January 14 Tuesday Tips

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

Contents:

Tip #1: UGA – Staff Networking Program

Tip#2: OneSource – Training: New Employees

Tip #3: OneSource – Systems Update: OneUSG Connect & Financial Management ^[WSC]

Tip #4: Finance – Curriculum Systems Change: Lab & Course Material Fees ^[WSC]

Tip #5: Finance – Travel & Expenses: 2020 Mileage Reimbursement Rates ^[WSC]

Tip #6: Payroll – 2019 W-2’s Now Available

Tip #7: OneUSG Connect – Solution for Project Payroll Encumbrances ^[WSC]

Tip #8: OneUSG Connect – Workaround for Non-Project Payroll Encumbrances ^[WSC]

Tip #9: OneUSG Connect – Critical Hire Approval Process ^[WSC]

Tip #10: OneUSG Connect – Workforce Planning & Recruitment: New Advertising Agreement ^[WSC]

Tip #11: OneUSG Connect – Payroll: Tax Exempt Status ^[WSC]

Tip #12: OneUSG Connect – Absence Management: Leave ^[WSC]

Tip #13: OneUSG Connect – Benefits: Insurance ID Cards​ ^[WSC]

Known Issues:

Training, Updates and Reminders:

Tip #1: UGA – Staff Networking Program

The UGA Staff Council is excited to invite you to apply for the next cohort of the UGA Staff Networking Program. This program will run from March 2020 to August 2020. The program connects groups of staff members across disciplines and divisions for six months of personal enrichment and professional growth opportunities. Meetings and activities will be held at least monthly and there is no charge to participate in the program. If you are interested, apply by February 28! For additional questions, contact program committee chair Anjali Dougherty.

Tip#2: OneSource – Training: New Employees

With the start of the new year, comes the start of new staff and faculty! There are many resources that can be utilized to smooth their transition to UGA such as the folder of Quick Reference Materials for Employees in the Training Library. The Share hyperlink at the top of the selected training can be used to copy the link from the training library and share with others. As faculty begin to travel, the Quick Start for Faculty Travel (With Use of a Delegate) document could be particularly helpful.

Tip #3: OneSource – Systems Update: OneUSG Connect & Financial Management ^[WSC]

With a recent update, Financial Management and OneUSG Connect can now be open in the same browser. Additionally, to help differentiate between Financials and OneUSG Connect, Financials now boasts a Stegman Gray colored background!

Tip #4: Finance – Curriculum Systems Change: Lab & Course Material Fees ^[WSC]

All lab and supplementary course material fees charged to students will be eliminated effective in the Spring 2020 semester.​Units will continue to receive funds for all previously approved lab/supply fees for spring 2020 and summer 2020. ​The funds will come from a central source instead of student fee payments. ​The amount provided to the departments will be based on the enrollment in the course sections (enrollment X the approved lab/supply fee amount).​ Enrollment in course sections with approved lab fees will be determined the day after drop/add concludes for that semester. ​

Funds will be distributed by the University Budget Office to the department’s chartstring that would have received the funding prior to the change in lab and supplementary course material fee policy. No further action is necessary on the part of departments and schools/colleges. It can be anticipated that funds will be available in the appropriate chartstrings during the week of January 20.​

For the fall of 2020 and beyond, a new process and broad guidelines for requesting the lab/supplementary course fee is under development. The Curriculum Systems office is requesting input from faculty and associate deans as the process is designed. ​Please contact Curriculum Systems with any questions or suggestions regarding this process.

Tip #5: Finance – Travel & Expenses: 2020 Mileage Reimbursement Rates ^[WSC]

The mileage reimbursement rates for travel by state-owned or personal vehicles has been updated for travel on or after January 1, 2020.​ When a personal vehicle is the most advantageous form of travel, the employee will be reimbursed for business miles traveled at $0.575 per mile (previously $0.58 per mile).​ If a personal motor vehicle is not determined to be the most advantageous form of travel but it is used, the employee will be reimbursed for business miles traveled at $0.17 per mile (previously $0.20 per mile).​ The UGA travel policy has been updated and is posted on the UGA Policies website. ​

Tip #6: Payroll – 2019 W-2’s Now Available

W-2’s are now available as of January 14 in Employee Self Service IF electronic consent was provided by December 31. Please ensure your web browser is set to allow pop-ups to retrieve your W-2. More information on viewing electronic W-2's can be found on the Payroll website.

Tip #7: OneUSG Connect – Solution for Project Payroll Encumbrances ^[WSC]

A solution now exists to address the issue of project payroll encumbrances running through the end of the fiscal year when project budget increments close before the fiscal year end. Effective immediately, the Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA) has set a new field that will stop the payroll encumbrance at the budget end date rather than the project end date. This will apply to all new awards and award modifications (additional increments of funding). SPA is also happy to update existing projects by request. Please contact SPA if you would like to update an existing project.  

Tip #8: OneUSG Connect – Workaround for Non-Project Payroll Encumbrances ^[WSC]

The ideal solution to non-project payroll encumbrances is the ability to make concurrent (rather than sequential) position funding changes. A high-priority change request has been submitted to the USG to this effect. This is a technically complex request that will continue to take time, but UGA is working closely with the USG to pursue a solution. In the interim, a shift in the workaround approach is suggested to use Fund 20400 (restricted non-sponsored), instead of other funds as a placeholder for applicable payroll encumbrances. This will prevent inflated budgets on other funds just to work around this issue. With this method, you will need to use Fund 20400 with class code 64VAR and will not need to add budget to support encumbrances. Institutionally, there is an adequate budget in restricted funds. If you have questions, please reach out to your college or unit business support for clarification on implementation in your area. You may wish to check your chartstrings to ensure this fund/class combination is being used. The Payroll Encumbrance Options document can be utilized for distribution and assistance when completing non-project payroll encumbrances.

