UHR News
University Human Resources

November 28, 2007

Questions? Please use the contact information found within each article for the fastest reply.

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You Can Still Enroll in a Flexible Spending Account

Although benefits Open Enrollment has ended, you can still enroll in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for 2008. Enrolling in an FSA, whether for dependent care (child or elder care) or health care (glasses, contacts, dental expenses or doctor co-pays, etc.), is a simple way to save money by paying less in taxes.
You must enroll by December 3 if you wish to participate in 2008.

The FSA enrollment form is available here:
http://www.umich.edu/~benefits/forms/FSAauth08_OE.pdf

If you are enrolled in an FSA for 2007 and wish to continue in 2008, please remember that FSA enrollments do not carry over from year to year and you must re-enroll if you wish to participate.

Remember: Use it or Lose it
While FSAs offer a simple way to save money by paying less in taxes, it is very important that you estimate your expenses wisely and follow the guidelines described on the Benefits Office Web site. Failure to use your account balance before the claims deadline results in loss of the unused amount in your account. For your 2007 Health Care FSA you may incur expenses until March 15, 2008 and you must file all of your claims by May 31, 2008.

For More Information
Information about FSAs, the SHPS Spending Account Card, an online FSA calculator and a guide to eligible health care and dependent care expenses, are available here:

http://www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/reimburse/index.htm

Retirement Savings & 457(b) Final 2007 Deadlines & 2008 Limits

December 1 is the final deadline for the Benefits Office to receive enrollments (any elections to enroll, cancel, raise, or lower a supplemental or SRA contribution) for the Retirement Savings Plan for the deductions to come from your 2007pay.

In addition, November 30 is the deadline for the Benefits Office to receive any enrollments or changes for the 457(b) plan for 2007. Forms received after these deadlines will be made effective no sooner than January of 2008.

2008 Limits for Retirement & 457(b) Plans
The IRS did not increase the limit for making contributions to a 403(b) retirement plan or a 457(b) plan for 2008. SRA and/or 457(b) contribution amounts currently in effect will automatically continue into 2008. Faculty and staff may change contribution amounts at any time during throughout the year. For more information, please visit: http://www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/2008limits.htm

For more information visit:

http://www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/index.htm

New I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Form to be used for new hires beginning immediately

A revised Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9) Form was released by the federal government and should be used beginning immediately for all newly hired employees. Any staff member who completes I-9 Forms should immediately begin using the new form. Please destroy any old versions of the I-9 Form, as the old version will no longer be accepted for anyone whose first day of work is after December 7, 2007.

The Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9) is the form that is required by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Department of Homeland Security to document eligibility for employment in the United States. All employees of the University (including U.S. citizens and foreign nationals), whether on a temporary or regular appointment, are required to complete this form at the time of hire. The new form is now available for use on the HRRIS Forms Online Web Site at www.hr.umich.edu/hrris/forms.html. For a downloadable PDF of the new form, go to: www.hr.umich.edu/hrris/forms/I-9.pdf.

For more information about the I-9 form or guidelines on how to complete it, visit the I-9 Compliance Training Tutorial at www.hr.umich.edu/hra/I-9/toc.htm.

Choose Success: Professional Development Courses from HRD

In addition to the courses listed below, HRD is pleased to announce that we are once again partnering with UMHS Human Resources to offer some additional courses at the North Campus Administrative Complex (NCAC). To see the list of courses and for registration information, click here: http://www.umich.edu/~hrd/programsandcourses/umhscourses.html.

HRD Learning Tracks and Competency Map: http://www.umich.edu/~hrd/programsandcourses/comptraining.html

Below you'll find links to courses that are coming up in the next month. Remember, many of our courses can also be customized and brought to your unit. For further information, visit the new site at: http://www.umich.edu/~hrd. Further information about custom courses can be found at: http://www.umich.edu/~hrd/customizedtraining.html and about our consulting services at: http://www.umich.edu/~hrd/consulting.html.

Upcoming Courses:
Click on the course title or the link after the course title for a description and registration information. Timely registration is very important.

Taking Good Notes and Meeting Minutes ~ LOCATION: North Campus Administrative Complex (NCAC)
Friday 11/30/07; 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.; http://www.umich.edu/~hrd/programsandcourses/readingwrittencomm.html#4

Proofreading
Wednesday 11/28 & 12/5/07; 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.; http://www.umich.edu/~hrd/programsandcourses/readingwrittencomm.html#5

The Art of Managing Multiple Projects and Multitasking ~ LOCATION: North Campus Administrative Complex (NCAC)
Friday 12/7/07; 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.; http://www.umich.edu/~hrd/programsandcourses/projectandtask.html#1

Developing Personal Leadership: Mastering the Art of Empowerment ~ LOCATION: North Campus Administrative Complex (NCAC)
Wednesday 12/19/07; 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.; http://www.umich.edu/~hrd/programsandcourses/leadershipdev.html#1

Check our website often for the very latest in course offerings – especially courses that are currently in development. Or better yet, contact us. Tell us what you’re interested in and we’ll contact you when the course is available.

Fidelity Investments: Look Forward with Confidence to Retirement Day

Knowing you can reach your retirement goals. That’s retirement readiness. And you can begin taking the steps to achieve your goals when you meet with a Fidelity Retirement Counselor. These sessions are designed to help you become better informed and more confident in planning for your retirement.

Please join Fidelity Investments for a confidential consultation. You will learn about investing for retirement and get a better understanding of the steps you can take to ensure your retirement readiness.

Consultations are conducted at:

Michigan Union
Michigan League
Medical Professional Building
Medical Inn Building
North Campus-Pierpont Commons
University Hospital
Flint Campus
Dearborn Campus

To schedule your confidential consultation call
1-800-642-7131, Monday – Friday, 8:00AM-midnight, ET, or reserve your space at: http://www.fidelity.com/atwork/reservation

Get More Help on Your Retirement Plans – Anytime – with TIAA-CREF

In Person
TIAA-CREF has a consultant who is available to meet with you individually to discuss your investments needs and to conduct retirement planning workshops at many different U-M locations including Ann Arbor Campus, Health System, Flint and Dearborn. To view upcoming dates and locations and to register for an appointment or seminar, please click here http://www.tiaa-cref.org/umich or call the TIAA-CREF Ann Arbor office at 866 842-2949, extension 6804.

Online
Two of the more popular Financial Education Seminars (Pre-retirement and SRA/IRA) created specifically for U-M employees continue to be available for viewing 24/7 by clicking here: U-M Web Presentations http://www.umich.edu/~benefits/tiaa-cref .

On the Phone
You can talk to a TIAA-CREF representative about investment choices, income options, pre-retirement illustrations and other ways to help get the most from your retirement plan, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, and Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET at 800 842-2776.