Category: Uncategorized

Penn Children’s Center Availability

Did You Know?

Childcare options are conveniently available on campus at Penn Children’s Center for members of the University community. The accredited early education and childcare facility offers flexible options for individuals with needs ranging from 2 – 5 days of care. Immediate openings are available in our preschool program for children ages 3 to 5.  Additionally, since schoolroom capacity has returned to normal, the Center is accepting waitlist reservations for the Infant, Younger Toddler, and Older Toddler programs for children ages three months – thirty-six months. Penn Children’s Center also offers drop-in care, which is available as space permits. and welcomes all members of the University and surrounding communities.  For more information about the Children’s Center or to request a tour of the facility, please contact Business Manager Tamara Alizzi. 

Penn Service Assists Staff with Student Loan Debt

Student loan debt has increased significantly over the past decade and has climbed to more than $1.7 trillion. Penn understands that many staff and faculty have been burdened with repayment, creating strains on your mental and financial health. That’s why the University has partnered with PeopleJoy, a financial wellness benefits organization that specializes in student loan repayment and forgiveness, to help you take charge of your student loan debt and get the support you need.  

At this time, Penn is offering employees a free service administered by PeopleJoy. They will help you determine your eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, assist you with navigating the application process, and advocate on your behalf with student loan providers. Participating employees will receive: 

  • Program assessments: Get help to identify the best federal repayment programs based on your individual financial situation.
  • Program enrollment: PeopleJoy will enroll you in the repayment programs, removing confusing paperwork and worries of missing enrollment or annual recertification deadlines.
  • Goals-based coaching: Receive repayment planning advice and coaching based on your short- and long-term budget, income projections, and financial health. Regular check-in calls are also available.
  • College financial planning: This includes one-on-one time with an advisor, evaluation of best college financing options, and other resources. 

PeopleJoy has assisted thousands of employees with qualifying for PSLF and helped borrowers receive nearly $3 million in loan forgiveness in 2022.

If you have outstanding student loans and would like to use this free service, please visit the PeopleJoy platform at upenn.peoplejoy.com.You will need your work email address, Penn ID, and information about your student loans. Once you’ve filled in the required information, a member of the PeopleJoy support team will contact you via email to request additional information if needed, activate the service and identify next steps, or notify you if they are unable to assist you.

For more information, you can register for one of the following webinars:

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the session.

If you have more questions about Public Student Loan Forgiveness, please review the PSLF FAQs. You can also visit the PeopleJoy webpage on the HR website.

Be in the Know returns for wellness in 2022-2023

On-campus Biometric Screenings to Return in the Fall! Following the successful return to our vibrant campus, Penn renews its commitment to the importance of completing a biometric screening. For the 2022-2023 Be in the Know campaign year, you must complete a biometric screening to receive any of your earned rewards.

Learn more here: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/wellness-worklife/be-in-the-know

Or, check out this recent Penn Today article about the return of biometric screenings.

Penn’s Employee Assistance Program is here for you

[Reprinted from an email sent March 8, 2022, to all Penn faculty and staff]

News about current events can be unsettling. You may be looking for ways to work through the stress, anxiety, and concern you are feeling. Penn’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is here for you and your families. We also want to share a few tips and additional resources to help you deal with the uncertainties that we face.  

  • Notice your feelings and emotions and when you are feeling uncomfortable.  Paying attention to your emotions can diffuse their intensity.
  • Limit your exposure to media coverage by staying informed but with boundaries, focusing on balanced sources of information.
  • Talk to people with whom you feel safe. This can help you feel more connected and less alone.

If you are a parent or guardian, you may be particularly sensitive to the need for resources to help you talk with your children about war. Penn’s Graduate School of Education recently published the article, Explaining war to children, with six tips for navigating this topic with kids.

Families can also contact Penn’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for help in navigating these challenging times. EAP can provide counseling and referral services to you and your loved ones, as well as connect you to resources to help you work through the grief these events can create. EAP offers materials for coping with traumatic experiences, ways to help those who struggle with feeling safe at school, home, or work, and information for quickly responding to an active shooter situation.

