RF CUNY Employee Overview

Navigating employee resources at the RF CUNY website may be unclear, that's where we come in. The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs is here to assist you as you traverse the RF CUNY website for your employee needs and questions.

The Research Foundation at the City University of New York utilizes an E-Systems approach to maintain employee information.

• This includes a hub to obtain staff recruitment information, access to entering and submitting timesheets, and the appropriate employment forms that must be submitted to ensure effective employee onboarding.
• Furthermore, through the RF CUNY website, employees can learn about non-wage compensation in the form of benefits, as well as, accrual information regarding paid time off (e.g., annual leave, sick leave) and leave benefits.

*Please note the information below can be found on the RF CUNY Website, for more information on any of the topics discussed below, please visit the RF CUNY website and browse the "Employees" and "Resources" tabs - as well as, the left-side navigation menu dropdowns for each of these respective sections to learn more information about being an RF employee and managing awards as a PI governed by your CUNY institution alongside RF CUNY.

RF CUNY E-Systems and RF Employee Information

Timesheets (Time and Leave System)

The RF CUNY Electronic Time and Leave System - "Manage Timesheet" tab, manages timesheets electronically to record the hours an employee works or charges to a specific leave type (e.g., annual leave, sick leave, etc.) during a biweekly pay period. RFCUNY employees are paid biweekly in the regular payroll period. Employee timesheets are due on the Monday following each pay period end date.

To learn more about the electronic time and leave system as well as information on how to access and navigate this platform, please visit the Time and Leave System Manual. And the Timesheet Entry Guide.

For retroactive payment, please fill out the Retroactive Payment Timesheet.

The RF CUNY Electronic Paystubs System displays an employee’s Gross to Net wages and all deductions (taxes, insurance, etc.). The paystub also shows an employee’s current rate of pay, address, and pay period.

To access the Electronic Paystubs System:

1. Navigate to the "Electronic Tools" Menu selection in the main navigation dropdown menu
2. Select the "My Payroll and Benefits" dropdown selection
3. Click on the "Employee Services" tab
4. Click on the "Payroll Information" selection on the left navigation menu
5. Click on "Current Paystub"

• Direct deposit is a secure and convenient way for employees to receive their pay electronically in their bank account on payday. Direct deposit takes effect after one payroll cycle (one pay period).
• Enrolling in direct deposit requires an employee login to the My Payroll & Benefits service.
• An employee may have up to two accounts set up for direct deposit.
• To Enroll in Direct Deposit please use the Direct Deposit Guide.
• Otherwise: Follow these steps:

1. Sign in to RF CUNY with the 6-digit RF CUNY ID provided and the password you’ve created.
2. Select the Employee Tab and then select "Managing Online Timesheets, Paystubs, and e-W2"
3. Select My Payroll & Benefits
4. Select Employee Services, the second tab on the top left
5. Select Payroll Information and under the drop the Direct Deposit tab will appear
6. Click the pencil under edit for Final Net Pay to begin entering your direct deposit information

• Note: it may take 1-2 weeks to be enrolled into the RF CUNY system, so you can start enrolling into direct deposit, then, 1-2 pay periods for your account to be verified, and then activated. During the verification period, you will continue to receive a check, but the following pay period your funds should be directly deposited.

Consenting to the Electronic-W2 Form

• The W-2 form is the tax form an employer must send to an employee and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at the end of the year. The W-2 form reports an employee's annual wages and the amount of taxes withheld from an employee’s paycheck.
• RFCUNY employees may receive their W-2 form by postal delivery or by consenting to electronic delivery through Tax Form Management.
• You can access the online consent process by visiting the E-W2 My Tax Form Consent Website:
• After heading to the My Tax Form website:

1. Enter Employer Code:13138
2. Then, Click on the selection that says "Register Now! First-time User? Click here to register."
3. Then, Register with the My Tax Form Website - you must provide your full first and last name (as it appears on your SSN card), your SSN, your DOB, your full address, your phone number, your email address, enter the one-time passcode - then you will be verified and allowed to create a User ID (using your email is strongly recommended) and a password.
4. When logging in, you must use the user ID and password before created
5. Then, you can consent to the E-W2 Form or otherwise unconsent from E-W2 to a paper/mail version

