Frequently Asked Questions. [for Program Administration]

Transcription

1 Frequently Asked Questions [for Program Administration] This contains answers to frequently asked questions about the Sittercity corporate program for the University of California. Arlene Chan-Galvez, Vendor Relations Management Revised: 12/05/2011

2 Contents Program Information & Eligibility... 3 Q1: What is the Sittercity program and why do we have it?... 3 Q2: Who is eligible for this program?... 3 Q3: Which bargaining units are eligible for this program effective January 1, 2012?... 3 Q4: Are retirees eligible?... 3 Q5: Is the Sittercity program part of campus Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)?... 4 Q6: Why this model - website/online tool instead of a traditional or center-based care?... 4 Q7: When will eligibility for this program begin?... 4 Q8: How does this program work?... 4 Q9: Who should employees contact when they have questions?... 5 Q10: Who are the local Sittercity coordinator/consultant at each location?... 5 Q11: How will the Sittercity program affect existing Child Care or Elder Care programs at UC locations?... 6 Q12: What types of care are available on Sittercity?... 6 Registration... 7 Q13: Who can register for this benefit?... 7 Q14: How do employees register for the Sittercity benefit with UC?... 7 Q15: What information is required to activate an employee s Sittercity program membership?. 7 Q16: Why do employees have to provide their employee number and work location?... 7 Q17: Where can employees find their employee number?... 7 Q18: What is the process for urgent registration?... 8 Q19: What are the costs of this program?... 8 Q20: What if an employee already has a Sittercity account?... 8 Membership Expiration... 8 Q21: What options do ineligible employees have?... 8 Q22: When employees end their employment at UC or when they become ineligible for this benefit, when will their Sittercity access end?... 8 Sittercity Caregivers... 8 Q24: What are the different criteria a care seeker can use to screen a caregiver?... 9 Help/Customer Service...10 Q25: What if employees have additional questions?...10 Q26: How do employees contact Sittercity customer service?...10 Rev. 12/05/2011 Page 2

3 Program Information & Eligibility Q1: What is the Sittercity program and why do we have it? A: In the Systemwide Advisory Committee on the Status of Women May 2010 report to President Yudof, a recommendation for a university backup care program for children and adults of UC faculty and staff was made. With President Yudof s support and the leadership of systemwide Human Resource Vice President Dwaine Duckett the recommendation became a reality. Sittercity is the vendor chosen by UC to provide this program. Sittercity provides a web-based resource that will be available to eligible employees at all UC locations and in many locations across the United States. Sittercity caregivers will met diverse care needs, helping employees balance their work/life demands. Offering this benefit allows the University to compete favorably with our comparator academic institutions, thus helping the University s recruitment and retention efforts. Q2: Who is eligible for this program? A: Employees eligible for this program include non-represented benefits-eligible employees and certain represented employee groups (see Q3). To be eligible, an employee must be assigned a BELI code 1, 2, 3 or 4. Extension of this benefit to exclusively represented employees is subject to collective bargaining. Q3: Which bargaining units are eligible for this program effective January 1, 2012? A: The following bargaining units are participating in the Sittercity program effective January 1, A7 - Academic Senate - UCSC CX - Clerical & Allied Services IX - Non-Academic Senate Instructional LX - Professional Librarians F3 - Fire Fighters - UCD F7 - Fire Fighters - UCSC GS - Printing Trades KB - Skilled Crafts - UCB/LBL K2 - Skilled Crafts - UCSF K3 - Skilled Crafts - UCD K4 - Skilled Crafts - UCLA K5 - Skilled Crafts - UCR K8 - Skilled Crafts - UCSB PA Police Officers Q4: Are retirees eligible? A: No, retirees are not eligible. The primary purpose of this program is to help the UC faculty and staff members find caregivers - especially on short notice - so that the faculty and staff member can get to the office or classroom with minimal disruption of his or her schedule. Rev. 12/05/2011 Page 3

