HR Announcements

HR Reception Temporarily Relocating

Human Resources Department Reception, (360) 650-3774, hr@wwu.edu, will be relocated to Old Main 435 from Monday, December 18 through Friday, January 5, 2024 during the elevator repairs taking place in the Humanities Bldg.

Humanities Elevator Repairs

Humanities Bldg. Elevator out of service.

The elevator in the Humanities Building will remain out of service for major repairs through January 2024. The elevator has sustained a critical components failure, and the replacement parts are currently being manufactured.

The repair work is scheduled to begin on December 18, 2023, at the start of winter break. Repairs are scheduled to be completed by January 31, 2024.

Noisy demolition work will occur during winter break, progressing to a less disruptive stage before classes resume on Tuesday, January 9th. During winter break, the contractor will intermittently need to leave the exterior doors open, affecting the indoor temperature in some spaces.

The Human Resources Department Reception Desk, (360) 650-3774, hr@wwu.edu, will be relocated to Old Main 435 from Monday, December 18 through Friday, January 5, 2024.

Please note that the upper floors and basement will only be accessible by the stairs until repairs are completed. There are no restrooms located on the ground floor. The closest ADA accessible restrooms are in nearby Fraser Hall.

We apologize for the ongoing disruption caused by these emergency repairs and are dedicated to completing them as soon as possible. Below is a list of contacts for various issues relating to the elevator repair:

  • Please address any questions or concerns about noise, temperature, or schedule to Billy Walker, Facilities Development and Operations, at walkerw5@wwu.edu or at (360) 650-7508.
  • Requests to move a class out of the Humanities Building or concerns about a possible room change should be directed to Troy Ragsdale, Registrar’s Office, at troyr2@wwu.edu or at (360) 650-3758.

Posted 11/20/2023

 

Important Premium Changes Coming in 2024

Prepare for premium rate increase in 2024.

PEBB’s annual open enrollment will happen November 2023, changes to go into effective January 01, 2024.

The Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) Program’s annual open enrollment begins, Wednesday, November 1, 2023, and ends Thursday, November 30, 2023.

Open enrollment is your opportunity to make changes to your health plans and enrollment. Annual open enrollment changes are effective January 1, 2024. This means that even if you make changes during the annual open enrollment period, your enrollment will stay the same through December 31, 2023.

To learn more about open enrollment, including the in person and virtual benefits fair, and changes coming in 2024 please visit the PEBB open enrollment webpage.

Posted 10/2/2023

Starting January 1, 2024, all Kaiser Permanente plans are seeing a 31% to 124% increase in premiums. This translates to a $59 to $117 per month increase for a single subscriber and a $153 to $311 per month increase for family coverage. You are not required to stay in the same plan each year.  

If you are currently enrolled in a Kaiser Permanente plan, we encourage you to take this time to review your healthcare needs for the upcoming year and to consider various factors when choosing a medical plan:

  • Overall cost (premiums, deductibles, copays/coinsurance, and maximum out-of-pocket limits).
  • Whether your current providers accept the plan.
  • Whether your current prescriptions will be covered and the cost.
  • Whether you can use your preferred pharmacy.

The PEBB open enrollment webpage has more resources on the upcoming changes and how to compare medical and dental plan benefits. You can also view the following resources listed below to help you in making the best healthcare choice for you and your family:

2024 PEBB Medical Benefits At-A-Glance

2024 PEBB Employee Monthly Premiums (here is 2023’s premiums to compare)

Online Medical Benefits Comparison

Changes to PEBB Benefits for 2024

If you have questions about your enrollment or PEBB account, please contact hr.benefits@wwu.edu or 360-650-4003.

DRS Webinar Announcement

The Department of Retirement Systems’ Education & Outreach team has updated the webinar schedule for October-December, 2023. To review the schedule and sign up for a live DRS Zoom webinar, select DRS Webinars

If you’re unable to attend a live webinar, these on-demand webinar video recordings can be viewed at your convenience:

Posted 9/29/2023

Choosing a plan (new members of PERS, SERS, TRS)

DCP (Washington State Deferred Compensation Program) -recently updated

PERS Plan 1

TRS Plan 1

LEOFF Plan 2

PSERS Plan 2

Plan 2 (PERS, SERS, TRS)

Plan 3 (PERS, SERS, TRS)

Multiple Plans (dual membership

Early retirement (PERS, SERS, TRS)

Purchasing an annuity and annuity service credit -recently updated

DCP withdrawals (distributions from supplemental savings)

Plan 3 withdrawals (distributions from investments) -recently updated

Benefit options (survivorship)

Working after retirement (PERS, SERS, TRS)

Taking the fear out of retirement

Late Career SERS & TRS Plans 2, 3

Prepare for Open Enrollment 2023

PEBB’s annual open enrollment will happen November 2023, changes to go into effective January 01, 2024.

The Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) Program’s annual open enrollment is November 1 through 30, 2023. It is your opportunity to select health plans that best fit your needs and those of your family.

It is important to take steps to prepare and research your plan options and their costs. Whether you’re selecting a new plan or staying with your current plan, we’ve put together some tips to help you feel confident that you are making the best decision.

See the tips

Review important changes to plans!

Many medical plan premiums are significantly increasing for 2024. See the premiums and what's changing for PEBB.

More information will be available on the PEBB open enrollment webpage starting September 29.

