Benefits – Page 5 – Subject Matter Minute Blog

Subject Matter Minute, Episode #4: Grievances

The below post is taken from the Video Blog, the Subject Matter Minute. If it’s a little hard to read, it’s because it’s taken from the spoken word. You can view the episode on YouTube if you would like. Find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzWLKctL1PM

If YouTube is blocked for you or your agency, you can scroll to the bottom of this post to view it from Google Drive.

You can also listen to an audio version: Episode #4: Grievances.

Hello, and welcome to another episode of the subject matter minute! Thanks for joining me. My name is Matt Nagy, and I work for A&I… specifically human resources division. I’m a trainer. Welcome to episode number four.

Before I go into that topic, I want to thank, once again, the subject matter expert from last month’s episode. Her name is Karla Smith, she’s fabulous, I work with her and she runs the mediation program for state employees. So if you have a problem that needs mediated… first of all, go watch episode 3 and then call, email, or chat up Karla.

Without further ado, we’re going to jump right into the episode number 4 topic which is grievances. First of all, I want to thank Russell Webb who works for hard and is the grievances and appeals guru. He is my subject matter expert for this episode. He got me the information, and it did it quick, so I want to thank you Russell.

Grievances are a dispute between you, the employee, and management. The dispute is about a statute, a rule, an executive order, or a policy concerning personnel practices or working conditions. I know that is a bit of a mouthful, but it’s important because there’s a lot of things you can’t grieve. So grievances specifically are about, again, a statute, a rule, an executive order, or a policy concerning personnel practices or working conditions. These are the things you can grieve.

Things you can’t grieve are:

Things that are out of the control of the agency head; things like compensation benefits, contributions, those sorts of things.
Discrimination
Dismissals
Involuntary separation due to a riff
PMI rating

Most grievances focus around something like a disciplinary action.. so a letter of reprimand, a suspension, or an involuntary reappointment. Basically if one of these actions occurs and you don’t agree with it, you can grieve. You can file a grievance with the agency head and then the agency head and you will get together and have a conference and try to hash things out.

That’s the first step. If you can’t hash things out, then HRD is called in. Once Human Resources Division is called in, they will form a grievance committee. Actually they help, but basically there’s three people on the grievance committee and you get to pick one, the agency gets to pick one, and then those two people pick the third. It’s kind of interesting that way, right? You get a grievance committee set up of three people.

Let me back up a bit. You get to pick a person, but there’s a lot of rules as far as how close they can be to you. Basically, they can’t be involved in the grievance in any way; they can’t work at either party’s agency; and they can’t be an advocate for either party. So basically they have to be unbiased and neutral. So while you do get a pick a person, and you would love to have a good coworker that you work with all the time or a friend, you really can’t pick those people. In my opinion, the best bet is to pick somebody you know is honest and fair and will render the right decision.

So the grievance committee is formed, and what they do first is look at the written record… basically the previous stuff from your meeting with the agency. They look at the facts, and then they render a decision. With the decision they can modify, they can affirm, or they can reverse the action that is the issue.

If they don’t, a hearing can be held. If the committee is unable to take the written facts and decide on the issue then the next thing is a hearing. A hearing is a little bit more formal in that you can introduce new evidence, and you can bring in people to testify.

So now the committee takes all the old information, the new information, and listens to testimony and again renders a decision. Again, they can modify it, they can affirm it, or they can reverse the action that is a dispute.

At this point the grievance process is really over. If you disagree with their decision you can appeal it, but the appeals process is involved and has multiple steps and timelines and is kind of separate. As far as we’re concerned the grievance process is done when they render their decision.

Keep your eyes open for another episode on appeals. I will do that down the road. Again, I want to thank Russell Webb for getting me the information on this, and you can contact him at russell.webb1@wyo.gov. I hope you don’t have to use the grievance process but it’s there to protect you. Thank you for making it through episode number four of the subject matter minute!

Here is the full episode!

Subject Matter Minute, Episode #3: Mediation

If YouTube is blocked for you or your agency, you can scroll to the bottom of this post to view it from Google Drive.

