From: HR/Payroll Department Contacts [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Janet P Walker
Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2014 5:00 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Instant HR/Payroll: Pre-Winter Break Employment Offers and Job Postings Reminder, Winter Break Timesheet Guidance, Inclement Weather Policy Reminder, Bright Horizons Care Advantage, Workforce Planning Reminders, and more!

Reminder: Pre-Winter Break Employment Offers & Job Postings
'Tis the season to make job offers! To help us accommodate the high volume at this time of year, HR requests that hiring proposals and job postings be submitted to HR via eWork by the following dates:

- Hiring proposals for Administrative/Professional Faculty with a start date prior to January 5, 2014 must be submitted no later than Monday, December 8, 2014. This will allow ample time for review by HR, the Provost Office, and Compliance, Diversity and Ethics.

- Hiring proposals for offers to be extended or approved by HR before the break, regardless of classification, should be submitted no later than Friday, December 12, 2014. This will ensure ample time to contact candidates, allow them to consider, and make any necessary negotiations. Keep in mind that the closer we get to the break, some candidates may have already gone out of town for the holidays and we may not be able to reach them.

- New job posting requests should also be submitted by Friday, December 12, 2014.  Departments may want to consider that, historically, the holiday season is not the best time to place external advertisements for maximum candidate exposure vs. advertising cost.

We appreciate all your help and support and wish you all a very happy holiday season!

Winter Break Timesheet Guidance

Winter Break will be here before we know it!  With that in mind, the friendly folks in Payroll have developed information to ensure you complete your timesheet correctly.  Visit Winter Break Timesheet Guidance for details.  If you have any questions, please contact our Payroll team:

Goli Ahmadijah at 3.5499 or [log in to unmask]

Drew Southers at 3.2629 or [log in to unmask]

Catalina Wheat at 3.2751 or [log in to unmask]

Inclement Weather/Emergency Closing Policy Reminder

Given the recent rain and sleet, this is a good time to remind your faculty and staff about the Inclement Weather/Emergency Closing Policy at http://universitypolicy.gmu.edu/policies/inclement-weatheremergency-closure/ and suggest they call 703-993-1000 or visit the Mason homepage on days when the weather is inclement to receive guidance on Mason's schedule for that day. Please also remind

department heads that they must communicate with their designated employees so they know they need to report to work on days when Mason cancels classes and/or closes administrative offices.

It's also a good opportunity to remind your faculty and staff there may be people who could benefit from having a formal telework agreement on file. Arrangements can be made in advance to have remote access to Mason through a Virtual Private Network (VPN) if needed. Teleworkers (if it is their scheduled telework day) and remote workers continue to work even if the University is closed or on a modified schedule unless the weather or emergency impacts the alternate location of the flexible worker (e.g. a regional power outage). Having telework agreements and technology in place in advance can come in handy if Mason experiences an extended weather event or other emergency. Details are available on the Flexible Work site.

Reminder: Bright Horizons Care Advantage (Sittercity and YearsAhead)

Speaking of inclement weather, a reminder that during inclement weather and other challenges that can alter your caregiving routine, Bright Horizons Care Advantage may be a helpful resource for you. Mason faculty, staff, and graduate students have free access to this database of all types of caregivers. As we head into snow and flu season, lining up your backup care may be on your "to-do" list. Let Bright Horizons Care Advantage help. Mason's program page is at https://www.sittercity.com/georgemasonu.

Important note: Mason does not own, sponsor, or endorse Bright Horizons Care Advantage. It is your responsibility to carefully screen and check the references of any caregivers, including those who are listed on Bright Horizons Care Advantage, before you retain their services.

Workforce Planning Reminders and Changes

A friendly reminder that classified non-exempt employees should not have a second assignment without prior conversation and approval from the Workforce Planning team.  Please refer to the Supplemental Pay Procedures to see how a classified non-exempt employee may be paid for additional work done outside the scope of their Employee Work Profile (ex: teaching as an adjunct). 

Additionally, effective 1/25/15, the student wage (SW) maximum limit will be increased to $30 per hour.  Non-student wage (WG) over $35 needs prior approval from Workforce Planning.

Please remember, new hire starting salaries, temp pay, and salary increases should not be discussed with employees prior to final approval.

If you have any questions, please contact the Workforce Planning Team at [log in to unmask].

Update: Financial Well-Being Seminar Series

December financial education classes are just a click away!  Financial Well-Being programming runs across many different financial topics including budgeting, saving, investing, and more.  This month, on-site classes, held at noon (and videoconferenced to Arlington and Prince William) include:

12/8: Shifting from Savings to Spending with Jeff Jones from Fidelity

NEW! 12/10: Legal Documents De-Mystified with elder attorney Loretta Morris Williams

For a description of each session and to register, please visit http://hr.gmu.edu/learning/hr.php.  The complete listing of classes is available at Financial Well-Being.

Deadline Extended: Entertainment Books

The deadline for Entertainment Books was just extended through Friday, December 12! Books are available in cities across the nation or close to home. They make great gifts! Books start at $25 each using the link below. Entertainment.com will donate 25% of the cost of each book purchased by December 12, 2014 to the Faculty/Staff Book Scholarship Fund. And shipping is free! Share the link below with family and friends.

Visit Mason’s Entertainment Book site at http://buy.entertainment.com/Q3SJM1 to order.