2024 HR Insider Fall Newsletter

Fall 2024

Benefits

Human Resources

Annual Open Enrollment Update T he 2024-2025 Open En- rollment period has con- cluded, and any changes you made reflect on your October 4th paycheck. We encour- age all employees to review their benefits summary and pay state - ments at this time. HRA/FSA Contributions

Personal Leave Buyback E mployees who are eligible may participate in the Personal Leave Buyback Program for 2024. To be eligible, an employee must have an ac- crued: 1. Personal leave balance of at least 240 hours by No- vember 30th; 2. Sick leave balance of at least 160 hours by Novem- ber 30th; and 3. Be actively employed with the EAA in December An accrued personal leave balance of 240 hours must be maintained; therefore, only the hours above the 240-

• On January 1, 2025, employees who elected the PPO medical plan will receive a $1,000 con- tribution to a Health Reimburse- ment Account (HRA) for medi- cal, dental, and vision expenses. • For employees who selected the HDHP medical plan, the EAA will contribute $3,499.99 to a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) for medical expenses and $1,000 to a dental and vision HRA account. If you switched your medical plan or added vision coverage, new ID cards will be mailed to you soon. You can also access digital and

temporary ID cards by logging into your Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) account. You can find our benefits booklet, certificates of coverage, and plan summaries in SharePoint for fur- ther reference. Qualifying Life Events: Outside of the Open Enrollment period, changes to your benefits can only be made if you experience a Qualifying Life Event (QLE), such as marriage, divorce, or a spouse gaining or losing employment. Be sure to notify HR and submit the required documentation within 30 days if you experience a QLE.

hour threshold are eligible for the Personal Leave Buy- back. An employee may “sell” some of their accrued personal leave in increments of 8 hours up to a maxi- mum of 80 hours. If you meet this criteria and wish to participate in the Personal Leave Buyback, please complete and submit the Personal Leave Buyback form via NeoGov by De- cember 4, 2024. Forms received after this deadline will not be accepted. The Personal Leave Buyback payout will be included in the normal biweekly paycheck on December 27, 2024.

• On October 1, qualified em - ployees who elected the HDHP medical plan received a $500.00 employer contribution to their FSA account. These funds can be used for medical, dental, and vision expenses, with FSA funds being exhausted first.

Trakstar Performance Evaluations EAA Annual Performance Evaluations are just around the corner! Here are some important deadlines to keep in mind as the year progresses:

Training for Performance Evalu- ations for Supervisory Staff will be held, via Zoom, on November 7, 2024, and for Non-Superviso- ry Staff on November 21, 2024. Be on the lookout for more infor- mation from Human Resources. In the meantime, we encour- age you to login to Trakstar and add notes regarding your per- formance. Taking notes is an important performance manage- ment tool as alleviates the stress of remembering projects/tasks com- pleted throughout the year. It also allows you to efficiently assess your performance during the evaluation period. Here’s how to take notes in Trakstar: Select My Notes from the Homepage You can find ‘My Notes’ tab on the left-hand side of your screen.

manager. Select a com- petency that this note is related to. If no compe- tency is selected, your text will be placed in the General Notes section. You may also attach a file (Customer Letter, Certificate etc.). Save by clicking Add This Note. Alternatively, you can add notes directly to each competency on the eval-

New Dental Plans: How to Access Your BCBS Dental Portal I f you missed the email with instructions on ac- cessing your new dental plans, don’t worry! Here’s a quick guide on how to view your Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBS) dental coverage: How to Access: • Visit the BCBS websi- te: https://www.bcbstx. com • Log In: Click “Log In or Sign Up” and select “Member Login.” • Enter Credentials: Use medical coverage will ap- pear by default. To access your dental coverage: • Click on the PPO drop- down menu at the top of the page. • Select Dental to navi- gate to your dental por- tal. From the Dental Portal: • Find in-network dental providers • Review claims • Explore the Dental We- llness Center L ooking for expert den- tal advice and helpful resources? The Dental Wellness Center is your go-to hub for all things dental! Here’s how to ac- cess it and make the most of its features: How to Access: • Click on the My Health tab • Select Wellness • Scroll down to the Dental Wellness Center Key Features: • Ask a Dentist: Got dental questions? Get professional advice through this feature. the same username and password as your me- dical benefits. Once logged in, your Keep an eye out for your dental ID cards arriving by mail and an email with your Certificate of Coverage!

Discover The Dental Wel lness Cent e r !

• Find a Dentist: Easily locate in-network den- tists in your area. • Dental Cost Advisor: Research dental fees in your region to stay in- formed. Dictionary: Look up common den- tal terms and expand your knowledge. • Educational Videos: Watch videos on va- rious dental topics to learn more about oral health. Take advantage of these tools to stay informed and make your dental care easier! • Dental

Input Your Note Enter your note in the text box and select a privacy setting to determine if the note will be visible to your

uation. From your Dashboard, Click View Review. Your evaluation will open. Navigate to the competency you wish to add a note. Click Add

Note and designate the visibility settings.

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