Category Archives: LHR News

LHR News: Dec. 19

Please join us in welcoming the following new hires:

Part-time:
David Woytowich – Annex

Wishing the following employees well as they leave us:
Eric Delozier – Penn State Harrisburg
Patricia Mrozowski – Penn State Behrend
Sharon Romaniello – Penn State Worthington Scranton
Russ Souchak – Social Sciences Library

LHR News: December 2016 and January 2017 holidays: your ESSIC attendance record

For full-time faculty and staff, the University holidays this year are Dec. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30; and Monday, Jan. 2.

This year, Dec. 25 will fall on a Sunday, as will Jan. 1, 2017. University policies provide, however, that if a holiday falls on an employee’s regularly scheduled day off, the employee receives another day off with pay to be used at another time. Thus, employees who normally do not work Sundays will receive a holiday compensatory day off for the Dec. 25 holiday.

Friday, Dec. 23 is not a University holiday and offices ordinarily would be open that day. However, in order to provide a generally more desirable and efficient application of time off, University offices and facilities except for essential services will be closed for this day as well. Therefore, the University will be closed from the end of normal operations on Thursday, Dec. 22, and will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 3.

The holiday compensatory day earned for the Sunday, Dec. 25 holiday will be used for the work absences on Dec. 23 because of University offices and facilities not being open. This day closed, however, will not be an official University holiday. Employees in essential services who qualify for compensatory days, but who must work Dec. 23 will still have their compensatory day off for use at a later time.

For all employees scheduled Monday through Friday during this time period, the attendance record should be completed as follows for the holidays:*

list of holiday dates with hours for attendance system

heading for attendance system submission for paid time off for December 2016example of compensatory hours to submit for attendance system

list of holiday dates with hours for attendance system for January 2017

*Employees in HR-88 positions would apply the holiday time according to their FTE, per policy HR-88.

Note: Dickinson School of Law Libraries and George T. Harrell Library employees are provided with this information as employees of the University Libraries; however, day-to-day operational practices are guided by their respective Colleges. Dickinson and College of Medicine Library employees should speak to their immediate supervisor or local HR Representative for guidance, as necessary. Conditions of employment for Technical-service employees are further described in the “Agreement between The Pennsylvania State University and Teamsters Local Union No. 8.”  Technical-service employees should refer to the Agreement for information related to the above topics.

– submitted by Wendy Stodart, Library Human Resources

LHR News: Dec. 5

Please join us in welcoming the following new hires:

Full-time:
Sara Peterson – Administrative Support Coordinator, Dean’s Administrative Office

Part-time:
Megan Chobot – Preservation, Digitization, and Conservation
Sarah Reese – Preservation, Digitization, and Conservation

LHR News: Nov. 28

Please join us in welcoming the following new hires:

Full-time:
Bridgette Clouser- Information Resources and Services Support
Specialist, Acquisitions

Part-time:
Makenzie Coduti – Engineering Library

Internal Moves:
Martha Ney – Libraries Administration to Proposal and Awards Generalist,
Administrative and Financial Services

LHR News: Nov. 21

Please join us in welcoming the following new hires:

Full-time:
Brendan Berthold, Commons Services

Part-time:
Leena Elsaid – Engineering Library
Kenneth Walton – Life Sciences Library

Wishing the following employees well as they leave us:
11/21/16 Kurt Eck, I-Tech

Open Enrollment for 2017 Benefits ends Nov. 18

The final day for open enrollment for 2017 Benefits for all full-time employees is Friday, Nov. 18! Please be sure to visit the Open Enrollment website for information about benefits offerings for next year. To complete the Open Enrollment process, go to ESSIC and click on the Benefits tab in the top right.

If you have questions about your benefits, please contact the Benefits department
at (814) 865-1473.

LHR News: Upcoming holidays

Information about upcoming holidays:

Thanksgiving Day:
The Thanksgiving holiday will be on Thursday, November 24. The University is also closed on Friday, November 25, and this day is considered an Official Campus Closure.

