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Department of Finance
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Finance

Business Matters April 2016

April 15, 2016

Upcoming Business Forum

The next Business Forum is scheduled for Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at 10:00 am in Baker 240. The meeting will be broadcast via Adobe Connect and can be accessed here: May Business Forum Broadcast. Please mark your calendars.

Questions? Contact finhr@ohio.edu or 740.593.1893.

Open Enrollment Began on April 11

The annual Benefits Open Enrollment period began on Monday, April 11 at 12:00 pm and will close on Friday, April 29 at 5:00 pm. During this time, enrollment will be offered online via My Personal Information (MPI). Refer to the Open Enrollment User Manual for instructions to use MPI for Open Enrollment. Note that Self Service Benefits in MPI should be accessed using Internet Explorer.

Accessing the system will allow you to:

  • Review current coverages and make necessary changes
  • Select a medical and prescription drug plan
  • Select one of the two new vision plans
  • Enroll in the dental plan
  • Elect flexible spending accounts
  • Enroll in the new short term disability plan
  • Link to opt out of parking (Athens Campus only)
    • Note: If you opted out last year, you will not have to opt out again for the upcoming year. If you would like to opt back in to parking for the upcoming year, please follow the instructions available in the Open Enrollment User Manual.

Benefits-eligible employees MUST participate in Open Enrollment to select new vision and short term disability plan options. Failure to participate in Open Enrollment will result in the continuance of current medical, dental and life insurance enrollments only. All other benefit coverages (including vision, flexible spending accounts, and short term disability) will be dropped unless selected during Open Enrollment. Please note that when adding new dependents, employees will need to provide documents to verify eligibility. Employees should submit the required documents to the Human Resources Employee Service Center in HRTC by April 29, 2016. More details regarding required documentation can be found on the Verification of Dependents web page.

Detailed plan coverage options are available on the Open Enrollment web page and will be shared at the informational sessions detailed below. For those who are not able to attend in-person, the sessions underlined will be broadcast via Adobe Connect. Click the link(s) below to access the Adobe Connect streaming session during the times listed.

Open Enrollment General Overview Sessions

Open Enrollment Vendor Sessions

Open Enrollment lab hours are available for employees to access a computer and get assistance using MPI to elect benefits. There is also a computer in Human Resources lobby in HRTC for use during the Open Enrollment period. Please have your OHIO ID and password available.

Benefits Open Enrollment Labs (WUSOC 175)

  • Wednesday, 4/20/2016, 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
  • Monday, 4/25/2016, 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm
  • Thursday, 4/28/2016, 9:00 am – 11:00 am
  • Friday, 4/29/2016, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm

Open Enrollment is the annual opportunity OHIO employees have to make changes to their benefits coverage plan options. In compliance with Federal regulations, other than during the annual Open Enrollment period, employees can only change their benefits if a qualifying event occurs. Review the Qualifying Family Status web page for details regarding qualifying events.

Questions? Contact the Benefits Office at benefits@ohio.edu or 740.593.1636.

Transgender Health Care Services Coverage

In keeping with Ohio University’s culture of inclusion and equity, the Benefits Advisory Council (BAC) has recommended the University direct its PPO health plan providers, including Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Express Scripts, to provide coverage for transgender health care services, including gender reassignment surgery, effective July 1, 2016. To that end, Human Resources is working with Anthem and Express Scripts to ensure coverage of medically necessary and preventive care procedures regardless of gender identity, and to update appropriate plan documentation. More details will be shared as they are finalized.

Questions? Contact the Benefits Office at benefits@oio.edu or 740.593.1636

Health Insurance Info for Filing 2015 Income Tax Return

By March 31, 2016, the University mailed certain employees a new tax form called the 1095-C that contains important information about their health care coverage in 2015.

