HR

HR News Updates | March 2021

Click through each link below to learn about various resources and updates. We invite you to regularly visit the Human Resources webpage at http://www.csun.edu/hr for more information regarding other important updates.

Fall 2021 Employee Fee Waiver Priority Application Period | Now through April 16

The CSU Employee Fee Waiver and Reduction Program provides for the waiver or reduction of tuition and certain fees for eligible employees. In addition, an eligible CSU employee may transfer their fee waiver benefit to a spouse, domestic partner, or eligible dependent child. CSUN employees who want to complete a bachelor’s or graduate degree, enhance job skills, or even prepare for a future career, are encouraged to participate in the program. Eligible employees or their eligible dependent may have tuition and fees for a maximum of two (2) courses or six (6) units, whichever is greater, waived/reduced each semester.

The CSU Fee Waiver module will be available on February 22, 2021, for Fall 2021 applications. In order to ensure timely processing, please submit your application no later than April 16, 2021. As a resource, please see our How to apply for the CSU Fee Waiver - Instructional Video.

Partnering with Admissions & Records, and Student Accounting, Human Resources will be offering a workshop on the Fee Waiver and Reduction Program on Tuesday, March 23, 2021, from Noon to 1 p.m. Join us and get your questions answered!

For more information about your Fee Waiver benefits and eligibility, including how to request reimbursement of the Cal State Apply $70 application fee, visit the Fee Waiver & Reduction website.

Daylight Savings Time - Spring Forward | March 14

Daylight saving time 2021 in California begins Sunday, March 14 at 2 a.m. (local time) and ends Sunday, November 7 at 2 a.m. (local time).  Don't forget to move your clocks ahead one hour.

Student Employee Scheduling During Spring Break | March 15 - March 21

This year, Spring Break takes place from Monday, March 15th through Sunday, March 21st.

Student Employees may work up to 40 hours during the Spring Break work week (Sunday through Saturday). However, please be cautious not to allow work to exceed 40 hours in that week.  The State Controller’s Office cannot pay overtime (hours in excess of 40 per work week) for Student Employees.  Also, while there are no classes scheduled during Spring Break, please be sensitive to the possibility that students may have assignments or project work during the break. 

Please contact the Classification and Compensation Manager at extension 2290 regarding questions.

LifeMatters Webinar: Work-life Harmony | March 17

Monthly Webinar: LifeMatters hosts monthly Webinars. Most Webinars are live, and some are posted for download. This month's live webinar:

Work-Life Harmony

Our lives are busy, and different responsibilities can pull us in many directions. In this session, learn how to flow with responsibilities to find the harmony and happiness in your life.

  • Join us Wednesday, March 17, 2021.
  • You have two options to Participate: 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. or 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
  • To register, click on the time slot above that you wish to attend, or go to mylifematters.com/my/webinars and log in using the password "Matadors." You must register prior to the start of the webinar in order to attend.

If you haven't already done so, visit our LifeMatters@CSUN website to learn about all of the services and resources available to you and your family/household members as part of your Employee Assistance Program benefit.

You can access the LifeMatters website on your desktop here.

CalPERS Webinar: Early Career Basics| March 17

Wednesday, March 17, 2021 - 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.
Location:

Online

Facilitated by:

CalPERS Staff

Description:

The earlier you develop an understanding of your benefits, the more prepared you will be to make sound decisions. Attend the CalPERS Members Early Career Basics webinar where you will learn about your benefits, the different sources of retirement income, and the tools and resources available to you as you move through your career.

Registration:


Save the Date for these upcoming webinars:

Your Retirement Calculation | Wednesday, April 14, 2021, 11:00 AM PDT
Your Online Service Retirement Application | Wednesday, May 12, 2021, 11:00 AM PDT
Working After Retirement |Wednesday, June 16, 2021, 11:00 AM PDT

Cesar Chavez Holiday Campus Closure | Wednesday, March 31

The Campus will be closed on Wednesday, March 31st in observance of César Chávez Day. Payday for faculty and staff will be on Tuesday, March 30th; direct deposit will be posted on April 1st.

Reminder: Conflict of Interest Filing Deadline Approaching | April 1

California State University Conflict of Interest Code requires employees in Designated Positions (defined as those who are most likely to be involved in University decision-making where potential conflicts of interest may be present) to file a Statement of Economic Interest Form 700 on an annual basis. Employees in Designated Positions have been notified of this requirement. This is a reminder to those individuals in Designated Positions that the deadline to file Form 700 is April 1, 2021.

Completing Return to Campus Training, Following Safety Protocols, and How to Report COVID-19 Cases

All Faculty & Staff to Complete "Return to Campus Training"

Because of the “connectedness” nature of our work and the volatility of the pandemic, we must share the responsibility of protecting ourselves and each other. A safe work environment is only possible when everyone participates.