4 Q5: Is the Sittercity program part of campus Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)? A: No. EAPs are UC-sponsored programs that deliver confidential health-related services which are provided by licensed professionals or organizations. EAP services may include counseling in such areas as: alcohol & drug problems, marriage/relationship, legal, career/work, parenting, and financial problems. The Sittercity program does not offer counseling but provides an added resource to our employees who are seeking family care services. Q6: Why this model - website/online tool instead of a traditional or centerbased care? A: Onsite daycare or center-based care is limited in terms of its geographic scope, space availability, and times of operations. Most centers are not 24/7 operations which means emergencies that happen outside of operational hours go unmet. The cost for center-based care may be expensive and most programs limit the number of usage or the amount of benefit received under these arrangements. With the addition of Sittercity s Corporate Program, all employees have unlimited access to care which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. When employees transfer to another work location, this program gives an ideal way for the relocated employees to secure care in their new locations. In addition to center-based care benefit that may be offered by some locations, access to the Sittercity website gives UC employees the ability to find and hand-select in-home care for children and adults, with no maximum day limits; care seekers select local caregiver that s right for their family, even for last minute situations. By solving both everyday and back-up care needs, Sittercity provides a comprehensive child care and elder care solution to complement our work/life benefits and EAP resources. Q7: When will eligibility for this program begin? A: Eligibility for this program begins on the first day an employee becomes eligible for his/her health benefits. However, due to the timing of the eligibility files provided to Sittercity, there is a delay of about 4 weeks before a newly eligible employee can register online. For the meantime, if an employee needs to find a caregiver immediately, he or she should contact Sittercity customer service. Sittercity will allow the employee to register and establish an account temporarily while eligibility is verified. Q8: How does this program work? A: In brief: The University sends Sittercity an eligibility file monthly. Eligible employees register with Sittercity online at When the need arises, employee uses the online tool (website) to find the appropriate caregiver. The employee interviews and selects the caregiver of his/her choice. The chosen caregiver comes to the location where care is sought. Employee pays the caregiver directly and may evaluate the caregiver and the quality of care received. Care seekers may also select future caregivers in advance of their need by saving a list of names to My Sitters. This allows the care seeker to be ready when last minute needs arise. Rev. 12/05/2011 Page 4

5 Q9: Who should employees contact when they have questions? A: For questions about the Sittercity website or issues on caregivers, employees should contact Sittercity s customer service via phone or . For questions about eligibility, employees should contact their local program coordinator or their HR office. Q10: Who are the local Sittercity coordinator/consultant at each location? A: Please refer to the table below for this information. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory ASUCLA UC Berkeley UC Davis UC Davis Medical Center UC Hastings College of Law UC Irvine UC Irvine Medical Center UC Los Angeles UC Los Angeles Medical Center UC Merced UC Office of the President UC Riverside UC San Diego UC San Diego Medical Center UC - San Francisco UC San Francisco Medical Center David Wiedrick (Compensation & Benefits Manager) dawiedrick@lbl.gov (510) Trina Scruggs (HR Division/Benefits Manager) tscruggs@asucla.ucla.edu (310) Barbara Ashby (Work/Life Manager) baashby@ucdavis.edu (530) Sandy Batchelor (Work/Life Coordinator) sbatchelor@ucdavis.edu (530) Danesha Nichols (Investigations Coordinator, HR) danesha.nichols@ucdms.ucdavis.edu (916) Rey Alden (HR Specialist) aldenr@uchastings.edu (415) Dyan Hall (Work/Life & Wellness Program Manager, HR) dyhall@uci.edu (949) Dorothy Ong (Benefits Representative) dong@uci.edu (714) Lydia Oller (Benefits Manager) loller@chr.ucla.edu (310) Ragini Gill (Benefits Representative) RGill@mednet.ucla.edu (310) Tina Machado (Health Care Facilitator/Wellness Coordinator) tmachado@ucmerced.edu (209) Scott Sylva (Benefits Representative) Scott.Sylva@ucop.edu (510) Theron Lyon (Benefits Manager) theron.lyon@ucr.edu (951) Amanda Chavez (Work/Life Programs, HR) amandachavez@ucsd.edu (858) Maria Morante (Benefits Manager) mmorante@ucsd.edu (619) Mercedes DeSouza (Program Liaison, Office of the Ombuds) Mercedes.DeSouza@ucsf.edu (415) UC Santa Barbara UC Santa Cruz Liz Molina (H. R. Office Manager) Liz.Molina@hr.ucsb.edu (805) Julie Putnam (Sr. Manager, Benefits) jlp@ucsc.edu (831) Rev. 12/05/2011 Page 5

6 Q11: How will the Sittercity program affect existing Child Care or Elder Care programs at UC locations? A: This program will complement, not replace, any existing child or elder care benefit by providing unlimited access to caregivers in areas that do not currently have them and during times when the regular care centers are not available. Q12: What types of care are available on Sittercity? A: The following types of care are available on Sittercity: Child Care The caregivers in Sittercity s child care channel offer a wide array of child care services ranging from part-time to full-time and temporary to long-term. Some examples of types of care provided include: Before and After school care Infant and newborn care Care during school vacations and holidays Last minute and back-up care Extended or unusual work hours Care during business travel Care for children with special needs Care for sick children Elder Care The caregivers in Sittercity s elder care channel provide a wide range of care from companionship to medical assistance. Examples of care provided include: Senior companion care Rehabilitation care Hospice care CNA/medical care Respite care Transportation Pet Care The caregivers in the pet care channel provide services for every day as well as occasional use. Specific types of care include: Walks & drop-ins Day visits Overnight & extended stays Grooming Training Tutoring Individuals in the tutoring channel provide assistance to students of all ages in all subjects. This includes: Rev. 12/05/2011 Page 6

