Benefits

Health Benefits Open Enrollment

It’s that time of the year again! Open Enrollment for the State Employee and Retiree Health Benefits will take place starting October 11 through 5:00 pm EST November 4, 2022, for the new plan year that begins on January 1, 2023. This is the time that you can enroll for the first time, change plans, add or drop dependents, and re-enroll in flexible spending accounts (FSA). If you are not making changes to your coverage and you do not intend to participate in a flexible spending account (FSA), you do not need to take any action during the Open Enrollment period. Your current coverage will roll over to the new plan year. If you wish to have an FSA in 2023, you must proactively enroll during Open Enrollment each plan year. Reminder: FSA elections do not carry over from year to year. 
 
Want to Enroll or Make Changes to Your Benefits?
Regular status faculty, staff, graduate assistants, and eligible contractual employees with current coverage who intend to change coverage, add dependents, or re-enroll in an FSA must use the State’s SPS online benefits system. All Open Enrollment materials are now available on the State of Maryland website. Additional open enrollment information will also be made available on the mymdbenefits.com website. You will receive an email from the State’s Shared Services (stateofmaryland@myworkday.com) on October 11th indicating that an “Open Enrollment Event” has been created, allowing you to log in and begin making plan changes or adding dependents. 
 
First-time users should follow the Instructions for First Time Users. Instructions for finding your SPS ID/W# and requesting an SPS Workday reset can also be found on this page. 

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Extension of Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) and Expanded Family Medical Leave (EFML) Benefits

As you may know, the Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) and Expanded Family Medical Leave (EFML) benefits provided for under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) will expire on December 31, 2020. These benefits provide paid sick leave and expanded family and medical leave to eligible employees who cannot work or telework as scheduled due to specified reasons related to COVID-19. As a result of the continued impact of COVID-19 in Maryland, the university has decided to extend the deadline to utilize any unused FFCRA leave benefits to June 30, 2021.

This extension will allow eligible employees who have not used these leave benefits or who have not used the maximum allowable amount of EPSL and/or EFML to apply for and use the leave should they need it through June 30, 2021. Please note that this extension does not provide additional paid leave benefits over and above what is currently offered under the FFCRA. In addition, if Congress amends the provisions of the FFCRA prior to June 30, 2021, the university’s extension of the benefit will cease to be effective to the extent that it conflicts with the federal amendment.

If you are currently on EFML and wish to extend your leave into 2021, please send an email to umdleave@umd.edu for assistance. For more information on eligibility for and the provisions of EPSL and EFML please visit UHR’s FFCRA page. If you have any questions about the leave benefits, please contact umdleave@umd.edu.

2% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA)

At the end of a very challenging year, Governor Hogan announced on December 16, 2020, that regular state employees – including employees of University System of Maryland (USM) institutions will receive a 2% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), effective January 01, 2021.

Annual Leave Carry Over

Annual and personal leave are provided to encourage faculty and staff to take time for rest and relaxation, as well as for personal business or emergencies. The pandemic has so significantly altered normal conditions this year that some faculty and staff have not used annual leave at normal rates. These employees may complete the calendar year with leave amounts that would ordinarily be forfeited according to the policies on use of annual leave.
The University encourages employees to use leave in the year it is accrued. We recognize that this is not always possible, especially this year, so HR has been authorized to implement the staff and faculty temporary exception to the annual leave carry-over limit approved by the University System of Maryland Board of Regents (USM). Per the temporary guidance:
  • The exception permits up to 80 hours of leave to be carried over to the next calendar year beyond the standard 400 hours authorized by USM. Under the temporary exception, covered employees may carry over up to 480 hours of accumulated leave in 2020.
  • This applies to each employee’s accrued annual leave balance on January 2, 2021.
  • Staff and 12 month faculty who separate from USM will not be entitled to compensation for any unused portion of the hours of additional annual leave in excess of 400 that were carried over under this exception to current policy.
  • Likewise, any unused portion of the additional 80 hours will not be transferred to a state agency or university outside the USM if an employee transfers to such state agency or university.
  • For faculty members who are paid in whole or in part from contracts or grants, the temporary increase in annual leave carryover will not increase the number of days of unused annual leave for which such employees may be paid upon leaving employment or otherwise becoming eligible for a payout of leave.
  • The 60 days maximum carryover (480 hours) will be prorated for part-time staff and twelve-month faculty working 50% or more.

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2021 Open Enrollment

It’s that time of year again and we are looking forward to Open Enrollment. In keeping with what has become a “virtual year” – Open Enrollment will follow suit. This year Open Enrollment will take place from October 19 through November 13, 2020.

What can you do to prepare?

  • Complete the new SPS (Workday) Login process. You can access the instructions here.
  • WD# or SPS ID (Workday Number for Health Benefits) – they are the same # and can be found in the top right hand section of your time record or your pay advice.
  • Temporary Password Instructions – When setting up a new password, employees must first use a password consisting of: Capital first letter of your first name + Lower case first letter of your last name + 4 digit birth year + Last 4 digits of social security number + $ (include the dollar sign) Example: For employee John Smith, birth year 1960, last 4 digits of his SSN 8567. Temporary Password for John Smith is: Js19608567$ (You will use your information to create your own temporary password)
  • Review the Open Enrollment material on UHR Website, attend the webinars and view the videos to make informed health benefit decisions.
  • Changes and new rates go into effect January 01, 2021
  • If you are not making any changes to your plan, you are not required to take any action.

