Published by:
Arthur Hart, Classified Benefits Coordinator
Phone: 541-790-7679 e-mail: hart_a@4j.lane.edu
2019/20 Medical Plan tips
Congratulations to everyone who completed their OEBB open enrollment! Here are some tips for getting the most out of your district medical insurance this year:
For Moda members: If you selected Moda Plan 3 or 4 this year you, should consider selecting Coordinated Care. A PCP360 is a primary care physician that you choose from a list of qualifying physicians. Selecting a PCP360 will place you in the Moda Coordinated Care program, which has lower deductibles, lower out of pocket maximums, and copayments with deductibles waived for office visits, specialist visits, and urgent care. Selecting a PCP360 will not reduce your network size or require referrals for most specialist visits. You can select a PCP360 online at the mymoda portal, or by calling 1-866-923-0409 before October 25th.
For Kaiser members: If you are new to Kaiser Insurance this year, please start by calling the New Member Welcome Desk at 1-888-491-1124. The Kaiser network is still growing in Lane county, but most services should be readily available locally. If you are having any difficulty accessing medical services locally, please call Hallie Todd with Kaiser at 541-431-9626 for assistance. If you would like a 2019/20 Kaiser enrollment booklet, let me know and I will send one to you.
PERS Presentation October 24th
4J will be hosting the PERS educational presentation: Understanding Your PERS Pension. This presentation is suitable for PERS members just beginning their careers, for those within a few months of retirement, and for all members in between. The session will be presented by Kris Kartub of Valic, and snacks will be provided.
Topics will include:
- Understanding the differences between Tier 1, Tier 2, and OPSRP
- Pension benefit calculation methods
- Understanding your IAP account
- Retirement option choices
The presentation will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the Ed Center Auditorium on Thursday, October 24th, and will last approximately one hour and 15 minutes.
To sign up to attend, please send an email to hart_a@4j.lane.edu or call Arthur at 541-790-7679. Be sure to indicate if you will be bringing a guest.
Flu Shot Clinic
A Free Flu Shot Clinic in the Ed Center Auditorium, at 200 N. Monroe St., is available to 4J Employees and their dependents. In this case, “dependents” refers to spouses and domestic partners, as well as insurance eligible children age 10 or over. Parents with children under 10 years of age should contact their pediatrician. All children 10-16 years of age must have a parent or guardian with them for vaccination.
Ed Center flu shot clinics will be held on:
- Thursday, October 10, 3–5:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, October 15, 3–5:30 p.m.
Flu shot eligibility extends to:
- All active employees (including those who are not insurance-eligible due to less than half-time status)
- All insurance eligible dependents of active employees, including those who have waived coverage
- All retirees and their dependents who are currently covered on the 4J insurance
- Student teachers and substitutes (licensed and classified)
Flu shot eligibility does not extend to:
- Retirees who are no longer on the 4J insurance
- Retirees’ dependents who are not on the 4J coverage (even when the retiree is still covered)
The Influenza Immunization Consent Form is available on the 4J flu shot webpage. If you would like to print it out and fill it in ahead of time, you are welcome, but not required, to do so. Consent forms will also be available at the Ed Center. Also available on the 4J flu shot webpage is a CDC Vaccine Information Statement.
Financial Workshop October 23rd
Near retirement? Still a ways off? Learn about your options in a presentation given by John Van Ravenhorst, CRPC. The workshop will be held at the OEA offices at 2815 Coburg Rd at 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 23rd. Partners are welcome, and light snacks will be provided.
Topics covered at the workshop include:
- Current legislative and PERS Board changes
- PERS retirement basics, including eligibility and payout options for each Tier and IAP
- Retirement actions to take within five years, one year, and 90 days
If interested, in attending please pre-register directly with John at 541-343-2928 or john@bridgeswealth.com.
Leave It or Not
It is the start of a new school year; here is a quick guide to understanding classified employee paid leave. This is intended as a general guideline for paid leave use; please refer to the CBA for specific leave details.
Sick Leave- Article 13.1
- 12 month employees receive 14 days a year, 11 month employees receive 13 days a year, and all other classified employees receive 12 days a year.
- Two sick days are earned and credited to employee accounts on the first day of the work year, and the remaining sick leave is earned and credited throughout the year based on hours worked. Only earned sick leave is available for use
- Sick leave may be used for the employee’s illness, injury, medical appointment, or serious health condition. Up to 40 hours of sick leave per year may be used to care for an ill or injured family member.
Bereavement Leave- Article 13.2
- Bereavement leave provides an employee up to five days of absence for the death of and/or services for a family member. These days do not need to be consecutive.
- Up to two additional days of bereavement leave, because of extenuating circumstances.
- OFLA eligible employees may take additional paid or unpaid leave per Article 13.5.5.
Personal Days- Article 13.3
- Up to two personal days are granted to classified employee each fiscal year.
- Personal days do not roll over from year to year, and will go away if not used within the same fiscal year that they are granted.
- Personal days may be taken in hourly segments, and can be used for any reason except to extend school holidays or vacation periods.
Parental Leave- Article 13.4
- Up to 12 weeks of unpaid parental leave for the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child.
- Unused vacation and compensatory time at the time parental leave begins shall be used during the course of parental leave.
- FMLA/OFLA may allow the optional use of earned sick leave for parental leave.
Family Medical Leave (OFLA/FMLA)- Article 13.5
- FMLA and OFLA are federal or state laws ensuring job-protected leaves. If an employee qualifies, it may allow additional access to protected sick leave, bereavement leave, parental leave, and military leave.
- All FMLA and/or OFLA leaves require a completed Leave of Absence Request form.
- Though Family Medical Leave is unpaid, employees are entitled to use any accrued paid vacation, sick or personal leave.
- The district will make its monthly contribution toward employee benefits while the employee is on a qualifying Family Medical Leave.
- Qualifying for, and coordinating FMLA and/or OFLA, can be complex. Please contact the 4J leaves department at 541-790-7676 & HR_leaves@4j.lane.edu for specifics on individual situations
Jury Duty- Article 13.6
- An employee called for jury duty shall be paid regular pay for jury duty time if they are required to be present by the court.
- Jury compensation payable to the employee shall be endorsed by the employee and made payable to the District. Mileage reimbursements made by the court may be retained by the employee.
- Special jury duty rules that apply to swing shift employees are outlined in Article 13.6.3
Court Appearance- Article 13.7
- No deductions of an employee’s wages will be made when required for appearances in court or before any government body, except when an employee initiates the cause of action or is a convicted defendant.
Vacation- Article 18.3
- 12 month employees are eligible for paid vacation. Two weeks a year for under four years of service, three weeks a year for over four years of service, and four weeks a year for over 14 years of service.
Further Considerations-
- All paid leave days are counted as the number of hours in an employee’s regularly assigned workday.
- Probationary employees are not entitled to use paid vacation, personal days, bereavement leave (except when subject to OFLA eligibility), and paid jury duty.
- Each type of leave has a Notice Requirement which all employees are required to follow.
- A Leave of Absence Request form is required for bereavement, and all leaves including family or medical absences of more than five working days.
- The district has Attendance Expectations, and failure to meet those may subject an employee to disciplinary action.
Being healthy is the crown that only the sick can see. A lot of times, we take it for granted. -Hasan Minhaj
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This newsletter is reviewed and edited each month by the District 4J and OSEA representatives of the Classified Joint Benefits Committee (JBC).The information in this newsletter is summarized, and is not intended as advice or counsel.
