Benefits

You must have worked 1250 hours IN THE CALENDAR YEAR to be eligible for FMLA. Example; if January 1st you have 1230 hours worked but on January 31st you have 1250 hours worked, you may THEN apply for FMLA. If you fall below 1250 hours worked say in February, you are STILLL ELIGIBLE for FMLA for the rest of the calendar year for the SAME condition that you were certified for, as long as you have some of your 12 week entitlement.

For More Click HERE!

2011 OPEN ENROLLMENT 09/14/10

There are going to be BIG CHANGES in how the Open Enrollment will be handled this year.
Active Bargained Employee?s-Open enrollment will be from Oct. 4-15 enrollment will be online NO ENROLLMENT PACKETS will be mailed out this year. You will receive a postcard mailed to your home address about 1 or 2 weeks prior to Oct. 4. A reminder postcard will be sent to your work address during the enrollment period. There will be no other printed communications.
The active members can either make their election online or via a rep. at benefits (877-722-0020). Once the election has been made a Confirmation Statement will be mailed within 1 business day.
Retired Bargained-Open enrollment will be from Oct. 18-29, enrollment materials will be online also. They will receive the Pre-Annual Enrollment materials at their home address on file as well as the Enrollment worksheet or a confirmation Statement depending on whether or not their current 2010 option is available in 2011. They will not mail out the Health Plan comparison Charts unless the member calls Benefits and requests it.
If a active/retired member makes an active election either online or via a rep, then the Confirmation Statement will be mailed within 1 business day. If no active election, then they will receive a Confirmation Statement at the close of the enrollment period.
The reason given for no packets being mail out is that Benefits has been asked to support the corporate sustainability initiative and moved to a paperless enrollment environment for actives.
There are still a lot of questions that need to be answered by AT&T about open enrollment, but since this would be the last monthly union meeting before open enrollment you would need what information I had at this time.

Here is some more information on the 2011 open enrollment.

If active members who would like a hard copy of the open enrollment package can call benefits at 1-877-722-0020 and request it. No additional time will be allotted for a mailed package.

Retirees will be mailed a hardcopy out automatically for their open enrollment.

If a member does not wish to change anything, they do not have to enroll, BUT I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THEY DO LOOK AT THE OPEN ENROLLMENT INFORMATION SINCE THERE ARE A LOT OF CHANGES THIS YEAR. IF A MEMBER IS ON AN HMO THEN THEY WOULD NEED TO CHECK TO BESURE THAT HMO IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR 2011.

FMLA 8/11/10
***PLEASE NOTE FEDERAL REGULATIONS REGARDING WORKING SPOUSES IF YOU BOTH WORK AT THE COMPANY: I gave some information at the last union meeting and after clarifications from the department of labor have determined that there is more to this article interpretation law than I mentioned. I apologize for any misinformation that was relayed. Believe it or not, I am not perfect!!

Yes the first paragraph of article 825.202 states: A husband and wife who are eligible for FMLA leave and are employed by the same covered employer are permitted to take only a combined total of 12 weeks of leave during any 12-month period if the leave is taken:
(1) for birth of a son or daughter or to care for a child adter birth;
(2) for placement of a son or daughter for adoption or foster care, or to care for the child after placement; or
(3) to care for a parent (but not parent-in-law) with a serious health condition.
(b) This limitation on the total weeks of leave applies as long as the husband and wife are employed by the "same employer." It would apply, for example, even though the spouses are employed at two different worksites of an employer located more than 75 miles from each other, or by two different operating divisions of the same company. On the other hand, if one spouse is ineligible for FMLA leave, the other spouse would be entitled to a full 12 weeks of FMLA leave.

*****(c) Where the husband and wife both use a portion of the total 12-week FMLA leave entitlement for one of the purposes in paragraph (a) of this section, the husband and wife would each be entitled to the difference between the amount he or she has taken individually and 12 weeks for FMLA leave for A PURPOSE OTHER THAN THOSE CONTAINED IN PARAGRAPH (a) OF THIS SECTION. FOR EXAMPLE, IF EACH SPOUSE TOOK 6 WEEKS OF LEAVE FOR THE BIRTH OF A CHILD, EACH COULD LATER USE AN ADDITIONAL 6 WEEKS DUE TO A PERSONAL ILLNESS OR TO CARE OF A SICK CHILD.*****

ETHICS 8/11/10
If you have an Ethics issue. my suggestion is to NOT call the company ethics hotline. They give erroneous information (such as you should file a grievance first) and is solely run by the COMPANY.

There is an EEOC-Harassment hotline that I found during a training course in the LSO at work. They have a 3rd party that listens and addresses your complaints/concerns. Please try them first at 888 871-2622.

There have been recent changes to Legacy B Benefit Plans. Click here for a document detailing those changes.

I have a new dentist on the Union Dental network for the CWA Union members. Dr. Eaglin has two offices, one in Jonesboro and one in Fayetteville. If you have any members that live in those areas please make sure they get a copy of the attached coupons. I am sure the members will appreciate it.

Thank you.

HRA 2/12/10
Blue Cross Blue Sheild ONLY. Remember the HMO's Aetna and Kaiser DO NOT HAVE THESE DEDUCTIBLES AND PREMIUMS THEY REMAIN THE SAME AS TODAY

What is 10% co-insurance? For a family of 3 let's say, the deductible is 700.00 and 3000.00 in- network out of pocket. One member of the family of 3 goes to the doctor a lot because of illness. Once they pay for each full cost of their office visit and meet 350.00, that leave 350.00 left out of the 700.00. Another member of family goes to the doctor a lot and meets their 350.00 deductible. That is 700.00. You go to the doctor now and do not have to meet the 700.00 The company pays 90% of your office visit and you pay 10%. After you and your family meet the in-network of 3000.00 by paying the 10% of the office visit, all office visits afterward are paid at 100%.

This is a brief synopsis. I will have more information as it is more thouroughly explained to me.

FMLA Quicknotes 03/04/08

Be sure you go to the hronestop page and sign up for email notifications from FMLA. Once you are on the homepage click on the F in the directory on the right. This will direct you to the website where you can then sign up. You can also go to access.att.com from home.
As you will see on the FMLA website you may request an extension if you need longer than the 15 days to submit your forms from the doctors office. If you mail the forms you will have 20 days for FMLA to receive them.
When you sign up for email notification they will advise you when the forms have been received and if you are denied/approved. You can also email the FMLA administrators with questions. And supposedly they will let you know when your forms are expiring. I have not seen this used as of yet. This tool has been exceptionally helpful.