Benefits Bulletin October 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.

Anthem Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Expansion

Anthem EAP is now available to all employees who have waived their enrollment in a health plan, non-benefit eligible wage/adjunct employees, and TRICARE Supplement members. Employees and their household members are eligible for up to four free online or in-person counseling sessions per issue each year. In addition, other well-being resources can be accessed on the EAP website.

Detailed instructions on how to access EAP can be found here. Employees can engage with EAP by visiting anthemeap.com/cova or calling 855-223-9277.

Open Enrollment for Optional Retirement Plan for Higher Education (ORPHE)

October is open enrollment for participants in the Optional Retirement Plan for Higher Education (ORPHE). You have the opportunity to change providers, effective with the first payroll in 2026.

For more information regarding ORPHE open enrollment, please view the VRS ORPHE Open Enrollment presentation. Two provider options are available: DCP (record kept by Voya Financial) and TIAA. Use the ORPHE Provider Options Chart to review provider’s fees, services, and plan features.

If you wish to change providers during open enrollment, you can view your options and make a selection in myVRS. Once logged in, the following message will appear on your account home page through October 31, or until you make a provider change:

No action is required if you do not wish to change your provider during the open enrollment period.

Please note that selecting a new provider does not impact your balances. If you wish to transfer balances to your new provider, you will need to request a plan-to-plan transfer. For additional information or assistance, please email orphe@varetire.org.

Election Day

Election Day for the next general election is Tuesday, November 4, 2025. The polls open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. Voters are required to show an acceptable ID at the polls. A list of acceptable IDs can be found here.

Election Day Attendance

Election Day can present staffing challenges resulting from employees wanting to arrive late or to leave early. It’s important to ensure that employees have a reasonable opportunity to vote, to maintain sufficient staffing coverage throughout the day, and to employ an approach that is equitably applied to all staff.

• Encourage employees to vote before work, after work, or during their lunch breaks, and to coordinate their schedules with supervisors and co-workers.
• Advise employees that late arrivals and requests for early departures or extended lunch breaks will require the use of personal leave. Annual, family/personal, overtime, compensatory leave, or service recognition leave may be used for this purpose. Community Service Leave cannot to be used to vote.
• Consider adjusting the schedules of non-exempt employees as an alternative to using leave.

Election Day Volunteers

Employees are encouraged to volunteer to be Officers of Election. Those who then serve as appointed Officers of Election shall be allowed to use up to 8 hours of Civil and Work-Related Leave on Election Day. As with all leave, supervisory approval is required.

Employees who serve as Officers of Election shall be allowed to use Civil and Work-Related Leave to attend the required Officer of Election certification training only when the employee's locality does not offer the training during non-work hours. Training schedules are available from local registrars and are typically posted on the localities’ websites. Contact Reagan Neese, Leave Specialist, if you plan to serve in this capacity.

If an employee uses Civil and Work-Related Leave to work as an Officer of Election and receives payment for duties and/or training, they must submit the payment to the Commonwealth. Contact Payroll Services to arrange the return of payment.

• If the employee wishes to retain the payment, they must use annual, family/personal, personal day, overtime, or compensatory leave.
• Employees who are reimbursed for expenses only (travel, parking, etc.) are permitted to keep such payments.
• Neither Civil and Work-Related Leave nor Community Service Leave may be used by employees who wish to volunteer on Election Day in another capacity (e.g., poll workers not certified as Officers of Election, political workers, etc.) These activities are considered political activities, not community services as defined in the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) Policy 4.05-Civil and Work-Related Leave.

Virginia Department of Elections: http://elections.virginia.gov/

October's Featured Benefit

This month's featured benefit is...

WeightWatchers (WW)

The Commonwealth of Virginia’s CommonHealth Program has partnered with WeightWatchers (WW) to help you reach your weight-loss and wellness goals. WW provides a personalized program, which can help you lose weight, eat healthier, move more, and develop a positive mindset. The membership plans through CommonHealth provide a 50% discount over the retail price. Core membership, which provides an individualized nutrition plan, easy-to-use trackers, 24/7 live coach chat, and more is $9.75/month with the discounted rate membership rate. All benefits-eligible state employees, as well as their spouses and adult children (18+), are eligible for the discounted WW membership. Visit the link for additional information on WW and the partnership with CommonHealth.

National Retirement Security Month

National Retirement Security Month (NRSM) is a national effort to raise public awareness about the importance of saving for retirement. NRSM provides an opportunity for employees to revisit their personal retirement goals and determine if they are on track for a secure future.

According to Retirement Insecurity 2024, a recent report on American's view of Retirement, "finds that working age Americans are increasingly worried about retirement " and " eighty-three percent of respondents say that all workers should have a pension so they can be independent and self-reliant in retirement." Therefore, making the time to consider plans for the future is a must for everyone.

Tune in throughout the month for information and access to resources that can help you confidently plan for your future.

Visit our website for more information!

Need to Talk with an Expert?

• October 15 - New York Life, Lisa Van Wickler, lvanwickler@ft.newyorklife.com or 434-953-5091
• October 21 - TIAA, Rich Carroll - online scheduling
• October 21 - FIRM - VA 529, Phil Harris & Caribel Colon - online scheduling
• October 29 - Voya Virtual, Janice Parker - online scheduling or Janice.Parker@voya.com
• October 31 - Fidelity, Punchai Paul Vutiprichar - online scheduling or punchai.vutiprichar@fmr.com
• November 3 - Corebridge, Jeffrey Gruse - jeffrey.gruse@corebridgefinancial.com
• November 5 - Aflac, Michael Glover - michael_glover@us.aflac.com or 540-997-3201
• November 6 - Voya, Janice Parker - online scheduling or Janice.Parker@voya.com

Free Flu Shots

Get your free flu shots through your insurance.