Employees who received the new Health Care Form:

  • Were enrolled in health care coverage from Ohio University at any point in 2015
  • Worked an average of 30 or more hours per week or were considered a full- time employee in 2015

While information on form 1095-C may assist in preparing a return, it is not required. Individual taxpayers should file their tax returns as they normally would. Like last year, taxpayers can prepare and file their returns using other information about their health insurance as noted in the Health Care Coverage – Qualifying Offer section in the below listed announcement. In future years the 1095-C form is scheduled to be a required form for individual tax payers. You can view the blank 1095-C form here on the IRS website.

More details were emailed to Benefits-eligible employees on March 29 and published in the UHR to distribute new IRS 1095-C Form announcement on March 28.

Questions? Contact the Employee Service Center at uhr@ohio.edu or 740.593.1636.

Flexible Summer Hours Guidelines

To further support the work/life balance of Ohio University staff members, the University encourages departments to offer staff members flexibility in their hours of work during the summer term. For further guidance, departments are encouraged to refer to Policy #40.053: Flextime and Flexplace Scheduling to consider options for Classified Staff and Policy #40.063: Flexible Work Schedule, Flexible Hours, and Flexplace for Administrators.

The Summer Hours Guidelines are as follows:

  1. Departments are to be open during the normal University operating hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Departments with only one employee should collaborate with other departments to provide crossover coverage and ensure coverage during the University's hours of operation, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
  2. Summer hours will begin the Monday after graduation (May 2, 2016) and end on the Friday before the fall semester begins (August 19, 2016).
  3. Work start times may be varied and staggered within departments to maintain University hours of operation. The one-hour lunch period may be reduced to a half-hour lunch.
  4. Summer hours are intended to provide flexibility for staff members, but adherence to working a full shift is required.
  5. Summer hours may be discontinued by the department for operational reasons prior to the official end date.

The University hopes that this added flexibility enhances life at work and home.

Questions? Contact the Employee Service Center at uhr@ohio.edu or 740.593.1636.

Annual Reappointment

Reappointment is scheduled to open on Monday, May 2, 2016 and will close at midnight on Friday, May 27, 2016. Compensation will be sending information related to the Reappointment process and guidelines in April 2016. Please note that those employees in the Administrative Hourly Group will not be included in the Reappointment system. Compensation will be working with departments to process appointment information for these employees during the month of May.

Questions? Contact the Employee Service Center at uhr@ohio.edu or 740.593.1636.

Pay Structure Movement

Effective July 1, 2016 there will be upcoming changes to the Classified & Administrative Pay (CA&P) Structure. In January 2015, UHR Compensation introduced our Strategic Compensation Plan for Administrative and Classified Non-Bargaining Unit Staff. Per the plan, Ohio University is committed to maintaining a pay structure that is market competitive. On an annual basis concurrent with the fiscal year, University Human Resources (UHR) Compensation will review market trends and make a recommendation to Senior Leadership regarding adjustments in the salary structure. 

Based on Mercer’s 2015-2016 US Compensation Planning Survey for Educational Institutions, Compensation intends to move forward with a 1% upward adjustment to our CA&P salary structure in order to maintain a market based pay structure as agreed upon with the Department of Education. The revised pay structure is below and will be published on UHR Compensation’s website. Effective July 1, all employees in the CA&P structure will have their salary/hourly rate set to at least at the minimum of the pay grade. Minimums will be prorated for exempt employees working less than a 1.0 FTE.