Open Enrollment

Posted 9/20/2023

The Career Enhancement/Growth Program (CEGP) Application is Now Live

About the Program

Per the PSE Collective Bargaining Agreement (Article 25.16):

The University will support the establishment of a new Career Enhancement/Growth program. The program will recognize employees whose development of skills, increased productivity, or assumption of higher-level duties results in increased value to the department, service enhancements, or efficiencies for the department in which the employee works.

In the CEGP, employees are eligible to receive a step increase after they have been at Step M for at least twelve (12) months, and their enhanced performance or skills provide increased value to their department (as determined by their supervisor).

Employees are eligible to receive a second step increase after they have been in their first CEGP step for a minimum of twelve (12) months. A new application is required to apply for the second step increase.

Posted 9/15/2023

  • Permanent PSE employees who have been at Step M for a minimum of twelve (12) months

Complete the CEGP Application.

Employees and supervisors can initiate this application.

For PSE employees currently eligible to apply for this program: To account for the delay in the application’s production, approved applications received by Human Resources by October 16, 2023, will have a retroactive effective date of July 1, 2023. For future applications, the effective date will be the date the employee submits the form to their supervisor for review.

 

Contact

Charlotte Casson

Employee and Labor Relations Associate

Cassonc@wwu.edu | 360-650-3473

 

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Resources

Hello everyone – Visit the EAP webpage for resources. In addition, you can learn about all that EAP offers through a 30 minute EAP Orientation webinar: attend a monthly live webinar or watch on-demand.

Posted 7/31/2023

WA Cares Fund: Planning for long-term care

While 70% of people will need long-term care at some point, most of us don't have a way to pay for it. Here's what you need to know about planning for long-term care. 

Contributions to the program begin July 1, 2023

WA Cares Fund

Posted 7/20/2023

Long-term care is help with activities of daily living like bathing, eating, dressing, preparing meals, grocery shopping, and more. It does not include medical care, like doctor’s visits and treatment for medical conditions.

While people often think of care in a residential setting like a nursing home or assisted living, long-term care can also include care provided in your own home. In fact, most people with care needs can stay in their own homes with the right support. WA Cares is designed to empower you to choose your care setting.

Costs vary significantly depending on the type of long-term care you get, but it is generally expensive. In Washington, it costs about $33,000 per year to get 20 hours of home care per week – roughly the average needed by current Medicaid long-term care clients. Care in a residential facility costs significantly more.

While it’s a predictable cost, most people don’t have a way to pay for it. Because it’s not medical care, long-term care is not covered by health insurance or Medicare except in very rare circumstances. Long-term care can be covered by Medicaid, but first, you must spend down your life savings to only $2,000.

You can pay out of pocket for long-term care, but this is rarely affordable for those who are no longer working. The median household income for WA seniors is $56,000 per year and half of Washingtonians nearing retirement have no 401(k) or pension income.

While private long-term care insurance is available, premiums average more than $2,000 annually and continue after retirement until you die or need care. Premiums often go up significantly over time and women pay up to 50% more for the same coverage. Even among those who can afford private insurance, 30% percent would be denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions. Typically, private insurance plans require people to pay out of pocket for the first three months of care and often have daily or monthly caps on usage afterward. Some have benefit amounts that are not adjusted for inflation and their purchasing power can erode over time. If you purchase a private insurance policy, it’s important to make sure you fully understand the policy requirements and limitations so you can plan accordingly.

The WA Cares Fund makes long-term care insurance affordable for all Washington workers as they age.

With WA Cares, working Washingtonians earn $36,500 in lifetime long-term care insurance coverage (adjusted annually for inflation) by contributing 0.58% of their wages in premiums during their working years.

You only contribute to WA Cares while you’re working. Everyone pays the same low rate regardless of gender or pre-existing conditions. After meeting the contribution requirements, when you need care, you’ll get unlimited access to your benefits right away with no deductibles and no co-pays.

 

You can meet the contribution requirement through one of three pathways:

Lifetime access: Once you contribute for at least 10 years (without a break of five or more consecutive years), you can access the full benefit amount at any point in life when you need care.

• Early access: If you have contributed for three of the last six years at the time when you need care, you can access the full benefit amount. This ensures you can get benefits if you have a sudden care need during your career or soon after leaving the workforce, even if you don’t yet qualify for lifetime access.

• Partial benefit for near-retirees: If you were born before January 1, 1968, you will earn 10% of the full benefit amount for each year you work, available at any point when you need care. This allows workers who are near retirement as the program begins to get lifetime access to some benefits, even if they aren’t able to meet the 10-year requirement to access the full benefit amount.

 

Contributions to the program begin July 1, 2023, and benefits become available July 1, 2026.

The state is also working to develop a market for supplemental private long-term care insurance policies for those who want additional coverage. WA Cares supplemental policies would likely be more affordable for most workers than standalone private long-term care insurance coverage and would be required to comply with strict consumer protections.

Learn more about the program at wacaresfund.wa.gov.

 

Additional resources

You can find more information on planning for long-term care from these resources:

• Information from WA Cares on planning for your care

• Long-Term Care Planning for Near-Retirees webinar

• Long-Term Care Planning for Younger Workers webinar

• Long-term care planning resources from AARP

• Information on private long-term care insurance from the Office of the Insurance Commissioner

• Find your local Area Agency on Aging and other local resources

WA Cares Fund

WA Cares Fund mandatory tax benefit begins on the July 25, 2023 paycheck. For more information visit the WA Cares Fund page.

Updated 7/01/2023