Staff Meeting Notes 10-19-18

Friday, October 19, 2018, 8:30-9:15 AM, MEETING ROOM

  Staff Meeting Agenda

1. Participate in CMC—vote for the community organizations we’ll support with our fundraising efforts this month!  If you want to help with our food booth at Fall Fest next Friday, 10/23, let Holly or Ivy know. 
2. End-of Year Holidays.  Four are coming up in November and December:

a.     Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11: HPL closed Sunday, 11/11, and Monday, 11/12. SWMSC closed Saturday, 11/10—all staff will work at WAL.  Staff who work every weekend may take off 11/10 and reschedule hours for a day the following week.

b.     Thanksgiving, Nov 22:  HPL closed Thursday, 11/22 through Sunday, 11/25. FT staff will receive holiday pay for 11/22 & 23.  Saturday, 11/24, will not be a scheduled work day—FT staff will work Monday-Friday 11/26-30; PT staff will reschedule their Saturday hours during this week. 

c.     Christmas, Dec. 25: HPL closed Monday, Dec. 24, and Tuesday, 12/25, and reopen Wednesday, 12/26.  FT staff will receive holiday pay for 12/24 & 12/25; PT staff will reschedule their Monday and Tuesday hours for the remainder of the week.

d.     New Year’s Day, Jan. 1: HPL closed Tuesday, Jan. 1.  FT staff will receive holiday pay; PT staff will reschedule Tuesday hours for the rest of the week.  On Monday, Dec. 31, all HPL locations will close at 6 PM.

e.     Leave Requests:  With 4 holidays, there is enough time for everyone to get some time off if you want, if we share—1 holiday period per person.  Turn in your leave requests in Kronos by Nov. 9, and I’ll approve them, as long as we have enough staff available to run the buildings.  Remember, if you want to take off your regularly-scheduled Saturday, you must swap your Saturday with another staff member who can work on your day. Part-time staff can take off 4 Saturdays in a calendar year (subject to prior approval). 

3. Team Building Opportunities.  Several staff suggested an off-site team building activity for Staff Development Day.  HPL Training has already created a team-building activity for today, but we could plan an activity for after-work hours.  Let’s discuss:
1. What kind of activity would you enjoy doing as a group?
2. Who would like to plan this?
3. When would be a good time?

Important Dates this Month

●      Friday, October 19: Pay period close.

●      Friday, October 26: Pay day; CE Managers Meeting @ CEN; CMC Fall Fest @ CEN (locations delay opening until 2 PM).

●      Wednesday, October 31: Halloween Happening; wear costumes (?)

●      Tuesday, Nov. 6: Election Day; regarding time off, see COH AP 3-11 Absence at http://houstontx.gov/hr/e_relations/AP3-11.html or the Municipal Employee Guidebook, Sec. VII: Voting at http://houstontx.gov/hr/e_relations/employee_guidebook.html#Voting. Early Voting in Harris County is Oct. 22-Nov. 2.

●      November 10: SWMSC closed for Veteran’s Day holiday; all staff work at Walter.

●      November 12: Veteran’s Day—Library Closed.

●      December 8, 7pm-11pm: Staff Holiday Party at the U of H Hilton, and staff can bring a guest; more information will be forthcoming.

Updating Your Direct Deposit

From COH Payroll Services, 9:30 AM:

UPDATING DIRECT DEPOSIT INSTRUCTIONS

Effective immediately and until further notice, employees will no longer be able to update direct deposit instructions via the online Employee Self Service (ESS) portal. Employees needing to update their direct deposit instructions must complete the Direct Deposit form available at http://www.houstontx.gov/ara/payrollforms/directdepositform.pdf and submit it along with a voided check for checking accounts or a preprinted deposit slip for savings accounts to the Payroll Services Division at the help window located at 611 Walker, 2nd floor. Questions or concerns can be addressed to the Payroll Services Help Desk at payroll@houstontx.gov or 832.393.8900.