You can also listen to an audio version: Episode #3: Mediation.

Welcome to episode number three of the subject matter minute. Thanks for joining me again, I appreciate it.

I would like to thank last episode’s subject matter expert once again… that was EGI, or employee’s group insurance. They helped us out with vision benefits. Hopefully, if you were thinking about getting vision benefits or paying for that extra benefit, it helped you decide whether or not to do it. And if you already had it, hopefully it helped you figure out how to use it best.

Let’s get on with episode number three. This week the subject is mediation. Before I get started, I want to mention a couple things. First of all, I just ran through this entire episode, nearly perfectly, and then realized I wasn’t recording. So yeah, this one’s probably going to suck! Anyways… first of all, I want to thank this episode’s subject matter expert… Karla Smith of HRD. She’s a senior human resources consultant with HRD, and a co-worker of mine, and she’s a project coordinator that works on special projects as well. One of her special projects has been to head up the mediation program. All of her contact information is going to be below and after I explain everything about this, you can contact her with questions or if you need to use the service.

Mediation… what is it? It’s an informal process to resolve conflicts between employees. It’s really that simple. It’s used in order to not move on to other processes such as grievances. Let’s talk about some of the advantages of it. To begin with, it’s a voluntary process that’s offered to all state employees; it’s a fair process; it’s a confidential process; and really what it does, is it opens up avenues of communication. You know how it is… typically these problems are communication problems. It also offers the opportunity to resolve these issues at a low level instead of bringing in all the bigwigs and going through processes that require a lot of paperwork.

Next, let’s talk about what mediation is not. It’s not a substitute for discipline: discipline is a different process. It’s not therapy. Now, our mediators are trained, but they’re not trained therapists. It’s not telling others what to do, so if you’re coming into it thinking that you can tell the other party how to act or what to do, or that the mediator will… that’s not true. It’s not crisis intervention, so if there’s immediate threat or danger, there’s different processes for that. It’s not appropriate for all situations. And finally, it’s not magic. That being said… it works most of the time.

Let’s talk about the mediators. The mediators are volunteers that have volunteered to help in this area, and there’s several across the state. A mediator is an individual who’s attended training. They are good listeners; they’re a fair person who doesn’t take sides; they’re a person who can be trusted; they’re a person who keeps things confidential; and on that same line, they are a person that doesn’t make assumptions or draw conclusions based on stereotypes. Now I know that sounds like a perfect person, but these folks really are good folks that are volunteering to help you guys work out these problems. A mediator is not a judge or a legal advisor… they have training but not that kind of training. They are not a person who gives orders or advice… they’re there to bring you together and help you out.

Next, there’s a bunch of frequently asked questions that I’m going to kind of sum up because it hits a lot of the highlights.

The process is confidential.
It will not be in your personnel file.
You can’t be required to participate, and both parties need to decide that they want to use mediation.
The mediation process typically is scheduled for four hours. (if the parties haven’t quite reached an agreement, but they feel like they are progressing, more time can be allotted.)
Mediation is free. (there’s no charge for anybody)
It’s done by volunteers.
It’s a benefit of the state.
It’s not part of the grievance and appeals process; in fact this is an informal process meant to avoid that.
Workers compensation issues are not allowed to be mediated… that’s a different process. The issues that are mediated are employee interaction issues.
Mediation takes place in a neutral area of the mediator’s choice; typically they pull you out of your toxic environment and get you somewhere safe.
The time spent using mediation is considered work time.
The end goal is to sign a document that has an agreement of what everyone’s going to do.

This is not a requirement. This is an informal process, so if you don’t want to sign something you don’t have to. And finally, if both parties do sign a contract…

VOICEOVER ADDED TO FIX A MISSTATEMENT
(I don’t want to confuse anybody. I probably should not have said contract. It’s not a contract. We call it a mediation outcome. If both parties agree to it, they sign it. It’s not a legal document and the mediators do not enforce it.)

…and one of them doesn’t follow through, really your only recourse is more mediation or other processes such as a grievance.