7 Test prep Foreign languages Music lessons Elementary High School College Home Care Sittercity s home care channel provides both housekeeping and house sitting services. Registration Q13: Who can register for this benefit? A: Only eligible employees can register for this benefit. Each eligible employee/family will have one account and it is the account established by the UC employee on the UC-Sittercity website at: Q14: How do employees register for the Sittercity benefit with UC? A: To register, simply go to Employees will be asked to provide all the verification fields to the right - name, zip code, address, select their work location and enter their employee number. They will also be asked to provide a username and a password. As soon as they click Register Now, they are ready to use the program. Q15: What information is required to activate an employee s Sittercity program membership? A: The following information is required to verify an employee s eligibility to use the program: name, zip code, address of choice, their work location, and employee number. Employees may find their employee number in their Timesheet or their Earnings Statement on the At Your Service (AYS) website or their Employee ID Card/Badge, their paycheck, or they can ask their local department personnel representative, Payroll or Benefits office. Q16: Why do employees have to provide their employee number and work location? A: The employee number and work location will be used by Sittercity to authenticate eligibility to use this program since not all employees at UC are eligible for this program. Q17: Where can employees find their employee number? A: Employees may find their employee number in their Timesheet or their Earnings Statement on the At Your Service (AYS) website or their Employee ID Card/Badge, their paycheck, or they can ask their local department personnel representative, Payroll or Benefits office. Rev. 12/05/2011 Page 7

8 Q18: What is the process for urgent registration? A: In urgent cases where an eligible employee needs care before their eligibility is passed onto Sittercity, Sittercity has agreed to allow the employee to register after obtaining the employee s name, employee number and work location and verify their eligibility later. If eligible, the employee s membership is retained. If not eligible, the employee s membership is cancelled. Q19: What are the costs of this program? A: The membership fee or subscription fee has been paid for by UC. This means that eligible employees are free to access the site and find the care they need. The cost to employees is the cost of the care services received. Employees pay the care provider directly for services rendered. Q20: What if an employee already has a Sittercity account? A: The free membership of eligible employees under the UC-Sittercity partnership starts on January 1, If an employee currently has a Sittercity account, tell them to contact Sittercity Customer Service after January 1 st to let them know that he or she is a UC employee. Sittercity will manually switch over the employee s current Sittercity account under the UC corporate program and will refund any 2012 membership fee the employee has paid. Membership fees paid to Sittercity for years prior to 2012 are not refundable. Membership Expiration Q21: What options do ineligible employees have? A: Ineligible employees have the option to purchase a subscription to use Sittercity s public website at Employees can contact Sittercity customer service directly if they have questions about this program. The caregivers on the corporate site are the same on Sittercity s public site. Q22: When employees end their employment at UC or when they become ineligible for this benefit, when will their Sittercity access end? A: Employees should expect their access to UC s corporate program to end at the end of the month of their termination. However, since eligibility data are provided to Sittercity only once a month, there will be a lag time so depending on when an employee s employment ends or ineligibility begins, the employee may have an extra month to use the site. Sittercity Caregivers Questions about Sittercity caregivers and website should be directed to Sittercity customer service. Sittercity customer service contact information is found on the last page of this document. Rev. 12/05/2011 Page 8

9 Q24: What are the different criteria a care seeker can use to screen a caregiver? A: The criteria are as follows: General Information Care Provider Age Education Level Availability Last Sign In Distance Has Transportation OK With Pets Nonsmoker Has Background Check Has Photo Has Reviews Full Time Part Time After School Overnight Date Night Short Notice Long Term User Reviews Signed in within 1 wk. Signed in within 2 wk. Signed in within 1 month Signed in within 3 month Signed in within 6 month Less than 5 miles Less than 10 miles Less than 20 miles 3+ stars 4+ stars 5 stars years old years old years old years old 41+ years old Preferred Location At Family's Home At Sitter's Home Years of Experience 1+ years 3+ years 5+ years Experience with Children Hourly Rate Newborns/Infants Toddlers Early School Age Grade School Age Pre-Teens/Teenagers Less than $10/Hour $10 - $20/Hour $20 - $30/Hour $30 - $40/Hour $40 - $50/Hour Certifications High School+ College+ Graduate School First Aid CPR Certified Nurse's Assistant Teacher Special Needs Experience ADD Asperger Syndrome / Autism Asthma Developmentally Challenged Diabetes Down Syndrome Epilepsy Hearing Impaired Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Physically Challenged Visual Impairment Other Services Offered Care for Sick Children Cook Drive the Kids Homework Help Potty Training Laundry Light Housekeeping Rev. 12/05/2011 Page 9

10 Help/Customer Service Q25: What if employees have additional questions? A: Employees should be referred to Sittercity customer service. You can also tell employees about additional information and helpful tips located within the Help section on Sittercity website, found at Q26: How do employees contact Sittercity customer service? A: Employees can contact Sittercity customer service in various ways: By phone: SIT CITY - Option 1 ( ) Hearing Impaired: TTY: By support@sittercity.com Online: Click on Contact Us on the website Sittercity s in-house Customer Service Representatives are available, via phone or , from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. CT (5 a.m. - 5 p.m. Pacific Time) Monday-Friday. Sittercity Customer Service Representatives are trained to assist all site users with any issues or concerns they may experience related to the site. Rev. 12/05/2011 Page 10