Office of Human Resources and Strategic Talent Management | Vol. 1, No. 18 | August 19, 2020

Farewell and Best Wishes to Michael Brown

If you haven’t heard, the voice of the Raptors, MCTV’s Michael Brown retired August 1, and his colleagues sent him off in style with this awesome video tribute. Click on the image below to view the video.

Video still image of Michael Brown with microphone broadcasting at a Montgomery College sports event. Click image to view the video.

Photo of hands pointing to a signature line on a document

Form I-9 Document Verification Now Required for Employees Hired During Pandemic

As we continue to work in a mostly remote environment, the Office of Human Resources and Strategic Talent Management (HRSTM) remains focused on responding to the unique challenges we face. One of these challenges is the hiring of new employees remotely and meeting federal compliance requirements. Federal law requires Montgomery College to have a valid Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9 on file for every employee. Completion of this form requires in-person verification of original documents that establish identity and employment eligibility and you must to do this before or no later than your first day of work. It is the responsibiltiy of the hiring manager to ensure this compliance requirement is met.

In order to conduct this in-person inspection of documents, HRSTM has implemented a drive-up process to ensure the health and safety of all employees. New employees will be provided a link to schedule a time to present original documents.

Please note: Employment is not authorized until HRSTM has confirmed completion of the Form I-9 and verification of the I-9 documents. It is the responsibiltiy of the hiring manager to ensure this compliance requirement is met. Please be aware that any hours worked prior to this authorization will be considered unpaid, volunteer work.

Photo of a glass jar with coins in it and the word retirement on a yellow sticky

Retirement Deductions and Contributions to Resume

Employees enrolled in the Teachers’ Retirement/Pension System, Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) or the Supplemental Retirement Annuities (SRA) have not seen deductions/contributions over the summer months. These deductions/contributions occur over 20 pay periods and will resume again with the September 11, 2020 paycheck. Those enrolled in the Employees' Pension System have a deduction all year long. If you have any questions, please contact HRSTM Benefits.

Photo of a person viewing a webinar image on a laptop

OIT Offers Live Webinars

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) is hosting live webinars for Zoom, OneDrive, Adobe Acrobat, and Office 365 to guide you through the use of these essential tools. In these sessions, you will learn the basics and have the opportunity to ask questions to our knowledgeable trainers. Visit OIT Training for dates and times.

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

Take Some Leave and Enjoy the Remaining Days of 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!

Annual Leave Carryover Deadline: December 23, 2020

With four months left in the calendar year, be sure to plan your annual leave use for meeting the maximum allowable carryover deadline of December 23, 2020. Staff and administrators will lose any unused leave in excess of the carryover limit if not used by December 23. The annual leave carryover limit is based on the employee's annual accrual rate of leave according to length of service, as seen below:

Less than three years of service: 120 hours carry-over
Three years, but less than 15 years of service: 160 hours carryover
15 years or more service: 208 hours carryover

For part-time employees, the amount of leave carryover is prorated according to the proportion that the work week is to a 40-hour work week.

Important Dates

Friday, August 21

Timesheets due by noon.

Monday, August 24

Fall 2020 Opening Meeting
10 a.m. View video.

Fall 2020 Professional Week begins. See schedule.

Tuesday, August 25

ELITE Professional Week Speaker Series begins.
See schedule.

Wednesday, August 26

10–11:30 a.m.
Fall 2020 Data Summit Webinar: “#RealCollege During the Pandemic Survey Results: The Impact on Montgomery College Students” See flyer to register.

Daily Stretch Breaks

Join us virtually for daily stretch breaks. View schedule.

Back Issues of Employee Matters Newsletter Online

Miss an issue? Find current and previous issues of the Employee Matters newsletter, as well as other Human Resources and Strategic Talent Management news and employee communications here.

Wellness Update

The MC Next Generation Wellness program offers online classes daily, including yoga, arms and cardio, barre sculpt, core power, legs and core, and more. See the wellness schedule for class days and times.

If you participate in the EAP Outside Gym Reimbursement program, please check your gym’s website to see their policy regarding fees/dues.

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.