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Human Resources

Announcements

The HR Learning & Development Team is offering classroom courses this fall to all faculty and staff. The courses fall under three categories: Personal Effectiveness, Communication Skills and Project Management Skills. Half-day courses cost $70.00 per participant, and full-day courses cost $140.00. As courses tend to fill up quickly, please register now if you wish to attend.

PERSONAL EFFECTIVENESS SERIES

- Fundamentals of Customer Service
- Interviewing Skills - NEW!
- Managing Burnout & Success Barriers - NEW!
- Navigating Ongoing Change - NEW!
- Options Not Obstacles: Creating a More Proactive Work Life - NEW!
- Persuasion and Influence - NEW!
- Strategic Writing Workshop - NEW!
- Thinking Outside the Box: Right Brain Workout - NEW!
- Time Management
- Working with Different Behavior Styles

COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS SERIES

- Communicating Effectively with Impact
- Dealing with Difficult Situations
- Getting Results Through Effective Listening
- Presentation Skills

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS

- Project Management Level I
- Project Management Level II
- Project Management
- Elements of Project Leadership - NEW!

Cell Phone Discounts

There are a number of cell phone carriers that give discounts to new or existing customers who are Columbia University students, faculty or staff. To qualify, the account must be in your name.

AT&T / Cingular - 20% off per month
Sprint / Nextel - 18% off per month
Verizon - 17% off per month
T-Mobile - 15% off per month

Working Advantage

Columbia University is pleased to offer a great benefit — Working Advantage. With Working Advantage, you can save up to 40 % on movie tickets and up to 37 % on Blockbuster® movie rentals. Working Advantage also offers discounts on Broadway theater, theme parks, hotels, sporting events, family events, online shopping, gift certificates, seasonal ski tickets and more. Learn More

Work/Life: Backup Care Updates

The Backup Care Program provides care for children, adults and elders when normal arrangements are disrupted and/or when you need to provide short-term care. The Backup Care Program provider, Work Options Group, has recently merged with another program provider, Bright Horizons Family Solutions. As a result of that partnership, the people of Columbia now have access to over 260 high quality Bright Horizons child care centers, in addition to the network of centers that were previously available through Work Options Group.

Additionally, as of August 14, the co-pay structure has changed. The $2 per hour co-pay for center based care will remain; however the co-pay for in-home care is now $6 per hour (for up to three dependents) for the first 50 hours used and $8 per hour for each hour in excess of 50 up to the 100 hour limit. This increased co-pay will allow Columbia to maintain this generous program and continue to offer the full 100 hours of backup care per year to eligible officers, postdocs and doctoral students.

As a reminder, the bank of 100 hours of backup care available to eligible individuals was renewed as of July 1, 2009. Program participants will continue to register and reserve care through the same process, via phone at 800-557-0847 or online at: www.workoptionsgroup.com.

Please contact the Office of Work/Life, 212-854-8019, or worklife@columbia.edu, with any questions, concerns, or feedback. In addition, please go to the Work/Life website at www.worklife.columbia.edu to learn about work/life programs and services, and to use the Work/Life bulletin board.

New Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

To assist you and members of your household with the complex situations that you may be facing, Columbia University is pleased to announce that they have contracted with a new vendor—Harris Rothenberg, International (HRI), to manage the Employee Assistance Program. The EAP is available to faculty, researchers, administrators and staff who are eligible to receive medical benefits from Columbia.

Direct Deposit is now online

Human Resources and Payroll are pleased to announce that you can now sign up for or modify your current election to directly deposit your pay into your savings account, checking account, or both. Simply log into the myColumbia portal with your UNI and password and choose "View Your Direct Deposit Information" on the Faculty & Staff tab.