Payday FYI 

•  Do More for 1 in 4 is a call to action to help the 1 in 4 American adults who live with a diagnosable, treatable mental health condition, and who can go on to live full and productive lives. Download the toolkit (4.6 MB).
• Healing Trauma's Invisible Wounds focuses on the impact of traumatic events on individuals and communities. It centers around asking the person-based question: "What happened to you?" Download the toolkit (4.8 MB).

For Children's Mental Health Awareness Day on May 9th, the theme is Caring for Every Child's Mental Health. This national tribute celebrates "Heroes of Hope", sharing the message that with the help of caring adults, children and youth can demonstrate resilience despite having experienced a traumatic event. The day has a special focus on children and youth who have been served in the child welfare system. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website for more information.

The following videos are available for learning more about mental health supports resources: I Want To Be  and Walking In Recovery  (also available with Spanish text).

Head to Toe Health: May 14

ICSEW, in collaboration with the Department of Health, L&I, and the Health Care Authority, will present the 2012 Health and Wellness Fair on Monday, May 14, 2012, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Labor and Industries Building in Tumwater. The event marks Women’s Check-up Day, a day celebrating women’s health during National Women’s Health Week.

The event, Head to Toe Health, will offer all state employees information, ideas, and resources to promote good health. In addition to an auditorium filled with community resources, presenters will offer a healthy cooking demonstration, health screenings, and three participatory activities throughout the day. See you there!

Established by Executive Order 06-01, the ICSEW acts as an advisory body to the Governor. ICSEW’s vision is to enrich lives through advocacy, outreach, and commitment. We have developed the survey to help us improve our communication and better target the interests of state employees. Your responses will be used to guide the direction of ICSEW activities in the coming year.

The survey is 16 questions long and will take approximately five minutes. Your identity will be kept strictly confidential. The survey will close at 5 p.m. on May 21st. Take the survey now!

• A state guarantee
• A choice of colleges, universities, and technical schools nationwide,
• Tax benefits, and
• Flexible payment options.

Plan ahead to start saving for your child’s or grandchild’s higher education. Online enrollment and a variety of payment options – including payroll deduction – are available. If you already have a GET account, you can add to it at the current $163 unit price through June 30.  If you are a member of the AFL-CIO (such as AFSCME) you may also qualify for a matching grant from Union Plus. Children grow fast, but college tuition is growing faster! Visit www.get.wa.gov for more details.

Tips for a safe spring break
For many teens Spring Break means a week off from school and a time to have fun.  Whether it is teaming up with some friends for an exciting road trip, playing a ton of video games, or even partying at a friend’s house where alcohol and other drugs may be present, our teens will find a way to have a good time during spring break. The Washington State Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking has tips to help teens have a safe spring break.

Lower Social Security deduction extended through 2012

In 2011, the Social Security deduction for employees was reduced from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent. The Federal Tax Relief has been extended by the U.S. Congress through 12/31/2012. Learn more.

Annual retirement statements now available online

Your 2011 annual retirement statement is now available. If you’re a member of one of the following retirement systems, just log into your online account at the DRS website:

• Public Employees’ (PERS)
• Public Safety Employees’ (PSERS)
• Law Enforcement Officers’ and Fire Fighters’ (LEOFF)
• Washington State Patrol (WSPRS)
• Judicial (JRS)

If you haven’t created an online account, why not register now? It’s easy, secure and will only take a few minutes. If you need assistance, call us at 800-547-6657.

Changes coming to automated earnings deductions

In 2012, you can expect some changes to certain automatic deductions from your earnings. 

• Workers’ Compensation – The state will use a 160 hour per month method to calculate premiums for full time state employees. Premiums for anyone working less than 40 hours per week will be based on actual hours worked. For most employees, this change be less than $2.00 per month.  (See Q&A)

• Health Benefits – The Public Employee Benefits Board (PEBB) projected that costs for employee health benefits would increase by 7.2 percent for 2012. To balance the state’s share with member costs, PEBB offered three new health care plans, and adjusted member cost-sharing. These changes were outlined in For Your Benefit, a publication that was distributed to employees in October 2011. You can compare 2011 and 2012 rates here: http://www.pebb.hca.wa.gov/rates.html.

