Human Resources Newsletter: November 2025

Greetings colleagues!

As we continue to prioritize the well-being of our employees, I want to take a moment to highlight the importance of mental health.

Taking care of your mind is just as vital as caring for your body, and we encourage everyone to make use of the resources available to support emotional and psychological wellness. Please review the 24/7 mental health resources available under the various health insurance programs. Let’s work together to create a culture where seeking help is a sign of strength and where mental health is openly valued.

Please be sure to review the recently shared information regarding holidays, intersession operations, and the 2026 Holiday Schedule. Enjoy the rest of the semester and remember to prioritize family, health and wellbeing during the upcoming holidays! 

Gary Evans
Chief Human Resources Officer
 

HR Highlights

• PEP Ends December 8: The Productivity Enhancement Period (PEP) has begun and ends December 8, 2025. Please visit our website for enrollment forms and more information.
• State Ethics Training Deadline: The deadline is December 31, 2025. Find out whether you have to take the on-demand or live version of the Ethics training.
• W-2s and more: Confirm SUNYHR has your correct address by December 1, 2025, to ensure you receive your W-2 on time. W-2s can also be found on NYSPO for employees who are actively on the payroll.

Mid-Semester Essentials

• Supervisors, remember to check MyUAlbany to see when Performance Programs and Evaluations are due. For help, check our HR site or contact [email protected].
• With the holidays around the corner, watch for the State Ethics Rules Holiday Gift Reminder. Email coming soon, contact UAlbany’s Ethics Officers with any questions.
• Flex Spending Open Enrollment began November 1, 2025, and will go through December 8, 2025.
• HRTS Submitters: Graduate Spring appointment HRTS submissions are due December 12, 2025.

Hiring and Onboarding

Upcoming New Employee Orientation & Start Dates include:

• November 20, 2025
• December 4 and 18, 2025
• January 15 and 29, 2026
• February 12 and 26, 2026

Orientation dates are now posted on our website. Supervisors should review these dates before making a hiring offer to ensure employees are on campus, attending orientation on their first day.

New employees are required to complete UAlbany’s New Hire Compliance Series, State Ethics Training and SUNY’s Title VI Training within 90 days of their start date and can find more information online at HR Training & Development.

Other Tips and Resources

• “Which trainings do I have to complete?” Review the differences between UAlbany’s Compliance Series and other required trainings and reach out to [email protected] with any questions.
• Looking to make changes to your health insurance? Register for MyNYSHIP now and you can submit changes during the Option Transfer Period online! 
• Looking for training & development opportunities? Reach out to Jill Haskell for a one-on-one session to talk about your needs.

Coming Soon

• Option Transfer Period dates, to make changes to health insurance, will be released toward the end of November.
• Look out for Winter IDEAs, Management Matters and Mentor Cafe session notices as we transition into the Spring semester.
• UAlbany’s Refresher Compliance Training is due March 31, 2026.

Highlights Across Campus

Our featured department is: Communications & Marketing!

Thank you for showing us your UAlbany spirit! As we move into the holidays, the next departmental feature will be for the office with the most Holiday Spirit! Whether you’re in a Winter Wonderland or have employees that celebrate a wide variety of holidays, we’d love to see it! Submit a photo today.

HR Roundabout

From mid-August to early-November, we welcomed 78 new employees to campus! We appreciate the continued collaboration from departments all across campus as we onboard new staff.

Additionally, we congratulate the 21 retirees we’ve offboarded this summer and wish them the best!

Meet HR 

Chelsea O’Hanlon
Employee Relations Associate; Assistant Ethics Officer

Chelsea came over from SUNY Poly in February 2024 and has been with the HR team since then. You should contact Chelsea at [email protected] with any questions about performance programs and evaluations, term, permanent and continuing appointments, and ethics.