Human Resources Guideline HRG10, “Handling ‘Weather Day’ Absences or Official University Closedowns Due to Weather Conditions,” provides the needed guidance for staff and technical-service employees. Therefore, in general, the following will apply:

Employees who normally work Fridays and are not required to work, including wage payroll employees who are eligible for earned time, will receive pay for the day as if they had worked. Employees who had previously scheduled a vacation day or other paid time off will not have such time charged.

Full-time staff and technical-service employees whose regular day off falls on Thanksgiving Friday will receive an additional day of equivalent time off to be scheduled at another time mutually agreeable to the employee and the supervisor. Although this represents an expansion of the benefit provided for in the guideline, it is in keeping with the intention of the provision of this unique benefit.

LHR Note: Full time employees who usually work Fridays should mark this time as “Official Campus Closure” in ESSIC. Employees whose normal day off is Friday will add the equivalent time in “Campus Closure Compensatory hours earned,” found on the Paid Time Off Earned page, during the submit process at the end of the month. Compensatory time balances must be used prior to vacation.

December 2016 Holidays:
This year, Dec. 25 will fall on a Sunday, as will Jan. 1, 2017. The official University holidays, therefore, will be Dec. 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30; and Monday, Jan. 2.

University policies provide, however, that if a holiday falls on an employee’s regularly scheduled day off, the employee receives another day off with pay to be used at another time. Thus, employees who normally do not work Sundays will receive a compensatory day off for the December 25 holiday.

Friday, Dec. 23 is not a University holiday and offices ordinarily would be open that day. However, in order to provide a generally more desirable and efficient application of time off, University offices and operations, except for essential services, will be closed for this day as well. Therefore, the University will be closed from the end of normal operations on Thursday, Dec. 22, and will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 3.

The compensatory day earned for the Sunday, Dec. 25 holiday will be used for the work absences on Dec. 23, since University offices and facilities will not be open. Dec. 23, however, will not be an official University holiday. Employees in essential services who qualify for compensatory days but who must work Dec.23 still will have their compensatory day off for use at a later time.

Note: Dickinson School of Law Libraries and George T. Harrell Library employees are provided with this information as employees of the University Libraries; however, day-to-day operational practices are guided by their respective Colleges. Dickinson and College of Medicine Library employees should speak to their immediate supervisor or local HR Representative for guidance, as necessary. Conditions of employment for Technical-service employees are further described in the “Agreement between The Pennsylvania State University and Teamsters Local Union No. 8.” Technical-service employees should refer to the Agreement for information related to the above topics. Staff employees who are less than 100% should follow the guidance of policy HR-88.

2017 Benefits Open Enrollment continues through Nov. 18

Open Enrollment for 2017 Benefits continues through Friday, Nov. 18. Please see the Penn State News article for more information. Resources and tools, including benefit guides and plan comparisons, are available on the Benefits Open Enrollment website.

You may enroll, make changes and/or add or remove dependents for 2017 by logging into the Employee Self-Service Information Center (ESSIC). Any changes or updates you make during Benefits Open Enrollment will be effective on Jan. 1, 2017. 

Employees must select benefits during the Open Enrollment period even if you are not making any changes to your current plan and even if you are a new employee who recently completed the new hire benefits in ESSIC.

Please note that all communication about Open Enrollment this year is electronic. There will be no mailing to your home.

If you have questions about your benefits, please contact the Employee Benefits Division at 865-1473, or email benefits@psu.edu.

