News from the Office of Human Resources
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Transitioning from Fall into Winter with Updates!
As piles of leaves give way to piles of (gulp!) little white flakes around our campuses, the Office of Human Resources (OHR) has a whole pile of updates to share! We hope this brief rundown keeps you in the loop on the latest and greatest news for Pitt employees.
Recognizing Your Accomplishments: Possible!
Are you a Pitt employee looking to share your good news on social media? If so, we’ve got a new resource to help you shout it from your online rooftops! We've created a series of shareable graphics you can download and use to recognize and celebrate all your (or your coworkers') important moments here at the University. We hope you'll use these to post on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram or any other social networks you use, to spread your good news about anniversaries, accomplishments, career milestones and more! We are so proud of what you make possible here at Pitt, and we want to help you share it.
Pittsburgh Campus Gets Visit from TIAA CEO
ICYMI, we recently had an important visit to our Pittsburgh campus from a Fortune 100 CEO!
Thasunda Brown Duckett, president and CEO of retirement assets management company TIAA, which serves as the plan administrator for our retirement savings plans, visited Pittsburgh in September. While here, she met with students, staff and senior University leaders, including Chancellor Joan Gabel and Vice Chancellor for Human Resources James Gallaher Jr.
Duckett discussed the importance of the longstanding relationship between Pitt and TIAA, since we were one of their founding members in 1920. She also provided insight about trends in higher education and retirement savings, especially regarding the retirement gap for women and people from historically minoritized backgrounds.
New, Better User Experience for Retirement Plan Online Portal
Speaking of TIAA, if you’re a participant in one of the University’s retirement savings plans, you may have noticed recent changes to your online experience offered through your TIAA portal, which you can access through your myPitt login.
The updated TIAA online experience presents a picture of your retirement with content tailored to inform, motivate, and reassure you during your retirement journey. It’s designed to get and keep you on track towards building a more secure retirement. Please note there are no changes to your University of Pittsburgh retirement and savings plans themselves.
The new portal delivers an enhanced user experience, making it easier than ever for you to set and reach your retirement goals, get personalized financial recommendations, and access other resources for insights and tips on how to manage your savings. Learn how to login to the new TIAA online experience.
HR Insights Subscribers Get the Best Updates!
Did you receive the first three editions of OHR’s new e-News brief, HR Insights, since we launched in September?
If you didn’t subscribe, then you’re missing out. HR Insights is a regular email containing at least one actionable piece of knowledge from the subject matter experts in the Office of Human Resources.
Employment News Update:
Federal Judge Vacates FLSA Overtime Rule Changes
Recently, a federal judge vacated a rule change promulgated by the Department of Labor (DOL) that was scheduled to increase the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) salary threshold test which partially determines overtime exemption status for employees. The increase, which would have taken effect in January 2025, would have changed the overtime exemption and payroll statuses for a large number of University employees whose annual salary fell under the new threshold amount.
Given the recent ruling, the University will not implement any changes that otherwise would have been necessary to comply with the now-vacated DOL rule increasing the minimum salary threshold for overtime exempt status.
The ruling will have no impact on the FLSA Calibration Project that the University previously enacted in March 2024, which changed the exemption statuses for a relatively small group of employees due to job status changes from the Compensation Modernization Project. Similarly, the ruling will not affect any of the University’s changes in exemption status and/or compensation previously made in July 2024 as the result of prior increases in the minimum salary threshold.
If employees have questions about their FLSA exemption status, they should submit an online inquiry with OHR.
Farewell,
HR Shared Services;
Introducing...
HR Client Services!
Please be aware that starting this month, OHR will officially start referring to our customer service operations as "HR Client Services."
This rebranding from Shared Services is rooted in our continued efforts to improve client services and efficiency. This is just the start of some big changes in OHR, some which have already occurred, and some exciting changes yet to come... all of which are designed to improve your customer experience when interacting with us!
Be on the lookout for the official announcement in the upcoming weeks which will include more details on these exciting changes.
Pitt Recognized as Top Disability Employer
We're proud to report that Pitt was recently recognized as one of only 59 top employers for people with disabilities in the United States by the National Organization on Disability (NOD), and was the ONLY institution of higher learning to receive their Leading Disability Employer seal for 2024.
“Working with our partners in the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and other stakeholders throughout Pitt, we proudly earned this distinction, and the Office of Human Resources is honored to be recognized for our efforts in disability employment,” said Vice Chancellor for Human Resources James Gallaher. “Our Talent Acquisition team deserves a special shout out for all their work in this area.”
During a recent reception to celebrate the University's recognition, OEDI presented Tom Armstrong, who works in OHR as a disability recruiting and transition consultant in Talent Acquisition, with their first ever ACCESS (Advocating Campus Change for Equitable and Supportive Solutions) Award. Congratulations Tom on receiving this well-deserved award!
Vice Chancellor for Human Resources James Gallaher Jr., Disability Recruiting and Transition Consultant Tom Armstrong, and Talent Acquisition Director Lisa Garland celebrate Armstrong's ACCESS Award from Pitt's Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
Guidance Regarding Upcoming Winter Recess
As we approach Winter Recess, the Office of Human Resources has posted the following two pages of guidance on our website dealing with related closures, holiday hours, deadlines and timekeeping:
- 2024 Holiday Hours and Recess Closures
- Timecard Deadlines and Time Keeping During the 2024 Winter Holidays
We hope these postings help answer any questions you may have, and we hope you enjoy your holiday season and the well-deserved break!
UPMC Health Plan Members:
Traveling for the holidays? You're covered with UPMC AnywhereCare!
If you're unfortunate enough to get sick or injured while traveling during the holiday season (we hope that doesn't happen), did you know you can take advantage of high-quality virtual health provider visits, no matter where you are?
UPMC AnywhereCare offers 24/7 access for UPMC Health Plan members to health care for nonemergency conditions, such as cold and flu symptoms, sinus infections, allergies, pink eye and more.
Your telemedicine visit takes place over live video from your smartphone, tablet, or computer. And, your cost for a virtual visit is less than a visit to an urgent care facility or the emergency room.
New resource available for Public Service (student) Loan Forgiveness |
Benefit Spotlight: Parking discounts at Pittsburgh International Airport |
Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year! |
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