So that, in a long nutshell, is mediation. I just want to say that life is too short, and we work too many hours a day to work in a toxic environment that is probably built on miscommunication or lack of communication. This is a great benefit… a free benefit… a confidential benefit offered to you and if you experience issues, please use it.

Here is the full episode!

Subject Matter Minute, Episode #2: Vision Benefits

If YouTube is blocked for you or your agency, you can scroll to the bottom of this post to view it from Google Drive.

You can also listen to an audio version: Episode #2: Vision Benefits.

Hey, hey, hey! Welcome to the second episode of the subject matter minute, I’m Matt Nagy. Before I get going on the topic at hand, I want to mention who my subject matter expert was for the last episode. I can’t leave that out… that’s why I named this the Subject Matter Minute! I rely on you folks out there, all the experts in your own field, to get me the information to pass on to the other employees. So, honestly, she might not care because she just retired, literally like last month or maybe two months ago, but in any case, I want to thank Lori Eichheim, who was an HR program supervisor before she decided to run off to better things. Thanks Lori for the information!

Today’s subject matter minute is on vision benefits.

Alright, let’s talk about vision benefits.

First of all, I want to thank my subject matter expert, which really is all of EGI. I didn’t have a specific person I talked to. I was able to get all the information from their website where they have a great training video, brochures, and more. I did email a couple people just to clarify a couple points and they were very helpful and quick, so I want to thank EGI, or employee’s group insurance, for their help.

Alright, so vision benefits. First of all, something you need to know is they are not paid for by the state. This is a side benefit that you can opt into. You can decide to use it, but it’s going to come out of your check. That leads me to the next thing. If you opt-in, it’s a two-year thing. You are required to pay for two years and then if, let’s say you drop out… you are not going to be able to sign back up for two years. I’m sure it’s a financial thing that I don’t understand. Them’s just the rules, ok? Got to know that up front.

What does vision coverage entail? Well, it’s eye exams, it’s glasses, and its contacts. These are the things that are covered. Typically, you’re going to have a copay… I don’t know why they use that word, you know, basically a charge. Let’s start with the exam. You have to get an eye exam before you can get glasses or contacts. That’s going to cost you $10… the co-pay is $10, and the rest is covered.

Let’s say you just want lenses. If you just want lenses you’re going to pay a $25 copay and the rest is covered.

Now let’s just say you just want frames… if you just want frames it’s a $25 copay, and then it’s covered up to $160. Above $160 you will get a 20-percent discount on the rest but the coverage goes to $160. So if you get frames, you know like me, that cost more, you’re going to pay extra. You will get a discount, but you’re going to pay extra.

If you want to get both, which we typically do, our lenses and frames, it’s still just one $25 copay. You will not pay double co-pays. So if you get the whole thing, it’s a $25 copay, and again, they cover up to $160, and then you get a 20-percent discount on the charge above that.

So now let’s talk about contact lenses. For contact lenses there is no copay, and they cover up to $160. Above that, you will have to pay the rest.

I need to back up on glasses… there’s a little twist here. There’s two different plans and it kind of depends on the type of person you are as to which you choose. There’s two plans call Plan B and Plan C… no idea where plan A went. Plan B allows you to get new glasses every 24 months or two years. While plan C allows you to get new glasses every 12 months or one year. So if you’re the kind of person that loses your glasses, steps on them, lets the kids break them in half, whatever, you may need Plan C. Plan C will cost you a little bit more per month.

So, let’s go over using your benefits. First of all, you have to go to certain vision care specialists. You can find out who your local specialists are by going to the VSP website, VSP.com and search for your providers. So, again, if you want to use these benefits you have to go to those providers. You don’t have to have a card or anything, as they can look you up in the system.

So that’s the end of episode number two! Hopefully I made vision benefits clear, and hopefully I didn’t leave anything out. Please contact EGI if you have questions. You can find all the contact info on their website, here: http://ai-hrd.wyo.gov/egi.

Please subscribe to my YouTube channel and get the word out, and once again, thanks for watching!

Here is the full episode!