Money Matters Financial Seminar and Vendor Fair

Registration closes October 14!

Find more information and register for workshops HERE!

Find more information HERE!

Upcoming University Closings - Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks

The university will be closed November 24 - 28 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. The university will be closed December 22 – December 31 for the Winter Break*. Please review the Holiday Schedule and University Closings website for the 2025 Holiday and Closing Schedule.

*The university will also be closed on Thursday, January 1, 2026, and Friday, January 2, 2026, in observance of New Year’s Day 2026.

Classified Employee Leave

With the holidays fast approaching, now is a good time for classified employees to review vacation leave balances for any hours that would be above the maximum carryover limit.

Employees should work with their supervisor to use any excess leave hours by Friday, January 9, 2026. As a reminder, you must work or be on approved paid leave the day before and the day after a holiday to receive holiday pay. Please review your leave balances in the event you are carrying a low leave balance and may fall into a time loss situation. Contact Reagan Neese, Leave Specialist, with any questions.

DMV Connect on Campus

DMV Connect is coming to campus on November 5

• Applying for or renewing your ID card (REAL ID)
• Applying for or renewing your driver’s license
• Applying for a Veteran ID card
• Getting a copy of your driving record
• Obtaining vehicle titles, license plates, decals, and transcripts
• Ordering disabled parking placards or plates
• Applying for certified copies of Virginia vital records, including birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates
• Getting fishing and hunting licenses
• Updating your mailing address, voter registration address, and organ donor status
• Requesting a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to set up an online myDMV account
• Purchasing an E-ZPass transponder
• And much more!

Save yourself the inconvenience and the time it takes to go to DMV to complete your transactions; simply visit DMV Connect!

Schedule HERE!!!

Webinars

• October 15 - TIAA Webinar: Don't Get Hacked - Steps to Protect Yourself online register online or visit tiaa.org/webinars
• October 15 - Legal Resources Seminar: Identity Theft Today - How to Spot Scams Before They Spot You register online or view all seminars
• October 22 - Legal Resources Seminar: Conversations for Caregivers - Long-Term Care and Successor Caregiving Plans register online or view all seminars
• October 30 - TIAA Webinar: Myth-Busting - Planning and Managing Healthcare Expenses register online or visit tiaa.org/webinars
• November 5 - TIAA Webinar: Naming Your Beneficiaries - Why it Matters register online or visit tiaa.org/webinars

REMINDER: Time & Attendance Records for Non-exempt Staff

All non-exempt employees are required to maintain a Time and Attendance Record each leave year that shows hours worked, leave taken, scheduled days off, and university closures. This record must be submitted to Human Resources each January. Employees and Supervisors of non-exempt employees will receive an email in January with instructions on how to submit the record.

September'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 September!

• Michael Anderson
• Tammy Balser
• JoLynne Bartley
• Jason Bauer
• Brian Buckless
• Doris Byrd
• Seth Carper
• Michael Comer
• Kevin Coverstone
• Uriah Cowger
• Kellie Crawford
• Josh Dameron
• Brandi Duncan
• Nathan Haver
• Lou Hedrick
• Heather Huffman
• Adam Jacobs
• Nyx James
• Garrett King
• Michelle Krone
• Cheryl Lindsay
• Rebecca Lipscomb
• Brandon Lucas
• Mia Mannix
• Savannah Miller
• Colby Miller
• Beth Phillips
• Jason Price
• Jon Ramsey
• Andrew Schaefer
• April See
• Brittany Sherman
• Kaleigh Shorb
• Bryan Sollenberger
• Jessica Spiller
• Roger Stover
• Maritza Suarez Ramos
• Paul Sullivan
• Galen Jay Talis
• Sarah Wimer
• Matthew Wright

Submit a Duke2Duke here!

Upcoming Benefits Training: Tuition Waiver Lunch & Learn

Did you know that as a JMU employee, you may be eligible to have tuition waived for classes you take at JMU?

Join us to learn about this awesome benefit to employees and come with any questions you may have! This lunch and learn is perfect for anyone who has questions about what the Tuition Waiver Program is and how to use it.

Thursday, October 30, 12 p.m. - 1 p.m.

Sign up HERE!

Upcoming Benefits Training: Retirement Ready 1.0 - Fine-tuning Your Future (HR2288)

FOR VRS PLAN 1 & 2 MEMBERS ONLY

Ready to get serious about retirement? Learn how to boost your retirement savings and knowledge to drive toward a more secure future. You will leave this session equipped to make the most of JMU's retirement plans.

December 2, 2025 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Facilitated by: Amie Loving-Harpine, Benefits Specialist, Human Resources

Register with course number HR2288 in MyMadison

Upcoming Benefits Training: Retirement 101: Understanding Your VRS Retirement

Are you contemplating retirement? Have you set a retirement date? What do you do next? What benefits will you receive? What is the timing on paperwork?

Come to Retirement 101 and learn the answers to all these questions and more! Learn about your retirement options through the Virginia Retirement System (VRS), discuss the impact on benefits when you retire, and learn how myVRS and Human Resources can aid in retirement planning.

Tuesday, December 9, 2025 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Register with course number HR1212 in MyMadison

Upcoming Benefits Training: Retirement Ready 2.0 - Fine-tuning Your Future (HR2289)

FOR VRS HYBRID MEMBERS ONLY

Ready to get serious about retirement? Learn how to boost your retirement savings and knowledge to drive toward a more secure future. You will leave this session equipped to make the most of JMU's retirement plans.

December 10, 2025 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Facilitated by: Amie Loving-Harpine, Benefits Specialist, Human Resources

Register with course number HR2289 in MyMadison

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!