News
You Can Use!
Important Information for Employees of
Oklahoma State UniversityJanuary 2005
Use Web for Employees for Up-to-Date Payroll and Employee Information
Need Access to Web for Employees?
OSU Needs Your Opinion Retirement Plan Vendors
Direct Deposit Update - No More Priority Distribution Locations
Early 2005 Training Opportunities
What You Need to Know About "The Bus"
Use Web for Employees for Up-to-Date Payroll and Employee Information
Web for Employees is a feature of the Human Resource System which allows employees of the OSU/A&M system to view payroll, benefits, deductions, leave balances, OSU employee job history, and other personal information.
Employees can use any computer with Internet access and Internet Explorer or
Netscape versions 4 and higher to access Web for Employees, weekdays,
evenings, and even weekends, at home or at work. Employees can easily update
certain information, such as address and emergency contact.
Payroll Advice information is available on Web for Employees. The Payroll
Advice process is currently being transformed to a paperless system. An e-mail
notification to the employee being paid will request the employee view specific
pay information on Web for Employees.
The e-mail notification will include how the pay is being distributed (direct
deposit or pickup), and other important announcements. A link to Web for
Employees will also be embedded in the e-mail.
E-mail notifications will be sent to employees’ @okstate.edu e-mail address.
Employees need to be sure they are monitoring that e-mail or have a forwarding
address set up for their @okstate.edu email account.
Employees will need to activate their O-Key account. This can be done by
contacting the Help Desk in Information Technology, (405) 744-4357.
Employees who do not have immediate access to a computer can use a computer in
Human Resources, 106 Whitehurst. Employee Services staff are available to help
employees with Web for Employees. There are also computers available in
Physical Plant and Residential Life.
The current implementation timetable is for the January 2005 monthly Payroll
Advice to be issued using both the paperless and current paper process. After
that, all monthly Payroll Advices will be issued using the paperless method. The
paperless Payroll Advice for biweekly employees will be implemented later.
Need Access to Web for Employees?
To access Web for Employees, go to the OSU Home Page,
http://osu.okstate.edu/, select
Human Resources from the drop down menu, and then select Web for
Employees at the top of the page. Or you can go straight to
http://prodhosu.okstate.edu/. Select Click Here to Enter Employee Self
Service. Type your Employee ID and your PIN. All employees are given a
default PIN equal to their birth dates (mmddyy). When you log into Web for
Employees for the first time, you will be required to change your default
PIN to a new PIN.
If you forget or lose your PIN, you may request your PIN be reset by calling
Employee Services, (405) 744-5449, or by coming to 106 Whitehurst. Upon
presentation of identification or verification of personal information on HRS,
an Employee Services representative will reset the number for you.
A Web for Employees brochure is available for download at
www.okstate.edu/osu_per/docfiles/docfiles.htm or call and request a copy
from Human Resources, (405) 744-5373.
OSU Needs Your Opinion Retirement Plan Vendors
Some OSU employees have requested that additional investment vendors be added to
both the OSU Defined Contribution Plan, available to employees hired prior to
July 1, 2004, and the OSU Alternate Retirement Plan, available to employees
hired July 1, 2004 or thereafter. OSU’s Retirement Investment Options
Subcommittee (RIOS) is seeking employee input on the names of vendors of
interest to employees. As a Request for Proposals process is begun, OSU will
notify these vendors of the proposal process. There is no plan to remove
TIAA-CREF as an approved vendor.
Please send an e-mail to osu-es@okstate.edu and provide the names of investment
companies you would recommend as additional carriers. Alternatively, you may
indicate if you think no new vendor(s) should be added. If you lack e-mail
access, you may send a written response by campus mail to Vendor
Recommendations, Human Resources, 106 Whitehurst, Stillwater. Human Resources
will ensure that vendors you recommend receive an invitation to bid as we move
forward with the bid process.
The RIOS committee will use this information to help ensure that bids are sought
from companies that are preferred by the OSU community. Once the bids are
received, an outside consultant will be engaged to facilitate the analysis of
bids from potential vendors.
Remember — there is no intention of removing TIAA-CREF as an option for
employees and this process does not affect OTRS contributions or accounts. It
also does not affect OSU’s 403(b) Voluntary Supplemental Tax Deferred Annuity
Plans or OSU’s 457(b) Voluntary Deferred Compensation Plans.
Direct Deposit Update - No More Priority Distribution Locations
In accordance with State legislation, all new state employees, including OSU
employees, will be required to sign up for direct deposit if hired after January
1, 2005. In addition, all other OSU employees who are currently not on direct
deposit will be required to have their pay checks direct deposited by June 30,
2007.
Effective January 1, 2005, Stillwater employees will only be able to pick up
paychecks from the Bursar’s Office, 113 Student Union. There will no longer be
priority distributions from areas such as Physical Plant or Residential Life.
