The Solution Source, August 2012
Direct Deposit to Student Employees’ Higher One CardPrinting paper checks costs institutions in the UNT System, and ultimately Texas taxpayers, more than $3,000 per pay period. This cost totals more than $36,000 annually, and does not take into account the use of paper to print the checks, electricity required to power machines, and fuel and time required to transport paper checks out to each campus. When UNT and UNT Dallas student employees elect to receive wages via direct deposit, they receive very valuable tangible and intangible benefits. The flyer at the below link outlines a limited-time only $50 incentive offered by the Higher One Card (see flyer for details), and signing up for direct deposit also provides students with security, peace of mind, and instant access to their funds on payday. View the flyer for details. Stay InformedOccasionally, UNT System Business Service Center (BSC) directors will distribute updates out to employees to announce a new program, changes to procedures, or reminders about deadlines. In order to stay up-to-date with news from the BSC, employees are encouraged subscribe to BSC Updates online at http://bsc.untsystem.edu/newsletter/subscriptions.  Online Onboarding Extended to Student and Hourly Employees
The University of North Texas System Business Service Center (BSC) extended the new employee online onboarding process to undergraduate student employees, graduate student employees and non-student hourly employees at all UNT System institutions beginning August 1. The addition of hourly and student employees is another step in streamlining the new employee process, presenting further savings in materials and labor, and generating multiple other tangible benefits for UNT System institutions. Online onboarding for new benefits-eligible faculty and staff was rolled out earlier in the summer at UNT System Administration, University of North Texas, UNT Dallas and UNT Health Science Center. More information regarding the online onboarding process for undergraduate student employees, graduate student employees and non-student hourly employees is available online at http://bsc.untsystem.edu/onboarding. “Our goal is to get this information out to a new student or non-student hourly employee as soon as that person is hired,” according to Donna Shell, BSC director of human resources. “The online process for student and non-student hourly employees is designed for that person to be able to complete their onboarding before starting work, allowing them to hit the ground running on the first day.” Shell said that although completing the process is not mandatory for a new hire before starting work, it will be mandatory for them to complete the online process by the end of their first day of employment. Creation of the online onboarding product is a result of direct cooperation and collaboration between the BSC and Information Technology Shared Services (ITSS), with input from each campus. In addition to streamlining the process from a new employee standpoint, online onboarding presents many benefits for UNT System institution employees whose job it is to process a new hire. Since the data is entered directly into EIS, the amount of paper generated from the process is greatly reduced. Also, since the process is contained in EIS, the need for shuffling packets of papers between departments is either reduced or removed completely. With the transition to new-employee online onboarding, the I-9 documents verification process has also gone online. A brief video explaining the I-9 documents verification process is available at http://youtu.be/p3xizebE34U. back to topHealthSelect Network to Include More Primary Care PhysiciansEmployees at UNT System institutions may have received a letter from United Healthcare stating that a selected current primary care physician (PCP) was not in the network. Employees should check the United Healthcare website to make sure the selected PCP has not recently been added. Obtain the most current information on network providers by using the provider search tool at www.healthselectoftexas.com, or calling the dedicated HealthSelect service center toll-free at (866)336-9371 (TTYusers call 711). If the desired PCP is not participating in the network, staff members will receive a new insurance card stating “no PCP on file”. In order to receive the highest benefits possible, system employees will need to make a PCP selection as quickly as possible. back to topFor Teacher Retirement System (TRS) MembersHave you signed up yet for MyTRS? MyTRS is the secure online access portion of the TRS website where you can view your current account information; obtain retirement estimates, sign up for e-mail subscriptions, and much more. Learn more about MyTRS by accessing http://www.trs.state.tx.us/global.jsp?page_id=/onac/mytrs. back to topAccount Statements to be Mailed October 2012Each fall, TRS mails annual statements to all active members of the retirement