HR & Payroll News Quarterly Termination Process Will Be Reinstated as of Aug 7, 2021 As we prepare for the return to campus, the termination process which was turned off due to COVID-19 will be reinstated August 7, 2021. This Banner process is normally scheduled to run quarterly. The process…

HR & Payroll News WW Commonwealth of Virginia Employee Offer Have you wanted to join WW? All employees, spouses, and adult dependents get an exclusive discount of 50% off the retail price of WW and can join now for as low as $8.48 per month.

HR & Payroll News New “My Team” Functionality in Patriot Web Coming Soon A new Patriot Web Employee Dashboard functionality for supervisors is coming on August 2, 2021! This new supervisor functionality is called “My Team.” The new My Team button can be found within the Patriot Web Employee Dashboard,…

HR & Payroll News Strategies for the Sandwich Generation Webinar Double the care, double the love: the Sandwich Generation has the unique role of caring for children and parents at the same time. Join Bright Horizons for a webinar on July 27 at 12 p.m. to dive into helpful strategies…

HR & Payroll News Preparing for Back-to-School Webinar As you start to prepare for the 2022 school year after months of worries and unstructured learning, this Preparing for Back to School Bright Horizons workshop will help you learn how to make the most of learning with your child at home,…

HR & Payroll News Resources for Safe Return to Campus   Dear Patriots, We hope this message finds you enjoying your summer and taking time for some fun and relaxation before we shift our attention to preparing for the return to campus and start of the academic year. As Dr.…

HR & Payroll News Updated Administrative/Professional Faculty Handbook The Administrative/Professional (A/P) Faculty Handbook has been updated. These revisions streamline the language and create more clarity. Below are some of the substantive revisions: Added new text that clarifies that the A/P Faculty Handbook applies only to the performance of A/P faculty duties, as…

HR & Payroll News DHRM Employee Experience Magazine If you haven’t had a chance to check out the spring edition of the DHRM Employee Experience Magazine, here are a few highlights: Do you have a colleague who motivated others to maintain their health and wellness this year?  Nominate them for…

HR & Payroll News Updated Hiring Guidance As Mason continues to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, we want to provide updated hiring guidance. The process for posting positions will return to the standard, pre-hiring freeze, procedure, effective May 1, 2021. For more information, please review the steps below:   Submit a position maintenance form (PMF) and employee work profile/position…

HR & Payroll News New Resilience Toolkit Sometimes, we all feel overwhelmed and become unsure of how to deal with the stress in life. Building resilience can help us learn to handle the stress so we can bounce back and rediscover the energy needed to create positive solutions. Press pause…

HR & Payroll News Important Biweekly Timesheet Information   This means employees and approvers need to take the following actions: Submit timesheets by midnight Sunday, June 13 with estimated hours for June 14 through June 19. Approve timesheets by 1 p.m. on Monday, June 14.   Please make sure your employees do not…

HR & Payroll News Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Deadlines If you have a Dependent Care and/or a Medical Flexible Spending Account (FSA), below are important deadlines:   Incur your eligible expenses by June 30, 2021, in order to be reimbursed for the 2020-2021 plan year. Submit your claims or verify…

HR & Payroll News Next Hybrid Plan Voluntary Contribution Change Deadline: June 15 Hybrid Retirement Plan members can adjust their voluntary contribution elections on a quarterly basis – contributing up to 4% of their creditable compensation each month – to help meet their savings goals. Members can maximize 4% voluntary…

HR & Payroll News Compressed Schedules and the Holidays If you use the compressed schedule work option, please be aware of the upcoming holiday. For the holiday, full-time employees with compressed schedules receive eight (8) hours of holiday pay and/or compensatory leave per day, depending on the situation, regardless of their…

HR & Payroll News TIAA Financial Seminars Looking to learn more about your finances? TIAA is hosting several financial well-being seminars. Check out the flyer to learn more!

HR & Payroll News Supervisor Boot Camp Supervisor Boot Camp is a program designed to provide essential information, resources, and contacts to supervisors. The updated, virtual format includes five three-hour sessions, over 10 weeks, from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. presented via Zoom. Registration is now open for summer and…

HR & Payroll News 9-Month Deferred Pay Option for Faculty Full-time 9-month faculty paid over nine (9) months have the option to be paid over twelve (12) months. The pay schedule will remain the same for current faculty and will only change if the faculty member completes the online form…

HR & Payroll News COVID Vaccine Available for Mason Community and Adolescents George Mason University joins the rest of the nation in our excitement to learn that, after a careful safety review, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) have approved the Pfizer…

HR & Payroll News Vanpool Formation: Fredericksburg, VA Area Are you a full-time faculty/staff member who lives in the Fredericksburg, VA area?  Would you like to have your commute costs reimbursed up to $270/month, tax-free, not have to do all the driving, park free at Mason, and reduce carbon emissions? …

HR & Payroll News Annual End-of-Fiscal Year Technical Message To prepare you for the end-of-fiscal year, we want to share some important information that may impact your work for the next several weeks. HR & Payroll, Budget, and Fiscal Services need to “roll the fiscal year” in Banner. The end-of-fiscal-year…

HR & Payroll News Leave Balance Transfers Is your department or unit hiring an employee who is transferring within Mason or the state? Leave transfers are a complex matter when changing jobs within the state or within Mason. When hiring for a new position, please do not assume or agree…

HR & Payroll News Outstanding Achievement Awards Ceremony Recording If you missed the Outstanding Achievement Awards Ceremony, you can watch a recording of the ceremony! Congratulations again to all the award winners!

