On May 12, the Internal Revenue Service released two notices providing temporary increased flexibility for Section 125 Cafeteria Plans, health plans that allow workers to choose from a variety of benefits on a pre-tax basis.
The fall semester remains a big question mark in the minds of those associated with higher ed institutions. However, one thing is clear — enrollment will take a dip. That being said, tough employment decisions must be made, and HR must be prepared to explain and recommend a combination of furloughs, layoffs and salary freezes and reductions to decision makers.
On May 6, the U.S. Small Businesses Administration released an interim final rule (IFR) to supplement previously issued IFRs implementing the CARES Act’s Paycheck Protection Program. The new IFR provides guidance tailored for institutions of higher education, such as additional eligibility requirements with respect to student workers and nondiscrimination obligations.
CUPA-HR Vice President and Chief Learning Officer Sissy Meredith is back again with Ira Shepard, CUPA-HR’s general counsel and of counsel at Saul Ewing Arnstein and Lehr, this time with a focus on health and safety considerations for returning to campus, including developing or updating policies and protocols for personal protective equipment, temperature checks, employee privacy, and more.
The Department of Labor, the Small Business Administration, and the Department of the Treasury issued guidance materials for employers and employees to help them better understand how financial assistance resources created in response to the coronavirus public health emergency will be impacted by employee rejection of reemployment opportunities offered by the employer.
CUPA-HR President and CEO Andy Brantley catches up with Sheraine Gilliam-Holmes, executive director and chief human resources officer at Austin Peay State University in Tennessee. Sheraine shares how the HR team collaborated with colleagues across the university to create programming that engages APSU parents working remotely to acknowledge the challenges of working from home with children and to help them feel connected. Programs have included “Little PEAYple Toddler Time,” “STEM Fun with APSU’s Mad Scientist” for school-aged children, an APSU Parent Survivor Series, and more.
In the last decade, much emphasis has been placed on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in higher education, but efforts are often focused on the student population rather than the higher ed workforce. CUPA-HR’s DEI Maturity Index, sponsored by Segal, was designed with the help of higher ed HR leaders and professionals across the country to help higher ed institutions take meaningful steps in their DEI efforts around faculty and staff.
HR leaders — along with campus leaders in the chancellor’s office, student affairs, academic affairs, facilities, public safety, and other critical areas — are on the front lines of the return-to-campus conversation. Yet, how do we navigate with so many unknowns? Jay Stephens, vice president for human capital services at Kansas State University, and Jeff Herring, chief HR officer at the University of Utah, recently shared with us their approaches to this unprecedented planning challenge.
CUPA-HR Vice President and Chief Learning Officer Sissy Meredith catches up with Ira Shepard, CUPA-HR’s general counsel and of counsel at Saul Ewing Arnstein and Lehr, about key considerations in planning for faculty and staff to return to campus. As Ira points out, HR is in a unique position to take the lead in developing protocols that are both employee-friendly and higher-ed specific.