• Social Security – In 2011, the Social Security deduction for employees was reduced from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent. Unless it is extended by U.S. Congress, this reduction is scheduled to expire at the end of 2011. We will provide more information as soon as it becomes available.

W2 form changes – This year’s W-2 form will be divided into 4 quadrants, each contains identical information.  This will provide the employee with additional copies that can be used for filing taxes in other states or with local governments, or for financial purposes.

Reminder: ESS will be unavailable Dec. 9; back up Dec. 12

The Human Resource Management System, including Employee Self Service (ESS), will be taken off line for scheduled maintenance beginning at 12 noon on Friday, December 9 and will be off line until 6 a.m. the following Monday, December 12. If you wish, you can view your December 9 earnings statement on the day prior to payday (December 8), or on Monday, December 12. Payroll deposits will show in your personal bank account on December 9. Employee Self Service was modified earlier this year to provide state employees access to their earnings statements on the day prior to payday.

.

Get the latest retirement information from DRS

To help you stay connected to the latest retirement information available, we’re introducing a free digital subscription service. The service allows you to receive automatic emails when items on the DRS website change or when new information becomes available. The only information that’s required from you is your email address. After you sign up, you can change your subscription details or cancel the service at any time. Learn more.

.

Open enrollment ends Nov. 30

Your last chance to make changes to your PEBB health coverage is rapidly approaching. There are several changes to health plans in 2012. Here are some reminders and facts about these changes.

.

ESS will be unavailable Dec. 9; back up Dec. 12, 6 a.m.

If you rely on Employee Self Service (ESS) for your earnings statement, mark the December 9 payday on your calendar. The Human Resource Management System, including ESS, will be taken off line for scheduled maintenance beginning at 12 noon on Friday, December 9 and will be off line until 6 a.m. the following Monday, December 12. If you wish, you can view your December 9 earnings statement on the day prior to payday (December 8). Employee Self Service was modified earlier this year to provide state employees access to their earnings statements on the day prior to payday.

.

Open enrollment ends Nov. 30

Your last chance to make changes to your PEBB health coverage is rapidly approaching. There are several changes to health plans in 2012. Here are some reminders and facts about these changes.

.

ESS will be unavailable Dec. 9; back up Dec. 12, 6 a.m.

If you rely on Employee Self Service (ESS) for your earnings statement, mark the December 9 payday on your calendar. The Human Resource Management System, including ESS, will be taken off line for scheduled maintenance beginning at 12 noon on Friday, December 9 and will be off line until 6 a.m. the following Monday, December 12. If you wish, you can view your December 9 earnings statement on the day prior to payday (December 8). Employee Self Service was modified earlier this year to provide state employees access to their earnings statements on the day prior to payday.

.

Annual retirement statements are now available

Your 2010-11 annual retirement statement is now available. If you’re a member of one of the following retirement systems, just log into your online account at the Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) website to view and/or print a copy of your statement.

• Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS)
• School Employees’ Retirement System (SERS)
• Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) members who are employed by higher education institutions (and PERS 1 members who are employed by a school district)

If you haven’t created an online account, why not register now? It’s easy, secure and will only take a few minutes. Just select “Defined Benefit Access” from the myDRS menu and click the 'Go' button.

If you need assistance, call DRS at 1-800-547-6657.

Plan 3 members receive a quarterly statement that details their contributions and account balance. So, annual statements for Plan 3 members provide only service credit information. If you have questions about your account balance, please contact ICMA-RC at 1-888-711-8773.

Annual statements for all other employees of DRS-covered systems will be available in March.

.

Want to make changes to your PEBB coverage? Here’s how
 
The PEBB Program’s open enrollment (Nov. 1 – 30, 2011) is your opportunity to make changes to your PEBB account. Changes become effective Jan. 1, 2012. Learn how to make those changes.

PEBB open enrollment starts Nov. 1 

The Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) Program – the source of our employee benefts – reminds you that open enrollment runs Nov. 1-30.

During open enrollment, you can:

• Change your medical and dental plans.
• Add or remove dependents from your PEBB coverage.
  Waive PEBB medical coverage (if you have other comprehensive group medical coverage) or reinstate previously waived coverage.
• Enroll or reenroll in the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP).

