MyLU Insider

Human Resources

Category: Human Resources

New Hires and Promotions

The following colleagues have been hired or rehired within the last weeks. If you see them on campus, please welcome them to Lawrence!

Tony Banick – Hydronic AC-R Technician Assistant/General Maintenance Mechanic (Facilities)

The following colleagues have recently moved to a new position within Lawrence. Please take the time to congratulate them on their new position!

Christyn Abaray – Assistant to the President and Secretary to the Board (President’s Office)

Kimberly Tatro – Director of Athletics (Athletics)

Medical Plan Coverage Update – Telehealth Visits

In response to COVID-19, Lawrence University has chosen to add Telehealth coverage to the medical plan with UMR. These benefits are not standard for plans to provide, but in these nonstandard times, we want to help you protect your health by keeping you safe in your homes – while still helping you get care.

This new benefit will provide access to the same Choice Plus network of doctors under Lawrence University’s current plan. It allows you to connect with your regular medical provider virtually, if they have access to live audio or video-conferencing. The regular plan cost-share will pay at plan benefits which could be a copay or deductible then coinsurance, depending on place of service as well as how the provider bills and codes the visits.  Example:  if you have a regular office visit via telehealth with your primary care physician, a $25 office visit copay would apply.  

Telehealth visits to the following providers will be covered:

  • Physician (PCP and Specialists)                  
  • Registered dietitian or nutrition professional
  • Nurse practitioner                                                        
  • Clinical psychologist 
  • Physician assistant                                                      
  • Clinical social worker
  • Nurse-midwife                                              
  • Certified registered nurse anesthetists
  • Clinical nurse specialist                               
  • Physical, Speech, and Occupational therapist

We are aware that, due to the pandemic, medical care through telehealth has already been received and some of these claims may have been denied. The Telehealth benefit will be retroactively added to the plan effective March 1, 2020. Any denied Telehealth claims from that date forward will be reprocessed according to the plan amendment.

In addition to Telehealth, please remember that you also have access to Teladoc services via the Teladoc app or Teladoc.com for a $5 copay. These services can help take the place of urgent care visits, as you can speak or chat with a doctor by phone or video 24/7.

We hope you will find value in these added benefits during these unprecedented times. Please contact a member of our Human Resources team for questions or further information.

Return to On-Campus Work for Non-Essential Staff

Dear Staff Colleagues,

First, I would like to take a moment to thank everyone for your individual and collective efforts to support the education and wellbeing of our Lawrence students, as well as the greater mission of the University during these challenging times. The resilience during this rapidly changing and unpredictable environment has been inspiring. 

Lawrence’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has, and will continue to be, focused on the health and safety of our students, staff, and faculty. We are committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace for all members of our community. We recognize that the threat from COVID-19 is not over, and it will continue to affect our community in different ways, including how, when, and where many of us are able to work.

Beginning on Monday, June 15, 2020, Lawrence University will begin returning non-essential staff back to campus in a gradual and controlled manner based upon determined University guidelines. We anticipate the return of non-essential employees to be a multi-phased process. Phase one is outlined in the Return to On-Campus Work for Non-Essential Staff.

In alignment with recommendations from the CDC and Wisconsin Department of Health, Lawrence requires that all employees returning to campus in Phase 1 wear masks when they are in interior public areas or when gathering in a group both indoors and outdoors.If any employee is in need of a cloth mask, the University will provide one. To request for a cloth mask, please complete the request form here. Masks will be sent to your office via the University campus mail.  If you do not have a cloth mask to wear on your first day back to campus, a scarf, bandana, disposable mask, or other face covering can be worn until you receive your mask. Our appreciation goes out to the Costume Shop and the Lawrence alumni who have been making the cloth masks for our community.

The Wellness Services team is currently finalizing COVID-19 training, which will be required for all returning employees. Training will include a general overview of COVID-19, symptoms and transmission, prevention, sanitation practices, and effective use of masks and face coverings, among other topics. Watch for additional details to be shared in the LU Insider in the coming weeks.

The guidelines for future phases are still being determined. Predetermining the specific time frames and lengths of each phase is not something we will be able to do. University decisions will be informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and community health partners in both northeast Wisconsin and the City of Appleton. In all phases, the health of our community and the University’s business needs will be considered.

A final note, as the end of the academic year is in our sights and summer approaches, the University has historically provided information regarding flexible summer hours for staff employees. In light of the modifications to our work brought on by COVID-19, many colleagues have already made adjustments to their work schedules to address the changes and new responsibilities in our personal lives. As a result, the University is not issuing specific guidance regarding flexible summer hours this year. Instead, we ask that you please make arrangements with your supervisor to adjust your hours or request time off.  

