Own Your Benefits

UNI’s Benefits Are More Than Just Insurance    

Principal Financial, and our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provide legal discounts to our employees. Employees, their dependents, and beneficiaries have access to tools provided by ARAG^® to create important and necessary documents such as a Will, Living Will, Healthcare Power of Attorney and many other legal documents for free. EAP provides discounts off of legal services and legal documentation preparation. To learn more, visit our Legal Services and Discounts webpage.

Financial Wellness

In Case You Missed UNI's TIAA Webinar

Last month, Mark Hagen from TIAA, hosted a webinar especially for UNI faculty and staff getting ready to retire. If you weren’t able to join us, you can view the webinar online. This webinar is essential for understanding how to create an income plan that helps you maximize your savings throughout your retirement. In five steps you’ll learn how different sources of income work, how to build your strategy for lifetime income and what to consider when planning withdrawals from your retirement assets.

My Well-being

Travel with Less Stress

While a vacation is meant to be relaxing, the planning, preparation, and cost can be quite the opposite. All of these things can become overwhelming and extremely stressful. Be mindful of your mental health when planning a big trip. Reach out to your Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) when you need to talk to someone about the added stress. Don’t forget to also protect your financial health and budget when planning a trip. Wellmark offers travel discounts (along with many other discounts) through Blue365. Always keep Blue365 in mind before making a big purchase or signing up for a membership. You’ll be surprised by some of the savings you’ll find.

Employee Assistance Program

April Monthly Motivator

The Employee and Family Resources (EFR) monthly motivator this month is to be more sustainable. The goal is to reduce, reuse, or recycle three days per week. These monthly motivators are a great way to boost and refresh on things we should already be doing. Download EFR’s April calendar for helpful tips and to keep track of your progress.

Your EAP is Here to Help

Your Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) is designed to provide support for you and your household members in times of need. Whether you need support after losing a loved one, work stress, medical, financial, or legal problems. You may experience life challenges at any time, and they often are not planned. This is why your EAP is available for you to call 24/7/365. A licensed mental health counselor will always be available to connect you with resources and assistance. To connect, call 800-327-4692, or visit our EAP webpage.

Upcoming Events

MY WELL-BEING

Supporting Someone Who is Grieving

Human Resource Services will host a session led by Cedar Valley Hospice. Cedar Valley Hospice counselors will provide information on how to support someone who is grieving, and resources available in the community. This session will be held on Wednesday, April 3 at 10 a.m. in the State College Room in Maucker Union. Please register in advance.

FINANCIAL WELLNESS

Smart Money Habits

Human Resource Services will host an informational session on managing your money. Being financially responsible involves control, planning, and having a strategy in place to reach your financial goals. Learn how to establish reachable goals and develop new spending and saving habits that can help you increase your income and decrease spending. See tips on organization and record-keeping and regain control of your money to create stability in your financial future. This session will be presented by Regions Bank on April 5 at 11 a.m., via Zoom. Please register in advance.

MY WELL-BEING

Confidential Biometric Screening

Human Resource Services will host a confidential biometric screening on April 26 from 7 to 9 a.m. in Gilchrist 009. All benefit eligible employees may participate in one free biometric screening per academic year. For more information, and to register, visit the confidential biometric screening webpage.

FINANCIAL WELLNESS

Spotting the Signs of Elder Financial Exploitation

Human Resource Services will host an informational session on how to protect seniors against financial exploitation, guard them against identity theft, and help them prepare for others managing their finances. Understand why it is difficult for some seniors to identify and/or report financial exploitation. Help seniors determine a trustworthy power of attorney to manage their finances. Learn how to help seniors avoid identity theft through preventive practices, monitoring accounts and credit, and develop a plan for future emergencies. This session will be presented by Regions Bank on May 3 at 11 a.m., via Zoom. Please register in advance.

Participation in events that occur during scheduled working hours must be approved by your supervisor. Employees on a university-approved leave should contact hrs-leaves@uni.edu for approval. Stay up-to-date with the status of this session by visiting https://hrs.uni.edu/event-status. If the status of this session changes you will also be notified by UNI email or campus phone. Individuals needing an accommodation in order to participate in an event, please contact a HRS team member at 319-273-2954, or hrs-benefits@uni.edu, at least one week prior to the event.

Upcoming Financial Webinars

TIAA April Financial Wellness Webinars

Quarterly Economic and Market Update

April 10 at 11 a.m. to noon (CST)

Hear from TIAA’s chief investment officer about challenges investors are facing and tips on how to navigate them. 

We’ll share our views on:

• The state of the U.S. economy and key market drivers
• Recent financial policies and politics
• Investing in public markets

Fine-Tuning Your Retirement Strategy: Investing Toward a Secure Future

April 16 at 1 to 2 p.m. (CST)

If you’re in or near your peak earning years and want to do all you can to build a secure retirement, this webinar is for you. We’ll move beyond investing basics to help you fine-tune your saving and investing strategies for retirement. 

We’ll discuss how to:

• Adopt a savings lifestyle
• Invest for the long term
• Avoid pitfalls that can sabotage your savings
• Plan carefully before retiring
• Get help with your planning

Start to Finish: The Early Career Woman's Guide to Financial Wisdom

April 18 at 2 to 3 p.m. (CST)

Financial knowledge to get started on the right foot. Start caring for your financial well-being now. It’s never too early to begin saving, and the sooner you do, the more prepared you may be down the road. 

We’ll share financial strategies:

• Understand your income and your outflow, and how to balance them to your advantage
• Discover how saving a little now can help you later on
• Make a plan for your finances and your financial future

Staying Safe in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

April 24 at noon to 1 p.m. (CST)

Join us for a discussion on the growth of AI and what that means for protecting ourselves against scams and cybersecurity attacks. We will cover topics on how AI is being used in scam and phishing attempts as well as practical steps attendees can take to safeguard their family and themselves. 

TIAA webinars are open to all employees. Visit TIAA's webpage to register.

Times through the webinar link will be shown in Eastern Standard Time.

IPERS April Retirement Webinars

• April 17 | 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (CST)
  Creating a Secure Retirement

IPERS webinars are for state of Iowa employees within five years of retirement and their spouses. To register: https://ipers.org/members/calendar

Recognizing Our Retirees

We are thankful for the service of all of UNI's retirees! With their consent we are able to celebrate their years of service and share their information with the entire campus community.

Susan K Watkins

Custodian I,  Housing & Dining Facilities

33 Years of Service, Retiring in April

smithsk333@gmail.com

Retirement Readiness

Retirement Benefit Questions? The HRS Benefits Team is Here to Assist!

The Human Resource Services Benefits Team is continuing to help employees with retirement benefit questions. If you plan to retire please email hrs-benefits@uni.edu or call 319-273-2423. For additional information on retirement visit Retire from UNI: Next Steps.

Coming in May

Stay Up-to-Date with HRS Events

Plan on attending an upcoming Human Resource Services (HRS) sponsored event? Please visit the HRS event status webpage to view if the event is on-time, postponed, rescheduled, or canceled. Registered participants will also receive an email from HRS notifying that an event status has changed.

Subscribe to HRS Latest News and Events

Be the first to hear the latest news and events from UNI Human Resource Services including benefits and well-being news. Subscribe to receive the HRS News emails right to your uni.edu email account.

Is Your Personal Information Up-to-Date?

Need to Update Contact Information?

To make changes to your office and/or home (confidential) contact information:

Login to MyUNIverse > My Page > Update My Personal Information. This information is sent to Human Resource Services and will be updated within four working days.

Having a Life Event?

Visit our webpage to see what your next steps should be.