This year, PEBB’s three health plans – UMP, Group Health and Kaiser Permanente – will all offer a new health plan option, the consumer-directed health plan (CDHP), which includes a health savings account (HSA). PEBB describes these new plans as a real opportunity for some employees. They include a higher deductible and out-of-pocket maximum, which are offset by lower premiums plus monthly contributions to your personal HSA from your employer. You can learn more at PEBB’s website.

The PEBB Program has multiple resources available to help you make informed decisions about your benefits. Learn more.

October is National Substance Abuse Prevention Month
 
President Obama has declared the Month of October as National Substance Abuse Prevention Month. Many organizations are providing resources to learn more about prevention and get involved. Highlights of the month include:

• Help yourself help others. Learn about new technologies to help assess our mental health. Visit www.HelpYourSelfHelpOthers.org to find a local organization offering free, anonymous depression and anxiety screenings or take one online today.
• Celebrate Red Ribbon Week Oct. 23-31. The theme for this year’s Red Ribbon Week Celebration is Make Underage Drinking Prevention a Priority. 
• The Washington State Prevention Summit is being held in Yakima Oct. 27-29. The conference, sponsored by the DSHS Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR), is open to the public.  
• Take Back your Meds Oct. 29.  Prevent teens and others from getting access to your un-used prescription drugs. Disposal locations have been set up statewide: http://www.takebackyourmeds.org/what-you-can-do/locations.

Visit DBHR’s trainings and events page for more information.

 

ESS will be temporarily off line for maintenance

The Human Resource Management System, including ESS, will be taken off line for scheduled maintenance beginning at 12 noon on Friday, Sept. 9, and will be off line until 6 a.m. the following Monday, Sept. 12. If you wish, you can view your Sept. 9 earnings statement on the day prior to payday (September 8), or on Monday, Sept. 12. Payroll deposits will show in your personal bank account on September 9.

Notice to persons who have a Windows 7 operating system: After Sept. 12, if you get an error message when trying to access HRMS/ESS, use the https://wahrms.wa.gov/irj/portal link. This will resolve the issue. This link is provided on the DOP website at http://www.dop.wa.gov/payroll/ESS/Pages/default.aspx. 

Help Someone You Care About During Recovery Month

September is National Recovery Month. The DSHS Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery (DBHR) is joining the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in raising awareness and spreading the message that prevention works, treatment is effective, and people recover from substance use and mental health disorders.

Research shows that:
• One in four adults and one in five children experience a mental illness or mental health problem.
• 20 percent of older adults experience specific mental health disorders that are not a “normal” part of aging.
• 22.5 million people, age 12 or older, are affected by substance use disorders.
• Older adults with substance use disorders are often overlooked or misdiagnosed

The theme for Recovery Month, “Join the Voices for Recovery: Recovery Benefits Everyone!” emphasizes that everyone can access provisions within the Affordable Care Act and the Mental Health Parity and Addictions Equity Act (MHPAEA) to improve physical and emotional health, and receive needed care at more reasonable costs.

Community events are the cornerstone of Recovery Month. Click here to find Washington events. For Recovery Month fact sheets and other resources, visit www.RecoveryMonth.gov. Recovery Month information is also available via FaceBook and YouTube PSAs.

For free, confidential information about treatment and recovery services in Washington, contact the Washington Recovery Help Line, anytime, at 1-866-789-1511 or www.WaRecoveryHelpLine.org.
.

ISCEW to host "Leading Change" conferences

The Interagency Committee of State Employed Women (ICSEW) is hosting two intensive one-day conferences, “Leading Change: Transitions and Transformations”. These one-day training events will be held September 14th at The Evergreen State College in Olympia and October 13th at Spokane Community College in Spokane.

Attendees can register for up to four dynamic sessions from topics that include leadership, communications, health & wellness, and financial wellbeing.

The cost is $50 per attendee. Registration is now open. Please visit the ICSEW website for more information.

.

ESS temporarily offline beginning Sept. 9

If you rely on Employee Self Service (ESS) for your earnings statement, mark the September 9 payday on your calendar. The Human Resource Management System, including ESS, will be taken off line for scheduled maintenance beginning at 12 noon on Friday, September 9 and will be off line until 6 a.m. the following Monday, September 12. If you wish, you can view your September 9 earnings statement on the day prior to payday (September 8). Employee Self Service was modified earlier this year to provide state employees access to their earnings statements on the day prior to payday (see February 25, 2011 Payday FYI below).
.

