Benefits Open Enrollment Period Starts October 9

This year's open enrollment period for 2009 benefits will begin on October 9 and end on October 30. All benefits-eligible employees will receive open enrollment materials by mail, and copies will also be available at schools and offices and the FCPS web site. Open enrollment open houses will be held October 16, October 23, and October 30. Office of Benefit Services staff members and representatives of several health care plans will be present at each open house; flu shots will also be available. Look for more open enrollment information in the next issue of Supergram.

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New Guidelines for Alternative Working Arrangements Available, Manager Tool Kit Posted Online

In an effort to create conditions that provide for maximum productivity and encourage employee retention, FCPS is encouraging the consideration of alternative work arrangements when they meet specific business objectives. In order to aid in this effort, the Department of Human Resources has created a Manager's Tool Kit for Alternative Working. This tool kit is available online at www.fcps.edu/DHR/employees/benefits/altwork and includes general directions as well as forms that should be used to document any arrangements.

Alternative working includes altering employee schedules and/or work sites, where appropriate, and includes the following:

• Flextime—A work schedule that splits the workday into two kinds of time—core time and flexible time. Employees currently assigned to the Fairfax County Public Schools standard administrative office hours schedule (8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) must work during established core times, and arrival and departure times are flexible to meet business and individual needs. Each assistant superintendent will establish core work hours for their departments.
  
• Compressed Work Schedule—A work schedule in which an employee works an altered number of hours in each day to total the same weekly or biweekly total, creating a work schedule that is not the traditional five 8-hour days per week.
  
• Teleworking—Work arrangements that allow for remote working one or more days a week, or bi-weekly, and do not alter the employee’s duties and work performed. Less frequent or variable teleworking (e.g., during a period of recuperation from illness) is acceptable when the arrangements meet both business and individual needs.

Assistant superintendents will assess department functions closely to determine which employees or groups of employees would be eligible for alternative work arrangements. It is recognized that certain operations within FCPS do not lend themselves to alternative working. 

Because teleworking is often viewed by employees as a benefit, it is important that consistent criteria are applied to the granting or denial of teleworking arrangements. Assistant superintendents may exclude organizational units or positions from such arrangements to meet operational demands. Consideration and approval of employee requests for alternative work arrangements are based on the suitability of the work, the employee, and the work unit.

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Register Now for a Preretirement Workshop

The Educational Employees' Retirement Fund of Fairfax County (ERFC) hosts preretirement workshops throughout the school year to help prepare members who are within two years of retirement eligibility. This year’s schedule includes split sessions to address the needs of members in both benefit plan structures: ERFC Legacy (members hired on or before June 30, 2001) and ERFC 2001 (members hired on or after July 1, 2001). 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. 

ERFC Preretirement 2008-09 Workshop Schedule

• Thursday, October 2, 2008. 
• Thursday, November 6, 2008.
• Thursday, December 4, 2008.
• Monday, February 2, 2009.
• Thursday, March 12, 2009.
• Tuesday, April 21, 2009.
  

Time: 5 -7 p.m.

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

Seating is limited and preregistration is required. To register, send an e-mail to ERFCComm@fcps.edu or send a fax to 703-426-3984 and include:

• your name.
• employee ID number.
• work location.
• your date of hire.
• the date of the workshop you want to attend.

Upon request, ERFC can also arrange on-site workshops at your work location for ERFC member audiences of at least 25 guests. For more information, contact the Retirement Office at 703-426-3950, or go to http://www.fcps.edu/ERFC/index.htm.

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FY 2009 Compensation Handbook Now Available Online

The FY 2009 Compensation Handbook, prepared by the Department of Human Resources Office of Salary Services, contains information about FCPS jobs, classification plans, pay scales, athletic coaching and extra-duty salary supplements, and hourly pay bands for at-will employees. It can be found online at http://www.fcps.edu/DHR/salary/scalepdfs/fy09/09comphandbook.pdf.

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New Regulations for FCPS 403(b) Plan to Start January 1

Effective January 1, 2009, FCPS, as the plan sponsor of the 403(b) plan, will be required to administer new regulations issued by the Treasury Department and the IRS. The new regulations are the first comprehensive regulatory update to 403(b) plans in 40 years and place responsibility for oversight and compliance with the employer or plan sponsor well beyond previously defined school system responsibilities for 403(b) plan administration.

In order to comply with IRS 403(b) regulations and improve service to you, FCPS has partnered with TSA Consulting Group (TSACG) to help you and your FCPS-approved 403(b) vendor simplify transactions on your account such as changing or stopping your contributions, loans, hardship withdrawals, rollovers, transfers, exchanges, and distributions. The manner in which you select investments and manage the investment of your 403(b) account will not change. This remains an interaction between you and your approved 403(b) vendor. 

Look for announcements and more detail to follow as FCPS’ implementation progresses at http://www.fcps.edu/DHR/employees/benefits/403b.htm.

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FCPS Online Classifieds System Free for Employees

(Note: If you are trying to access the classifieds from your home computer, you will need to use VPN, because the classifieds are located on the FCPS intranet.)

The FCPS Online Classifieds system—which is for employees only and as such can be found on FCPSnet (the FCPS employee intranet) at http://commapps.fcps.edu/classifieds—is a free way for 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 look for someone to share a ride to work, find a roommate, or rent real estate.  

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.

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.

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.

For more information, contact Andy Grunig at andy.grunig@fcps.edu. If you encounter a technical problem, contact Keith Orbe at keith.orbe@fcps.edu.

Send Your Success Stories

Have you used the FCPS Online Classifieds to buy or sell anything or to rent a room or a house, or do you have any other FCPS Online Classifieds success story you would like to share? Send it to andy.grunig@fcps.edu.

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