May 2023 HR newsletter

NEWSLETTER M A Y 2 0 2 3 U N G HR email: hr@ung.edu phone: 706.864.1440 dah: downtown office building gvl: administration building ocn: oconee testing center, suite 207

May 2023 KEPRO - Guide to Raising Teens Page 3 Summer Student Employment Page 4 Summer Hours Reminder Page 5 FMLA FAQs Page 6 International Employees Page 8 Posture Month - May Wellness Page 9 U Away From UNG Page 10 New Nighthawks Page 12

Managing Conflicts with Your Teen If tensions are running high in your household more often than not, or you have noticed changes in your teen’s behavior, it may be time to seek the guidance of a licensed mental health provider. Contact your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) today to connect with a counselor in your area. The contents of this article and referenced websites, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on the site are for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Reliance on any information provided by these websites is solely at your own risk. Kepro is not responsible for the contents of any “offsite” web page referenced from this server. ©Kepro. All rights reserved. Mather, Becky. “Breaking the Cycle: 8 Strategies for Dealing with Conflict with Your Young Teen”. Parenthetical: Resources for Parenting Tweens and Teen. University of Wisconsin-Madison. Accessed January 23, 2023, from https://parenthetical.wisc.edu/2017/11/06/breakingthecycle-8-strategies-for-dealing-with-conflict-with-your-young-teen/ Stay calm as your buttons are pushed to avoid escalating things further. Try to sort out the real issue. What's really at the root of the argument and is it really important? Establish reasonable consequences. Decide what you will and will not tolerate and be consistent. Avoid a punishment if you are not going to be able to follow through. Try not to worry about what others think of you. Teens may make a scene out in public as they practice their skills. Avoid compromising your parenting approach out of embarrassment. Establish understanding with your partner or other parent before approaching the teen so you can present a united front. If an argument has gone on for a while, it's okay to disengage and take a break. Let natural consequences happen if they are reasonable and safe. Remember that conflict serves a purpose. Let teens practice while establishing rules and boundaries and being supportive. Life with teens often feel rife with turmoil, leaving parents questioning where they’re going wrong. Rest assured that conflict serves an important role in preparing teens for sound future decision making. They are trying out their skills of logic and reasoning on you. The path to developing these skills comes with testing out different approaches, often using flawed logic and irrational thinking, arguments, and assertions of independence. What can you do to help ease this transition time? Anytime, any day, you have free, confidential access to professional consultants and online resources to help you be your best. To access these services, call or log on to get started. Your Employee Assistance Program

SUMMER To reh i re your cur rent student worker for the summer , submi t a Student Work Agreement (SWA) . Please cl ick the l i nk HERE for the SWA at least two (2) weeks before the end date of thei r cur rent job. The student worker end date for the Spr i ng 2023 semester was automat ical ly l i sted as 5/5/2023 for Federal Work Study and 5/13/2023 for I nst i tut ional ly Funded Student (unless otherwi se speci f ied to HR at t ime of h i re) . The SWA wi l l aler t Human Resources to swi tch any reh i res NOT enrol led i n s i x (6) or more credi t hours to par t - t ime staf f . Friendly Reminder UNG Student Employment U G There will be no Federal Work Study during the summer semester. If you wish to keep your student(s) working during the summer term they must be switched to an institutional funded employee or part-time staff.

Some schedules may vary due to operational needs If you have already requested time off during the summer schedule, please check that request to make sure it has the correct hours If you will have a different summer schedule or do not wish to switch to the summer schedule, please notify Karen Banks Additional half-hour required for 2 days to make-up for May 29, Please note: June 19, & July 4 Summer Hours Calendar S UND A Y , MA Y 7 - S A T URD A Y , A UGU S T 1 2 Schedules in OneUSG have been updated to reflect the summer schedule. Summer Schedule, May 7, 2023 Monday-Thursday 8:00-5:30 (30 minute lunch) Friday 8:00-noon Fall Schedule, August 12, 2023 Monday-Thursday 8:00-5:30 (1 hour lunch) Friday 8:00-3:00

What is FMLA? Leave, as defined by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993, allows the employees excused absences from their workplace due to: the birth or legal adoption of a child, the employee's serious health condition, the serious health condition of a member of the employee's immediate family, leave due to a call to active duty or caregiver leave to care for a family member in the armed services who is recovering from an injury. An eligible employee may be entitled to up to twelve (12) work weeks or 480 hours of leave during any twelve (12) month period. An eligible employee may be entitled to up to twenty-six (26) workweeks of leave during any twelve (12) month period per service member and per injury or illness. The home institution's responsibility is to designate leave, paid or unpaid, as FMLA-qualifying. An institution has the right to designate any qualifying time off as FMLA leave, even if the time is not specifically requested as FMLA leave per se by the eligible employee. It is also the responsibility of the home institution to notify the employee that it has designated such leave as FMLA-qualified. Institutions should review employee absences of three days or more to determine whether such time should be designated as FMLA leave. Which employees are eligible for FMLA leave? An eligible employee is defined as any employee (including full-time, part-time, and temporary – whether salaried or hourly) of the University System of Georgia who has been employed by the University System of Georgia for at least twelve (12) months total (not necessarily the last twelve (12 months) and worked at least 1,250 hours during the twelve (12) month period immediately preceding the leave. What are the qualifying reasons for FMLA? • The employee's serious health condition, including an on-the-job injury or occupational disease covered by Worker's Compensation, causes the employee to be unable to perform their job functions (see definition of Serious Health Condition.) • The care of an immediate family member with a serious health condition • The birth and care of a newborn child • The legal placement of a child with the employee for adoption or foster care • A spouse, son, daughter, or parent being on active duty or having been notified of an impending call or order to active duty in the Armed Forces. Leave may be used for any "qualifying exigency" arising from the service member's current tour of active duty or because the service member is notified of an impending call to duty in support of a contingency operation. Employees and their spouses employed by the University System of Georgia are jointly entitled to a combined total of twelve work weeks of family leave for the birth and care of a newborn child for the placement of a child for adoption or foster care. Leave for these reasons must conclude within 12 months of birth or placement. What is considered a serious health condition? A "Serious Health Condition" means an illness, injury impairment, or physical or mental condition that will be determined by the treating physician who is completing the FMLA Medical Certification.