Subject Matter Minute, Episode #1 Longevity Pay

If YouTube is blocked for you or your agency, you can scroll to the bottom of this post to view it from Google Drive.

You can also listen to an audio version here: Episode #1: Longevity Pay

Welcome to state of Wyoming Subject Matter Minute, where we cover a wide variety of subjects related to state of Wyoming employment. This information is for you, and me, the state employee. From hidden benefits to systems and processes, we will make your job easier by giving you the lowdown, the how-to and hopefully entertain you a bit along the way. And now today’s Subject Matter Minute.

Hey, hey, hey! Welcome to the first episode of the subject matter minute, thanks for joining me… honestly, thank you. It’s not only the first episode of the show, it’s the first time I’ve ever done a video blog so I’m hoping you’ll bear with me. Be nice in the comments. I assume I’ll get better over time. One of the ideas is that I’m going to try to edit as little as possible. So I’m going to try to get through the stuff fairly smoothly. I’m assuming that I’ll have a hard time, there will be some slip-ups, but it should get better and we’ll see how it goes. 🙂

Alright, so there’s two reasons I’m doing this video blog. One is that in the three years that I’ve worked for the state… (I have 15 years service but a bunch of that was university employment) so in the three years that I’ve worked for the state I keep coming across these little things, like benefits or processes that I didn’t know about or don’t know how to do, and I’ve got to assume that if I don’t know about it other people don’t as well. So, I thought this might be a cool way to get that information out.

The second reason is this is a lot like presenting or public speaking and so I took it upon myself as a challenge to improve myself in those areas. I know I’m just talking to a little camera, but in reality I’m talking to an audience so there’s some of the same stuff. You know? Alright. So those are the two reasons.

I’m going to try to do this as a weekly show, (this has since been changed to monthly) and that’s going to partly depend on the subject matter experts out there getting me the information. Now I’m going to kind of give you a call to action, ok, because the stuff that’s most important is the stuff that’s on your mind. So if you guys have something that you can help with, something that you do that would help other employees, or if you have questions or you know of a topic that would help employees across the state… if you could email me or put it in the comments, I would truly appreciate it. I have a long list of subjects but the ones that are at the top of your mind might be the best ones to hit first, so feel free to comment and help me out in that area.
So without further ado let’s get going on the first subject matter minute episode – longevity pay.

Longevity pay – what is it and who gets it.

Well I found out about it kind of on accident. As many of you might know, I stream trainings and courses and meetings sometimes. There was this one, probably about retirement or something, and I was working, so I wasn’t really listening, but I suddenly heard something that made my ears perk up and realized that it might have something to do with me. So I watch the video afterwards and thought, what is this longevity pay thing, and am I getting it? Longevity pay is rewards for people who stick with the state, for those who work with state for a long time. So specifically, after five year blocks you get an extra forty dollars a month to your check. After five years of service you’re getting forty dollars a month added to your check. After 10 years you’re getting eighty dollars a month added to your check. After 15 years, a hundred and twenty dollars a month added to your check, and so on. It’s a really nice benefit and it’s automatic. That was the other thing… I’m glad it was automatic cause if I had to fill out paperwork for it I would have never known and probably never have gotten it.

So how do you know if you’re getting it? Well, first of all, it’s automatic. So if you’re past those milestones then you are getting it. But you can also look on your pay advise. In the upper left-hand corner it’ll say “long,” (that’s the abbreviation for longevity) and should have a dollar amount after it. You can also look at it in your ESS system. Right below your base salary, there’s one for long and it’ll show you how much you got.

When I found out about my longevity pay, it wasn’t like I suddenly was making a hundred and twenty dollars extra month because it had automatically started, but it was really nice to know and I think it’s a great benefit.

So you’ve made it through episode 1 of the Subject Matter Minute. I really appreciate you making it to the end and listening. I would love it if you pass on the information to others, and I would love it if you would subscribe to my channel. That way you’ll know when there’s new stuff uploaded. Subscribe, get the word around, send me your questions, send me the things you’d like me to cover, and I’ll see you next time on the Subject Matter Minute episode 2!

Here is the full episode!