New Senate faculty: things to do in your first month (and beyond)

University of California employees use the UCPath Online Employee Portal to enroll in benefits. Access the UCPath Online Portal via the website: http://ucpath.universityofcalifornia.edu/

• You have 31 days (including weekends and holidays) from the start of employment to review and complete your enrollment choices. 
• For most plans, you are covered on your first day at work, but it can take 30 to 60 days after you enroll for the insurance companies to receive a record of your enrollment. If you need immediate services, check with your insurance carrier first to see if they have a record of your enrollment. Within 72 hours of your enrollment, it will be available to all UC insurance carriers via a secure website, the UC Carrier Eligibility Website.
• You should also be receiving an email from the UCPath Center reminding you to take action (if you’re eligible) for benefits. If you fail to receive this notification or are unable to access UCPath Online to enroll, follow these instructions to enroll.
• Failure to enroll in benefits within 31 days will prevent you from enrolling yourself and/or your eligible family members until the next Open Enrollment period, which could result in penalties under the ACA regulations. 
• If you are transitioning to Berkeley directly from employment at another UC campus, and do not have a break in service, you do not need to enroll in Benefits through Berkeley; all current enrollments should automatically transfer. To confirm this, you can review your Benefits in UCPath and if you have questions, you should submit a UCPath Inquiry by using the "Ask UCPath" option from your UCPath Online Dashboard.

• For general information about UC benefits, visit this UC website 
• For new UC Berkeley employee orientation webinars and pre-recordings about benefits, visit this Berkeley Regional Services website. 
• Contact the UCPath Center (MF 8-6pm PST, ph. 855-982-7284

Parking & Transportation (P&T) provides a full range of services. If  you are commuting by bike, car, or just walking to campus, there are many options available to you:

• Employee Parking Permits
• Buying a Daily or Monthly Permit using My P&T OnlinePayroll Deduction Programs for eligible employees to purchase pre-tax parking/transit benefits
• Bike information from P&T
• Bear Transit services between Residence Halls, BART, Central Campus, etc.
• Ridesharing opportunities

For more information:

• Visit the UC Berkeley Parking and Transportation website to review your options and plan your parking and transportation needs.
• Contact the Parking and Transportation office (1995 University Ave, Suite 110 Berkeley, CA 94720-5740; ph. (510) 643-7701 

• Access to your specific work location/building
• Safety training that may be available and/or building safety and emergency information.
• Ensure you have (or will soon have) all the various systems access you need to do your job, including teaching resources.
• Expectations for upcoming personnel reviews. Note that academic employees are covered by the Academic Personnel Manual, which is posted on the Academic Personnel Office website
• Learn about notification and/or approval procedures in case of illness, travel, or other circumstances that might require you to miss work.
• Learn about disability accommodations, both for yourself and for students in your classes.
• Learn about family-responsive scheduling practices, dependent care supports, and duty modification for new parents. 

All new employees, including faculty, are required to complete several mandatory training modules, referred to as “Foundational Skills Training” that must be completed shortly after hire. You will receive an email outlining these training course requirements, which are also listed on the Foundational Skills Required Training website. Here’s a quick summary of training required as of spring 2023:

• Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (SVSH) Prevention  - Two courses, each taken every other year (recurring)
• Cyber Security Awareness  - One course, taken annually (recurring)
• Ethical Values and Conduct Training - One course, taken once (non-recurring)
• UC Abusive Conduct in the Workplace - One course, taken once (non-recurring)
• Workplace Safety - One course, taken once (non-recurring)
• Guidelines on Protecting Workers from COVID-19 - One course, taken once (non-recurring)

Depending on the nature of your research, you may also be assigned additional courses. 

While not strictly mandatory, it is highly recommended that you also complete the following courses:

• The course called Disability, Accommodation, and Access in the UC Classroom, for all instructors; essential knowledge for ensuring that classrooms are accessible to all students.
• IThe Berkeley People Management “Grow” series  (https://hr.berkeley.edu/grow), for faculty who supervise staff titles (including postdocs, lab assistants, etc.) 
• BearBUY "Basics for Shoppers" and "Intermediate for Shoppers", essential knowledge for those who need to purchase goods and services on behalf through the eProcurement system called BearBUY. 

All of these courses are accessed via the UC Learning Center; assignments appear there on your UC Learning Dashboard of Required Training. You’re notified by email every time you’re assigned a course; you also get warning emails as the deadline approaches and passes. Note: If you are overdue in taking a required course, your department chair or dean will also be notified by email. Please do your training on time!

WarnMe is Berkeley’s emergency alert system and sends you messages when there is a threat to the safety of the campus community. Employees are automatically enrolled via their Berkeley email. To receive alerts via other methods, you must indicate how to contact you. Note: text messages are the fastest method and should be your first alert priority (standard texting rates may apply). There are two ways to enroll: 

• Via Berkeley’s blu portal: https://blu.is.berkeley.edu
• Via the WarnMe website: https://warnme.berkeley.edu/

For more information on overall campus emergency preparedness, visit the Office of Emergency Management website at: http://oem.berkeley.edu/ 

The Office for Faculty Equity & Welfare (support resources for faculty, including new faculty) and the Academic Personnel Office (academic personnel cases, policies, benefits) offer a wealth of information on such topics as:

• Family responsive policies, including reduced duties for new parents, family care and bonding leave, and dependent care supports (see https://ofew.berkeley.edu/support-faculty/families)
• Medical leave and disability workplace accommodations (see https://apo.berkeley.edu/policies)
• Faculty Ombuds
• Employee Assistance (confidential counseling)
• Programming such as Faculty Link to support faculty through the arc of their careers
• 1:1 consultation with the Associate Vice Provost or OFEW Director (email ofew@berkeley.edu)

The “Addressing a concern” section of the OFEW website can be a good place to start troubleshooting.

The Center for Teaching and Learning partners with campus educators -- including faculty, students, and staff -- to inspire, enrich, and innovate Berkeley's collective teaching and learning community. They offer programs and services, including a New Faculty Guide with essential information and practical tips to support you during your first semester of teaching.

To get you started learning more about UC Berkeley (and Berkeley Regional Services), here are some websites that will help new employees acclimate: 

• https://regionalservices.berkeley.edu/ (Berkeley Regional Services (BRS)

• http:www.ucop.edu/  (University of CA - Office of the President)

• https://recalibrate.berkeley.edu (Berkeley's wellness resources)

• https://hr.berkeley.edu/policies/policies-procedures/university  (University Policies)

• http://www.uhs.berkeley.edu/facstaff/dms/workcomp.shtml (Workers Compensation)

• http://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/forms/pdf/upay-585.pdf (Patent Policies-pg 2)

• https://security.berkeley.edu/policy (Campus IT Policy and Privacy Information)

The retirement and savings benefits offered to University of California faculty and staff are widely recognized as among the most tangible rewards of University employment. But even with your University benefits, much of your future security will depend on decisions you make while you’re still working. To learn more, consult A Complete Guide to Your UC Retirement Benefits and visit the website of the Berkeley Retirement Center.

Most campus events and museums offer discounts to faculty, staff, and students. UC Berkeley faculty and staff also have access to special perks and preferred pricing on services and merchandise for organizational and personal use through our campus wide partners. Learn more on these websites:

• Employee Perks webpage: https://hr.berkeley.edu/compensation-benefits/perks
• University of California Discounts for UC Employees: http://ucop.edu/local-human-resources/op-life/employee-discounts/
• University Business Partnerships & Services:  https://upp.berkeley.edu/employee-benefits