Posted on February 20, 2008

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Register Now for a Preretirement Workshop

If you’re planning to retire within the next two years, plan now to attend one of the free workshops hosted throughout the school year by ERFC. Learn more about the specific provisions of the ERFC and VRS retirement plans, as well as the services available to help you determine your own “right time” to retire.

Seating is limited and preregistration is required. To register, call 703-426-3900, or send an e-mail, including your name, employee number, work location, and the date of the workshop you want to attend, to ERFCComm@fcps.edu.

The current schedule is listed below; be sure to include whether you intend to bring your spouse or another guest with you to the workshop. Registrants will be notified in the event of any schedule changes.

For the most up-to-date information, visit the ERFC web site at www.fcps.edu/ERFC.

Important Notes

• The March preretirement workshop will address only those provisions specific to the ERFC Legacy benefit structure, which covers members hired prior to July 1, 2001. However, a new session has been added to the April workshop to present materials for members currently preparing for retirement under the ERFC 2001 benefit structure (hired on or after July 1, 2001). Therefore, when registering for the April 9 workshop, please specify either ERFC Legacy or ERFC-2001 membership (or just note your FCPS hire date).
  
  
• Bottled water will be offered to workshop attendees, but no food or other beverages may be brought into the recital hall. Please plan accordingly.

ERFC Preretirement Workshop Schedule

• Wednesday, March 5.
  
• Wednesday, April 9. (ERFC 2001 presentation begins at 5:30 p.m.)

Time: 5-7 p.m.

Location: Robinson Secondary School, recital hall, 5035 Sideburn Road, Fairfax

Upon request, ERFC can also arrange on-site workshops at FCPS work locations for ERFC member audiences of at least 25 guests. For information, contact the ERFC office at 703-426-3900.

2008-09 School Year Leave of Absence Application Deadline Is March 31

A less-than-12-month employee considering a long-term, unpaid leave of absence (LOA) must complete and submit an application to the Disability and Leaves office by March 31 to be considered for the next school year or fiscal year. An LOA is an approved, unpaid, extended absence from work exceeding 30 calendar days. LOAs can be either designated or non-designated. Detailed information on both LOA types is available at www.fcps.edu/DHR/employees/benefits/leave.htm#loa and in Regulation 4822.

For a less-than-12-month employee currently on an LOA, the Disability and Leaves office will send a courtesy reminder card for the upcoming school year in February 2008. Such employees should indicate their LOA intentions in writing to the Disability and Leaves office by March 31.

With the exception of the birth of a child, March 31 is the deadline for submitting an LOA application. Questions may be sent to disabilityandleaves@fcps.edu.

List of Medical Providers for Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses Available

FCPS offers a select list of medical providers to employees who sustain an injury or who contract an illness while at work and need nonemergency medical treatment. These medical providers treat FCPS employees for work-related conditions exclusively. The complete list of providers is available on the FCPS web site at www.fcps.edu/DHR/employees/benefits/pdfs/wcprovpanel.pdf.

Treatment for work-related injuries or illnesses rendered by a provider not on the approved list of medical providers (including an employee’s primary care physician [PCP]) must be approved by Liberty Mutual. For additional information, contact the Liberty Mutual workers’ compensation case manager at 1-800-752-5832 or the Office of Benefit Services at 571-423-3200 (option #2); e-mail inquiries may be sent to workerscompensation@fcps.edu.

FCPS Online Classifieds Now in Divisionwide Pilot Phase

The Department of Communications and Community Outreach is pleased to announce that the FCPS Online Classifieds system has moved to the divisionwide pilot phase.

The FCPS Online Classifieds system—which was created as a result of employee feedback—is for FCPS employees only and as such will be regularly featured in Supergram and on FCPSnet. The direct link to the Online Classifieds is http://commapps.fcps.edu/classifieds/.  

There is no charge to post a classified ad. Much like traditional classifieds, the Online Classifieds will allow employees to post ads for personally owned items that they are seeking to buy, sell, or give away, such as electronics, real estate, items for children, fitness and sports equipment, furniture, pets, cars, and tickets. It's also a great tool to help an employee looking for someone to share a ride to work, find a roommate, or rent real estate.  

Ads for employee-owned businesses or school or workplace fund-raisers will not be accepted. A complete list of rules of use can be found at http://commapps.fcps.edu/classifieds/Policy.cfm.

Due to server restrictions, electronic photos cannot be uploaded along with postings. Feel free to include information in your posting that a picture is available by e-mail upon request. For answers to some other frequently asked questions, go to http://commapps.fcps.edu/classifieds/FAQ.cfm.

The FCPS Online Classifieds system is completely self-service and allows users to post new ads or update or renew existing ads at any time. Highlights and security features of the FCPS Online Classifieds system include:

• A user must log in using his or her existing FCPS network user name and password.
  
  
• A user must agree to the posted conditions before submitting an ad. A user cannot use his or her FCPS phone number or e-mail address as a listed point of contact.
  
  
• Active ads are searchable by date, category, and keyword.
  
  
• Ads will be reviewed by the system administrator before they are posted online. Ads will be approved or denied within two to three business days, or as soon as resources allow. An automatic e-mail will be sent upon approval or denial to a user who includes a personal e-mail address as part of his or her contact information.
  
  
• A user who includes a personal e-mail address as part of his or her contact information will receive an automatic e-mail reminder before the ad is set to expire.

Please Note: The Online Classifieds system was developed using existing resources in the Office of Community Relations. No additional money, staff, or resources were or will be used in its implementation.

Feedback Wanted

As you use this new benefit, keep in mind that we want to know how we can improve the FCPS Online Classifieds. Please send your comments, questions, or suggestions to andy.grunig@fcps.edu. If you encounter any technical difficulties, send an e-mail to jing.li@fcps.edu. 

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