Employees may pick up checks from the Bursar’s Office during normal office
hours. During the month of January, paychecks will be available for pickup from
the Bursar’s Office during normal office hours. The pick-up schedule will change
throughout the year. To review the schedule, go to
www.okstate.edu/osu_per/payrollserv.htm.
If you currently pick up your paycheck, you will want to complete an Automatic
Deposit Transmittal form and submit it to Payroll Services, 409 Whitehurst.
Don’t forget to attach a voided check to your request. The form is available on
the web at
www.opm.state.ok.us/opm-73.pdf or call Payroll Services, (405) 744-6372.
You will want to review your Payroll Advice carefully to verify the distribution
of your paycheck. The State no-longer pre-notes, which means the State no longer
sends a “dummy” deposit to the employee’s bank to verify bank account
information.
Pay which is direct deposited is usually available at your financial institution
several hours or even days before the paper check is distributed.
All OSU employees who have active assignments will receive their 2004 W-2 Wage
and Tax Statements by campus mail on or before January 31, 2005. Employees who
no longer work at OSU will receive W-2 forms at their home addresses as
reflected in HRS.
The last payroll advice you receive in 2004 can be used to estimate your salary
and taxes paid for 2004 if you are ready to start working on your income taxes
before you receive your W-2.
Early 2005 Training Opportunities
Jan 13 The Straight of It!
Jan 18 Purchasing Card Training
Jan 18 Building Interpersonal Skills
Jan 19 Developing Creative Strategies for Organizational Challenges
Jan 20 Human Resources and the Law
Jan 25 Telephone Etiquette
Jan 26 Sexual Harassment
Jan 27 Management Skills for First-Time Supervisors
Feb 1 OSU Employment Practices
Feb 2 Life: The Character Classroom
Feb 3 Recruitment and Compensation Topics
Feb 3 New Employee Orientation
Feb 8 Purchasing Policies and Procedures
Feb 9 Safety is Everybody’s Business
For more information, or to register, refer to your 2005 Faculty and Staff
Development Opportunities brochure, or go to
www.okstate.edu/osu_per/hr/staff_dvpt05.htm, or call Training Services,
(405) 744-5374.
What You Need to Know About “The Bus”
The OSU / Stillwater Community Transit System, known as The Bus, offers a transportation alternative to faculty and staff at OSU. For starters, all faculty and staff members at OSU can ride any on- or off-campus transit route at no charge. That’s right, you can ride The Bus for free!
The Bus operates seven routes from 6:30 a.m. until 7 p.m., Monday through
Friday. These routes include two on-campus routes:
• Black Route is on a 7 minute cycle, with stops that include the Athletic
Avenue Transit Center (AATC), the Student Union, Ag Hall, and overflow parking
lot 74, across from the Colvin Center.
• Orange Route is on a 15 minute cycle. Its stops include the Student Union, The
Market, Ag Hall, and Wilham and Walnut.
There are also five off-campus routes. Every off-campus route stops at the AATC
and Student Union:
• Blue Route is on a 30 minute cycle. Its stops include Miller and Main; Main
and Hall of Fame; OSU Library Annex; and the Stillwater Airport.
• Brown Route is on a 45 minute cycle, with stops that include Stillwater
Medical Center and Meridian Technology Center.
• Gray Route is on a 30 minute cycle, with stops that include Wal-Mart; Hall of
Fame and Perkins; McElroy and Perkins; and Lakeview and Perkins.
• Purple Route is on a 30 minute cycle, with stops that include the OSU
Foundation and Technology and Research Park.
• Scarlet Route is on a 45 minute cycle, with stops that include the Stillwater
Public Library, Downtown, and 6th and Burdick.
In addition, The Bus offers two night time routes that operate 7 p.m. until
10:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
• Green Route, which is the off-campus route. This route runs a 30 minute cycle,
with stops that include Main and Hall of Fame; OSU Library Annex; Boomer and
Lakeview; the Carmike Theater; McElroy and Perkins; and Wal-Mart.
• Gold Route, which is the on-campus route. This route runs a 15 minute cycle,
with stops that include the Student Union, Ag Hall, The Market, and Wilham and
Walnut.
If you are heading for an on-campus meeting, consider The Bus instead of driving
and hunting for a parking space. For those who don’t want to drive to campus and
park, try parking at the OSU Library Annex, Stillwater Airport, or the
Stillwater Public Library and ride The Bus to campus!
For more information about The Bus or for route maps and schedules, visit
www.transit.okstate.edu or call
744-2832.
OSU Human Resources developed this information for the convenience of OSU employees. It is a brief interpretation of more detailed and complex materials. If further clarification is needed, the actual law, policy and contract should be consulted as the authoritative source. OSU continually monitors benefits, policy and procedures and reserves the right to change, modify, amend, or terminate benefit programs at any time.