One of the three priorities of the Division of Finance and Administration is to make Brandeis a great place to work! The three new policies/programs will take effect on January 1, 2020.

• A University-wide staff policy on Telecommuting & Alternate Work Schedules
• A new On-The-Spot Reward Program for staff
• A new contract with Bright Horizons for additional Child & Dependent Care Resources for faculty, staff and graduate students

The Brandeis University Staff Advisory Committee (BUSAC) and the HR/Finance Liaison Group (administrators from schools and divisions) are key advisory partners, and we are grateful for their attention and advice. Please remember, these are not effective until 2020, but we welcome questions at hr@brandeis.edu.

In our continuing effort to ensure a safe campus, Facilities Services has installed deadbolt-style locks on all classroom doors. These specially designed locks will allow anyone to quickly secure the doors from the inside.  In the event of an emergency that requires the engagement of the locks, please contact Public Safety at 781-736-3333, if a university-wide lockdown order has not already been issued. Once locked, the door should not be opened until an “All-Clear” message is announced via BENS. Public Safety officials and Facilities have master keys that can unlock these doors from the exterior. During an emergency, these personnel will announce themselves prior to unlocking the door and making entry.

For additional information, contact Bob Avalle at ravalle@brandeis.edu or Josh Manfredo at jpmanfredo@brandeis.edu.

Join the many offices and departments on campus who have earned green certification. Brandeis Sustainability Ambassadors will meet with key office members, present information about green office practices and answer questions, in as little as 20 minutes. For a list of Green Certified Offices and more details please visit the Office of Sustainability website.

On Thursday, October 3, the Hiatt Career Center, Computer Science Department, Brandeis GSAS, and the Brandeis Innovation community are sponsoring Brandeis University's 2019 Technology & Innovation Fair in Sherman Function Hall (Hassenfeld Conference Center) from 12-3 p.m. 

The following one day parking changes will be in effect. Employers attending the Technology & Innovation Fair will be directed to park within a defined number of reserved parking spaces in the Hassenfeld Parking Lot. Parking Monitors will be on duty to assist employer guests as well as to direct Brandeis Community members to alternate parking areas should they be displaced by the one-day parking changes.

For more information please visit the Public Safety Website. Direct any questions or concerns related to this matter to Ed Callahan at either extension 6-4240 or by email to ecallaha@brandeis.edu.

There is still an opportunity to purchase Bruins tickets. For a complete list of available games and pricing please visit the The Office of the EVP, Finance and Administration website.

Seats are located in section loge 4, row 6, seats 1-2 and 3-4. The cost of each pair is $240. To purchase tickets please email Gail Jordan. First come, first serve.

The Office of Sustainability has created a new listserv for Electric Vehicle drivers. This listserv is meant primarily for drivers to stay up-to-date on any service issues or interruptions to our campus charging stations, so drivers can plan accordingly if stations may be unavailable. To subscribe, email evdrivers-request@lists.brandeis.edu.

Learn about employee self-service in Workday! The Workday@Brandeis training schedule for September through December has been updated with Workday 101 sessions. In these hands-on sessions, learn how to: update personal information, enter time worked, manage absence requests, update direct deposit, and view your payslips.

For those hiring students, the Student Employment class will show you how to create a job requisition and hire students through Workday. New interactive role-based classes, such as Financial Reporting for Budget Administrators and HR Basics for Supervisors, will be available starting in November. Visit the Workday@Brandeis website to view the current course catalog, register for a class, and access resources such as how-to documentation and video tutorials. Contact workday@brandeis.edu with any questions.

Human Resources is kicking off the following Management “Nuts and Bolts” workshops as a pilot program to provide managers with key knowledge and tools. Managers can register for any or all of the following workshops:

• TBD | Learning About Different Positions Types
• Thursday, Oct. 3 | Performance Reviews—Coaching and Counseling
• Tuesday, Oct. 15 | Legal Aspects of a Supervisor
• Thursday, Nov. 7 | Introduction to Leave Policies
• Thursday, Dec. 5 | How to Conduct One-on-Ones

To register or for more detailed information please visit the Human Resources Training and Professional Development web page.

Learn how to create well-written e-mail messages, memos, reports and other materials. Review ways to enhance the “readability” of your messages and tips to help make e-mail writing faster and easier. Special focus is on seven principles of effective business writing and how to approach a writing task. The workshop will also review aspects of punctuation, grammar and word usage, and you will learn about Web resources that can help you further develop your writing skills.

For detailed information and registration please visit the Human Resources Training and Professional Development webpage.

Managing stress with today’s pressures and responsibilities can be a challenge. Discover your levels of categorical stress around physical, social, emotional and mental symptoms. Enhance your ability to identify stress and be proactive in managing stress as it comes your way.

For detailed information and registration please visit the Human Resources Training and Professional Development webpage.

It’s that time of year to nominate a Brandeis staff member for The Lou Ennis Staff Award and The Louis and Helen Zirkel Staff Award.

This is your opportunity to nominate an individual who excels in the performance of his/her job responsibilities and goes above and beyond to make a contribution to the well-being and the vitality of the Brandeis community. Nominees must be full-time administrative or support staff.

Please complete the nomination form and return to Giovanna Abeiga. Direct all questions to Giovanna by phone, 6-4464 or email.

 For more information about the awards, please visit the Office of Human Resources.

With the end of the calendar year approaching, it is a perfect time for employees to review their vacation balances. The University vacation policy limits balances that employees are allowed to carry-over to the next calendar year. On January 1, 2020, employees who have balances that exceed the carry-over limit will have their balances reduced. Please plan ahead and use your accrued time to avoid losing any vacation time. As always supervisor approval is required before vacation leave can be taken. Please visit the Human Resources Website to view the paid time off policy.

A shuttle will run from the Brandeis campus to Market Basket Mondays through Fridays. A 12-passenger van will leave Brandeis from Spingold Circle operating on the following schedule:

• Departure from Spingold Circle: Noon | 12:30 p.m. | 1:30 p.m. | 2:30 p.m.
• Departure from Market Basket for return to campus: 1 p.m. | 2 p.m. | 3 p.m. | 4 p.m. (final trip back to campus)

The schedule may vary slightly due to traffic and weather conditions. For additional information, please visit the Campus Shuttles and Van Routes website or contact Ed Callahan at ecallaha@brandeis.edu.

Now that the semester has started, University Records Management (URM) would like to remind faculty and staff to take some time to think about managing their files—both paper and electronic. URM’s LibGuide can help you understand your role in supporting the documentation of university history and meet legal and contractual requirements. Think about your records now and learn more about URM services.