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Sections below:
Contract, Evaluations, & HPS Policies
Pay, Payroll Forms & Procedures (checking your pay on ESS, reimbursements, lane changes, etc.)
Professional Development
Health Insurance
Retirement, Pension, & Other Benefits
ADA Accommodation & Leave of Absence Requests
Name/Address Change Form
Contract, Evaluations, & HPS Policies
Pay, Payroll Forms & Procedures (checking your pay on ESS, reimbursements, lane changes, etc.)
Professional Development
Health Insurance
Retirement, Pension, & Other Benefits
ADA Accommodation & Leave of Absence Requests
Name/Address Change Form
Contract, Evaluations, & HPS Policies
Contract
FROM A HOME COMPUTER, you can access copies of contracts in the "Members Only" password-protected section at the bottom of this page. If you are at school and need one ASAP, email the HEA Webmaster (via school email is fine since the contract is not a secret to admin) and they will forward you one. The HEA Executive Board felt that posting it here for anyone on the web to see was not in our members' best interest and so decided that putting it on the password-protected section was best. If you have any questions or concerns about the language of your contract, please contact the Professional Rights & Responsibilities (PR&R) board member for your unit or your building rep.
Evaluations
EVALUATION HANDBOOK - UNIT A (2016)
HPS Policies
Annual Employee Training Manual (2016- Confidentiality, Acceptable Use, Conflict of Interest, Harassment, etc.)
FROM A HOME COMPUTER, you can access copies of contracts in the "Members Only" password-protected section at the bottom of this page. If you are at school and need one ASAP, email the HEA Webmaster (via school email is fine since the contract is not a secret to admin) and they will forward you one. The HEA Executive Board felt that posting it here for anyone on the web to see was not in our members' best interest and so decided that putting it on the password-protected section was best. If you have any questions or concerns about the language of your contract, please contact the Professional Rights & Responsibilities (PR&R) board member for your unit or your building rep.
Evaluations
EVALUATION HANDBOOK - UNIT A (2016)
HPS Policies
Annual Employee Training Manual (2016- Confidentiality, Acceptable Use, Conflict of Interest, Harassment, etc.)
Pay, Payroll Forms & Procedures
Need basic help? Ask your building rep or email payroll directly: [email protected].
If you contact payroll to dispute an error, also CC the HEA President and Hingham's Director of Business and Support Services (John Ferris). This is to help the HEA track the frequency of errors against our members and better advocate for them.
If you contact payroll to dispute an error, also CC the HEA President and Hingham's Director of Business and Support Services (John Ferris). This is to help the HEA track the frequency of errors against our members and better advocate for them.
FAQs about Employee Self Service (ESS) Portal
How do I know if ESS is paying me the correct salary?
(EXCELLENT QUESTION!!!! You should be checking this every year. Heck, every paycheck...)
Step 1) Figure out what your salary should be by referencing the end of the contract to determine your lane/step. Confirm on your end-of-year contract renewal offer letter from the Superintendent.
Step 2) Log into ESS, go to "Pay/Tax Information" on the menu on the left. (See screenshot below.)
Step 3) Find a line entry for a typical paycheck (not a stipend) and click on "Details" at the end of it. (See screenshot below.)
Step 4) In the second section "Pay Breakdown", multiply three numbers: your "Pay Type" (either 21 or 26) x "Hours" x "Rate". The answer should match your expected annual salary on the contract. (See screenshot below. For example, a member is on a 21 week pay schedule and sees the following in ESS: 21 periods x 65 hours x $50.52 = $68,954. This amount correctly matches the expected salary negotiated for the Unit A 2017-2018 contract in "Lane M+30" at "Step 5". Huzzah!)
How do I know if ESS is paying me the correct salary?
(EXCELLENT QUESTION!!!! You should be checking this every year. Heck, every paycheck...)
Step 1) Figure out what your salary should be by referencing the end of the contract to determine your lane/step. Confirm on your end-of-year contract renewal offer letter from the Superintendent.
Step 2) Log into ESS, go to "Pay/Tax Information" on the menu on the left. (See screenshot below.)
Step 3) Find a line entry for a typical paycheck (not a stipend) and click on "Details" at the end of it. (See screenshot below.)
Step 4) In the second section "Pay Breakdown", multiply three numbers: your "Pay Type" (either 21 or 26) x "Hours" x "Rate". The answer should match your expected annual salary on the contract. (See screenshot below. For example, a member is on a 21 week pay schedule and sees the following in ESS: 21 periods x 65 hours x $50.52 = $68,954. This amount correctly matches the expected salary negotiated for the Unit A 2017-2018 contract in "Lane M+30" at "Step 5". Huzzah!)