Penn’s EAP

Penn’s EAP is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to assist you. Please feel free to contact the EAP at any time.

Call: 1-866-799-2329
Schedule an EAP appointment through Penn Cobalt
Email: EAPinfo@healthadvocate.com
Visit:  Penn Employee Assistance Program website 

Penn’s EAP provides eligible faculty and staff and immediate family members, including your spouse, dependent children, your parents and parents-in-law, access to free, confidential, 24/7 counseling and referral services for personal and professional life issues from any location.

EAP resources for managers include coaching for team challenges, personal or professional, interpersonal issues in the office and critical incident debriefings following a traumatic incident for the organization.

EAP services are available by phone, email, webchat, and video sessions. Health Advocate EAP counselors will connect you with the right experts at the right time: masters level clinicians, work/life specialists, medical bill negotiators, and financial and legal professionals. In addition, Health Advocate offers multi-language capabilities.

Each eligible member can receive up to eight free counseling sessions per distinct problem, per year, from the time of your initial intake. If you exceed this limit, Health Advocate will make every effort to coordinate services with your existing health insurance. You may be referred to your insurance plan for services, where applicable, before your eight sessions are completed if it is determined that your clinical needs require treatment beyond the short-term scope of EAP.

EAP and other support resources are detailed in the MindWell at Penn digital guide.  

You can also visit the behavioral health coverage webpage for more information about behavioral health benefits available through Penn’s medical plans for eligible faculty and staff and enrolled dependents. 

Remember that you are never alone when coping with trauma and anxiety. 

Best, 

Division of Human Resources

[Recording Available] PPSA presents: Making a Career at Penn

On Wednesday March 2, 2022, PPSA held a roundtable discussion about “making a career at Penn.” Nicole Torsella Harris, SPHR Director, Talent Acquisition and Executive Recruitment, discussed the process of applying for Penn jobs as an internal candidate. A representative from PSOM’s Office of Organizational Effectiveness highlighted some ways that Penn nurtures staff and resources available to Penn employees for leadership training.  Recent professional staff who have transferred roles within the past few months told their stories.

View Event Recording

Philadelphia City Wage Tax Refund Forms Now Available

Please see below for an update from Penn’s Office of Corporate Tax, Compliance, and Payroll related to Philadelphia City Wage Tax Refunds for 2021. 

Philadelphia City Wage Tax Refund forms are now available on the City of Philadelphia website. Employees claiming a Philadelphia City Wage Tax Refund should complete only one of the following forms:

  • 2021 COVID EZ Request 
  • 2021 Time Worked Outside of Philadelphia

The COVID EZ Request form covers the period from January to August 2021, when all employees were required to work remotely. Philadelphia City Wage Tax should not have been withheld from your paycheck during this time, but if it was, you can use this form to request a refund. 

The Time Worked Outside of Philadelphia form is applicable to nonresident employees who were required to work outside of Philadelphia between September and December 2021. You should also use this form if you were required to work remotely due to COVID during January to August and were required to work remotely for any bona fide business purpose at any time during September to December 2021.

To request a refund, you will need to complete the online form and submit a copy of your W-2 and an Employer Certification on University letterhead with the exact dates you were required to work outside the city. If you are submitting a Time Worked Outside of Philadelphia form, you may also be asked to include a copy of your Telework Agreement, if applicable. The Division of Finance website has guidance for supervisors who are asked to provide Employer Certification. The City has also posted additional information on its blog.

Any refund claim must be filed within three years of the date the tax was paid or due, whichever date is later.

See below for a copy of our original communication to you earlier this month, which includes additional information about the Philadelphia City Wage Tax Refund process.

————————————————————————————

Philadelphia City Wage tax refunds are available for nonresidents of Philadelphia who are required to work outside the City and had Philadelphia City Wage tax withheld from their pay for those days. Philadelphia residents are subject to City Wage tax withholding regardless of where they worked and are not eligible to request a wage tax refund.