LHR News: Oct. 31

Please join us in welcoming the following new hires:

Part-time:
Wanting Chuang – Research Hub, EBSL, Maps, and Knowledge Commons
Alexandra Cohen – Research Hub, EBSL, Maps, and Knowledge Commons
Benjamin McConnell – Collection Maintenance
Qiong Wang – Research Hub, EBSL, Maps, and Knowledge Commons

Wishing the following employees well as they leave us:
Kelsey Conn – Penn State Fayette
Michael Kattner – Penn State Hazleton

LHR News: Oct. 24

Please join us in welcoming the following new hires:

Full-time:
Michael Pazmino, AV Technician, Media and Technology Support Services

Part-time:
Wanda Devlin – Life Sciences Library
Katelyn Servey – Research Hub, EBSL, Maps, and Knowledge Commons

HR Quarterly Climate Report

In July, Libraries HR started sharing quarterly reports about climate-and civility-related issues that are reported. Below is a summary of issues reported so far this year, by quarter.

Issues included in the report are those that involved conduct contrary to the Libraries’ Civility Statement, incidents of bullying, concerns about work climate, and similar issues. Concerns brought directly to Libraries HR or Libraries Administration are included, as well as concerns shared through other reporting mechanisms that are brought to our attention (such as the Employee Relations department, Affirmative Action, or the Ethics Hotline).

Outcomes are categorized as:

  • Corrective Action/Performance Discussion – the employee committing the action is advised that their behavior is unacceptable. Expectations for the future are shared. Consequences of further inappropriate behavior are explained.
  • Coaching and/or Counseling – the employee committing the action is providing with coaching and advice on how to improve their interactions with others
  • Provided advice/support for employee to take action – some employees bring issues seeking advice on how they can take action themselves to address and improve the situation
  • No action desired/required – this could include situations in which the employee expressing the concern has asked that no action be taken at this time, where there is a lack of supporting information to substantiate that the concern is valid, or where there is not enough information to act on. Additional categories may be added if needed in the future.
 Incidents reported in 2016 are summarized as follows: 3Q 2016 2Q 2016 1Q 2016
# Reported Incidents Characterized as culture-related (incivility or bullying)  5 3 2
Status: ;
Open 0 0 1
Resolved 5 3 1
Outcome:
Corrective Action/Performance Discussion 1 1 0
Coaching and/or counseling 0 0 1
Provided advice/support for employee to take action 1 0 0
No action desired/required 3 2 0

– submitted by Rob Harris, Human Resources

LHR News: Oct. 10

Please join us in welcoming the following new hires:

Internal Moves:
— at University Park:
Suzanne Shamrock, Information Resources and Services Specialist, EBSL

Full-time:
— at University Park:
Natalie Kulick, Information Resources and Services Support Specialist, Worthington Scranton

Part-time:
— at University Park:
Paul Kim – Life Sciences Library

— at Commonwealth Campus Libraries:
Bailey Lynch – Penn State Harrisburg
Sonia Malysz – Penn State Harrisburg
Yumi Rudy – Penn State Harrisburg

LHR News: Oct. 3

Please join us in welcoming the following new hires:

Full-time:
— at University Park:
Elise Gowen – Earth, Engineering, and Mineral Sciences Librarian, Earth and Mineral Sciences Library

Part-time:
— at University Park:
Mengyin Chen – Arts and Humanities Library

— at Commonwealth Campus Libraries:
Allison Williamson – Penn State Altoona
James Butterfield – Penn State Hershey
Sarah McNatt – Penn State Hershey
Gowri Reddy – Penn State Hershey
Kent Upham – Penn State Hershey
Charles Peters – Penn State Worthington Scranton
Ashley Rivera-Penson – Penn State Worthington Scranton

 

LHR News: Next HR Forum scheduled for Sept. 27

The Libraries’ next regular Human Resources (HR) Forum is scheduled for 2-3 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 27, in Foster Auditorium. It will be available for participation via MediaSite Live for those who may not be able to join us in person. Participation is open to all.

The purpose of the HR Forum is to provide a regular opportunity for Libraries Human Resources to communicate new initiatives, changes, updates, etc., and provide an opportunity for questions, answers, and discussion. Important information will continue to be communicated in a variety of formats.

The agenda for this meeting includes:

  • Voluntary Retirement Program
  • 2016 Salary Increases
  • Human Resources Transformation Overview.