Tip #9: OneUSG Connect – Critical Hire Approval Process ^[WSC]

The Critical Hire Approval Process is a State of Georgia requirement.​ ​It is important to note that position funding is not a factor when qualifying or disqualifying a position from being considered. If the position has a BCAT/OneUSG Job Code between 100-800, 921- 928 and 954 with the potential to accrue benefits, additional questions should be asked before adhering to the critical hire process procedure; those questions are as follows:

Question A: Will the position be occupied at a full-time capacity? (USG has defined a full-time position as 1.0 FTE and/or 40 standard hours.)  ​

·   If no, a critical hire request is not needed. ​

·   If yes, proceed to Question B ​

​

Question B: Will the salary be above 40K? ​

·   If no, a critical hire request is not needed. ​

·   If yes, proceed with the critical hire process ​

Tip #10: OneUSG Connect – Workforce Planning & Recruitment: New Advertising Agreement ^[WSC]

Position postings to the Chronicle of Higher Education for calendar year 2020 are funded by the HR Search Group to advertise basic job postings. ​Faculty postings will be automatically copied from UGAJobs to the Chronicle of Higher Education job bulletin board. ​Staff postings will need to be manually added to the Chronicle of Higher Education job bulletin board by the hiring department. The job posting will be free, but the hiring department must log into the Chronicle Vitae For Employers account to post. If this is your first time placing an ad online with the Chronicle, please create an account using your @uga.edu email address.Questions should be directed to the UGA Search Group. 

Tip #11: OneUSG Connect – Payroll: Tax Exempt Status ^[WSC]

As in past years, employees who wish to be placed in the W-4 tax withholding exempt status for 2020 need to update their status by February 14. After this time, any employee who has an Exempt withholding status with a date prior to December 1, 2019 will be changed to Single or Married filing separately filing status, which withholds the most tax.

​

State law requires employers to send paper G-4 exempt forms to the state for approval. Due to this requirement, the G-4 function within OneUSG Connect Employee Self Service will not allow employees to choose exempt status; the form must be submitted directly to Payroll.

Payroll will directly notify employees who have not updated the W-4 exemption status in OneUSG Connect and those who currently have the GA exemption. Email Payroll with any questions regarding tax exemption.

Tip #12: OneUSG Connect – Absence Management: Leave ^[WSC]

Eight hours of Educational Support leave are available for benefited employees within a calendar year. (This leave type is not available for employees who are less than 1.0 FTE.) ​This paid leave will only be authorized for activities that are directly related to student achievement and academic support. ​Blood Donation leave is available for benefited employees who donate blood and is available for up to two hours of leave per occurrence, four occurrences per year, for a total of eight hours. ​Blood Platelet leave is available for benefited employees who donate platelets and is available for up to four hours of leave per occurrence, four occurrences per year, for a total of 16 hours. For additional details on leave, visit the USG Human Resources Administrative Practice Manual.

Tip #13: OneUSG Connect – Benefits: Insurance ID Cards​ ^[WSC]

New insurance identification cards will only be distributed to participants who made changes (switching plans, adding coverage, changing coverage tiers, or adding dependents) to their 2020 insurance plans or are participating in the Comprehensive Care plan. All employees who are enrolled in Comprehensive Care will receive new insurance ID cards. All other members only received new ​ID cards if they made a change that would warrant ​a new card. 

Known Issues:

For more information and updates, please visit the Known Issues page or contact the OneSource Service

Desk at onesource@uga.edu or 706-542-0202.

Training, Updates and Reminders: 

UGAJobs Training 

Available to units by request. Central HR will come to you! 

·         Email hrweb@uga.edu to make the request for your unit. 

Pcard Training – Online! 

·         Initial Pcard Training, Refresher Pcard Training and Procurement Card Information  

·         Located on the Procurement site  

SPA Training (Sponsored Projects Administration):

·         An abundance of new SPA trainings are now being offered! ​

·         These can be found on the SPA training calendar and registered for through PEP. ​

BPSS Training (Budget Planning and Salary Setting):

OneUSG Connect / Financial Management Interactive Webinars: 

GRASP Training (General Resources for the Administration of Sponsored Projects):  

System Maintenance and Releases: 

·         Find updates posted for UGA Systems: status.uga.edu 

·         Find updates posted for USG Systems: status.usg.edu  

• OneSource Roadmap page includes enhancements as well as current timelines for system upgrades and known maintenance. To submit a suggestion for an enhancement, please email us at onesource@uga.edu. 

• January 17: Financial Management & Budget Management Operating System Maintenance 
• January 24: OneUSG Connect System Maintenance 
• January 25, beginning at 6:00 a.m.: Network maintenance outage. Additional details and progress reports will be posted to status.uga.edu and on the EITS Twitter feed.     

• March 7, beginning at 6:00 a.m.:  Network maintenance outage. Additional details and progress reports will be posted to status.uga.edu and on the EITS Twitter feed.    

Submit a tip:  Do you have tip to share? Email it to us at onesource@uga.edu.  
You can find all the Tuesday Tip emails on the Tuesday Tips resource page on the OneSource website.