Springfield Public Schools
Human Resources Department- April 17, 2020
A Special Message from Your HR Team
Employee Resources
Springfield Public Schools- School Closure- Employee Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)- absence coding, timesheets and much more!
MERCY COVID-19 INFORMATION
Use MyMercy to:
Use phone-free appointment scheduling, and get notifications if an earlier time slot opens up
View your clinical information at any time – from visit information and lab results to a list of ongoing care needs, immunizations, medications and more
Go paperless and pay bills securely and quickly online
Refill prescriptions
Release your health data to any provider with internet access no matter where you are
Manage your family’s health – including children and aging parents – from a single portal
Nurse on Call may be a great option when you aren't feeling well! Mercy's Nurse on Call network gives the sick and injured around the clock access to health care advice through one simple, convenient phone call. Mercy Nurse on Call is a nationwide telephone triage service, providing expert health advice from experienced Registered Nurses, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at www.nurseoncall.org
For illnesses and injuries, an experienced registered nurse will help you decide the best course of action. Where you should:
• Manage care on your own at home.
• Wait and see your physician in the office.
• Go to an urgent care or emergency department.
Available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Nurse on Call will give you peace of mind and, in some cases, save you time and money.
844-841-3858 or 417-841-3858
- 24-hour/365-day live access to EAP professionals: 1-877-254-0781
- www.ndbh.com PASSWORD: SPS
If you experience a change in status, you may be eligible to amend your flexible spending account contributions.
Changes in status include: marital; number of dependents; spouse/dependent eligibility changes under an employer plan; employee/spouse/dependent change in employment status: significant cost increases in employee/dependent health insurance or dependent care assistance.
Other Resources:
MISSOURI – COVID RESPONSE PLAN
MISSOURI – CORONAVIRUS –UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS/WORKERS COMPENSATION/DISCRIMINATION
RESOURCES- Can utilize to easily print all of the above information
MetLife- Financial Wellness
MetLife has created a new Financial Wellness destination that addresses the most immediate wellness needs of employees now and in the future. From financial tips to expert-backed ways to stay calm and mindful, the portal will show how to assess their situation now while guiding them to build a more confident future.
To access MetLife’s Financial Wellness hub, click here.
Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
We are thinking of you during these difficult times and want to ensure that you are well. If you need assistance, please contact us in the Human Resources Department. We will do our best to provide the supports you need. The following information and resources may be helpful as we navigate through this extended school closure.
FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACT (FMLA)
Attached please find information regarding amendments to the Family Medical Leave Act. Under new amendments to the Act, eligible employees (employed 30 days or more) qualify for up to ten (10) days (full-time employees are eligible for up to 80 hours of leave, and part-time employees are eligible for the number of hours of leave that the employees worked on average over a two-week period) of paid sick time if the employees are unable to work (in person or remote work) due to the following:
- is subject to a Federal, State, or local quarantine or isolation order related to COVID-19;
- has been advised by a health care provider to self-quarantine related to COVID-19 ;
- is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is seeking a medical diagnosis ;
- is caring for an individual subject to an order described in (1) or self-quarantine as described in (2);
- is caring for a child whose school or place of care is closed (or child care provider is unavailable) for reasons related to COVID-19; or
- is experiencing any other substantially-similar condition specified by the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Secretaries of Labor and Treasury.
In addition, Employees may qualify for expanded FMLA leave if caring for a child whose school or place of care is closed (or child care provider is unavailable) for reasons related to COVID-19. Full-time employees are eligible for up to 12 weeks of total leave at 40 hours a week, and part-time employees are eligible for leave for the number of hours that the employees are normally scheduled to work over that period. (A total of 12 weeks for all FMLA designated leave in the applicable 12 month period).
Instead of applying the stricter FMLA reasons noted above in order to access these ten (10) additional days of emergency paid leave, the district is making these additional ten (10) days available for the boarder Covid-19 reasons covered in the initial paid leave provided by the district should employees be unable to work (onsite or remotely). This leave will not be deducted from employees’ leave banks. The district felt it necessary to continue to honor the broad Covid-19 related absence reasons. These include:
- COVID-19A (Code 191): Anyone who is ill or showing symptoms of COVID-19, or an employee caring for a dependent with symptoms of COVID-19.
- COVID-19B (Code 192): Anyone with a serious and chronic medical condition (heart disease, diabetes or lung disease, etc.) or who has a dependent with such a condition, or any employee who is pregnant.
