Excellence in Safety Awards – Nominations Open

The University Laboratory Safety Committee’s “Excellence in Safety” awards recognize a university faculty or staff member (Individual Award), student (Individual Student Award) and a laboratory research group (Group Award) who have made a considerable contribution to improving laboratory safety on the Ohio State campus.

Nominations for 2017 individual, group and individual student awards will be accepted Tuesday, Jan. 2 through Saturday, Jan. 17.

Click here for more information on the awards and to access the nomination forms.

Consent Needed for Electronic Delivery of Tax Form 1095-C

Your 1095-C is a required tax form that provides important information about the health care coverage you had or were offered by Ohio State during 2017. If you consented to receive the form electronically, it will be available from Equifax with secure access through Employee Self Service. Equifax will email you when your 1095-C is available.

If you have not consented, you have until Wednesday, Jan. 17 to do so; otherwise, the form will be mailed to your home address on file in the HR System by Wednesday, Jan. 31.

Click here for more information about form 1095-C.

EHS Safety Brief – 12 Days of Safety

Attached is a new “Safety Brief” poster from OSU Environmental Health and Safety.

The December Safety Brief is “The 12 Days of Safety”. It’s the holiday season, but whether you’re decorating your cubicle or office, remember to keep safety a top priority and follow all departmental policies and protocols. In this edition of the Environmental Health and Safety brief, learn 12 tips to keep your office a safe environment.

12 Days of Safety

Click here for more information on CFAES employee safety.

Tobacco Free Ohio State Policy 7.20

This is a reminder of the Tobacco Free Ohio State Policy 7.20.

Ohio State strives to enhance the general health and wellbeing of its faculty, staff, students and visitors, to become the world’s healthiest university. We desire to support individuals to be tobacco free, achieve their highest state of health and to launch students into their careers at a high level of health and wellbeing. To support this commitment, we intend to provide a tobacco free environment.

Smoking and the use of tobacco are prohibited in or on all university owned, operated or leased property including vehicles.

Tobacco is defined as all tobacco-derived or containing products, including and not limited to, cigarettes (e.g., clove, bidis, kreteks), electronic cigarettes, cigars and cigarillos, hookah smoked products, pipes and oral tobacco (e.g., spit and spitless, smokeless, chew, snuff) and nasal tobacco. It also includes any product intended to mimic tobacco products, contain tobacco flavoring or deliver nicotine other than for the purpose of cessation.

Distinguished Staff and Distinguished Diversity Enhancement Awards

Nominations for both the Distinguished Staff and Distinguished Diversity Enhancement awards opened Dec. 1, and can be submitted through January 12, 2018. This is a great opportunity to formally recognize outstanding contributions to the university.

The Distinguished Staff Award annually honors 12 individuals for their outstanding achievements, service, leadership and dedication to The Ohio State University. The Distinguished Staff Award is the highest honor bestowed upon staff at the university since its inception in 1984. Click here for more information and to access the nomination form.

The Office of Human Resources and the Senate Diversity Committee annually recognize diversity efforts at The Ohio State University. Faculty, staff, students, student organizations and alumni can nominate their colleagues to be selected as one of five recipients. Click here for more information on the Distinguished Diversity Enhancement awards and to access the nomination form.

Be Prepared for Winter Weather

Safety is the university’s top priority and Facilities Operations and Development (FOD), CampusParc, Transportation & Traffic Management (TTM) and the Department of Public Safety work together to offer services during the winter months to keep you safe.

As snow and ice start to collect, FOD teams are dispatched to treat campus roadways and sidewalks. They remain on campus throughout the day and night treating and plowing as needed. CampusParc crews will also be on campus treating parking lots and garages, with garage rooftops remaining open, when possible.

TTM posted an update about these services along with other tips on how to be prepared for winter weather. Click here for more information.

EHS Safety Brief – Ergonomics

Attached is a new “Safety Brief” poster from OSU Environmental Health and Safety.

November’s safety brief is titled – Work a Pain in the Neck? Check Your Desk. Ergonomics is the science of fitting the job to the worker. Environmental Health & Safety has implemented an ergonomics program to focus on the prevention and management of musculoskeletal disorders associated with repetitive job duties. In this edition of the Environmental Health & Safety brief, learn tips to make your workstation more ergonomic-friendly.

Ergonomics Safety Brief

Click here for more information on CFAES employee safety.

