The NIH Office of Human Resources has been busy rolling out new automated systems designed to provide employees with faster, updated HR services. The automation initiative is known as eHR, or electronic Human Resources.

Many employees use the NIH Portal to access ITAS. But there is more you can do with it — you can create a page designed just for you, choosing from options including your email, the NIH Record, ITAS, Google, Employee Express, the NIH Employee Directory and the NIH Shuttle Schedule, to name a few.

All of the new and future systems that make up the eHR initiative are or will be accessible through the HR Community web site at http://hr.od.nih.gov/hrcommunity.htm. You can get information about HR programs, benefits, delegations, forms and also locate your servicing human resources team and employee/labor relations, benefits and systems representatives. A link to access OHR staff is in the works and will be added shortly.

Tashea Brodgins (seated) of OHR helps NCI's Jennifer Haddad with information in the HR Community portal site.

HHS Careers (http://www.hhs.gov/careers) is the new web-based recruitment and application tool being used by all components of HHS. Most NIH vacancies are announced through this system. Some favorite features include elimination of the KSA process, the one-time creation of an applicant's personal profile that can be used repeatedly to apply to open vacancies, and the email responses that applicants receive when a position has been filled.

QuickClassification is a web-based position description and job classification software system developed for federal HR classification specialists and managers. OHR will begin using the system this summer to generate position descriptions for certain series.

Workflow Information Tracking System (WiTS) is a web-based workflow management system enabling HR to streamline and standardize its business processes, and monitor and track individual work items from initiation through completion.

The NIH Delegations of Authority Database planned for launch in the near future will allow NIH officials to manage how human resources authorities are being used throughout NIH. The system, initiated by the Office of Management Assessment in cooperation with OHR, will help staff involved with delegations of authority to quickly retrieve up-to-date information on approval levels for numerous HR actions including awards, leave, work schedules and details, to name a few.

Employee Express (https://www.employeeexpress.gov/) lets you make changes to your benefits and personal information on your own. As of October 2003, NIH switched to mandatory use of this system. You can change your address, decrease or increase state or federal tax withholdings, change your Direct Deposit information, and start, change or stop your savings allotments. During open season, you can also use Employee Express to change your health insurance coverage and change your contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan.

New initiatives on the horizon include eOPF and ePay. eOPF, electronic Official Personnel Folders, will replace the old paper versions currently maintained on every HHS employee. Any personnel actions taken from the date of eOPF implementation forward will be recorded electronically, eliminating the need for paper records. HHS will also change from its current payroll transaction systems, IMPACT and Employee Express, to ePay. All the changes you can make to your personal information through Employee Express will soon be done through ePay. More information on both of these systems will soon be available.

For more information visit http://ehr.od.nih.gov/ehr/default.htm.