Step 2
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Step 3
Step 4
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What is paid through ESS and what will be in a separate check in the mail?
In ESS: Anything the HEA negotiated for in this contract (salary, longevity, club/coaching/advisory stipends, curriculum workshop time and paid duties- e.g. Saturday school detention, ACT proctoring).
Separately mailed checks: All reimbursements (supplies, conferences, tuition).
Other: SAT proctoring is coordinated by the school but paid by the Educational Testing Services company in mailed checks. You would list that income separately on your taxes if you make a qualifying amount (make sure they have your correct address to get tax forms).
In ESS: Anything the HEA negotiated for in this contract (salary, longevity, club/coaching/advisory stipends, curriculum workshop time and paid duties- e.g. Saturday school detention, ACT proctoring).
Separately mailed checks: All reimbursements (supplies, conferences, tuition).
Other: SAT proctoring is coordinated by the school but paid by the Educational Testing Services company in mailed checks. You would list that income separately on your taxes if you make a qualifying amount (make sure they have your correct address to get tax forms).
Where is the ____ form?
Most of the Payroll forms are buried in ESS on the "Resources" button. It's at the top of the ESS site once you are logged in (see screenshot to the right).
Most of the Payroll forms are buried in ESS on the "Resources" button. It's at the top of the ESS site once you are logged in (see screenshot to the right).
Reimbursements for Supplies, Etc.
Requests for reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses must be approved by your school principal or department head and accompanied by copies of your receipts or checks. Be sure to block out your account number/social security number on receipts.
Tuition Reimbursement
As of the 2020-2021 school year, the School Department will reimburse a teacher up to $849 for college courses or professional training. Submit the Course Approval Form, including proof of college accreditation and copy of course summary indicating it is graduate level, to the administrative assistant in the Superintendent's office prior to course enrollment. Within 30 days of semester completion and by June 15th, submit the Tuition Reimbursement Form, including receipts and transcript showing a grade of at least a B-. Please read the complete explanation in Article XLII 42.1-42.5 of the teacher contract - "Professional Development and Educational Improvement". Current forms for Course Approval and for Tuition Reimbursement are on the top right corner of the ESS portal (see picture above).
Lane Changes
Advancement on the salary schedule only occurs on the first pay period in September. There is no form to fill out. Email/give the administrative assistant in the Superintendent's office your grade reports or transcripts showing the new degree or credits beyond the degree by September 15th. You can initiate your request for a degree change with an unofficial transcript or a grade report, followed by an official transcript as soon as one is available. See Article XXXIX, Sections 39.4 and 39.6 of the teacher contract - "Salaries".
Other Payroll Info & Forms
The current versions of the following information and forms can be found on the top right corner of the ESS portal (see picture above):
(For retirement-related ones see the Retirement section further down this page)
Requests for reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses must be approved by your school principal or department head and accompanied by copies of your receipts or checks. Be sure to block out your account number/social security number on receipts.
Tuition Reimbursement
As of the 2020-2021 school year, the School Department will reimburse a teacher up to $849 for college courses or professional training. Submit the Course Approval Form, including proof of college accreditation and copy of course summary indicating it is graduate level, to the administrative assistant in the Superintendent's office prior to course enrollment. Within 30 days of semester completion and by June 15th, submit the Tuition Reimbursement Form, including receipts and transcript showing a grade of at least a B-. Please read the complete explanation in Article XLII 42.1-42.5 of the teacher contract - "Professional Development and Educational Improvement". Current forms for Course Approval and for Tuition Reimbursement are on the top right corner of the ESS portal (see picture above).
Lane Changes
Advancement on the salary schedule only occurs on the first pay period in September. There is no form to fill out. Email/give the administrative assistant in the Superintendent's office your grade reports or transcripts showing the new degree or credits beyond the degree by September 15th. You can initiate your request for a degree change with an unofficial transcript or a grade report, followed by an official transcript as soon as one is available. See Article XXXIX, Sections 39.4 and 39.6 of the teacher contract - "Salaries".
Other Payroll Info & Forms
The current versions of the following information and forms can be found on the top right corner of the ESS portal (see picture above):
(For retirement-related ones see the Retirement section further down this page)
- Payroll Schedule
- Teacher 21/26 Payment Election Form
- Direct Deposit Form
- W-4 Form
- M-4 Form
- Coach's Pay Voucher
- Request for Teacher Stipend Form
Professional Development
Use the Hingham Public Schools Smart EDU portal on the assistant superintendent's webpage to register for classes and track your PD.