Time and Leave Accruals

• The paid time off accruals as detailed in the Time Off and Leave Benefits policyapply to all RFCUNY employees unless otherwise provided for in collective bargaining agreements.
• To view your time and leave accruals please visit the Time and Leave System and click on the "Time and Leave" tab. There, you can view all of your accruals

Annual Leave Accrual Rates For Full and Part-Time Employees:

• Less than 3 years of service - 15 days per year at 0.057692 hrs per hour worked
• 3 years or more but less than 8 years of service - 22 days per year at 0.084615 hrs per hour worked
• 8 years or more service - 25 days per year at 0.096154 hrs per hour worked

Sick Leave Accrual Rates For Full and Part-Time Employees:

• Less than 3 years of service - 20 days per year at 0.078571 hrs per hour worked
• 3 years or more but less than 8 years of service - 20 days per year at 0.078571 hrs per hour worked
• 8 years or more service - 20 days per year at 0.078571 hrs per hour worked.
  Employees earn a maximum of 1120 hours of Sick Leave
  More than 5 consecutive days of sick leave is equivalent to a Self (Own Serious Health Condition) Application for a Leave of Absence

Holidays:

• Holidays are scheduled annually for the fiscal year. RFCUNY usually observes 14 scheduled holidays in addition to the accrued unscheduled holidays.

Unscheduled Holidays:

• For the 2023-2024 Calendar year, four (4) unscheduled holidays for the period July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024, are accrued as follows:
• An unscheduled holiday is a time that may be charged for vacation, personal or family business, religious or other special observance, etc. Full-time employees earn four (4) Unscheduled Holidays throughout the fiscal year (July 1, October 1, January 1, and April 1).
• To be eligible, an individual must have been employed full-time on the same Research Foundation account for three (3) consecutive months before the first day of the month of the calendar quarter. e.g., If employed on November 1st, 2023, the first day of the last calendar quarter was October 1, 2023, as such, the employee would be subject to the next quarter. the January 1st, 2024 quarter; so, that employees would qualify for their first unscheduled holiday after January 1st, 2024.
• All unscheduled holidays must be taken during the fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) in which they accrue. There are no provisions for the carryover of any unused unscheduled holidays from one fiscal year to the next.
• In cases where an individual is transferred from one account to another and maintains continuous service, an additional three-month waiting period will not be required.

FMLA, Leave of Absence, Military Family Leave

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 enables eligible employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons with continuation of group health insurance coverage.

To be eligible for FMLA benefits, an employee must:

• Have worked for at least 12 months
• Have at least 1,250 regular hours of service for the employer during the 12 months immediately preceding the leave

Under FMLA, an employee is entitled to twelve work weeks of leave in 12 months due to the following:

• The birth of a child, within one year of birth
• The placement of a child for adoption or foster care of a child, within one year of placement
• Care for a spouse, child, or parent with a serious health condition
• A serious health condition that makes an employee unable to perform the essential functions of their job

OR: Twenty-six workweeks of leave during a single 12-month period due to the following:

• Care for a covered service member with a serious injury or illness - if the eligible employee is the service member’s spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin (military caregiver leave).

An employee must request FMLA 30 days in advance when the need for leave is foreseeable. When the need for leave is foreseeable less than 30 days in advance or is unforeseeable, an employee must provide notice as soon as possible and practicable under the circumstances.

To better understand employee rights and forms necessary when employing FMLA please refer to the following documents:

• Employee Responsibilities and Rights Under FMLA
• Application for Leave Under FMLA
• Leave of Absence Application
• WH-380 - E Certification of Health Care Provider for Employee’s Serious Health Condition
• WH-380 - F Certification of Health Care Provider for Family Member’s Serious Health Condition
• WH-384 - Certification of Qualifying Exigency for Military Family Leave
• WH-385 - Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of a Current Service Member for Military Caregiver Leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act
• WH-385 - V Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of a Veteran

RF CUNY Employees earn a MAXIMUM of 1120 hours of Accrued Sick Leave Time; out of these hours, up to 56 hours can be allocated to care for a family member under FMLA

Pension Plans and Retirement Options

RFCUNY provides a 403(b) tax-sheltered annuity plan at the time of retirement. The mandatory and voluntary pension retirement savings plans, offered through TIAA, allow employees to defer funds on a pre-tax basis into an annuity account.