- COVID-19C (Code 193): Self-Quarantine for 14 days is expected for staff who have traveled to high-risk locations, per Centers for Disease Control guidelines and those who have traveled outside the region. This also includes quarantine for 14 days that has been directed by the Health Department or Medical professionals because of possible exposure.
- COVID-19D (Code 194) Employees may qualify for expanded family leave if caring for a child whose school or place of care is closed (or child care provider is unavailable) for reasons related to COVID-19.
- If employees are not able to return to work within the ten (10) days of extended leave, they may use accrued and available leave and may take advanced sick or vacation leave before it is earned. This leave will be tracked as a negative balance and will be replenished from future employee accruals.
As noted, these are ten (10) additional days of emergency sick leave available to those employees who qualify.
Employees who are working their scheduled hours, whether remotely or onsite, do not need to continue entering Covid-19 reasons. Effective April 6, 2020, the Covid-19 designations are for those who are unable to work onsite or remotely due to one of the Covid-19 designated reasons.
The Benefits Team emailed employees, who have recorded COVID related absences, on 4-16-2020 (and a copy is being mailed home) to complete the required COVID-19 absence information/FMLA request form (due Friday, April 24). For questions, please contact the Benefits Team at: Benefits@spsmail.org
Springfield Public Schools- School Closure- Employee Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)- absence coding, timesheets and much more!
Explore To Go! (Announcement 4-17-2020)
Summer Learning: · Summer learning will continue. Session 1 of Explore to Go, set to begin June 3, will be offered fully virtually. More details about content and registration will be provided next week. Details about session 2, set to begin in July, will be provided at a later date. Learn more here. · A summer meal program will be offered. SPS understands that support with nutrition is critically important for families - especially when school is not in session. Just as SPS continues to provide approximately 70,000 meals each week while learning continues at home through May 21, the district is also committed to providing meals in the summer. Details about logistics and distribution will be provided as soon as possible.
Note for Explore Staff and Potential Explore Applicants: · If you have already been hired to work during Explore, we will be in touch with you directly to provide more information. In the meantime, please standby and wait for more details. · If you have applied to work during Explore, you do not need to reapply. Your application will still be considered. · If you have not yet applied to work during Explore but are interested, more information will be provided in the coming weeks. For More Information To learn more about today’s scheduling-related announcements for year-end milestones, visit www.sps.org.
Unemployment Information
UNEMPLOYMENT INFORMATION
Recent federal legislation expanded unemployment compensation to cover certain Covid related job impacts. The State of Missouri is awaiting additional guidance from the U.S. Dept. of Labor but has provided the following information which may help to address questions.
The Missouri Dept. of Labor’s website has information for employees related to unemployment benefits.
MISSOURI DEPT. OF LABOR Q&A – COVID-19
HR Team Member Spotlight: Meet Chelsea Thompson!
Position Title: HR Certified Employment Analyst
Educational Background: Graduated from Marshfield High School and began her career with SPS in 2017, in the Athletics Department. She transferred to work in HR in July 2017.
What Do You Love Most About Working in Springfield Public Schools & in the HR Department? I enjoy the collaboration opportunities that come with being an analyst for the HR Department. On a daily basis I have the chance to work with Payroll or the Learning Development Department to ensure that I am able to provide the best service for SPS staff. This has then provided a chance to develop new friendships and the chance to create process improvements for my role and gives me the tools to be able to grow every day.
Hobbies? What do you do for Fun? I love the outdoors and 4 wheeling! Every chance that I get I will always be outside. During the summer, every weekend is either spent at Cloud 9 in Caulfield, MO riding my Polaris RzR 1000 or going to the drag strip or truck pulls around the southern MO area with my family.
What’s Something About You (a fun fact) that Not Many People Know? I am a Jeep and classic car/truck fanatic. I have a 88 Jeep Wrangler YJ that I am constantly doing upgrades and rebuilds on and this past summer my husband and I bought a 1967 Chevelle that we plan to restore that will be for him. Once that is done, I hope to find a 1967 Fastback Mustang or a 1979 F250 Highboy for me!
Employee Updates- From Communications Office
Human Resources Department
Email: humanresources@spsmail.org
Website: http://www.springfieldpublicschoolsmo.org/pages/SPSMO/About/Departments/HR
Location: 1359 E St Louis St, Springfield, MO, United States
Phone: 417-523-4647