Classified, Administrative, and Professional Pay Structure (Effective 07/01/2016)
Pay Grade   Minimum 25th percentile Midpoint 75th percentile Maximum
10 Exempt Employees: Annual Salary $21,218 $23,487 $25,755 $28,331 $30,906
Non-Exempt Employees: Hourly Wage $10.20 $11.29 $12.38 $13.62 $14.86
11 Exempt Employees: Annual Salary $23,076 $25,961 $28,846 $31,730 $34,615
Non-Exempt Employees: Hourly Wage $11.09 $12.48 $13.87 $15.25 $16.64
12 Exempt Employees: Annual Salary $25,846 $29,076 $32,307 $35,537 $38,768
Non-Exempt Employees: Hourly Wage $12.43 $13.98 $15.53 $17.09 $18.64
13 Exempt Employees: Annual Salary $29,140 $33,146 $37,153 $41,160 $45,166
Non-Exempt Employees: Hourly Wage $14.01 $15.94 $17.86 $19.79 $21.71
14 Exempt Employees: Annual Salary $33,511 $38,118 $42,726 $47,334 $51,941
Non-Exempt Employees: Hourly Wage $16.11 $18.33 $20.54 $22.76 $24.97
15 Exempt Employees: Annual Salary $38,537 $43,836 $49,134 $54,433 $59,732
Non-Exempt Employees: Hourly Wage $18.53 $21.07 $23.62 $26.17 $28.72
16 Exempt Employees: Annual Salary $43,465 $49,985 $56,504 $63,024 $69,544
Non-Exempt Employees: Hourly Wage $20.90 $24.03 $27.17 $30.30 $33.43
17 Exempt Employees: Annual Salary $49,985 $57,483 $64,980 $72,478 $79,976
Non-Exempt Employees: Hourly Wage $24.03 $27.64 $31.24 $34.85 $38.45
18 Exempt Employees: Annual Salary $57,483 $66,106 $74,728 $83,350 $91,973
Non-Exempt Employees: Hourly Wage $27.64 $31.78 $35.93 $40.07 $44.22
19 Exempt Employees: Annual Salary $66,550 $77,364 $88,179 $98,994 $109,808
Non-Exempt Employees: Hourly Wage $32.00 $37.19 $42.39 $47.59 $52.79
20 Exempt Employees: Annual Salary $78,530 $97,290 $104,051 $116,812 $129,573
Non-Exempt Employees: Hourly Wage $37.75 $43.89 $50.02 $56.16 $62.29
21 Exempt Employees: Annual Salary $92,664 $107,723 $122,781 $137,839 $152,897
Non-Exempt Employees: Hourly Wage $44.55 $51.79 $59.03 $66.27 $73.51
22 Exempt Employees: Annual Salary $107,320 $126,101 $144,881 $163,662 $182,443
Non-Exempt Employees: Hourly Wage $51.60 $60.63 $69.65 $78.68 $87.72
23 Exempt Employees: Annual Salary $126,637 $148,798 $170,960 $193,121 $215,283
Non-Exempt Employees: Hourly Wage $60.88 $71.54 $82.19 $92.85 $103.50
24 Exempt Employees: Annual Salary $149,432 $175,582 $201,732 $227,883 $254,033
Non-Exempt Employees: Hourly Wage $71.84 $84.41 $96.99 $109.56 $122.13

Questions? Contact the Compensation Department at compenstion@ohio.edu or 740.597.1824.

Drug Free Workplace Reminder

In compliance with the U.S. Department of Education Drug Free Schools and Communities Act, the University must annually notify faculty and staff of its drug and alcohol policies and resources available to those seeking assistance for drug or alcohol issues.

Email communication will be sent to employees and published in Compass in April. Information regarding the University’s commitment to maintaining a drug free workplace and learning environment can be found on the Drug Free Workplace web page. 

Questions? Contact the Employee Service Center at uhr@ohio.edu or 740.593.1636.

Biweekly Pay Date Change

Pay Period Pay Date
April 17 – April 30 May 11, 2016
May 1 – May 14 May 25, 2016
May 15 – May 28 June 6, 2016
May 29 – June 11 June 22, 2016
June 12 – June 25 July 6, 2016
June 26 – July 9 July 20, 2016
July 10 – Jul 23 August 3, 2016
July 24 – August August 17, 2016
August 6 – August 20 August 31, 2016
August 21 – September 3 September 14, 2016
September 3 – September 17 September 28, 2016
September 18 – October 1 October 12, 2016
October 2 – October 15 October 26, 2016
October 15 – October 29 November 9, 2016
October 30 – November 12 November 23, 2016
November 13 – November 26 December 7, 2016
November 27 – December 10 December 21, 2016
December 11 – December 24 January 4, 2017
December 25 – January 7, 2017 January 18, 2017