To enroll in the RF mandatory and voluntary pension retirement savings plans please visit the TIAA 403(b) tax-sheltered annuity plan webpage:

• Click Ready to Enroll
• Select Research Foundation of CUNY Tax Deferred Annuity Plan
• Click Next and Select Begin Enrollment. If the access code is not already populated, please enter the access code RFCUNY002 to continue.

As far as Group Retirement Annuity (GRA) - Full-Time and Part-Time A employees are eligible to participate in a defined contribution retirement plan administered by TIAA (the "pension plan"). Participation in the pension plan is mandatory for eligible employees.

For Group Supplemental Retirement Annuity (GSRA) - All employees of the Research Foundation who receive compensation reportable on an IRS Form W-2 are eligible to participate in the Plan, as long as the employee contributes a minimum of $200 per year. Two exceptions are non-resident aliens who receive no U.S.-based income from RF CUNY and student employees, who are not eligible to participate in the Plan.

• For more information on the GRSA please refer to the GRSA Plan Description.

If an employee is not a participant of the GSRA program or is a participant and wishes to change the amount of their contribution to the plan, the employee must complete and submit a Salary Reduction Agreement form to the campus benefits coordinator.

Short Term Disability

Short Term Disability is a benefit available to all RF CUNY employees that provides income support in the event of the following:

• A temporary disability
• A medical illness
• An injury (lasting 6 or more subsequent days) unrelated to the workplace

Under the Hartford short-term disability policy, employees are covered for a short-term disability for up to 26 weeks. This policy is available to RF CUNY employees given the following:

• Full-time employees will be covered only after 30 days of employment
• Part-time employees will be covered only after completing 20 scheduled days of work

Claims should be completed within the first 15 days (no later than 30 days) after an employee becomes sick or disabled to utilize sick leave of over 5 consecutive days.

When applying for short term disability leave, the RF CUNY employee must request leave first with their supervisor, the employee must then complete the following forms:

• The Notice and Proof of Claim for Disability Benefits (Form DB-450)
• The Certification of Health Care Provider for Employee’s Serious Health Condition – Family Medical Leave Act (Form WH-380E)

Long Term Disability

Long Term Disability represents full-time employees with disabilities extending beyond 26 weeks.

The Prudential Insurance Company provides long-term disability coverage to full-time employees. It is effective the first day of the month following the completion of a year of service from the date of hire.

Applying for Long Term Disability benefits requires a 180-day waiting period from the date of the initial disability and completion of the Prudential Long Term Disability Claim Form. To learn more please refer to Prudential Long Term Disability Plan For RF CUNY Project Staff Employees.

The RF CUNY Health Insurance is a fringe benefit intended to protect employees' medical health and well-being post-tax.

Anthem

Anthem is the provider organization for employees who are eligible for healthcare coverage. The effective date of coverage is on the 1st of the month after a 30-day waiting period from an employee’s start date.

• You can enroll or waive health insurance benefits using the My Payroll Benefits System.
• Post-tax Health Insurance Participation
• Anthem Disabled Dependent Eligibility Form
• PPO Plan Summary of Benefits and Coverage

Vision Care

Vision Care is offered through Anthem’s Blue View Vision Plan. Services indicated in the Blue View Vision document are covered under the plan every 24 months.

Employees eligible for health insurance may enroll in the opt-out waiver plan if currently enrolled in a non-RFCUNY health insurance plan. To qualify for a waiver, employees must provide proof of alternate health insurance coverage.

Flexible Spending Plans

The RF CUNY Pre-tax Flexible Spending Plans are pre-tax reimbursement benefit plans designed to save money and reimburse qualified out-of-pocket expenses that are not covered by insurance plans. RF CUNY offers four types of plans: Healthcare Reimbursement, Dependent Care, Transit/ Commuting, and Parking.

Flexible Spending

• The total dollar amount selected is evenly deducted from an employee’s paycheck throughout the plan year and deposited into the employee’s flexible benefit account.
• This plan allows a minimum annual election of $250 up to a maximum of $3,200 pre-tax dollars per year to pay for non-reimbursed medical and dental expenses for an employee and their eligible dependents (domestic partners not included)

Dependent Care

• The Dependent Care plan allows a minimum annual election of $250 up to $5,000 pre-tax dollars per year to pay for the care of an employee’s dependent. Qualified expenses include childcare, eldercare, preschool, day camp, before/after school programs, and nursing care. This plan is available for Full-time and Part-time A employees.

