HR Newsletter – December 2024
Welcome to the Winter 2024 Newsletter
In the excitement and busyness of the academic year, let’s always remember Whom we serve each day and determine to reflect Him in all we do as we Train Champions for Christ together.
This month’s newsletter includes a reminder to review your payroll information, an update on Virginia’s minimum wage increase, policy updates, information about the IT Marketplace, and more! We hope you find this newsletter helpful, and if you have any questions or concerns, you are welcome to contact us at (434) 592-7330 or HR@liberty.edu.
A Message from HR’s Executive Vice President
As I reflect on the past year at Liberty, I’m proud of the progress we’ve made and the initiatives we’ve implemented to support our employees.
We’ve met several strategic priorities in 2024, including:
- Adopting industry-leading benefits, such as expanded adoption assistance, enhanced maternity leave, and new in vitro fertilization (IVF) coverage
- Providing a full week off for the Christmas holiday
- Launching the Training and Development team to invest in employee growth
- Piloting the Champion Leader Training program to develop our next generation of managers
- Implementing the new Workday Recruiting platform
- Seeing across-the-board improvements in our second annual employee engagement survey
One initiative I’m particularly excited about is our Lunch with a Leader program. Inspired by feedback from last year’s focus groups, these events allow employees to sit down and share their perspectives with executives. Over the past few months, I’ve had the pleasure of hosting these lunches with my HR team. It’s been invaluable to hear directly from them about what matters most – from simple things like regular hallway check-ins, to more substantive topics like enhancing employee recognition and encouraging long-term careers at Liberty.
Now I’d like to extend the same opportunity to you that I’ve given the members of my team. Connecting with employees across campus is crucial, and your insights will help shape how we continue striving toward making Liberty an employer of choice.
If you’re interested in joining me for a Lunch with a Leader session, please reach out to HR at (434) 592-7330 or HR@liberty.edu and we’ll work to schedule you for one in the coming months. I look forward to meeting with you and learning how we can make Liberty an even better place to work.
Steve Foster
Executive Vice President of Human Resources
Review Your Payroll Information
As 2024 draws to a close, it’s important to confirm that your payroll information is accurate for tax reporting purposes. Please take a moment to verify your name, address, and Social Security number in Workday to ensure the accuracy of your 2024 W-2 form.
The 2024 W-2 forms will be mailed no later than Jan. 31, 2025. However, for quicker access, your W-2 will also be available online via ADP iPay by Jan. 20, 2025. Please note that you cannot access your W-2 in Workday. If you have any questions, please reach out to LUPayroll@liberty.edu.
Virginia Minimum Wage Increase
Virginia’s minimum wage will increase to $12.41 per hour on Jan. 1, 2025. All employees earning below $12.41 per hour will have their wages adjusted automatically, and there is no action required from your department to implement these changes.
Employee Handbook Updates
The Employee Relations team has been diligently working to improve the Liberty University Employee Handbook, which now includes updates to the following sections:
- 3.10: Social Media
- 6.5: Family and Medical Leave (FML)
- 6.8: Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA)
- 6.9: Military Leave and Civil Air Patrol
- 6.11: Jury Duty, Victim Rights, and Other Civic Responsibilities
- 6.12: Extended Personal Leave of Absence, Leave with Approval (Lack of Work), and Organ Donation Leave
We are excited about these improvements, which reflect added support to the university’s employees. To learn more about each update, you may view the handbook by following this link.
Contractor Prequalification Questionnaire
To maintain compliance with state and federal regulations, we have made updates to the Liberty University Independent Contractor (IC) Prequalification Questionnaire to include more detailed information about the prequalification process. Effective Dec. 15, 2024, any IC requests must be submitted with this new form. If you have any questions, please reach out to hrclassification@liberty.edu.
Champion Leader Training Program
The HR Training and Development team is thrilled to announce the launch of Champion Leader Training. This comprehensive program is designed to equip current and aspiring leaders with the essential skills needed to thrive at Liberty University and excel at Training Champions for Christ.
Through a blend of interactive workshops, one-on-one coaching, and peer-to-peer learning, participants will have the opportunity to develop practical leadership capabilities that can be immediately applied in their roles. The inaugural cohort will begin in January 2025.
Leaders, be on the lookout for more training initiatives coming in 2025!
New Employee Orientation
Human Resources hosts New Employee Orientation (NEO) sessions to facilitate a positive onboarding experience for new full-time employees by providing essential content in a welcoming environment. Orientations are held every other Monday (unless otherwise specified) in Green Hall, Room 1572. If the NEO date falls on a university holiday, the orientation will be moved to Tuesday of that week. New employees will receive an email invitation from HR with instructions on how to attend.
We have also created a New Employee Resources webpage to help our new employees find information regarding their onboarding steps and other topics covered during orientation.
View the New Employee Resources page.
Shop for Christmas at the IT Marketplace
This Christmas, treat yourself or someone you love to a gift from Liberty University’s IT Marketplace – a convenient online resource for LU employees. Take advantage of the amazing deals on featured brands, including:
The IT Marketplace also provides information about and access to ThinkEDU, Liberty’s software and hardware store, featuring Mathematica, JMP Pro, and more.
Visit Liberty.edu/ITMarketplace to start shopping today!
Employee Bulletin Board
Did you know that you can find information about all of Liberty’s upcoming events in one easy location? The Employee Bulletin Board is your one-stop shop for important announcements, special events, and great discounts. Don’t miss out. Visit the Employee Bulletin Board today.
Are you interested in advertising an event or need or making a campuswide announcement? Contact your project coordinator or email marketing@liberty.edu for more information.