system. This statement contains information regarding the current beneficiary designation, number of years of service credited to you, account balance and compensation information. TRS fall account statements are scheduled to be mailed to UNT System employees during the month of October 2012. back to topService Credit Purchase Costs to IncreaseLegislative changes in 2011 resulted in new laws that affect the cost to purchase certain types of service and compensation credit. A two-year window ending August 31, 2013, was established to allow eligible members to purchase credit at the old, lower cost, provided certain requirements are met. The types of service credit purchases affected by cost increases include: withdrawn service, unreported service and/or compensation, out-of-state service, and developmental leave. If staff members are eligible to purchase any of these types of service or compensation credit and wish to make the purchase at the current (lower) cost, payment in full or a completed installment agreement must be received at TRS on or before August 31, 2013. For more information, access www.trs.state.tx.us. back to topElectronic I-9 Process for Online OnboardingEffective June 1, 2012, the I-9 document verification process for new employees at all UNT System institutions went online. The employee completes section 1 of the I-9 during the online onboarding process. On the first day of employment new employees at University of North Texas and UNT System Administration are instructed to bring their I-9 documents to their hiring department. New employees at UNT Health Science Center and UNT Dallas need to bring I-9 documents to the system human resources office on their campus. The appropriate I-9 authorizer will then complete the steps contained in the following instructions. I-9’s will no longer be processed on paper forms and you will not need to keep or provide copies of the documents. A brief video explaining the I-9 documents verification process is available online at http://youtu.be/p3xizebE34U. Learn more about the online onboarding process by accessing http://bsc.untsystem.edu/onboarding. back to top Entering Multiple DeptID/ProjID NumbersEntering multiple department identification numbers (DeptID/ProjID) on one requisition is now authorized for all UNT System institutions. BSC Purchasing has created a simple step-by-step instruction sheet for entering multiple dept. IDs. Also, an answer exists in the Solution knowledge base regarding changing DeptID to a project ID (ProjID). Access the question and answer online at http://untsystembsc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1437/kw/dept. For questions regarding this process, email purchasing@untsystem.edu, call 940-369-5500, or contact the buyer assigned to your particular department. Click here to download the instruction sheet. back to top Submitting InvoicesEffective July 26, 2012, the BSC began asking departments that would normally submit invoices to payments@untsystem.edu to instead submit to invoices@untsystem.edu. This will allow the BSC to immediately identify invoices requiring payment. If departments are currently faxing documents such as invoices or check requests to BSC Payments, then departments are encouraged to utilize the more streamlined process of scanning and emailing the document to invoices@untsystem.edu. The payments@untsystem.edu email address has been re-routed, and is now focused toward receiving questions regarding payments process and procedure, and is managed by Client Services in the BSC. Payment questions can also be addressed at the BSC Solution Center knowledge base. As always, general questions to the Business Service Center can be addressed to bsc@untsystem.edu. back to topYear-End Dates for PaymentsUNT Health Science Center
University of North Texas, UNT Dallas and UNT System Administration
Attention Individual Billed Travel (IBT) Card UsersThe use of individually billed travel cards (IBT) is the preferred method to pay for professional travel. To create online access to your individually-billed travel card activity and pay online, access https://home.cards.citidirect.com and click “Self Registration for Cardholders”, then follow the steps to create online access. Employees with problems or questions should contact Citibank customer service directly at 1-800-248-4553. back to top Web Clock – A Time Collection AlternativeThe mission of the BSC is to deliver quality, cost effective business services that are valued by our customers. Traditional, manual collection of employee timesheets has become less efficient and presents more of an opportunity for errors than automated methods. For these reasons, the BSC encourages departments to consider installing the Web Clock application. With Web Clock, information is automatically collected and populated into the employee’s timesheet. After the employee’s manager approves the timesheet, the timesheet is ready for payroll processing. As a result, time-consuming