News

The 2025 NYSHIP Option Transfer Period will run until December 31, 2024, including the Pre-Tax Contribution Program.  No action is required if you are not changing your health plan or NYSHIP tax election for 2025.  If you are enrolled in the NYSHIP Opt Out Program, the benefit will automatically continue in 2025.

Option Transfer is also the one time during the year you may cancel your health insurance coverage or change from family to individual coverage without the need for a qualifying event.

Employees who would like to make changes to their health coverage or tax election for 2025 must submit a completed PS404 Health Insurance Transaction Form to Human Resources in AD 242 no later than December 31, 2024.  Please note this is not an "open enrollment" period.

The 2025 Bi-Weekly NYSHIP rates will begin with the paycheck dated December 31, 2024 (January 1 is a holiday).

Winter is quickly approaching and with it comes a refresher on the campus policies on winter preparedness and planning.

Please review this information with your employees and supervisors and discuss how a change in campus operations impacts you.

Continuity of Operations

During inclement weather, the University must maintain functions and services that meet the needs of students, provide safety operations, maintain buildings and support critical research programs. Therefore, departments should identify and prioritize these functions, and supervisors should communicate expectations to employees who support these functions well ahead of any anticipated weather-related disruptions. Now would be a good time for departments to take some time to develop and review their continuity plans to ensure these vital campus services are provided during a weather event.

Employee Travel

Staff should make a reasonable effort to arrive at work for their regular scheduled shifts. However, there may be occasions when road conditions create an undue hazard. In these cases, supervisors, managers and department heads are authorized to excuse a reasonable amount of tardiness (that is, to treat it as an approved absence charged to leave credits) and not to assess penalties. 

Full-day absences resulting from hazardous weather conditions may be excused, but need to be charged to appropriate leave credits if the department is satisfied that it was not possible for the employee to report to work. Requests to charge such absences to sick leave may be subject to medical documentation.

Local government officials, police and media outlets do not have the authority to close state offices and facilities. Declarations of a state emergency/road closures are not equivalent to the closing of state facilities. If classes are canceled, that announcement will be made directly by campus.

Cancellation of Classes

When in-person classes are cancelled, employees who can accomplish their duties remotely may request supervisory approval to fulfill their work obligation from an alternate work location. There is no entitlement to this arrangement. Employees and supervisors should have initial discussions regarding this possiblity now to determine if this will be feasible or not. In general, this does not apply to essential employees that perform work in grounds, central heating plant, maintenance and custodial, law enforcement, animal care, health services, those with responsiblity for laboratory experiments, select administrative employees who may need to meet administrative deadlines (i.e., payroll) and other employees who are essential to maintaining the University's vital or mission-critical services.

If inclement weather conditions arise during the workday, staff may request permission to leave early and charge appropriate accruals. Supervisors and managers will make every effort to approve such requests within operational need.

If severe and extraordinary weather conditions arise during the workday and the University is closed by the governor's order, directed early departures are not charged to leave accruals.

Communication

During inclement weather events, an announcment will be sent via B-ALERT by 6:00 am providing additional information on the status of classes. 

Sign up for B-ALERT at https://www.binghamton.edu/emergency/emergency-notification/text-alerts.html

Did you know that any employee who receives a W-2 from New York State is eligible to participate in the SUNY Voluntary Savings 403(b) Plan and the NYS Deferred Compensation 457 Plan?  These plans are a convenient way to save money for retirement on a pretax or Roth post tax basis through payroll deduction.

Voluntary Savings Plan 2025 Contribution Memo for all Employees

Please contact a health benefits administrator with Voluntary Savings Plan questions.

The NYS Office of Employee Relations (OER) announces the 2025 open enrollment period for the NYS Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Program will run from Friday, November 1 and end on Monday, December 9, 2024 at 11:59 pm.  The deadline is strictly enforced. 

NYS retains the services of an FSA Administrator to manage the Flex Spending Account which is Total Administrative Services Corporation (TASC).  TASC also provides FSA enrollment through Bentek.

Eligible employees  who are designated M/C or represented by CSEA, GSEU, NYSCOPBA, PBANYS, PEF, and UUP may enroll in FSA 2025 beginning on November 1, 2024 at the Office of Employee Relations FSA site.   Scroll down to How to Enroll on the FSA homepage.

The FSA program allows eligible employees to contribute through biweekly pretax payroll deductions for the plan year January 1 - December 31, 2025.  Be mindful this is a USE-IT OR LOSE IT benefit, meaning the funds in your account must be used by December 31 each plan year to avoid balance forfeiture. 