What's the difference between continuous or intermittent FMLA leave? The employee's treating physician(s) will determine what type of leave, continuous or intermittent, is best for the employee based on their health condition. An eligible employee can take FMLA leave continuously, in a single block of time, or intermittently, in separate blocks in increments as small as one hour. How much notice must an employee give before taking FMLA leave? To begin FMLA leave, the employee must notify the supervisor of the need to take leave. Then the employee should notify HR to discuss the need for leave and the documentation required for the applicable leave, such as FMLA. If the leave is foreseeable, the employee must notify their supervisor and Human Resources of the need for leave at least 30 days before the date leave is to begin, such as based on an expected birth, placement for adoption or foster care, or planned medical treatment. When the need to take leave is unforeseeable, the employee is required to provide the supervisor with notice of the need for leave as soon as practicable. Generally, that notice is provided within one or two business days when the employee becomes aware of the need for leave. What information/documentation is needed when providing notice of need for FMLA leave? Human Resources will provide the employee with necessary forms, such as Request for Leave and Medical Certification, that both the employee and medical provider(s) must complete to determine FMLA eligibility. For a serious personal health condition, an employee must present a fitness-for-duty clearance from their healthcare provider before being reinstated to active duty. Can I use my accrued leave to be paid, or do I have to take unpaid leave? FMLA itself is unpaid but provides the job protection piece of the leave. Employees can use their sick or vacation accrued leave to continue to be paid. If enrolled in short-term disability, an employee may use those benefits rather than their leave accruals. If leave is due to the birth of a child, the employee could also request parental leave (120 hours) if they meet eligibility. If an employee exhausts all available leave accruals before returning to work, they would be placed in an unpaid leave status. Can I keep my benefits coverage during my leave? During an FMLA leave, whether utilizing paid or unpaid time, an employee may retain all enrolled benefits under the same conditions applied before the leave begins by paying their portion of the premiums. However, if an employee's share of insurance premiums cannot be deducted, they must pay their share each month while on leave. Depending on the period of unpaid leave, you may be billed for premiums owed by OneUSG Benefit Call Center – Alight. Depending on how you selected being notified by the Call Center, you may receive email notifications for billing through your UNG email, benefits portal, or US Mail. If OneUSG Benefits bills you, your payments should be paid directly to them. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your benefits or premiums billed, you may contact the Call Center directly at 1 844 587 4236. Kathy Martin Benefits Manager Dahlonega, Cumming & Blue Ridge Campus 706-864-1646 Office & Fax kathy.martin@ung.edu Sabrina Wall Sr. Benefits Specialist Gainesville & Oconee Campus 678-717-3824 Office & Fax sabrina.wall@ung.edu IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT US, DEPENDING ON YOUR HOME CAMPUS

RESOURCES INTERNATIONAL EMPLOYEES SPONSORSHIPS NEW EMPLOYMENT UNG employees must provide proof of employment eligibility. Check out the chart here to view visa types that permit employment for non-residents. Contact Monica in Human Resources at Monica.Arrendale@ung.edu with questions. Click here to check out the additional resources on H-1B non-immigrant status sponsorship and details on Permanent Residency sponsorships. The University of North Georgia (UNG) recognizes the unique contribution international faculty and staff make to our dynamic university community. It is important that units in which these individuals are employed are aware of university procedures for processing employment visa and permanent petitions. for

Strong posture keeps your body looking good and moving well. There is always a path for improvement regarding your posture. Visit posturemonth.org for the 31 day challenge, videos, & tips along where to get an annual assessment! 9 Tips for Better Posture at Work! Posture M nth ur M n MAY 2023 IS... (Fact! Ideal posture is unique to each individual's anatomy and lifestyle.) Fact or Fiction: F There is no universally perfect posture. (Answer below)

U UNG AWAY FROM Chris enjoys umpiring high school baseball and umpired the state finals at Truist Park. Allison recently visited Estes Park, Colorado. She chased after an elk in the Rocky Mountain National Park to take a picture of it. ALLISON NAIDOO Nighthawk Nest Specialist, Transfer Recruiter CHRIS BARNES Associate Dean Academic Administration We want to know what outside hobbies and activities you all love to do outside of work. Please submit your photo here

UNG U AWAY FROM Christian and his family went to Chattanooga, TN for the weekend. They enjoyed visiting family, touring the city, and eating southern BBQ. Allison ran the Toy Story 10-miler at Walt Disney World last month! ALLISON ASHCRAFT Student Records Specialist CHRISTIAN BELLO ESCOBAR Academic & Community Engagement Director Please submit your photo to hrnewsletter@ung.edu

April 2023 New Employees Technical Support Specialist II Custodian Service Desk Representative I Police Officer Academic Advisor I Technical Support Specialist II Program Development Specialist Regional Recruiter Daniel Dixon David Grindle Miguel Gurrola Ashlyn Johnson Anne Prim Andrew Rivas Lisa Smith Conrad Tatum

If you need this form in an additional format, please reach out to Michael McLeod Visit MyUNG for previous issues of the HR newsletters UNG, Cumming Campus

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