Benefits Bulletin November 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.

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 Thursday, January 1, 2026, and Friday January 2, 2026 in observance of New Year’s Day 2026. 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 workday before and the workday after the holiday in order to be paid for holiday time.

University Closings Due to Inclement Weather

With winter weather on the horizon, the university is preparing for the possibility of inclement weather delays and closures. Decisions to close all non-essential university operations will be posted on the JMU website and broadcast via text and email alerts. Most university employees are considered "non-designated" employees and are not required to work when the university is closed. However, to continue to provide services to students, some positions are considered "designated", and these employees must report to work when the university is officially closed due to inclement weather or other emergency conditions. Designated employees earn compensatory leave for hours worked up to the maximum number of hours of their normal work shifts. Hours worked over the normally-scheduled shift will be compensated in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for the excess time worked (i.e., overtime leave earned), provided employees are in a non-exempt classification. When inclement weather or other emergency conditions create transportation difficulties that result in an employee’s late arrival, supervisors may authorize up to two hours of such lost time as an authorized absence not charged as leave. Supervisors should decide each case on its own merits. Any hours worked by non-designated employees during an authorized closing will be paid and not credited with compensatory leave. Please review JMU Policy 1309 - University Closings, Class Cancellations and Exam Postponements Due to Inclement Weather or Emergencies to learn more regarding closing decisions, the cancellation of classes, the difference between designated and non-designated staff, and compensation for hours worked during an inclement weather closure.

November's Featured Benefit

This month's featured benefit is...

Special Open Enrollment for Voluntary Benefits November 1 – 30

We are pleased to announce a special open enrollment period during the month of November for several voluntary benefits. Pierce Insurance, the broker for Cancer Advocate Plus, Chubb LifeTime Benefit Term, pet insurance, legal and identity theft coverage, and home/auto insurance, will be available to help you enroll during this special fall enrollment. This is a Guaranteed Coverage Period, with No Health Questions required, for the Cancer Advocate Plus Chub LifeTime Benefit Term Insurace/Long Term Care. Below is a brief description of the voluntary benefits you may elect during the month of November: Cancer Advocate Plus Champion the fight with this groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind cancer benefit. Cancer Advocate Plus combines financial protection and cancer care, and includes genetic cancer screening to help employees determine their risk for cancer, as well as pharmacogenomic testing to determine their best treatment based on their own DNA. Life Insurance with Long-Term Care Chubb LifeTime Benefit Term is a powerful supplemental two-in-one insurance benefit that offers life insurance for family needs plus long-term care benefits. Life insurance benefits last a lifetime, and cash benefits can also be paid directly to you while you are living for long-term care expenses. This benefit is only available through JMU as part of the voluntary benefits package. This product is not sold on an individual basis. Group Legal Plan With over 70% of Americans having a legal need each year, Legal Resources gives you and your family access to an attorney for everyday needs. Whether your legal matter is expected or unexpected, you’ll have immediate and ongoing access to our network of highly rated law firms. You pay no attorney fees for all Fully Covered Services, which include will preparation, traffic court, advice and consultation, real estate matters, divorce, billing disputes, and more! Pre-existing legal matters are even covered at a 25% discount. Identity Theft Protection Plan Identity theft can impact anyone, anywhere, at any time - which is why it is important that you protect yourself. Now you can monitor and control your personal information and have peace of mind in knowing that you’re protected with 24/7 fully-managed restoration and up to $1 million of identity theft insurance in the event of an incident. Pet Insurance My Pet Protection pet insurance from Nationwide is a reimbursement indemnity plan for pets. That means we reimburse members for a portion of eligible veterinary expenses related to accidents, injuries and illnesses. * Wellness coverage is also available for routine preventive exams and services. Auto & Homeowner's Insurance This program provides you with special savings with auto and homeowners insurance. In addition, coverage is available for a variety of other policies and endorsements, including:

  • Condo
  • Renter's
  • Personal excess liability
  • Boat
  • Motorcycle
  • RV

Program discounts and features include automatic payment discount, good driving rewards, loyalty discount for your years of service, multi-policy discounts, multi-vehicle savings and 24/7 claim reporting. Learn more in a webinar:

For more information, contact Pierce Insurance at 1-800-421-3142 or visit their website.

Important Update to Cardinal

Cardinal, the system used by employees during Open Enrollment to make changes to health insurance coverage and flexible spending accounts, is updating their security requirements. If you currently use SMS (text message) or phone call for multi-factor authentication (MFA) to log in to Cardinal, please be aware these login methods will be permanently removed later this year. After this change, you will no longer be able to log in to Cardinal by receiving a one-time code via text or phone call. The Virginia IT Agency (VITA) is retiring these methods due to security risks. To better protect the Commonwealth’s systems and your data, VITA is moving to phishing-resistant authentication methods offered through Okta. What You Need to Do If you currently use SMS or phone call for MFA, you must set up a new MFA method as soon as possible. VITA recommends completing setup before November 30 to avoid any disruption in access. Recommended Option: Okta Verify Mobile Application The preferred MFA method is the Okta Verify mobile app, available for free on Apple and Android devices. It supports authentication via:

  • Push notifications
  • One-time passcodes

View step-by-step setup instructions on the Cardinal website. Already Using an Authenticator App? If you are using Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator, you can continue to do so for now. However, please note that VITA may phase out these options in the future. We strongly recommend switching to Okta Verify for the best long-term support and security.

