-3:30PM via Zoom. This training is intended for department users and will include a review of system processes and a question and answer time to address issues users are experiencing. Please use the following link to attend: https://uis.zoom.us/j/82903895518?pwd=SHZuL0hkOFBxUkN5d2JYRWxuK1VkUT09

We will be offering a full day, in-person Supervisor Training on Wednesday, November 15th in PAC 160. Content for the training and registration information will be announced soon.

HR will be partnering with Student Affairs and the UIS Counseling Center to present a Mental Health Lunch ‘n’ Learn on Wednesday, November 29th from 12-1PM. More information on location and registration will be coming soon.