Benefits Bulletin December 2025

Welcome to the Benefits Bulletin!

Our goal with this monthly newsletter is to communicate benefit changes and keep you up-to-date and informed on approaching deadlines.

Winter Break and Holiday Pay

The university’s winter holiday break begins Monday, December 22, 2025. As we approach the holiday season, please keep in mind that in accordance with Department of Human Resource Management Policy 4.25-Holidays, classified employees must either work on, or be on approved paid leave, the entire workday before and the entire workday after the holiday in order to be paid for holiday time.

End of the Year Leave Reminder for Classified Employees

Classified employees should review their current vacation balance with their supervisor and plan to use vacation hours that will exceed their maximum carry-over limit. Excess vacation hours and the 2025 Personal Days (taken in full eight-hour increments) must be used on or by January 9, 2026, except for the vacation hours accrued on January 9 for the final pay period (12/25/25 through 1/9/26). These vacation hours will be counted in the new leave year’s total vacation leave balance.   Please have all leave requests for the 2025 leave year entered in MyMadison by Friday, January 9, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Supervisors will have until 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 12, 2026, to approve all requests.

Virginia Retirement System Member News

Be sure to read the latest issue of Member News from VRS. Included in this issue is information regarding auto escalation in January, how to start an emergency savings fund, and building financial confidence by learning the ‘why’ behind your spending. Subscribe to Member News directly for the latest updates.

December's Featured Benefit

This month's featured benefit is...

2026 IRS Elective Contribution Limits

The IRS recently announced Pension Plan limits for 2026.  Effective with the 2026 calendar year, elective contribution limits for 403(b) and 457 plans will be $24,500/year, an increase from the current $23,500/year limit. The additional catch-up limit for employees over the age of 50 will be $8,000/year, an increase from the current $7,500/year limit.  Additionally, under the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, a higher catch-up contribution limit applies to employees who will reach 60, 61, 62, or 63 by the end of the calendar year.  For 2026, this higher catch-up limit is $11,250.   Beginning January 1, 2026, the SECURE 2.0 Act requires individuals who earned more than $150,000 in FICA wages during 2025 to make all catch-up contributions on an after-tax Roth basis.      If you would like to make a change to your current 403(b) contribution, please complete the Salary Reduction Agreement and return to benefits@jmu.edu.  The effective date for changing payroll deductions beginning with the 2026 calendar year would be December 25, 2025.   If you contribute to the 457 plan and wish to make a change to your current contribution, please log into your account or contact Voya at 1-877-327-5261.  The contribution change becomes effective the first of the following month.

Veteran Service to affect A&P Faculty leave payout eligibility

Effective January 1, 2026, A&P Faculty with prior service in the military may count that service toward the calculation for eligibility of an A&P Faculty leave payout when separating from an A&P Faculty position.

• Currently A&P Faculty must have a total of 10 or more years of eligible state service to be eligible for a payout of their A&P Faculty leave upon separation.
• A&P Faculty with prior service in the military can now add that prior military service to their state service calculation to achieve the 10-year requirement sooner.
• Service Credit is effective upon receipt of required documentation
• Service credit is not retroactive to any payout eligibility prior to the effective date.
• To receive credit for prior military service, you must submit legible official documentation to Human Resources.

Examples of acceptable documentation include:

• DD214 (also known as the “Long-Form DD214”)
• DD256
• For Reservists: Each branch of the Reserves has a unique discharge form detailing the years and months of service. Clarify the discharge is from the period of military service obligation and is not limited to a period of active-duty assignment.
• For the National Guard: Form NGB22 or Form NGB23

Documentation to support prior military service should be submitted to Human Resources by email at benefits@jmu.edu or by campus mail at MSC 7009. Please reference “Military Service Credit for A&P Faculty” when submitting documentation. Questions concerning this service credit, A&P Faculty leave, or leave payout eligibility can be directed to Reagan Neese, Senior Benefits Specialist, at neeserw@jmu.edu or 568-3974.