The PCEA offers courses for professional development and/or graduate credit through Worcester State University. Proceeds fund scholarships for members' graduating children. Current offerings can be found here on the PCEA website.
The PCEA offers courses for professional development and/or graduate credit through Worcester State University. Proceeds fund scholarships for members' graduating children. Current offerings can be found here on the PCEA website.
Health Insurance
The Town of Hingham Employee Benefits page has information about GIC and Delta Dental plans. The current versions of the following forms and information can be found on the top right corner of the ESS portal (see picture above):
Older forms and information that may be of use:
- Benefits Eligibility & Enrollment Information
- Flexible Spending Accounts Info
- Flex Spending Changes Form
- Flex Spending Dependent Care Change Form
Older forms and information that may be of use:
- Medical Insurance Info 2016 FYI, this document is for the previous Mayflower Municipal Group Insurance Commission plans- Hingham changed to the MA Group Insurance Commission (GIC) on July 1, 2017. See Hingham Employee Benefits page for current information.
- GIC PEC Mitigation Fund MOA 2017
- Mitigation Fund MOA 2012
- Health & Welfare Fund MOA 2009
- Health MOA 2009 (HEA also maintained list of members to which this applied)
- Mitigation Reimbursement Request Form
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Several educators have found Horace Mann to be a competitive company for many other insurance needs (car, home, life, etc.) as they have educator discounts.
Our local agent (Mike Letorney) also sponsors information sessions about these topics annually and contributes $20 to the HEA Scholarship Fund for every new client that is an HEA member (let him know you are one!). |
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Retirement, Pension, Other Benefits
The "Ready for Retirement" program booklet can be found here and includes a sample completed retirement application. More information is on the Massachusetts Teacher Retirement System (MTRS) website here. These old Retirement Plan Info and Benefits Eligibility & Enrollment Information notices from HPS might also help you navigate the systems and options.
Employees who have performed certain kinds of duties for the school system may be eligible to make extra contributions to their respective pension plans to “buy back” service time for which they did not initially make pension contributions. These include some military service and substitute teaching. Contact the payroll office for details.
The current versions of the following forms and information can be found on the top right corner of the ESS portal (see picture above):
Employees who have performed certain kinds of duties for the school system may be eligible to make extra contributions to their respective pension plans to “buy back” service time for which they did not initially make pension contributions. These include some military service and substitute teaching. Contact the payroll office for details.
The current versions of the following forms and information can be found on the top right corner of the ESS portal (see picture above):
- Beneficiary Change Form
- TSA Consulting Group Website about 403(b) options
- Information about Salary Deferral to 403(b) Plans
- Salary Deferral Form for 403(b) and 457(b) SMART Plans
- Enrollment Form for 457(b) SMART Plan
ADA Accommodation & Leave of Absence Requests
Leave situations are outlined in the contract. Read it!! Below is more info on common ones.
This is not legal or medical advice. Please do your own research and consult your own legal and medical experts! To get you started here's some things we've found:
ADA Accommodation Request
Thorough guidance on this topic from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) can be found here. To request a "reasonable accommodation" for a disability covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), you need to notify your supervisor (ideally in writing since it creates a record, but any form of communication counts). At a minimum you need to state the accommodation needed and that it addresses a medical need covered by ADA. You do not need to state specifically what the medical condition is. Employers may request a letter from your doctor to confirm your medical condition (which also doesn't need to disclose the specific medical condition, just that the accommodation is medically necessary). Example letters by reputable ADA help organizations online seem to disclose medical conditions in an effort to expedite the process by removing employer's doubts.
Here are some helpful resources:
Sick Leave
Paid leave was available through the end of the 2020 calendar year under the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act. It covered 2 weeks at full pay if you were quarantined, 2 weeks at two-thirds pay to care for a family member quarantined, and 10 weeks at two-thirds pay to care for a child whose school or child care provider is closed or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19. Here are some helpful FAQs. The recent Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act established a system for paid family leave of up to 20 weeks for your own illness starting in January 2021 and up to 12 weeks to care for a family member starting in July 2021. HOWEVER, MUNICIPAL WORKERS, LIKE US, ARE NOT COVERED. We are only covered by the terms of our contract and the federal 12-week unpaid Family and Medical Leave Act (26 weeks if you or the family are service members).
Maternity/Parental/Adoption Leave
Leave terms under the recently enacted Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act began in 2021. As municipal workers though, we are only covered under the terms of our contract, the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (read about on the Department of Labor's website here) and the Massachusetts Parental Leave Act (read about on the MA gov website here).