FSA was negotiated between the State and its public employee unions, and includes three employee benefits for 2025:

• Health Care Spending Account (HCSA) - may contribute up to $3,300
• Dependent Care Advantage Account (DCAA) - may contribute up to $5,000 per household
• Adoption Advantage Account - may contribute up to $17,280

For each year eligible employees wish to participate in FSA requires enrollment during the Open Enrollment period.  Participation does NOT automatically carry over each year.

Program and enrollment questions should be directed to the FSA Customer Service Line at 800-358-7202.

UUP 1/2% Discretionary Increase Memos are available online here:

UUP DSI Memo for Faculty, October 2024

UUP DSI Memo for Professionals, October 2024

NYSDCP Hosts the NYS Teachers' Retirement System
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 12:00 PM

Even in turbulent economic times like these, you can achieve future financial strength and security by building a strong pension at NYSTRS. This presentation will provide an overview of the important benefits NYSTRS provides, with an emphasis on issues pertaining to members approaching retirement. Highlights include a review of the fundamental pension components such as service credit and final average salary, key retirement thresholds to reach for, the tools needed to maximize these benefits, retirement benefit options and much more. Hopefully you’ll leave our meeting with a handle on what’s needed to plan wisely on your road to retirement, as well as what costly errors to avoid along the way.  Registration required.

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/568c89f8-7203-4400-af58-e504ccbaa1c5@22140e4c-d390-45c2-b297-a26c516dc461

NYSDCP Enrollment
Tuesday, October 15, 2024 12:00 PM

Join us for a conversation about the benefits of joining the NYS Deferred Comp Plan. We will go over the basics of the Plan and how to enroll. All are welcome to participate. Registration required.

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/2035b0ea-86db-4bdb-9f7a-77decddb17d0@22140e4c-d390-45c2-b297-a26c516dc461

NYSDCP Hosts the NY State & Local Retirement System (Pension)
Thursday, October 17, 2024 12:00 PM

NYSDCP Hosts the NY State & Local Retirement System (Pension)

The NYS Deferred Comp is joined by the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) to give an educational presentation on the basics of the Pension and how it will help provide for your future. There will be Q&A sessions throughout the webinar.  Registration required.

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/7c0a35fa-f305-4d30-91dd-a6a46bce2f5d@22140e4c-d390-45c2-b297-a26c516dc461

NYSDCP Pre-Retirement
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 12:00 PM

Join us for a conversation about important considerations as you get closer to retirement. We will discuss longevity, income sources, asset consolidation, and required minimum distributions. All are welcome to participate. Registration required.

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/53171eaf-8e2d-4309-9b50-25cb4e2136b3@22140e4c-d390-45c2-b297-a26c516dc461

NYSDCP Economic Update
Tuesday, October 29, 2024 12:00 PM

As the Fed starts to lower rates, what does that mean for the economy in 2025?  Join us for a discussion regarding the economic outlook of the end of 2024 and into 2025. Registration required.

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/05832559-d22c-4df3-aac8-e565230fb22a@22140e4c-d390-45c2-b297-a26c516dc461

Social Security
Wednesday, October 30, 2024 1:30 PM

Join us for a conversation on your Social Security benefits. We will discuss Social Security eligibility, important considerations based on your age, and benefit adjustments for spouses and those who are divorced. We will also provide details on how you can request a complimentary personalized Social Security analysis as part of your participation and eligibility for the Kentucky Deferred Compensation Plan. All are welcome to attend, even if you are already taking Social Security or are not eligible, the information may be helpful for co-workers and loved ones. Registration required.

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/36856eb4-c2d8-4425-8d7f-422be6aa4f6c@22140e4c-d390-45c2-b297-a26c516dc461

Effective October 1, 2024, the New York State Dental Plan administrator will change from EmblemHealth to Anthem Blue Cross (Anthem). There will be no impact or changes to dental benefits as a result of this transition.

Enrollees in bargaining units GSEU, M/C-13, NYSCOPBA, PBANYS and PEF have begun to receive a welcome letter from Anthem Blue Cross along with a new plan benefit card with the Anthem Blue Cross corporate logo. Enrollees should continue to usetheir EmblemHealth card through September 30 and use their new Anthem card starting October 1.

If you have any questions regarding the new plan or are an enrollee who does not receive an Anthem ID card, a dedicated Anthem NYS Dental Plan toll-free number 1-833-821-1949 is available to answer enrollees’ questions.