All employees, whether currently working on campus, authorized to return this Spring, or currently working from home, should have received an email notice are required to complete an online course called “Returning to Campus Guide for Employees.” The notice contained a link to CSU Learn, the Campus Learning Management System. 

The 23-minute online course provides information on CSUN’s COVID-19 guidelines and shared responsibilities, as well as strategies for limiting the spread of the disease. 

Here’s a link to access the training directly:

https://CSU.sumtotal.host/core/pillarRedirect?relyingParty=LM&url=app%2Fmanagement%2FLMS_ActDetails.aspx%3FActivityId%3D44856%26UserMode%3D0

From this link, select “Northridge” from the drop down and then sign-in with your CSUN credentials. Then select the “Start” button to view the training. For questions or issues with accessing the training, email CSU-Learn @csun.edu.

Campus Safety Protocols

Whether working on campus continuously, or periodically, its important to remember and practice campus safety protocols when cleared to be on campus:

Visit CSUNasOne for details and up to date information.

How to Report COVID-19 Cases or Potential Exposure

When reporting self or employee COVID-19 cases, the information will be provided to the Klotz Student Health Center for contact tracking, to Environmental Health and Safety for office sanitization and OSHA reporting, and to Human Resources for leave assistance.

Voluntary At-Home COVID19 Testing for Employees Authorized to Work On Campus this Spring

CSUN is now offering voluntary COVID-19 testing (at no cost) for faculty, staff and student employees who have been approved to work on campus during the Spring 2021 semester. We have engaged a third-party vendor, Picture, by Fulgent Genetics, to increase our testing capacity and offer free, convenient at-home testing for employees as one of several initiatives in place to mitigate the spread of coronavirus.

Who is the Testing For?

  • Testing is strongly recommended for all CSUN faculty and staff specifically approved to physically work continually or periodically on campus. 
  • This testing is currently not available to faculty & staff working remotely.
  • Please note: This type of testing is for surveillance testing of asymptomatic individuals (i.e. no symptoms). If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or had close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19, we recommend you consult with your personal physician first.  Anyone who has contracted COVID-19 within the last 90 days should not participate in this ongoing testing.

For More Information and to Register:

Employee COVID-19 Vaccination Information

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is currently distributing the COVID-19 vaccine to Phase 1A and Phase 1B, first part of Tier 1, which include the following groups:

  • Phase 1A – Healthcare Workers, Staff & Residents at Skilled Nursing Facilities, Staff & Residents at Long-Term Care Facilities
  • Phase 1B, first part of Tier 1 – Los Angeles County Residents, 65 and over.

Any faculty and staff who are 65 and over, and are residents of Los Angeles County, may make appointments as they become available through the Los Angeles County website at:

http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/vaccine/index.htm.

Our understanding is availability of appointments increases on weekends, so please be sure to regularly check for new opportunities.

At this time, the County is projecting vaccinations for the second tier of Phase 1B, which includes education workers, to commence sometime in March. We will provide updates on timelines as we receive them. Faculty and staff can also check-in regularly with the above website for the latest information. Faculty and staff who live in different counties, should check their respective health department website for relevant information. For future employee information updates, please visit here.


We also recommend checking the following sites for additional vaccination information/appointments throughout the State of California:

MyTurn.ca.gov

CA Department of Public Health - Vaccine Allocation Guidelines

The CSU Introduces Landed | A New Home Buying Assistance Program for Faculty & Staff

The California State University is pleased to introduce Landed, a company dedicated to helping working professionals achieving​ their dreams of homeownership. Landed will be hosting a series of information sessions in the near future so you can learn more about what this company has to offer. See below for more details.

Landed offers:

  • Financial solutions, including their down payment program to help you reach 20%.
  • A network of trustworthy agents and lenders to support you along the homebuying journey.
  • Free homebuying resources and guidance to help you prepare for homeownership.

Landed’s Shared Equity Down Payment Program is designed to help you reach at least a 20% down payment in a shared equity investment, up to $120,000 per household. Investing alongside homebuyers, Landed shares in a portion of the gain (or loss, if any) of the value of the home once the partnership is terminated.

In addition to the down payment program, Landed’s services include providing an expert homebuying team to help navigate competitive offer reviews and homebuying educational resources to help employees prepare for homeownership. You do not need to be a first time home buyer.

We invite you to learn more! Landed will be hosting the following informational sessions for the Southern California region.