Helpful resources:
Bereavement Leave
Employees may take 5 days (last 2 taken from sick time) to bereave the death of an immediate household member (spouse, child, parent, friend) and 3 days for other family members. Additional leave must be approved by the Superintendent of Schools.
Jury Duty Leave
Jury Duty Info & Checklist
This is not legal or medical advice. Please do your own research and consult your own legal and medical experts! To get you started here's some things we've found:
ADA Accommodation Request
Thorough guidance on this topic from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) can be found here. To request a "reasonable accommodation" for a disability covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), you need to notify your supervisor (ideally in writing since it creates a record, but any form of communication counts). At a minimum you need to state the accommodation needed and that it addresses a medical need covered by ADA. You do not need to state specifically what the medical condition is. Employers may request a letter from your doctor to confirm your medical condition (which also doesn't need to disclose the specific medical condition, just that the accommodation is medically necessary). Example letters by reputable ADA help organizations online seem to disclose medical conditions in an effort to expedite the process by removing employer's doubts.
Here are some helpful resources:
- COVID-19 and ADA
- CDC guidance on medical conditions which "are" or "might be" at risk for severe illness/complications due to COVID-19
- Practical guide for requesting and negotiating accommodations.
- Example language.
- More advice on the process and language.
- Diabetes-specific info and example letters (for physicians to use, but they provide powerful language ideas for employee letters too).
- COVID-19 and ADA in a university setting (good for a reference/precedent?)
- If the request is based on a personal health condition, this letter would serve as an ADA accommodations request as described in the previous section. Requests can include ones for paid/unpaid leave, job restructuring to altering when/how essential job functions occur (i.e. teaching remotely, as in the template above), etc. Read more here.
- Age by itself is not a condition covered by ADA. (Specific disabilities as a result may be.) Pregnancy by itself is not a condition covered by ADA. (Specific disabilities from complications as a result may be.) Accommodations to care for disabled family members is not covered under ADA (however it is covered under Family and Medical Leave act described below). You are welcome and encouraged to request accommodations for any reason, but be aware that there is no obligation for employers to agree unless it is covered under ADA and not an "undue hardship" for them to do so.
Sick Leave
Paid leave was available through the end of the 2020 calendar year under the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act. It covered 2 weeks at full pay if you were quarantined, 2 weeks at two-thirds pay to care for a family member quarantined, and 10 weeks at two-thirds pay to care for a child whose school or child care provider is closed or unavailable for reasons related to COVID-19. Here are some helpful FAQs. The recent Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act established a system for paid family leave of up to 20 weeks for your own illness starting in January 2021 and up to 12 weeks to care for a family member starting in July 2021. HOWEVER, MUNICIPAL WORKERS, LIKE US, ARE NOT COVERED. We are only covered by the terms of our contract and the federal 12-week unpaid Family and Medical Leave Act (26 weeks if you or the family are service members).
Maternity/Parental/Adoption Leave
Leave terms under the recently enacted Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Act began in 2021. As municipal workers though, we are only covered under the terms of our contract, the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (read about on the Department of Labor's website here) and the Massachusetts Parental Leave Act (read about on the MA gov website here).
Helpful resources:
- Maternity Leave Info & Old Checklist & Updated Maternity Leave Checklist
- Sample Maternity Leave Letter - 8 Weeks
- Sample Maternity Leave Letter - 12 Weeks
- Sample Maternity Leave Letter - End of Semester/Year
- Department of Labor Fair Labor Standards Acts- Break Time for Nursing Mother Provision and a FAQs Page
Bereavement Leave
Employees may take 5 days (last 2 taken from sick time) to bereave the death of an immediate household member (spouse, child, parent, friend) and 3 days for other family members. Additional leave must be approved by the Superintendent of Schools.
Jury Duty Leave
Jury Duty Info & Checklist
Name/Address Change
If you have a new address, complete the form found in your school's main office or can be found on the top right corner of the ESS portal (see picture above). Later, verify that the change was made correctly on the home page of the ESS portal! If you changed your name, notify your principal and the Business Office in writing. If you change your name upon marriage, send a copy of your marriage certificate to the Business Office. This is required both for your personnel file and for any insurance plans you carry. If you hyphenate your last name, please be consistent in using the hyphenation on all documents, lists, sign-up sheets, records and reports.
Members Only Section
HEA members may use the link below to view members-only materials and documents. It is a secure link, password-protected. You were given the password at Annual Meeting in September. Ask an Exec Board member if you forget...
DO NOT log on to the site below from a school computer, as it contains various member-only information (not just the contract). If you need a digital copy of the contract ASAP, contact the HEA Webmaster. (School email is fine since the contract is not a secret from admin...) Thanks.
