The Staff Resources portion of the
Human Resources Department web page provides a variety of
resources and general information for all South Colonie
employees such as benefits, physical exams, payroll forms,
Family Medical Leave Act, sexual harassment, Capital Employees
Assistance Program and more.
Benefit Plans/Open Enrollment Periods
Health Insurance: The months of November and May are open enrollment for district health insurance for all eligible employees. The effective date of coverage for November enrollment is January 1. The effective date of coverage for May enrollment is July 1.
The district offers Capital District Physicians' Health Plan and Blue Shield of Northeastern New York. Check your employee contract for eligibility.
2011-2012 South Colonie Health Insurance Regulations (pdf)
All employees must notify the Health Insurance Department of changes that affect their coverage, i.e. changes from individual to two person or family coverage. If an employee marries and wants to change to two-person coverage, that change must be made within 30 days of the date of the marriage. Please note that dependents are not automatically added to coverage. A new baby is to be reported within 30 days of the baby's birth in order to obtain proper coverage. A new birth is to be reported even if the employee already has family coverage. Coverage is provided for children to age 19. Coverage, with exception of the Blue Shield Dental Plan, may be extended to age 25 if the child is a full time student attending an accredited college or university. For information about claims, providers, etc., please contact Kimberly Lawyer at Amsure Associates at 689-1553 or 1-800-458-1851 or by email at klawyer@amsure.net.
Dental and Prescription Plans: The month of May ONLY is open enrollment for the Blue Shield of Northeastern New York Delta Dental Plan and the Express Scripts Prescription Plan. Check your employee contract for eligibility. The effective date of coverage for these plans is July 1.
For eligibility information and enrollment packets regarding health, dental and prescription insurance contact the South Colonie Insurance Department at (518) 869-3576, Ext. 2455. For information about claims, providers, etc., please contact Kimberly Lawyer at Amsure Associates at 689-1553 or 1-800-458-1851 or by email at klawyer@amsure.net.
Flexible Spending Accounts: The month of May ONLY is open enrollment for the district's Flexible Spending Accounts. As of January, 2011, bt benetech is the administrator of the South Colonie Flexible Spending Benefit Plan. Flex plans run the fiscal year - July to June. Flexible Spending Accounts provide you with an important tax advantage that can help you pay health care and dependent care expenses on a pre-tax basis. By anticipating your family's health care and dependent care costs for the next plan year you can actually lower your taxable income. For more information on Flexible Account Spending plans and for enrollment forms, contact the South Colonie Payroll Department at (518) 869-3576, Ext. 2456, or click on the documents below.
South Colonie Flexible Spending Plan Summary and Overview (pdf)
Flexible Spending Program Information (pdf)
Flexible Spending Contact Information for bt benetech (pdf)
2012 Flexible Spending Enrollment and Change in Familly Status Form (pdf)
Benetech Medical Expense Recovery Form (pdf)
Benetech Dependent Care Expense Recovery Form (pdf)
Tax Sheltered Annuities (TSAs)/403(b)
Plan
Tax Sheltered Annuities/403(b) Plan: South Colonie Schools makes available to all district employees a voluntary retirement savings TSA or 403(b) plan. You can enroll at any time. To enroll you must complete a Salary Reduction Agreement available from the South Colonie Payroll Department or online at http://www.gwnmarketing.com/. For more information on the plan, click here.
GWN Salary Reduction Agreement (pdf)
List of District Approved 403(b) Providers (pdf)
Retirement Information and Questions
For questions and information on retirement issues such as benefits and loans, please do NOT call the South Colonie District Offices. Instead, Teachers, Teaching Assistants and Administrators and retirees should contact the New York State Teachers Retirement System at (518) 447-2900 or 1-800-348-7298. All other district employees and retirees should contact the New York State and Local Retirement System at (518) 474-7736 or 1-866-805-0990. Retirement forms are available at the District Office but may also be downloaded quickly from these web sites. For a copy of the Standard Work Day and Reporting Resolution, click here (pdf).
South Colonie Conference Attendance, Report and Expense Reimbursement Forms (pdf)
South Colonie Mileage Report 2011-2012 (pdf)
Payroll Procedures and 2011-12 Pay Check Issuing Calendar (pdf)
Direct Deposit Authorization Form (pdf)
Savings Bond Deduction Form/TreasuryDirect Account Information (pdf)
Form W-4 Federal Income Tax Withholding (pdf)
Form IT-2104 New York State Tax Withholding (pdf)
Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification (pdf)
Employee Change of Address Form (pdf)
School Systems Federal Credit Union Brochure (pdf)
South Colonie Employee Fingerprinting
New York State law requires that the Office of School Personnel Review and Accountability conduct fingerprint supported criminal history background checks for applicants for certification and all prospective employees of school districts, charter schools and BOCES. South Colonie's fingerprinting is provided through the Capital Region BOCES Office of Health/Safety/Risk Management. For more information on fingerprinting procedures and fees, click here (pdf).
The South Colonie Central School District requires a physical examination of all new employees. This examination should not include any diagnostic tests, however, a TB test or chest X-ray is required for all new employees at the time of initial employment. For more information on the physical requirements and for an exam report form, click here (pdf).
Capital Employee Assistance Program
Capital Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is an important benefit provided to you by your employer. EAP services are available to you and your dependents at no cost. These services include: professional counseling (individual, relationship, family), life coaching, depression screening, legal and financial referrals, workshops and trainings on personal and professional development topics, extensive online information and resources on wellness and mental health topics, and more. For a EAP brochure, click here.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
The Family Medical Leave Act requires employers to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible employees for a variety of reasons. The Department of Human Resources offers the following FMLA information for district employees:
FMLA Entitlement Information (pdf)
South Colonie Board of Education FMLA Policy (pdf)
FMLA Information Letter: Answers to Commonly Asked Questions (pdf)
FMLA Request Form (pdf)
FMLA Certification of Health Care Provider (pdf)
South Colonie Schools are committed to safeguarding the rights of all employees to a work environment that is free from all forms of sexual harassment. The Board of Education has approved the following policies regarding sexual harassment in the workplace:
Policy on Sexual Harassment of Employees (pdf)
Policy on Sexual Harassment Policy of Students (pdf)
District Policy on a Drug Free Workplace
South Colonie Schools has a Drug Free Workplace policy in effect in compliance with provisions of the Federal Drug Free Workplace Act of 1988. For more on the policy, click here (pdf).
Universal Precautions & Bloodborne Pathogens for New Employees
Universal precautions are hygiene
procedures used for blood and body fluids. All
blood/body fluid is to be treated as contaminated regardless of
its source and contact should be avoided. Barriers such as
gloves are to be used to reduce the risk of transmission of
bloodborne pathogens. Each employee should obtain a Universal
Precautions kit containing disposable gloves from their nurse to
have available in case
of a need. For more information on this subject,
click here
(pdf).