2025 Retiree Recognition

On December 3, we celebrated the dedication and contributions made to the university by our 2025 retired staff and AP faculty members. The following individuals were recognized at the event:

• Joseph Archer
• Bonita Borden
• Anthony Brown
• Sue Burket
• Barbara Call
• Anne Callahan
• Adonna Caplette
• Lisha Cardin
• Thomas Carr
• Shirley Comer
• Kathleen Conery
• Michele Dombrowski
• Patricia Dorfer
• Suzanne Fiederlein
• Carolyn Firkin
• Kay Forshey
• Edith Ghant
• Bob Golson Jr.
• Kandice Grant
• Vicki Halterman
• Linda Hamrick
• Roy Henderson Jr.
• Barbara Hetzel
• John Hodges Jr.
• Anna Hudick
• Charles King Jr.
• Kay Lam
• Rick Larson
• Jacqueline Mann
• Greg Merica
• Lynette Michael
• Forrest Nesselrodt
• Rosie Riggleman
• William Roadcap
• Monina Rose
• Donna Sharpes
• Winston Shifflett
• Elaine Smith
• Joanna Swartley
• Joseph Testerman
• Jody Veatch
• Sheila Ward
• Keith Wellard
• Homer Whetzel
• Jeanette Wright

Need to Talk with an Expert?

• December 16 - FIRM VA 529, Phil Harris/Caribel Colon - online scheduling
• December 19 - Fidelity, Punchai Paul Vutiprichar - online scheduling or punchai.vutiprichar@fmr.com
• January 5 - TIAA, Rich Carroll - online scheduling
• January 5 -  Corebridge, Jeffrey Gruse - jeffrey.gruse@corebridgefinancial.com
• January 7 - Aflac, Michael Glover -  michael_glover@us.aflac.com
• January 8 - Voya, Janice Parker -  online scheduling or Janice.Parker@voya.com

Benefits Lunch & Learn: Purchase of Prior Service

Prior service counts toward time needed to become vested, and may increase your future benefit or allow you to qualify for retirement at an earlier date. Active members of the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) may be eligible to purchase prior service from previous public employment, active duty military service, certain types of authorized leave or VRS refunded service. Attend this webinar to learn more about purchasing prior service!

January 28, 2026 12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m. Facilitated by : Amie Loving-Harpine, Benefits Specialist Sign up through Calendly!

Learn more by visiting our website!

Harmony Harvest Employee Discount

Visit their website and use discount code JMU15 or contact Harmony Harvest Farm at info@hhfshop.com or call 800-218-8152.

Webinars

• December 17 - Legal Resources Seminar: Online Shopping Scams register online or view all seminars
• December 23 - Legal Resources Seminar: Conversations for Caregivers - Wellness Resources for Caregivers register online or view all seminars
• January 6 - TIAA Webinar: Naming Your Beneficiaries - Why It Matters register online or visit  tiaa.org/webinars

November's Duke2Duke Nominees

Duke2Duke is our peer recognition program giving faculty and staff members an opportunity to show gratitude towards their peers and acknowledge their positive behaviors and actions.

We would like to recognize all of the outstanding employees/departments who were nominated for a Duke2Duke in November!

• Ashleigh Baber
• Heather Baker
• Claire Bergan
• Christopher Berndsen
• Pam Cahill
• Donna Crumpton
• Kelly Hill
• Ashlyn Holz
• Christopher Hughes
• Crystal Inman
• Monica Pizano
• Shae Powell
• Sara Price
• Amanda Reedy
• Barbara Reisner
• Alysun Sanders
• Ari Short
• Meredith Smith
• Fazia Strange
• Carmen Witmer

Submit a Duke2Duke here!

THANK YOU FOR READING!

This bulletin has been brought to you by the JMU Benefits Team. If you have any questions or would like to reach out to us, please give us a call at 540-568-3593, visit us on the web at www.jmu.edu/humanresources/benefits, or email us at benefits@jmu.edu. Look for the Live Chat on our website and reach one of us instantly!