Tuesday, March 2nd

Wednesday, March 3rd

Thursday, March 4th

For more information, please see the flyer and visit landed.com/sign-up-pre-steps or email .  Employees may also reach out to their campus benefits office for details.  ​

Employer-Provided Health Insurance Offer and Coverage Statements (1095-B and 1095-C) for Tax Year 2020

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the State of California is required to file annual reports with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and furnish a statement to full-time employees with information about the health coverage offered to the employee and their dependent children, using IRS Form 1095-C. Health coverage providers are also required to file annual reports with the IRS and furnish a statement to individuals with information about those who had minimum essential coverage for at least one day during the preceding calendar year, using IRS Form 1095-B.

By January 31, the State of California, via the State Controller’s Office, will issue a Form 1095-C to its full-time employees with information about the health coverage offered, if any, to the employee and their dependent children. The state’s health coverage providers will also issue a Form 1095-B to employees who were enrolled in state-sponsored health coverage for at least one day during the preceding calendar year.

For answers to frequently asked questions about these forms, visit: https://www.csun.edu/benefits/aca-annual-health-coverage-statements.

Enroll in Cal Employee Connect to View Up To 3 Years of Your W-2 and Pay Warrant/Advice Statements

As a California State University (CSU) employee, your pay check/direct deposit advice and annual W-2 are issued (hard copy) by the State Controller’s Office (SCO). Until now, these hard copy documents have been the only means made available to you by the SCO as a record of your earnings.

CSUN employees now have the opportunity to access this information and forms through Cal Employee Connect (CEC) which allows employees to view up to three (3) years of their earnings statements and W-2’s, along with personal information. Cal Employee Connect reduces state costs and workload by providing a tool for all state employees to access their earnings information electronically.

The statements available in CEC provide continuity to the statements previously printed by the SCO. CEC offers a range of tools to help you view your earnings, including a feature to compare statements side-by-side.

To learn more about CEC and how to view pay warrant and W-2 information, visit Cal Employee Connect.

You don’t have to have all the Answers | Fidelity Investments is here to Help

With everything going on, you may be feeling uncertain about many things, including your finances. The good news is that Fidelity is here to help you—and help is only a click or a phone call away.  Join Fidelity for a complimentary learning event.

Meet with a Planner

Join a Q & A Session

At Fidelity, we are experienced in helping people plan for their financial futures. We can help with basic budgeting to complex financial situations.Get answers to questions about your retirement plan in one of our Virtual Help Desk sessions. Join a live Q & A session with a Fidelity Planner.

Access a clickable pdf version of the following flier here

Employee Benefits Summary

Have you seen our newest CSU Employee Benefits Summary? The summary provides an overview of benefits to eligible employees. View the latest updates, here.

Live Pay Warrants Distributed Via US Mail | Save Time - Enroll in Direct Deposit

COVID-19 Live Paycheck Distribution Process

All employees not on direct deposit will have their state payroll checks distributed by U.S. Mail.  This distribution method promotes proper social distancing, as well as assists in transitioning workloads to support the academic year. In order to ensure timely receipt of paychecks, please follow the steps below as soon as possible:

Login to the myNorthridge portal and verify that your home address is accurate.  You can do this by navigating to the Staff tab and accessing the Human Resources/Employee pagelet.  In the pagelet select update my personal info.

Exceptions: 

If this process causes a financial burden to employees, they should email and request an exception to come to campus to physically pick up their pay check. This exception should be made no later than two weeks before payday. 

In order to avoid unexpected mailing delays, we also highly encourage you to consider enrolling in direct deposit.  New enrollment may take up to two pay periods to process, so please ensure your home address on file is also up to date. The following link provides information on Direct Deposit for CSUN employees: https://www.csun.edu/payroll/direct-deposit.

Completed forms can be mailed to:

Human Resources – Payroll Administration
California State University, Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA  91330-8229

Additionally, employees may view their paycheck details and IRS Form W-2 by registering with Cal Employee Connect (CEC). CEC is a secure site run by the State of California’s State Controller’s Office and allows state employees to view paycheck information for the current tax year and two prior tax years and view Form W-2 for the past three tax years.  Access to CEC is available for current and former state employees.  More information can be found here: https://www.csun.edu/payroll/cec

California Casualty Offering $25 Amazon Gift Card to Complete an Auto Quote

California Casualty, a long-time CSU Benefits partner,  appreciates your dedication to helping others.  In honor of your commitment to making our world a better place, California Casualty is offering a $25 Amazon.com gift card if you complete an auto quote. Click on the following link or California Casualty icon: Get your quote today! 

When the unexpected happens, California Casualty is here for you.  In an effort to help during these uncertain times, California Casualty has enhanced their “Skip Payment” policy benefit to include two consecutive months of premium deferment. Take advantage of learning more about the many other unique policy benefits/features that California Casualty offers employees.

That’s why California Casualty has been here to provide CSU employees auto and home insurance protection that is designed with you in mind.