As a result, Workforce approvals will be due no later than 5:00 pm on the Tuesday after the end of the biweekly pay period. There will be no exceptions. All paper timecards are due by Monday at 5:00pm after the end of the biweekly pay period. All late timecards will be paid on the next biweekly pay.  Paper checks will be mailed on Monday of the pay week from the Payroll office.Effective May 1, 2016, the University Human Resources (UHR) Payroll Department will be changing the biweekly pay date from Friday to Wednesday for all Classified, AFSCME, FOP, Admin Hourly, and Student employees. By mutual agreement, Ohio University and AFSCME agreed to modify the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement by requiring UHR to begin issuing paychecks to AFSCME employees on Wednesdays instead of the current practice of issuing paychecks on Fridays.

Questions? Contact the Payroll Department at payroll@ohio.edu or 740.593.1861.

Petty Cash & Change Fund Management

Internal Audit conducts cash counts and discusses account handling across campus to ensure that funds are intact and used as intended and to identify ways to strengthen controls. The following information is intended to help guide and remind Planning Units of proper handling of these funds.

Each account must have the following assigned:

  1. Custodian: This is the employee who operates and maintains the fund on a regular basis. The Custodian is responsible for day-to-day handling of the fund and ensuring deposits or replenishments are prepared timely. The designation of a Back-up Custodian is encouraged to fulfill these duties in the absence of the Custodian.
  2. Fiduciary: The department head or budget person authorized to approve expenditures from the department’s accounts. This individual is responsible for the proper handling of these funds and should conduct periodic unannounced cash counts.

These individuals must be assigned and reported to General Accounting and Financial Reporting (GAFR) on the Petty Cash/Change Fund form. Any changes should be immediately reported on a new form. Only these assigned individuals should have uncontrolled access to the funds.

Handling and Storage

  1. Funds should be secured in a safe or locked up in a secure manner.  The combination or key location should be changed annually or whenever someone with fund access leaves the Planning Unit.
  2. Change funds should be balanced at least once per week and on days of use. Petty cash funds must be balanced at least monthly.  Keep records of these reconciliation as they may be requested for review by auditors.

For further guidance, refer to the below listed links:

Questions? Contact General Accounting and Financial Reporting Department at finance@ohio.edu or 740.597.3313.

Fiscal Yearend Calendar Published

The FY 2016 Yearend Closing Calendar has been released and is available on the Finance website. Instructions to use the calendar, a calendar view and an Excel spreadsheet are available for ease of viewing.

Questions? Contact the VPFA Communication & Training Department at finhr@ohio.edu. 

New P2P Contract Services Document Review Form

In the coming months, several new that will be released under Internal Forms in BobcatBUY. These include the P2P Contract Services Document Review, After the Fact Requisition, Request for Proposal (RFP), and Request for Bid Waiver. These forms will allow tracking of progress, access for P2P contributors, and transparency for the Planning Units.

In early May, the first BobcatBUY internal form to be released will be the P2P Contract Services Document Review Form. The purpose of this form is to facilitate timely review and guidance of all P2P-related documents containing terms and conditions and/or anything requiring signature. This form must be used to request document review. Email and phone requests for document review will not be accepted after May 2, 2016 and you will be advised to use this new form to facilitate your document review needs. Regular status updates will be provided via the BobcatBUY comments on the request. This review will NOT add a supplier, generate a purchase order, nor provide an executed agreement with the exception of credit applications that will be executed and sent to the supplier. This form is subject to departmental approval workflow. 

This review may be used for:

  • Contract amendments
  • Credit applications
  • Draft contracts
  • Quotes, proposals
  • P2P documents requiring a signature
  • Insurance documents
  • Previously executed contracts requested by P2P or not already reviewed by Contract Services.