Spring Dependent Tuition Assistance Enrollment

Applications for dependent tuition assistance must be submitted each term. The enrollment window for spring semester 2018 opened November 13, 2017, and closes January 12, 2018. Eligible faculty and staff can apply online or with paper applications. The student must have a social security number on file with the Buckeye Link to receive dependent tuition assistance.

What you need to do:

  • Interested faculty and staff should click here for more information.
  • Contact the Office of Human Resources Customer Service Center at HR@osu.edu or (614) 292-1050.

Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Policy

The revised Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) policy is now in effect. The UAS policy moved from interim to final status after going through the university policy process. The policy addresses the increasing use and potential risk of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, commonly known as drones, on and around campus and university properties, and is largely based on Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

Operation of any UAS on any university property or at any university-sponsored event or activity, or using UAS acquired with university resources, is prohibited unless first approved by the UAS Advisory Committee.

Those who seek to operate a UAS on any university property, operate a UAS at any university-sponsored event or activity, or use a UAS acquired with university resources should become familiar with the revised policy.

Click here to view the policy.

Open Enrollment – Ends Nov. 14

Open Enrollment for 2018 benefits started Nov. 1 and ends Tuesday, Nov. 14. Open Enrollment is the annual opportunity to assess your benefits and make sure they will continue to meet your needs for the coming year. Make your elections at Employee Self Service. Click here to watch a webinar on Open Enrollment to learn about what changes are in store for 2018.

Click here for more information about Open Enrollment.

Open Enrollment Opportunities for Current, Newly Eligible Employees

Open Enrollment for 2018 benefits started Nov. 1 and ends Nov. 14, 2017. Benefits-eligible employees can use myBenefitsMentor in Employee Self Service to compare potential costs between available medical plan options.

Also, all employees who are newly eligible for benefits in the last quarter of the calendar year have two important enrollment opportunities: for both 2017 benefits and 2018 benefits. Those employees must first make benefit elections for 2017 benefits before enrolling in 2018 benefits.

New employees have 31 days from their hire date to enroll in 2017 benefits and most elections they make for 2017 will automatically carry over to 2018. However, if they want to make changes for 2018 (Health Election Form) or enroll in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA election form), they must do so by Dec. 19, 2017.

What you need to do:

  • Learn about Open Enrollment, including recorded and live webinars, at hr.osu.edu/oe.
  • New employees to enroll in both 2017 benefits and 2018 benefits.

Disability Services Training

Worker’s Compensation, Short and Long Term Disability, Transitional Work Program, Family Medical Leave – Have questions?  Get Answers!

Disability Services Training
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Parker Food Science and Technology, Room 114
2015 Fyffe Court, Columbus, Ohio 43210

OSU Integrated Absence Management and Vocational Services will present an overview on how each service applies and the process to follow. Presenters will share what to do if an employee is injured at work; when is an employee eligible for short and long term disability; what is the transitional work program; which time leave codes should an employee select when off work? And more…

Click here to register.

Enhanced YP4H Program and New Incentives for 2018

New in 2018, Your Plan for Health (YP4H) will feature enhancements through a new vendor partner, Virgin Pulse. The program will be more personal, mobile and focused on healthy habits with a new online platform and phone app. These enhancements mean it will be even easier to participate and will include more reward opportunities. An email with more detail will be sent to employees in advance of Open Enrollment. With Open Enrollment beginning Nov. 1, it’s important for employees to know that YP4H will offer more ways to help manage their health care costs. See more at HR Connect.

What you need to do:

  • Go to YP4H Incentive Program page to learn more about the YP4H enhancements and incentives.
  • Complete a PHA and biometric screening either with a primary care provider (download form) or at an on-campus event by Nov. 30, 2017.
  • Join an Open Enrollment webinar or sign up for a benefits forum.

New Online Job-Related Risk Assessment Tool Launches

The Office of Research and the Office of Environmental Safety are launching a web-based tool for conducting risk-based assessments — the Online Risk Assessment Tool (ORAT). It replaces the existing Occupational Health Registry on Wednesday, Nov. 1.

Because it is important that you understand the potential risks associated with your research/job-related duties, the ORAT will walk you through the process for assessing potential risks due to contact with animals, hazardous agents, operations or environments.

If you have completed the Occupational Health Registry in the past, you will receive a notification near your next annual renewal date prompting you to complete the ORAT. If you have never completed an assessment but need to do so, please utilize the ORAT beginning Nov. 1.

Click here for more information.