January to August 2021 – Depopulation of Campus
If you are a nonresident of Philadelphia and worked remotely during the extended University depopulation from January through August 2021, Philadelphia City Wage tax should not have been withheld from your pay. If your pay slip indicates that Philadelphia City Wage tax was withheld during this period, you may request a refund of your City Wage tax withholding by completing the appropriate form on the City of Philadelphia website when it becomes available this year.  

September to December 2021 – Return to Campus 
Effective September 2021, the University returned to on-campus work. As of that time, remote work for nonresidents – both full and hybrid – became subject to Philadelphia City Wage tax, unless such remote work was required by the University (e.g., no space on campus to work, traveling for business, or working remotely for a bona fide business purpose).

If you are a nonresident of Philadelphia and were required to work outside of the City during September to December 2021 and had Philadelphia City Wage tax withheld, you may request a refund of City Wage tax withholding for those days worked outside of the City by completing the appropriate form on the City of Philadelphia website when it becomes available this year.

Please be aware that for any days worked outside of Philadelphia, the employee may be liable for taxes in other jurisdictions within Pennsylvania or in another state. It is the employee’s responsibility to determine whether they have any such liability, to file the appropriate tax forms, and to make any payments due to such jurisdictions.

Note that as of the time of this communication, the 2021 Wage Tax refund petitions have not yet been published on the City of Philadelphia website. We are monitoring this page and will provide an update and additional information once the forms are available.

Additional information on City Wage Tax refunds, including FAQs and Guidance for Supervisors, is available on the Corporate Tax, Compliance, and Payroll website.

If you have any questions, please contact the Employee Solution Center at solutioncenter@upenn.edu or (215) 898-7372.

University-Affiliated Organizations and Resources

Reprinted from Penn Human Resources

Penn: A Community of Communities
Even the most independent person works best when they feel a sense of belonging. To paraphrase a famous saying, “no one is an island, entire of itself.” Each person’s identity is a combination of their individuality and their affiliation with groups. To foster that sense of belonging, members of the Penn Community have access to an array of cultural resource centers, professional organizations, and other associations for conversation, support, and activities.

The following link offers a list of University-affiliated organizations and resources. These centers offer more spaces and events for various demographic groups. They also help everyone to better understand and celebrate the different perspectives and commonalities that bring us together.

https://www.hr.upenn.edu/about-hr/news/myhr/myhr/2022/01/26/01262022#ACommunity

Penn GSE Center for Professional Learning: Penn Staff and Faculty Discount

We’re excited to share our latest faculty and staff promotion that offers two 25% scholarships to put towards our upcoming programs. You can apply both scholarships toward your own program fees in two separate upcoming programs, you can use one and gift the other to a friend or colleague, or you can give the gift of learning by sharing both. To receive the scholarship promotion code, please fill out this quick form. To take advantage of this special Penn-wide faculty and staff promotion, you must request your codes by February 5th, 2022, and use them for an eligible program this coming spring. Please keep in mind that two codes may not be used towards one program fee.

Your scholarship promotion can be applied to:

Strategic Leadership in Education Certificate Program

This accelerated 6-month advanced professional learning program is led by experts from Penn GSE, Wharton, and beyond. This cohort-based program speaks to the contemporary challenges and opportunities of the current time and utilizes the cohort’s own experiences as opportunities to reflect and grow. Program Registration deadline: February 15, 2022

Race, Diversity, and Equity in Higher Education Certificate Program

The Race, Diversity, and Equity in Higher Education certificate program offers a virtual, intensive, 6-month professional learning experience for staff, faculty administrators, and leaders in institutions of higher education. In this program, you will learn and reflect on the history of policies and practices related to race, diversity, and equity. Registration deadline: February 21, 2022

To register for the January 18 information session, please click this link. 

Click here to view a full list of our program offerings. 

We look forward to having you in one of our upcoming programs in 2022!