Some benefit-related items you ought to know

Periodically we like to restate a few benefit-related items members ought to know about. Here are a few:

See the Tuition Reimbursement circular. The benefits have improved though the circular hasn’t yet been updated. But you can access the application on the circular. See here, pages 3 and 5, for the new benefits and also see the application information at the back of the circular.

See here for the Small Necessities Leave Act. To do any of the following, you can use your paid time:

• to participate in school activities directly related to the advancement of the employee’s son or daughter, such as a parent-teacher conference or interview for a new school;
• to accompany a son or daughter to a routine medical or dental appointment such as a routine check-up or vaccination;
• to accompany an elderly relative (60 years or older) to a routine medical or dental appointment or for other professional services such as interviewing at a nursing home.

To take advantage of Cancer Screening, you can take up to four hours of time — this time is not taken from your bank. Types of cancer screening that fall under the four-hours-off-per-year policy are as follows: breast, prostate, colon, skin, thyroid, oral cavity, lymph nodes, reproductive organs, and lungs. See the circular here.

If you use your own car and travel to two schools/sites or more per day, you are entitled to receive a mileage reimbursement. See the circular here under FIN-02.

Finally, all BTU members are entitled to longevity or career awardsunder certain conditions, and while the awards are supposed to be automatic, it doesn’t hurt to check. Here’s how to apply. And here’s how to check for the correct award — for teachers (nurses, and so on), for paras.

As always, if you have any questions of the above, please emailMichael, Caren, or Jenna.

Poll Results: Last week we took a poll of our members on the uploading of artifacts and 326 of you responded. 140 (or 43%) said “yes,” that the uploading of artifacts was a helpful tool in the performance evaluation process. 186 (or 57%) said “no,” it wasn’t. The state-of-the-art scanners that the school district promised for every school are on back order. We will let all know when they arrive.