LHR News: Sept. 19

Full-time:
Mark Mattson – Global Partnerships and Outreach Librarian

Part-time:
— at University Park:
Lia Rodriguez – Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library
Michael Dolan – Cataloging and Metadata Services
Amber Ebersole – Commons Services
Daniella Espinoza – Commons Services
Seth Godfrey – Commons Services
Shuvanon Shahid – Commons Services
Xin Sun – Commons Services
Kristian Tienda-Langa – News and Microforms Library
Elise Grovanz – Physical and Mathematical Sciences Library
Gokula Krishnakumar Kalyan Kumar – Special Collections Library

— at Commonwealth Campus Libraries:
Abigail Bosley – Penn State Abington
Gabrielle Heidler – Penn State Altoona
Conner Hileman – Penn State Altoona
Nicholas Finch – Penn State Beaver
Dimetres Moore – Penn State Beaver
Rachel Hayes – Penn State Berks
Andrea Burroughs – Penn State Greater Allegheny
Kate Harper – Penn State Harrisburg
Kayla Wagaman – Penn State Mont Alto

LHR News: Benefits you may have overlooked

As an employee of the University Libraries, you have access to many benefits and privileges of which you may not even be aware. Here is a list of some of the many “perks” of working for the Libraries. Some are limited to full-time employees, and some are available only at University Park, so not all may apply, but check them out and see if there is something here that may benefit you!

DISCOUNTS                                                                

Penn State Discounts Program
The program is dedicated to providing information for Penn State students, employees, retirees, and alumni regarding the “extra” benefits that come with a Penn State affiliation.  Discounts include featured cell phone providers, vehicle purchases, car and life insurance, theme park tickets, and many others.

Fitness Memberships to Facilities on Campus
Fitness memberships can be purchased on a semester basis that will provide you access to the multiple fitness facilities on the University Park campus. Daily admission to pools on campus are also available. Many campuses have excellent fitness facilities. Local policies apply for staff and faculty use.

Lion Cash
Lion Cash can be used around campus and at some participating businesses with some offering additional savings! Set up an automatic payroll deduction or add money to your Lion Cash account as needed using a Visa/MasterCard.

University Health Services, Pharmacy
Maintenance prescriptions delivered right to your office! New prescriptions and refills can also be picked up at the UHS Pharmacy.

Educational Privileges
You, your spouse and dependents can take classes at Penn State with a 75% discount!

RIDEpass
Eligible University Park faculty and staff can purchase a bus pass for only $15 a month.

RideShare and Vanpools
Commute in the company of others while sharing the drive to work. Use the RideShare matching service or join a Vanpool.

Motorcycle Permits
If you have a PSU parking permit, you are eligible for a free motorcycle permit with some restrictions. Call LHR for more information.

ASSISTANCE RESOURCES

EAP—Employee Assistance Program
A free confidential service to help you with personal or work-related concerns for yourself or your family. Assistance is also available for navigating healthcare and insurance systems. Call 866-799-2728.

Career Counseling
Career counselors in the Bank of America Career Center are available to assist employees.  Contact LHR for a referral.

Flexible Spending
Penn State offers both healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts which offer pretax deductions to reimburse you for eligible expenses.

Employee Assistance Fund
This fund provides financial support to help employees through temporary circumstances, including family tragedies, house fires and other disasters, and catastrophic or unusual medical expenses. Contact LHR for more information.

WORK SCHEDULES AND TIME OFF

Phased Retirement
Intended to assist employees in the transition into full retirement. Policy HR29 allows for the reduction in work commitment over a defined period of time at a reduced compensation level.

Unpaid Leave of Absence
Employees can request to take a personal leave of up to 12 months. Some restrictions apply.

Release Time for Academic Courses
Penn State policy provides for the possibility of release time to take academic courses from Penn State. Keep in mind that service to your unit is first priority. First speak with your supervisor, and then contact LHR for more information.