Virginia Retirement System Hybrid Retirement Plan Auto Escalation Quickly Approaching!

On January 1, 2026, the VRS Hybrid Retirement Plan’s auto-escalation feature will boost retirement savings for hybrid plan members. Automatic contribution increases and matching employer contributions make growing your retirement savings even easier! Who is affected? Hybrid members hired on or before November 1, 2025, who are not currently making the maximum voluntary contribution of 4 percent, will see their voluntary contribution amount increase by 0.5 percent of compensation on January 1, 2026. How much will my contributions increase? Your voluntary contributions will increase by 0.5 percent, even if you are not currently making any voluntary contributions to the Hybrid plan. That amount will increase by 0.5 percent every three years until you reach the maximum 4 percent voluntary contribution. You may contribute more to reach the maximum sooner. Members who change their voluntary contribution election or make a SmartStep election in December 2025 will not be included in the auto-escalation process. Additionally, members with an active SmartStep election on November 28, 2025, will not be included in the auto-escalation process. Why is it beneficial? Auto-escalation offers you a convenient way to save more for your retirement:

  • The more you save in voluntary contributions — the more you receive in matching employer contributions. When you contribute 4 percent, your employer contributes 2.5 percent!
  • It’s easy – no action required! You only need to take action if you choose to opt out.

How do I increase my voluntary defined contributions before the auto-escalation process? 1. Visit https://vrsdcp.voya.com/#/login-pweb to log in to your account. 2. Select Accounts on top menu bar and choose your Hybrid Deferred Compensation Plan account. 3. Go to Contributions & Savings tab > Manage Contributions. 4.Change the amount of your contribution or choose Set Up Now to set up your SmartStep. 5. Follow the prompts to establish your desired rate of increase, confirm your election and submit. How do I opt out? Members can opt out of auto-escalation between December 1, 9:00 a.m. and December 31, 4:00 p.m. To opt out, log into https://vrsdcp.voya.com/#/login-pweb or call Participant Services at 1-VRS-DC-PLAN1 (1-877-327-5261).

Need to Talk with an Expert?

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 (HR1212)

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. Facilitated by: Julie Byers, Benefits Administrator, Human Resources 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

Webinars

October'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 October!

  • Cay Adkins
  • Donna Amenta
  • Gretchen Armentrout
  • Debbie Bahr
  • Jennifer Baltazar
  • Adriana Banu
  • Jennifer Barb
  • Brycelyn Boardman
  • Keli Bradbury
  • Aria Browder
  • Andrea Burkholder
  • Pam Cahill
  • Amethyst Carter
  • Jini Cook
  • Beth Durrett
  • Bree Emurian
  • Rachael Estep
  • Thomas Estes
  • Dianne Fulk
  • Kristin Gibson
  • William Hollinsed
  • Lauren Houff
  • Xingyi Jiang
  • Kristin Johnston
  • Brian Kane
  • Rebecca Lipscomb
  • Brittany Long
  • Gina MacDonald
  • Lisa Mastin
  • Savannah Miller
  • Shawnim Mirawdaly
  • Bobby Morris
  • Carole Nash
  • Dianne Nibblins
  • Casey Ouren
  • Diana Pereira
  • Sandra Purington
  • Katie Ramella
  • Deanna Riddle
  • Liz Rose
  • Maritza Suarez-Ramos
  • Janna Taft Young
  • Amy Thelk
  • Tara Torkelson
  • Paul Warne
  • Debra Warne
  • Linette Watkins
  • David Wilson
  • Kolten Windsor
  • Yanjie Zhang

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!

Credits:

Created with images by puhimec - "Autumn background with decorative items and pumpkin." • Teri - "Autumn Color in San Juan and Rocky Mountains of Colorado" • Daria Lukoiko - "Stylish woman walks confidently in the city, her trendy boots and beige trench coat matching the fall leaves on the pavement. This fashionable image embodies seasonal chic in october or november" • Gabi Stickler - "Hund sitzt im Gras mit Mütze auf dem Kopf" • SNEHIT PHOTO - "Barn in rural Vermont nestled between fall foliage " • Kristen - "Thanksgiving dinner table decorated for fall" • Irina - "Cute squirrel animal wearing cozy warm clothes hat and scarf wallpaper background" • rh2010 - "Cozy fireplace with firewood in the loft style home interior with brick wall background, burning fire in the fireplace, house coziness in winter" • mizina - "Autumn hygge" • Daniel - "Fall Back Time - Daylight Savings End - Clock Alarm And Leaves In Autumn Background" • Anat art - "A close-up of cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla pods arranged on a wooden kitchen countertop." • ChaoticMind - "Cozy handmade blanket draped over bed, showcasing intricate crochet patterns and neutral colors" • Craig Zerbe - "Sunrise at Beacon Heights Overlook Trail in Autumn off the Blue Ridge Parkway" • SNEHIT PHOTO - "Old barn in beautiful Vermont autumn landscape. "