Colleagues, Hello. I hope this message finds you well. The recently signed CARES Act (Coronavirus Aide, Relief, and Economic Security Act) enacts some changes to our Health Care Spending Account. Specifically, Over-the-counter drugs and medicines can be paid for or reimbursed without a doctor’s prescription. Menstrual care products are now considered a qualified medical expense and are eligible for payment or reimbursement. […]
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Medical Emergency Assistance Benefit
UUP offers a medical benefit to UUP members only provided by UNUM through Assist America, that makes active and retired members eligible for medical emergency assistance, when traveling 100 or more miles from home. Services include: Guaranteed hospital admission Emergency medical evacuation to a medical facility Medically supervised return travel to your home Prescription replacement […]
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Medical Documentation for Sick Time
Article 23.4(f)(3) of the UUP Contract permits the College President to require an employee to furnish suitable medical evidence from the employee’s physician at ANY time he or she is absent and using sick leave. Your medical information is confidential and protected by HIPAA. Your supervisor is not entitled to know your medical information, or […]
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Interrogation
New York State public sector employees who are members have a statutory right to Union representation at any interrogation that might result in discipline. This right to representation is known as “Weingarten rights” (Weingarten Rights Bill, Ch. 244, L. 2007). This right is documented under Article 19 of the UUP Contract. Interrogations are conducted by Employee […]
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Holiday Comp Time
Employees who are off work and charging a sick or vacation or holiday accrual have no obligation to perform ANY work. They should not be expected to check emails or answer calls. UUP recognizes UB’s need to staff certain units. Sometimes employees are required to be on-call on contractual holidays. This means that if you […]
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Faculty Tenure Track
If you are on a tenure track line but have not yet received tenure, you should not be asked to undertake substantial administrative tasks. This is stated specifically in the Policies, Procedures, and Criteria for Faculty Personnel Actions Section ll.A. The reason for this, is so that faculty members working towards tenure are allowed a […]
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Creeping Work Hours
We want to document and stop any “creeping work week” problems you face. Some of our members are concerned that their workload is increasing along with the number of hours it takes for them to get their job done. This usually occurs for one or more of the following reasons: An increase in the number […]
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Mileage and Parking
Did you know that if you have to travel to a meeting located off site from your regular work location, you have several options: you can be told to take a University vehicle, you can be told to take the UB shuttle, or if neither of those are options, and you drive your personal vehicle, […]
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Compensatory Time
UUP professionals are eligible for, and entitled to, compensatory time. “Comp time” is compensatory time given to employees who have worked beyond their professional obligation. The UUP Contract DOES specifically contemplate comp time (in Appendix A-29) and you should request it if you are requested to work beyond your obligation. An example of a reason […]
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Anti-Union Animus
Every UUP member has the legal right to consult with the union over any issue involving the terms and conditions of employment. This right is written into the Public Employees Fair Employment Act, commonly known as the Taylor Law, a labor relations statute covering most public employees in New York State. The legal term for […]