Temporary salary reduction

A temporary 3 percent salary reduction went into effect on July 1, 2011 and will end on June 29, 2013. Most state employees of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches whose full-time monthly salary is $2500 or greater are affected. There are some limited exceptions. More information.

July is Adult Abuse Awareness Month

Some facts about vulnerable adult abuse:

• In 2010 Adult Protective Services (APS) received 15,058 reports of mistreatment of vulnerable adults.
• An estimated 1 to 2 million Americans age 65 or older have been mistreated by someone that they depend on for care or protection. (Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation in an Aging America. 2003. Washington, DC: National Research Council Panel to Review Risk and Prevalence of Elder Abuse and Neglect.)
• It is estimated that for every one case of elder abuse, neglect, exploitation, or self neglect reported to authorities, about five more go unreported. (National Elder Abuse Incidence Study. 1998. Washington, DC: National Center on Elder Abuse at American Public Human Services Association.)

It’s up to all of us to stop adult abuse. DSHS invites you to participate in its Adult Abuse Prevention campaign by wearing a purple ribbon through the month of July to show your support for ending the mistreatment of vulnerable adults.

Report suspected abuse, abandonment, neglect, self-neglect, or financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult to your local Adult Protective Services office or call the statewide hotline number at 1-866-EndHarm (1-866-363-4276).

For more information, visit our website at www.adsa.dshs.wa.gov/APS.

Employee Survey

The Interagency Committee of State Employed Women (ICSEW) would like you to participate in their annual employee survey. The survey is 16 questions long and will take approximately ten minutes to complete. Responses to the survey will help guide the direction of ICSEW activities in the coming year.

Click here to begin the survey. The survey will close at 5 p.m. on June 30, 2011.

ICSEW acts as an advisory body to the Governor and state agencies on issues affecting state employees. Their vision is to enrich lives through advocacy, outreach and commitment.

Visit www.icsew.wa.gov for more information about ICSEW.
 

Temporary salary reduction

A temporary 3 percent salary reduction will go into effect on July 1, 2011, and end on June 29, 2013. Most state employees of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches whose full-time monthly salary is $2500 or greater are affected. There are some limited exceptions. More information.

EAP's Resiliency Project

EAP’s Resiliency Project uses the power of the Internet to provide you and your family with information and resources to find positive outcomes in difficult times.

The Resiliency Project is divided into four areas:

• Community Resources – links to a variety of resources that can be useful during tough times
• Lemonade provides a collection of strategies for transforming your lemons into lemonade
• Sharing Success - provides a platform where people can share their success stories and ideas
• Adapting to a Changing World - periodic articles from the EAP

The site is designed for EAP's primary clients, public employees and their families, but any Washington resident can benefit from the information found there.

Never forget to renew again

It’s free and fast. Sign up to get an email when your vehicle tabs or boat decals are due. For every vehicle, trailer or boat you sign up, the state saves about 50 cents in printing and postage. All you need is your license plate number an email address. Plus, it’s easy – with just a few clicks, you’re on your way to renewing online.

All state agencies have converted to HRMS central security

On May 5, 2011, the Department of Social and Health Services converted to centralized security for HRMS.  This conversion marked the culmination of an all agency conversion process that started in September 2010. 

So how does this affect state employees? Employee Self Service (ESS), an online application for all state agency employees, is a feature of the Human Resource Management System (HRMS). Most state agency employees access their earnings statements online using the Employee Self Service. Under centralized security, state employees no longer contact their agency security staff to get a password reset, or to report issues when using ESS.  They contact the DOP Service Center. Learn more. 

Donate Life Month
A message from Governor Chris Gregoire

Annual Retirement Statement

Your 2010 annual retirement statement is now available! If you’re a member of one of the following retirement systems, just log into your online account at the DRS website:

• Public Employees’ (PERS)
• Public Safety Employees’ (PSERS)
• Law Enforcement Officers’ and Fire Fighters’ (LEOFF)
• Washington State Patrol (WSPRS)
• Judicial (JRS)

If you haven’t created an online account, why not register now? It’s easy, secure and will only take a few minutes. Just select Defined Benefit Access from the myDRS menu and click the Go button. If you need assistance, call us at 1-800-547-6657.