Fall 2020 Tuition Remission Guidelines

The Department of University Human Resources (UHR) Office of Employee Benefits is accepting tuition remission applications for Fall 2020 as of July 7, 2020.

Employee Tuition Remission

Faculty and staff employees must use the new University System (USM) of Maryland Tuition Remission Application Portal to apply for tuition remission at all USM institutions for themselves and their eligible spouses and dependents. Paper tuition request forms will no longer be accepted, except for those attending Baltimore City Community College (BCCC), Morgan State University, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland.  Paper forms will still be required for these institutions and all retirees must use the paper form.

Employees must have an active, approved appointment in PHR with a start date no later than August 26, 2020 for Fall semesnter in order for the employee to be eligible for tuition remission.

  • Full-Time Employees (100%): Eight total credit hours for Fall 2020.
  • Regular Status Part-Time Employees (50% or more): Credit hours are prorated according to FTE.

The approved applications must be submitted through the USM Portal by September 14, 2020 for Fall 2020. Applications received after the deadline will not be processed.

For more information on dependent eligibility, payment due dates, and more general information, please read the guidelines: Tuition Remission Letter Fall 2020.

Tuition Remission Guidelines Summer 2020

The Department of University Human Resources (UHR) Office of Employee Benefits is accepting tuition remission applications for Summer Sessions I and II 2020 as of March 4, 2020.

Employee Tuition Remission

Faculty and staff employees must use the new University System (USM) of Maryland Tuition Remission Application Portal to apply for tuition remission at all USM institutions for themselves and their eligible spouses and dependents. Paper tuition request forms will no longer be accepted, except for those attending Baltimore City Community College (BCCC), Morgan State University, and St. Mary’s College of Maryland.  Paper forms will still be required for these institutions and all retirees must use the paper form.

Employees must have an active, approved appointment in PHR with a start date no later than June 1, 2020 for Summer I and July 13, 2020 for Summer II in order for the employee to be eligible for tuition remission.

  • Full-Time Employees (100%): Eight total credit hours for Summer Sessions I and II 2019, combined.
  • Regular Status Part-Time Employees (50% or more): Credit hours are prorated according to FTE.

If the applicant is requesting tuition remission for both summer sessions, TWO separate USM Portal applications must be completed. The approved form(s) must be submitted through USM Portal by June 5, 2020 for Summer Session I and July 17, 2020 for Summer Session II. Forms received after the deadline will not be processed.

For more information on dependent eligibility, payment due dates, and more general information, please read the guidelines: Tuition Remission Letter Summer 2020

2020 Spring Break Leave

 

The UMCP Spring Break holidays this year are:

  • Monday, March 16th
  • Tuesday, March 17th

As has been our practice the last few years, and because so many of our partners hold classes and events during this time, the Universities at Shady Grove will be open normal spring semester hours these three days (as well as the weekend and weekdays before and after). USG departments should ensure that their units are open; however, we do expect the volume and activity to be below normal during those two days.

We recognize that some staff may have already made plans for these days and others might actually prefer to take their holidays at another time (for example, during the public school spring break holiday or around Memorial Day). A student or C1 employee might want to work those two days as they do not earn holidays and would therefore not be paid if they do not work. Managers, please be considerate of your staff’s plans when setting a work schedule for those two days.

Managers, please use the following instructions when completing and approving timesheets:

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Benefits Open Enrollment Reminder

November 14 is the last day for Open Enrollment. The plan year begins on January 1, 2020. If you want a flexible spending account in 2020, you must enroll for a flexible spending plan through the SPS online system during open enrollment.

The new limit for the Health Care FSA is $2,700.00 for 2020. The Dependent Care FSA remains at $5, 000.00 for 2020. To calculate your biweekly Health or Dependent Care FSA payroll deduction, please use the applicable formula below:

  • 22 pay (9 month) employees: there are 20 biweekly deductions in 2020. Divide the total by 20.
  • 26 pay (12 month) employees: there are 24 biweekly deductions in 2020. Divide the total by 24.

New Tuition Remission Portal

Starting today, November 4, 2019, the new USM Tuition Remission Application Portal will replace the UMD TR-ELF system currently used for UMD students, and the paper forms currently used for students of other USG institutions. TR-ELF will be disabled and no paper forms will be accepted for submittal to other USM institutions as of November 1, 2019.

The portal is active only for the Winter term 2020. On December 2, 2020, Spring 2020 will be available for portal applications.

University of Maryland retirees, and employees applying for tuition remission benefits for students at Morgan State University, Baltimore City Community College, or St. Mary’s College of Maryland will continue to use paper forms. Graduate Assistants will not use the new portal. The automation process for them will remain the same as it has been.

For employee to login to the portal, they will click on Apply Now button and use their University login ID and password. To continue they should select the UMD logo, then start a new application, then the logo of the institution will pre-load, like the former TR-ELF system, then continue completing the rest of the application. It is similar to the TR-ELF application process.

Please visit the UHR Website for more information on tuition remission.

Here are the tuition remission guidelines for Winter and Spring 2020.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Human Resources.