Office of Human Resources and Strategic Talent Management | Vol. 1, No. 13 | July 15, 2020

Welcome Sophia Mason

Human Resources and Strategic Talent Management is pleased to welcome Sophia L. Mason to our team as the new Director of Human Resources Business Services. She is a seasoned HR professional with over 15 years of experience as a generalist, specialist, and manager in a variety of settings, including non-profit associations, legal services, and federal IT contracting. Sophia recently served as the Manager of HR and Benefits with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) where she oversaw benefits programs and services; Human Resources Information Services (HRIS) and records; recruitment and employment; and employee engagement. Sophia holds an M.B.A. and an M.S. in human resources management from the University of Maryland Global Campus and four professional certifications through SHRM and HCI. We are very excited to have Sophia join our leadership team and look forward to her meeting the College community.

FY20 EAP and Tuition Waiver Due July 20

The deadline is July 20, 2020 for submitting FY20 EAP requests (including MC Summer Session I fee and book requests), as well as FY20 MC tuition waiver electronic requests.

Image of a question mark with coronavirus illustration

We Need Your Feedback: Complete the Return-to-Work Onsite Survey by July 24

The Office of Human Resources and Strategic Talent Management (HRSTM), in partnership with the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (OIRE), has sent out a survey asking that employees complete a Remote Work and Return-to-Campus Survey to provide feedback as to where more communication, training, and/or support is needed to keep employees engaged while working remotely and to feel safe in the workplace when returning on-site. All responses will be kept confidential. Survey data will be aggregated and will only be shared with a select team of HRSTM and OIRE staff for the purposes of reporting the follow-up. The survey should take about seven minutes to complete. Please complete the survey by Friday, July 24, 2020.

Image of blocks of months of the year from January through December

12-Month Employees:
Look for Extra Money in Your July 31 Paycheck

No Insurance Premium Deductions in Last Pay of July

The payroll schedule for calendar year 2020 reflects 27 pays for 12-month employees (staff, administrators, and department chairs). Insurance premiums for 12-month employees are based on 26 pays. Since there are three paychecks in July, there will be no deductions taken on the July 31, 2020 paycheck for medical, dental, vision, group legal, life (Basic, Optional, and Dependent), and long-term disability insurance. Please note that regular deductions for all flexible spending and health savings accounts (HSAs) will continue on the July 31 paycheck. If you are enrolled in College insurance plans you will likely see some extra money in your paycheck.

Photo of smiling woman floating down river in inner tube on a summer afternoon

Take Some Leave and Enjoy the Summer

Working through our current unusual circumstances require that we all make certain adjustments in our lives. One of these adjustments is to manage the boundaries between work time and personal time more intentionally when working from home. It is important that we all take time to step away from work, rejuvenate, and attend to our personal and family needs and interests. We encourage all employees to use their available annual leave/recess days and to communicate and work with their supervisors to ensure that they can do so. Take some time to enjoy this summer!

Important Dates

July 20

FY20 EAP and tuition requests due.

July 24

Return-to-Work On-Site Survey due.

Daily Stretch Breaks

Join us virtually for daily stretch breaks. View the schedule.

The MC Next Generation Wellness program offers online classes daily. Check the Summer 2020 Wellness Schedule for recorded and live classes including Yoga, Arms and Cardio, Barre Sculpt, Legs and Core, Meditation, and Zumba.

Watch for email updates from India Hunter and the Wellness program as we strive to stay healthy together during this difficult time.

College Resources

COVID-19 Guidance for MC Student and Employees

COVID-19 Employee Assistance

Join MC Employee Facebook Group

Stay up to date on the latest news by joining our private MC employee Facebook group. This group is only open to MC employees and will require approval to join.

Let’s stay connected.

More Information

For contact information by person or topic, please visit the Office of Human Resources and Strategic Talent Management website for the Points of Contact link.

Suggestion for the Newsletter?

If you have a suggestion for the newsletter, please email HRSTM.