FMLA
Provides employees 12 weeks of FMLA protected time in a calendar year for absences related to the birth/adoption of a child, caring for yourself or an immediate family member with a serious health condition.

Alternate Work Schedules
HRG-02 provides a variety of alternate work schedule possibilities for employees whose responsibilities can be accomplished outside of a University office and/or traditional work schedule for part or all of the workweek. Such arrangements are encouraged when, in the opinion of the supervisor, the University’s work needs can be efficiently and effectively met. The purpose of flexible work schedules is to provide a greater capability for each employee to establish her/his own program of working hours within the workweek without changing the number of hours to be worked.

SERVICES

http://ohr.psu.edu/health-matters

Search Penn State’s emPOWER (employee Personalized Online Wellness Enrollment and Rewards) site for classes available at University Park and most campus locations.

Technology Support
For University Park employees, the IT Service Desk in the Knowledge Commons can help with your personal electronic devices. Assistance with Wi-Fi connectivity, downloading software, web-based applications, and virus detection/removal are examples of the kind of help available. Consultants may be able to help with damaged device, or can refer you to appropriate repair services. Campus employees may want to check with their local IT support unit to find out what services may be available. Note: for equipment purchased and owned by the Libraries, please contact I-Tech.

Childcare Resources
Looking for childcare or want more information on resources available?

Total Compensation Statement
Log into ESSIC and take a look at your total compensation statement.  It will provides you with an idea of just how much your Penn State benefits are worth!

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Learning Resource Network
Penn State’s LRN offers a variety of professional development opportunities from on-line to instructor-led classes, with content that includes core business skills, project management, business acumen, technology, professional growth, compliance and much more. Use the network to browse or search for training, then register and track your learning opportunities.

lynda.com
lynda.com is an online education company offering thousands of video courses in software, creative, and business skills.  The company produces video tutorials taught by industry experts. Members have unlimited access to watch the videos, which are primarily educational. As a Penn State employee you are automatically a member.

Job Enrichment
The Libraries’ Job Enrichment Program provides full-time faculty and staff with opportunities to learn new skills and gain job knowledge through work experiences in other Libraries’ units. Consult Libraries Guideline HRG02 for more information.

submitted by Rob Harris, Human Resources

LHR News: Sept. 12

Please join us in welcoming the following new hires:

Part-time:
Kyle Brogan – Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Mariah Boccardi – Penn State Mont Alto
Brianna D’Itri – Penn State Beaver
Michael Fleming – Penn State Schuylkill
Jonathan Spross – Penn State Brandywine
Kathryn Mayberry – Earth and Mineral Sciences Library
Neil Riley – Earth and Mineral Sciences Library
James Boseman – I-Tech
Joshua Byrd – Commons Services
Emma Kauffman – Commons Services
Brittany Boardley – Commons Services
Wing Sze Wong – Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library
Shidika Goode – Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library
Tatjana Neuberger – Architecture and Landscape Architecture Library

LHR News: Sept. 6

Please join us in welcoming the following new hires:

Full-time:
Karen Hackett  – Web Content Strategist, I-Tech

Part-time:
Ashlie Peters – Commons Services
Peter Pham – Commons Services
Eugenio Cabrera-Zarco – Commons Services
Carmela Madrigal-Lua – Commons Services
Zoe Armstrong – Interlibrary Loan
Derek Weishaupt – I-Tech
Colleen Henderson – Intern, Preservation, Conservation and Digitization
Gina Carini – Behrend College
Alaina Kress – Behrend College
Mikayla Loudenslager – Penn State Altoona
Bogdan Bordean – Penn State New Kensington
Matthew Klitchko – Penn State Brandywine
Michaela Henderson – Penn State Greater Allegheny
Noelle Roberts – Penn State Beaver
Mitchell Saye – Penn State Harrisburg

Wishing the following employees well as they leave us:
Nancy Henry – Life Sciences Library