HR & Payroll News 2021 Salary Increase   This marks the first step in Mason’s transition to a performance culture. Subsequently, Mason will be administering a 2% pool for increases based upon merit, market and other necessary adjustments required to retain talent at a later date. Faculty hired into benefitted…

HR & Payroll News Virginia’s New Hourly Minimum Wage Schedule Update Per new Virginia legislation approved by the General Assembly, the hourly minimum wage in Virginia will gradually increase according to the following schedule: $9.50 beginning May 1, 2021 $11.00 on Jan. 1, 2022 $12.00 on Jan. 1, 2023 The…

HR & Payroll News Preliminary Information for Proposed Performance Increase In preparation for the Commonwealth’s proposed performance increase, we would like to share some preliminary information. Please share this information with the supervisors in your unit:   Classified staff and administrative/professional (A/P) faculty hired on or before March 10, 2021,…

HR & Payroll News Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion/Chief Diversity Officer Search Page George Mason University believes that diversity of opinions, cultures, and perspectives is what provides vibrancy to an academic community. George Mason is currently in the search process for the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and…

HR & Payroll News CommonHealth Weekly Wellnotes Looking for a way to get quick wellness tips without doing any extra work? Each week, we update the CommonHealth page on the HR & Payroll website with Weekly Wellnotes that provide quick wellness tips! These tips range from how to manage stress,…

HR & Payroll News Preventing Workplace Violence George Mason University strives to provide faculty, staff, students, and visitors a safe place in which to work, study, and live. Mason takes a zero-tolerance approach to workplace violence. It can take many forms; some are obvious while others are subtler.   Reporting Procedures All faculty…

HR & Payroll News Acceptable Use of State Electronic Resources A friendly reminder that state electronic equipment (desktops, laptops, tablets, etc.) is for conducting professional business, despite the fact that they “travel everywhere” with us. All users have a responsibility to ensure they use these resources appropriately. Mason’s Policy 1301, Responsible Use of Computing…

HR & Payroll News Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Wellness Resources Mason’s faculty and staff have access to Kaiser Permanente’s EAP Wellness Resources, whether you’re a member of Kaiser or not. Visit their website to explore a range of self-care tools, tips, and activities to help you thrive in mind, body,…

HR & Payroll News Watch for Unsolicited Retirement Counseling Services From our friends at VRS: “VRS occasionally receives reports from members and employers that various companies or groups have contacted them via email or phone to offer retirement counseling services or insurance products. Please be aware: VRS does not use…

HR & Payroll News Invest529’s New Tuition Track Portfolio From the Commonwealth of Virginia: “College costs have increased consistently over the last three decades, leading many families to wonder whether it is possible to save for their children’s futures when the tuition price tag feels like a moving target. Now…

HR & Payroll News Onboarding Updates Thank you for continuing to diligently follow the onboarding process when hiring new employees. A smooth onboarding process creates an environment where your new employees feel supported. Following each step in a timely manner gives your new employees a seamless transition and a successful…

HR & Payroll News Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting While everyone should be concerned about child abuse and neglect, the law requires certain individuals to report suspected instances. In 2012, the Virginia General Assembly (SB 239) added, “any person employed by a public or private institution of higher education” to…

HR & Payroll News Compensatory Leave Reminder Have you earned compensatory leave? Make sure you are aware of the compensatory leave limits and expirations: Employees are limited to 96 hours of accrued compensatory leave Per State Policy 3.10, accrued compensatory leave expires one year from the pay period in which the…

HR & Payroll News Optional Life Insurance Premium Increase Please contact Securian Life at 1-800-441-2258 to inquire about your coverage or make any changes.  

HR & Payroll News Reporting Accidents Reminder We want to make sure the Mason community stays safe! Please report all accidents, injuries, or conditions that may cause harm to an individual or the university. When dangerous or potentially dangerous conditions are reported, the university can take appropriate action to protect the community.   Please…

HR & Payroll News Employee of the Month Nominations Do you work with an incredible Mason administrative/professional faculty member, classified staff member, or wage employee who goes the extra mile, collaborates with their colleagues, and supports the university? If you have questions, contact awards@gmu.edu.

HR & Payroll News Fidelity 1-on-1 Consultation Sessions Fidelity will continue to host virtual or telephone 1-on-1 consultation sessions from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 11 and 26. During the sessions, Ron Seegers, the Fidelity Retirement Planner, can address your retirement plan questions and concerns, review your investment…

HR & Payroll News Drug and Alcohol Policy The abuse of drugs and alcohol by employees is incompatible with the goals of George Mason University. The illicit use of drugs and alcohol could create a serious threat to the safety and welfare of the university community and undermine the productivity…