As we have all experienced over the past two months, this is a rapidly changing situation. Our guidance today is based on current conditions and could change during the coming months. We expect the guidance from federal, state, and local health authorities will evolve. We all have an important role to play in keeping our Lawrence community safe and healthy, and building on our current actions and adhering to these new guidelines will be vitally important. Please keep informed by reviewing the COVID-19 blog for regular updates. Thank you again for your dedication to Lawrence, and I wish you and your loved ones the best during this time.  

Take care,

Tina

Timesheet for Memorial Day Holiday

Timesheet Submission

We wanted to send out a reminder to let you know that with the upcoming Memorial Day Holiday time sheets will need to be submitted by 12:00 pm on Monday May 25th (Memorial Day).  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.

Timesheet Approvers

We wanted to send out a reminder to let you know that with the upcoming Memorial Day Holiday, we will need time sheets approved at a different time.  Please approve your Staff’s time sheets by Tuesday at 9:00 am.  Work with your Staff to ensure that everyone is submitting to you in a timely manner.  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us and we will work out a solution.

We appreciate all of your help on this, as next week is a bit crazy for us due to the short week. 

Returning to Campus for Non-Essential Staff Employees

As the Wisconsin Safer at Home Order is coming to a conclusion, University leadership, in consultation with the COVID-19 Management Team, has been planning for non-essential staff employees to return to working on campus over the summer. As you can imagine, there are many logistics and scenarios to work through to protect and prepare our staff for a safe return.

The LU Insider last week indicated an update regarding the return of non-essential staff to campus would be shared this week. At this time we are asking for your patience as we hope to have an informative and thoughtful communication next week. A few updates we can share at this time include:

  • As the Safer at Home expires, non-essential staff should continue to telecommute as they currently are until University return to work guidance is provided.
  • The University will provide flexibility to staff during our transition back to campus to address personal needs and situations.
  • The University will work with staff who are members of a vulnerable population or who have a household member who is a member of a vulnerable population.

Thank you for your continued patience as we navigate this unprecedented environment.

Upcoming Retirement Plan Webinar

The WAICU Retirement Readiness Plan in partnership with Transamerica is pleased to offer a series of live webinars designed to help you take full advantage of everything the Retirement Readiness Plan has to offer. To register, please click on the title of the webinar and follow the on-screen prompts to register for the live webinar of your choice.

Upcoming webinars are as followed:

Security and Fraud Prevention
Date: May 20, 2020
Time: 12:00 PM CST

Addresses the growing threat from hackers and data breaches and provides actionable, preventive measures anyone can use.

Money Management Essentials
Date: August 19, 2020
Time: 12:00 PM CST

Covers the importance of saving, budgeting, and debt management. A healthy financial picture should include all of these components.

Get Ready to Retire
Date: November 18, 2020
Time: 12:00 PM CST

A review of five key areas to consider as retirement approaches: Lifestyle, Investments, Income, Healthcare, and Legacy.

Q and A with Mark

We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming Q&A with Mark meeting for staff and faculty. This meeting will be focused on answering your questions, sharing information, staying connected, and providing support to colleagues during this time.

A similar meeting was held on Friday, April 24th for members of the University staff and we would like to take this opportunity to open up the planned Friday, May 8th meeting to both staff and faculty. 

Let me share a few of the logistics:

Meeting Date & Time

If you are unable to attend, we will be recording the meeting and will send a link after.

Submitting your Questions

You are encouraged to submit questions ahead of the meeting here. The meeting will have an active chat function and questions can be submitted using this feature as well. We will cover as many questions as possible during the allotted time.

Thank you all for your dedication and work to support Lawrence. Please continue to take care of yourselves.

Q and A Meetings with Mark

We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming Q&A with Mark meeting for staff and faculty. This meeting will be focused on answering your questions, sharing information, staying connected, and providing support to colleagues during this time.

A similar meeting was held on Friday, April 24th for members of the University staff and we would like to take this opportunity to open up the planned Friday, May 8th meeting to both staff and faculty. 

Let me share a few of the logistics:

Meeting Date & Time

If you are unable to attend, we will be recording the meeting and will send a link after.

Submitting your Questions

You are encouraged to submit questions ahead of the meeting here. The meeting will have an active chat function and questions can be submitted using this feature as well. We will cover as many questions as possible during the allotted time.

Thank you all for your dedication and work to support Lawrence. Please continue to take care of yourselves.