01-09-2008

The current purpose of the initiative committee is to get clear on the processes and steps for people suffering from a medical crisis or emergency and to help educate staff. 

Janelle Axtell lead some brainstorm sessions after our last meeting including William Gibson, John Bogart and identified several needs areas for an effective way to help a fellow employee with a health crisis:  Paperwork, Insurance Deadlines, Benefits, Payroll, Community Alert System.

Janelle then sent an email to Debbie Cerenzia asking questions about the current process for each of these need areas, thinking that a flow chart could be created with the information, which could then be used to educate staff.  Debbie’s response to Janelle was that she would research and get back to her.  Debbie then contacted Marcia with concerns, seeming to misinterpret the spirit of the request.  Debbie doesn’t want Staff Assembly council members to become agents of the university and expressed that there are already sufficient processes in place.  Marcia invited Debbie to the January 16, 2007 meeting to explore how to compliment the HR processes. 

A sick leave bank/fund idea was discussed among the group for the purpose of bridging a return to work.  Suggestions include: dispersed through a review committee with pre-set criteria, employees be given an opportunity to donate hours, have criteria for donating, bank could be used to pay insurance premiums. 

Another outcome of the brainstorm was a suggestion to investigate the insurance benefits – the choice of medical coverages and the long-term disability plan – which should probably become compensation committee. 

Next steps are to a) keep the committee working and researching information in order to create flow charts, b) invite the compensation committee to assign a person to the committee, c) invite HR to designate a representative to be on the committee.