manual collection, and entry of pay sheet information is completely eliminated. For departments with a number of hourly employees, Web Clock eliminates inefficiencies and potential for errors. Web Clock is the result of cooperation between the BSC and input from timekeepers at system institutions. BSC information services staff created the Web Clock application using Enterprise Information System (EIS) processes and has completely integrated it into EIS. Web Clock is growing in usage almost daily, and the newest departments to install Web Clock are UNT Libraries and the UNT College of Education General Access Computer Lab. Last fall, several UNT departments and facilities switched to Web Clock, including Housing, Dining Services, Coliseum, Gateway Center, and Union Administration. We have several alternatives we can use for bring your employees onto Web Clock. Departments interested in having Web Clock installed, or wanting more information, should contact Jessie Bortz, BSC time & labor analyst, at 940-369-5500 or via email to payroll@untsystem.edu. back to topFiscal Year-End RemindersIt is imperative that all payroll time for August 2012 is entered as quickly as possible. The deadline for all FY 2012 payroll time is September 14, 2012 at noon. Vacation time has a maximum carry over balance into the new fiscal year based on the employee’s number of months of service. Balances over the maximum will be lapsed, or converted, to sick leave. If payroll time taken by the employee is not entered, the balance will be inflated, and when the lapsing process happens on the night of the deadline, the employee may lose unnecessary vacation time. All UNT, UNT Dallas, and UNT System Administration employees who worked in FY2012 received a holiday based on their FTE. After August 31, any unused balances will be lost. The floating holiday was not part of holiday leave for UNT Health Science Center. back to topCommon Accrual DateIn an effort to streamline processes across campuses, the BSC has elected to share a common accrual date. All accruals will be added on September 14. This is a new process for UNT System Administration, UNT, and UNT Dallas. Since the accrual date is after the time-and-labor entry deadline, this will reduce the usage of future accruals for a previous month’s time. Also, to improve efficiency the BSC has added a second accrual date for all campuses on the last day of the month. This will ensure new hires are included, and will ensure they receive their first month’s accruals without manual entry. Timekeepers are reminded to continue to record time in the tenths, not hundredths (for example: 7.5 instead of 7.45). EIS is programmed to calculate all time in the tenths. If time is entered in the hundredths, EIS will process the time in a rounded amount which will affect time balances. back to topDetermining if Comp Time Will ExpireOccassionally it can be a challenge to determine if an employee’s comp time will lapse or expire. Here are detailed instructions that describe reading an employee’s timesheet in EIS to determine if comp time will expire. If staff members have further questions regarding reading timesheets in EIS, call 940-369-5500 or email to payroll@untsystem.edu. back to top The BSC Solution CenterBelow were some of the most common questions fielded by The BSC Solution Center team in July. Click the questions to access the Solution Center and see the answer.
 Upcoming BSC Partner Meetings
The Business Service Center hosts Partner Meetings on a monthly basis at UNT System campuses in order to pass on key information to those employees at each campus who are responsible for various business functions. On the UNT campus, partner meetings are held in conjunction with A-team meetings. Partner meetings can include information about procedures related to purchasing, payments, payroll, human resources, and various other functions managed by the BSC. Any employee wishing to learn more about UNT System business functions or ask a question about BSC business practices are invited to attend the meeting according to the schedule below. If you would like to receive invitations to future partner meetings, email bsc@untsystem.edu. To view presentations and notes from past partner meetings, access http://bsc.untsystem.edu/presentations. UPCOMING MEETINGS UNT Health Science Center
Discount for Circus Admission
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey™ presents Fully Charged is coming to the Fort Worth Convention Center August 15-19. The circus has extended an offer to UNT System employees and families an opportunity to see the show at a discounted price. Click here to download the information flyer. back to topStay ConnectedFollow the Business Service Center on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/UNTSystem.BSC, and subscribe to BSC Updates online at http://bsc.untsystem.edu/newsletter/subscriptions. back to top |
©2012 The Solution Source.
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