Transit/Commuting

• Employees are allowed to use up to $315 pre-tax dollars per month towards transit/commuting expenses. This includes Metro Cards, LIRR, Path, Metro-North Railroad, NJ Transit, Rockland Coach, Ferries and Vanpool Services.

Parking

• The Parking plan allows up to $315 pre-tax dollars per month towards workplace or commuter parking expenses.

Research Foundation Education Assistance Program (REAP)

The Research Foundation Education Assistance Program (REAP) is a tuition reimbursement program available to eligible RF CUNY employees for courses offered by, conducted at a facility of, and leading to an undergraduate or graduate degree from The City University of New York (CUNY).

Reimbursement

For courses taken in pursuit of an undergraduate or graduate degree by eligible matriculated students, for any undergraduate or graduate level courses offered by and taken at any CUNY institution:

• For eligible Full-time employees, the program pays the full tuition for a maximum of two courses per academic year, regardless of cost.
• For Part-time A employees, the program pays the full tuition for one course per academic year, regardless of cost.

For certificate, credit-bearing, and non-credit-bearing courses taken at any CUNY institution:

• For eligible Full-time employees, the program pays the tuition equivalent to that of a three (3) credit undergraduate or graduate level course, for a maximum of two courses per academic year.
• For Part-time Aemployees, the program pays the tuition equivalent to that of a three (3) credit undergraduate or graduate level course, for a maximum of one course per academic year.

Application Process

Employees must submit an application to RF CUNY's Office of Human Resources on or before the last day the employee is entitled to add or drop the class.

Since reimbursement is available on a first-come, first-served basis, employees are encouraged to submit their applications upon course registration.

The application process requires that the employee’s (applicant's) Principal Investigator/Project Director confirm that the course(s) for which tuition reimbursement is being sought will not interfere with the employee's work schedule.

• Certificate, credit, and non-credit bearing courses not taken in pursuit of a degree require that the employee's (applicant's) Principal Investigator/Project Director attest that the course is job-related.

Proof of Completion

Upon completion of the courses(s) approved for tuition reimbursement and within 60 days of the last day of final exams, the employee must present the following to RF CUNY's Office of Human Resources in order to receive reimbursement:

• A copy of the original application, indicating that the course(s) was approved by RF CUNY's Office of Human Resources
• Proof of matriculated status in a CUNY degree program (when applicable)
• The original bursar's receipt indicating the amount of tuition paid directly by the employee (employees will not be reimbursed for any part of their tuition that was covered by financial aid other than by student loans)
• A copy of the employee's grade report for the approved course(s), indicating the achievement of at least a grade of C, P, or SP if applicable;
• A copy of the employee's transcript indicating the maintenance of an average of a C or better for the applicable session

For certificate, credit bearing or non-credit bearing courses, the employee must present the following to the RF CUNY's Office of Human Resources:

• Registration confirmation showing the name of the CUNY college attended
• Name of the course(s) completed
• The amount paid for tuition
• Method of payment (loan, credit card, cash, etc.)
• A signed letter from the college (on college letterhead) stating that they have completed the course or a copy of the certificate

The RF CUNY Employee Perks System is outlined by the RF CUNY's partnership with Working Advantage and Fun Express (FunEx) to provide employees with an assortment of discounted activities.

Through these associations, RF CUNY Perks allows employees to access premium discounts and access to shows, travel, car rentals, hotels and accommodations, restaurants, shopping, special events, subscription services, gym passes, and more.

1. Working Advantage; RF CUNY Marketplace -The RF CUNY Marketplace offers a multitude of services including the purchase of tickets for third-party events, attractions, tours, car rentals, flights, cruises, or lodging.
2. Fun Express (FunEx) Discounts - The RF CUNY FunEx partnership provides a wide array of discounted and fun activities with savings of up to 55%. With substantial savings on admission to amusement and waterparks, museums, movie passes, dinner theaters, and many other family-friendly activities.

Registration is free. RF CUNY Perks are available to all RF CUNY employees.

For any further questions or concerns regarding timesheets, direct deposit, W2 forms, leave and absence, benefits, insurance, and any other RF CUNY Employee-related questions please feel free to contact:

• The YC ORSP Grants Assistant Ms. Desirelyn Haliburton at x2125
• An RF CUNY HR Resources Personnel via The HR Information Line or the RF Benefits Personnel- please provide your 6-digit RF CUNY ID number when contacting the RF!