The P2P Contract Review Process will provide:

  • Review and editing of document
  • Determination of Insurance Requirements (Level 1, 2, 3, or Special)
  • Review of insurance document, if submitted
  • Summary of required additional input and review from other key campus partners, if needed (i.e. OIT, Department of Transportation Services, Real Estate and Engagement, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Environmental Health & Safety, and Office of the Provost).
  • Coordination of Legal Affairs review (if required)

In the case of game guarantees, amendments, credit applications, $0 dollar agreements, etc. that will not generate an expense in the current fiscal year, Contract Services may:

  • Negotiate supplier terms
  • Obtain signatures

Questions? Contact Finance Customer Care at financecustomercare@ohio.edu or 740.597.6446.

Training for New Henry Schein Punch-Out Catalog

The new Henry Schein punch-out catalog in BobcatBUY has been available since March 1. A representative from Henry Schein will provide a training webinar on how best to maneuver and search in the new catalog. The training will be offered during the P2P Open Lab on April 20, 2016 from 1:00 PM – 3:00 pm in WUSOC 175. Please register for the Henry Schein punch-out catalog training.

Questions? Contact Finance Customer Care at financecustomercare@ohio.edu or 740.597.6446.

New PO Summary Overview in OBI

As of April 1, the Purchase Order (PO) summary overview can be found in OBI dashboard.

Overview: Similar to the PO summary in FMS, this flexible tool allows you to search on several parameters to find PO listings. 

PO Summary Dashboard Navigation: Once logged into OBI, click Dashboards and then click on PO Summary View in the Finance and Administration Dashboards section

Training: For training on this new tool, visit the OBI training documents page.

Questions? Contact Finance Customer Care at financecustomercare@ohio.edu or 740.597.6446

Purchase Order Closures

As yearend approaches, it is important to stay on top of purchase order (PO) closing activity. If you know that your PO has had all of the invoices paid against the PO (including freight) and you have an open amount, please submit a BobcatBUY request to close the PO. It will relieve the encumbrance and allow those funds to become available for use. 

All blanket POs and service agreements will be closed automatically at Fiscal Yearend. A new Blanket PO or Service Agreement must be created each fiscal year for ongoing services and payments.

Procure to Pay Services automatically closes POs throughout the year with the following criteria:

  • Any general PO that is 60 days old or older, and has a difference between encumbered amount and billed amount of +/-$5.00 or less
  • Any fully satisfied direct payment that is 30 days or older
     

Questions? Contact Finance Customer Care at financecustomercare@ohio.edu or 740.597.6446.

FY 2017 Pre-Entry in BobcatBUY

The July 2016 accounting period will be open in BobcatBUY (BCB) for “Pre Entry” of requests for the new fiscal year on Monday, May 2, 2016. While the orders (catalog, non-catalog, Blanket, Service, etc.) will not be released until July 1 or after, this pre-entry will allow flexibility in entering your orders in advance for the new fiscal year. Temporarily, the Accounting Date/Billing Date will be a mandatory field that you must enter so as not to mix FY 2016 and FY 2017 transactions. After yearend close, the field will no longer be mandatory.

Important notes about entering requisitions and direct payments

  • Accounting Date is a mandatory field during this entry period.
    • For an FY 2016 transaction, enter the current date for the requisition. DO NOT enter the date of the invoice if it precedes the date of the current accounting period. The requisition and the invoice will fail.
    • For an FY 2017 transaction, enter July 1, 2016 as the accounting date. Do not enter the date of the invoice as the accounting date.
  • Workflow Processing:
    • For items dated June 30, 2016 or earlier, the workflow processing will flow as normal.
    • For items dated July 1 or later, all approval steps up to final funds validation will occur; however the requisition or direct payment will route to a special “Future Fiscal Year Approval” bucket and will be held until released by Procurement beginning July 1, 2016.
  • If the user mistakenly enters the wrong accounting date for FY 2016 or FY 2017 expenditures, as part of the workflow approval process, the Buyer or Commodity Manager can change the accounting date as appropriate and add a comment for the user in the BCB request.
  • FY 2017 payments for goods or services required by contract to be made before July 1:
    • Please contact Finance Customer Care for assistance. Only payments of $50,000 or above must be accrued to the next fiscal year.
  • Beginning on July 1 and continuing through the first week of July, Procurement Services will begin releasing staged FY 2017 requisitions and direct payments in the order in which they were received.
    • For a requisition, a purchase order will be created and sent to the supplier via BCB.
    • For a direct payment, the request will assume its normal workflow into the AP Invoice workflow bucket.

