Compensation and Staffing News
June 2021
UUA Office of Church Staff Finances Mission
Guided by the values of our faith,
we equip congregations for excellence as employers
and their staff for financial competence and well-being.
You may need to click on continuation dots to view all articles and/or to see each one in its entirety.
Did You Know?
All W2 employees, age 18 or older, are eligible to participate in the UUA Retirement Plan, regardless of hours, length of service, or receipt of employer contributions.

What does this mean?
All employees of UU organizations which have adopted the UUA Retirement Plan can authorize elective contributions via pre-income-tax payroll deduction even if they do not meet the Plan's criteria for employer contributions. Again, every employee is empowered to enroll upon hire – or anytime thereafter – in order to reduce current taxable income and save toward retirement!

Employees may also roll eligible retirement savings from another account into the Plan.

Two Action Items
1. Ensure that all of your employees, including new hires, are aware of and given access to this valuable benefit, as required. (You might prompt staff every month in an email that includes payday notification and a time sheet reminder. Or you can do it annually, perhaps tied to the new fiscal or calendar year.)

2. Provide all employees with enrollment information, along with copies of 1) your congregation's completed Employer Participation Agreement, 2) an Employee Contributions Agreement to allow them to authorize salary deferrals, and 3) the Summary Plan Description.

For more information on authorizing elective contributions, please visit Eligibility for the Retirement Plan or contact the UUA Retirement Plan Team.
Employee Changes: It's That Time of Year
A lot of employee changes take place between June and August. A number of ministers and other staff are resigning, retiring, or transitioning from one congregation to another. Those continuing at the same congregation may be getting a change in pay or hours, or moving to a new home.
 
Please communicate these changes to the Office of Church Staff Finances to ensure that your congregation’s benefits continue to be properly administered for your employees. These forms make it easy!
 
1. Our Employee Benefits Change Form is for reporting any kind of change that may influence benefits, including:

  • Address changes, which could change an employee's health insurance premium
  • Changes in hours or pay rate, which will change Life and Long-Term Disability premiums and might impact benefits eligibility
  • Terminations, which mark the end of coverage (insurance) and contributions (Retirement Plan)
  • Elective drop of coverage for self or dependents

2. For ministers and other employees transitioning to a new congregation, be sure to read the Transitioning Benefits page, which includes a link to our Coverage Continuation Form.

To contact our Insurance Plans team members, email InsurancePlans@uua.org or call our toll-free number, 888-792-7496.
Nurturing and Developing Your Staff This Summer
Renaissance Modules
The UUA Renaissance Program has many professional development opportunities for religious professionals this summer and fall! Join us online for modules in:

  • Administration as Leadership
  • System Theory
  • Dimensions of Faith Development
  • UU History
  • UU Theology
  • Curriculum Development
  • Teacher Development
  • **Leading UU Culture Change registration will be posted soon**
 
To make these offerings even more spectacular, we now have sliding scale fees and Continuing Education Grants. View the module information and schedules and register today!
 
Youth Mental Health First Aid
Youth Mental Health First Aid Training, created by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, teaches adults supporting youth how to recognize the signs and symptoms of mental health challenges and crises and offers practice applying appropriate steps to getting youth the help they need. The June and July sessions of this training are already full. Stay tuned for August and September dates!

Transitional Religious Leadership: Theory and Practice
The Guild of Interim Religious Educators (GIRE) now offers a training program focusing on congregational transitions for professional staff serving in religious leadership roles. Professionals, this program provides you with the tools you and your team need while serving a congregation experiencing a transition and the skills to help imbue your work with fresh perspectives. For more information, see GIRE's Transitional Religious Leadership course page. Registration deadline: July 15.

The Transitional Religious Leadership facilitators recommend that participants complete the UUA's free, self-paced Foundations for Transitional Staff course prior to the beginning of this program. (See "For Staff Interested in Transitional Work" on the Transitions Support for Congregational Staff page.)
General Assembly Workshops
Attending General Assembly? Check out these workshops:

Building Resilience through Staffing Innovations (on demand), with Jan Gartner and Rev. Sarah Schurr

Compensation: Questioning Cultural Norms,Committing to Equity (on demand), with Rev. Michael Crumpler, Jan Gartner, and Rev. Sierra-Marie Gerfao

Interim Ministry: A Time for Liberation and Courage (Thursday, June 24, 5:00-6:30 ET), with Revs. Patrice Curtis and Keith Kron
Our First Poll!
We're featuring polls in our newsletters so that we can learn about you, learn from you, and better meet your needs. It takes just a second to respond. (We'll publish the results of this poll in the July newsletter.)
I learned about this newsletter from...
A staff member (minister or other) in my congregation
A lay leader/volunteer in my congregation
A UUA regional staff member, regional newsletter, or regional event
A UUA Office of Church Staff Finances team member
A UUA staff member other than regional staff or Church Staff Finances
It was a while ago and I don't remember
None of the above
UUA Office of Church Staff Finances
24 Farnsworth Street | Boston, MA 02210