Staff Benefits.
Free At-Home COVID Tests
You can obtain up to four free COVID tests through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) while supplies last. According to the HHS website, the free COVID tests are available now through the end of the year. The tests are available to order at COVIDTests.gov or at special.usps.com/testkits. To order tests that are more accessible for people with disabilities, visit ACL.gov/AccessibleTests. Those who need at-home tests right away can still purchase them from pharmacies across the United States.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) Deadlines
Do you have money left in your Healthcare FSA or Dependent Care FSA? If so, please be aware of the “spend by” and “submit claims by” deadlines for these funds. Failure to meet these deadlines will result in forfeiture of your remaining account balance(s).
- Healthcare FSA (HCFSA) and Limited Purpose FSA (LFSA) funds must be spent by December 31, 2024, with the exception that you will be allowed to roll over up to $640 of unspent funds to use toward your 2025 eligible expenses. Claims for funds spent in 2024 must be submitted by March 31, 2025, to be eligible for reimbursement.
- Dependent Care FSA (DCFSA) funds must be spent by March 15, 2025, and claims must be submitted by June 30, 2025, to be eligible for reimbursement.
Winter Recess and Related Paid University Holidays
The University’s HR Policy 532 provides an overview of the Winter Recess policies and schedule (the workdays off between Christmas and New Year’s Day) for benefits-eligible staff employees. The University’s HR Policy 510 recognizes Christmas and New Years’ Day as paid holidays for regular, benefits-eligible staff. Therefore, benefits-eligible employees will receive these days off:
- December 25 (University Holiday)
- December 26, 27, 30, and 31 (Winter Recess)
- January 1 (University Holiday)
Employees who support essential functions related directly to the health, safety, and welfare of the University, as well as certain critical research functions, may be required to work during Winter Recess; therefore, these employees receive additional paid time off for time worked during the Winter Recess to be used between January 2 and June 30 of the following year. A benefits-eligible, biweekly staff employee who may be required to work on a University holiday will be paid at one and one-half (1.5) times his/her regular rate. A benefits-eligible monthly staff employee who is required to work on a University holiday will be paid his/her regular salary and is entitled to another day off. Review the policies for complete details.
TIAA Offering On-Campus Financial Consultations
Interested in getting financial planning advice regarding your University retirement plans? Sign up for one of the on-campus financial consulting meetings with TIAA, the University’s retirement plan recordkeeper.
TIAA financial consultants are available on site at 6054 S. Drexel Avenue to provide financial advice and assistance for University of Chicago retirement plan participants, including recommendations on how to allocate contributions and balances to investment options offered through the University’s retirement plans. Please note that you are not obligated to use a TIAA financial consultant for your retirement plan savings and can engage or continue to work with a personal financial advisor at your own expense if you choose.
To schedule your consultation, please visit the UChicago TIAA Website and scroll down until you see “Request an appointment with an advisor today.” After logging into the website and following the prompts, you will see the calendar, which includes the dates when the TIAA financial consultants will be on campus. You may also contact TIAA at 800.842.2252.
If you are interested in a group seminar on saving and investing for retirement by a TIAA financial consultant, please send an email to benefits@uchicago.edu.
Getting to Know UChicago New Hire Orientation In-Person Dates
The Getting to Know UChicago New Hire Orientation for staff employees will be hosted on campus on Wednesday, December 11. On-site orientation will include a presentation from the Central HR team, presentations from the Office of Civic Engagement and the Department of Safety and Security, a brief campus tour, and a performance by one of UChicago’s fabulous a capella groups. Registration for on-site orientation will be available in Workday shortly. All other Getting to Know UChicago New Hire Orientation sessions will remain virtual presentations held over Zoom.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Perspectives / AllOneHealth
The University’s Staff and Faculty Assistance Program is operated by Perspectives, which is owned by AllOneHealth. All services are free, confidential, and available to you and your family members. They include access to short-term counseling and a wide range of services such as mental health sessions, life coaching, financial consultation, legal referrals, work-life resources, referrals, discounts, and more. Visit the member landing page at perspectivesltd.com/login and register for an account with your UChicago email address and company access code (UNI500) and by creating a unique password. Other ways to access your assistance program include the following:
- By phone or text: 800.456.6327
- Live Chat available 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. CT (via the website)
- Insights newsletter: Watch your inbox for the new monthly Insights newsletter, which promotes mental health awareness and well-being year-round with articles and videos.
TIAA
To access the current TIAA live webinar schedule, as well as links to recordings of past webinars, visit TIAA.org/webinars. Other TIAA resources, including valuable retirement planning calculators and tools, can be found at TIAA.org/tools. TIAA Financial Consultants are available for individual retirement planning counseling by calling 800.842.2252 or by visiting TIAA.org/UChicago.
Your Money Line
Visit Your Money Line today at yourmoneyline.com/uchicago to read articles, take courses, and assess your financial wellness. Courses available include Guide to Buying a Home and How to Pay Off Student Debt. If you are unsure about how you will afford to repay your student loans, please schedule an appointment with a financial expert. They can help you create a budgetary plan to help manage the restart of your loan repayments. They can also help you determine if you qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
Visit yourmoneyline.com/schedule or call 833.890.4077 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. CT to schedule an appointment with a financial expert who will listen to your situation and give you the advice you seek.