Questions? Contact Finance Customer Care at financecustomercare@ohio.edu or 740.597.6446.

Enhancements to BobcatBUY

The SciQuest 16.1 software upgrade was performed during the weekend of April 8.  Below is an outline of the changes you may notice as you navigate through BobcatBUY.

Access to Action Items and Notifications Changes from Text to Icons
A user’s action items and notifications are accessed from the top-right banner on the screen.  In 16.1, the options for accessing action items and notifications have been changed from text to icons.

  • Action items are accesses by selecting the flag icon 
  • Notifications are accessed by clicking the bell icon 

Search Functionality Box Added
Users can search items in the top right by selecting the magnifying glass and selecting the search criteria from the drop down menu. In 16.1 the options for search has opened to a textbox. Clicking inside the text area will display an option to select search criteria from the drop down menu and type search criteria in the text area.

Questions? Contact Finance Customer Care at financecustomercare@ohio.edu or 740.597.6446.

Same Day Travel Paper Form Discontinued

Please be advised that the paper “Same Day Travel Form” has been discontinued.  To claim same day travel, please use the standard Travel Expense Report in Concur. 

Questions? Contact Finance Customer Care at financecustomercare@ohio.edu or 740.597.6446.

FY 2017 Budget Calendar & Timeline

The Budget Office has provided updates regarding the FY 2017 Spring forecasting models and guidance per the e-mail sent to Budget Contacts on 3/8/2016. Please reference the BPA website for the updated FY 2017 Budget Timeline.

Questions? Contact your Budget Planning & Analysis contact or e-mail budgetplanning@ohio.edu.

Chart of Accounts Redesign Project

The Chart of Account (COA) segment values continue to be defined through the work of the COA Core Team and the COA Partner Group. The prototyping activities in April will focus on setting up the proposed values in a test system and populating transactional data in order to validate and test the use of segment values in actual business case scenarios. The COA Redesign Project team will also be working with the COA Partner Group to begin an early effort at reviewing the information and tools that will be used for mapping to ensure that they are as useful to the campus community as possible during the mapping exercise. The units participating in this exercise include the College of Arts & Sciences, Heritage College of Medicine, and College of Engineering.

Beginning in May 2016, campus representatives will attend COA Mapping Kickoff Sessions. The kickoff sessions will provide the foundational information necessary for Planning Units to begin the mapping process. Following COA Mapping Kickoff Sessions, Planning Unit representatives will be scheduled to participate in COA Mapping Sessions. The COA Partner Group and Core Team members will work with campus representatives to map current COA segment values to the new COA segment values. Part of this effort will also include review of segment hierarchies and cross-validation rules.   

The mapping exercise will provide data that will be used for the COA Demo Awareness Sessions which are planned for late Summer and early Fall 2016. These sessions will highlight the new COA account structure and reporting functionality for campus users. 

Campus user feedback collected from the Training Needs Assessment will help shape the COA training strategy. Users will be provided with a variety of opportunities to learn about the new COA and its report capabilities prior to the expected go live date which is planned for Spring 2017. 

For additional project-related updates and information on the COA Account Redesign Project, refer to the Chart of Accounts Redesign website.

Questions or feedback? Contact the Chart of Accounts Project Team at coa@ohio.edu.