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This may be the reason why:

From HITS, 4/29:

Information Security Alert: Phishing Scam Targeting Payroll Direct Deposits

What Is Being Done	Important Alert: Phishing Scam Targeting Payroll Direct Deposits
Impacted Service(s)	Payroll Direct Deposits
Impacted Departments/ User Groups	Potential impact to all City employees
Background	A relatively new email phishing scam targeting employee direct deposits is currently in circulation. Many of the attacks follow the same patterns, suggesting that the same threat actors are behind the attacks. The attacks begin with employees receiving spoofed email messages appearing to come from internally trusted sources (e.g., IT, HR, fellow employees). The spoofed messages make a request for the employee to click a link, access a website or answer a few questions, and, ultimately directs the employee to confirm their identity by providing login credentials leading to account compromise. The threat actors then use the compromised account to access payroll portals and reroute direct deposits to accounts they own and control.
Required Actions:	Remain vigilant and look for suspicious email messages; look for incorrect grammar, capitalization, etc. Verify the senders actual email address, rather than just looking at the displayed account name Roll your cursor over the links received via email and look for inconsistencies; if it’s not the website the email claims to be directing you to, then the link is pointing to a fraudulent site Do not provide credentials in response to any email request (including requests appearing to come from system administrators or the HITS Service Desk) Utilize unique, complex passwords for all accounts and avoid using the same password for multiple accounts (e.g., COH domain/email password should be different from SAP/ESS password) When in doubt, do not open, click or respond and contact the HITS Service Desk and report suspicious email messages Stop and Think before you Click to do your part to help keep COH data, information and systems safe!
Notification Plan	HITS will continue to provide updates as additional information becomes available.
Contact	For issues concerning this notification please contact: Phone: 832-393-9800 Portal:  help.houstontx.gov

Staff Meeting Notes 6/2/17

9AM-11:45 AM, MEETING ROOM

Staff Meeting Agenda (9-10:20 AM)

1. SRP Update/Preview (40 min):

1. Programs at SWX and WAL (Ivy & Irene)
2. Summer Food Service Program (Linda & Teresa)
3. Volunteers (Christy)
4. Freaky Friday ticket winners
5. Using Beanstack
1. Updates from May Managers Meetings (Christy & Karen) (10 min)
2. Other Updates (10 min)
1. Branch Meeting Room Calendar in Outlook
2. CEN and Float items found on shelves
3. Cleaning Restrooms
4. Coin Copier refunds
5. May Outreach results
6. Walgreens’ Flu Shots
3. Issues to Discuss (20 min)
4. Break (10 min)

Important Dates this Month

• Monday, June 5: Monday hours begin; Summer Food Service Program begins; Outreach at SWMSC Summer Kickoff (Christy)
• Tuesday, June 6: SW Managers Meeting at Frank (Karen); Volunteer Orientation (Christy)
• Wednesday, June 7: COH New Employee Orientation (Araceli); Outreach at Alliance for Multi-Cultural Services (Christy)
• Friday, June 9: Youth Services Meeting (Irene, Ivy); Outreach at Chinese Community Center (Christy); Outreach at Lansdale Community Center (Ivy); Pay day!
• Tuesday, June 13: Outreach at Clarewood House (Derrick)
• Friday, June 16: Outreach at Fonteno Senior Center (Derrick); last day of pay period
• Saturday, June 17: Education Expo at SWMSC (Christy)
• Monday, June 19: SLAMS Committee meeting (Alexandra)
• Thursday, June 22: Outreach at Sharpstown Civic Association (Karen, Linda)
• Friday, June 23: Outreach at Fonteno Senior Center (Derrick); Pay Day!
• Friday, June 30: CE Managers Meeting at CEN (Christy, Karen); last day of pay period;  last day of FY17; end of FY17 HEAR review period

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Staff Training Agenda (10:30-11:30):  Your Pay (Karen) & Time Off (Christy)

1. Interlibrary Loan Things to Know (handout)
2. Your Pay: Electronic Timekeeping Policy (handout); find online at www.houstontx.gov >Administrative Policies >General Government >2-4 Electronic Timekeeping Policy 2.22.2012;  see also Municipal Employee Guidebook >Section IV - Your Pay

3. Your TIme Off: Employee Leave Benefits (handout); see also Municipal Employee Guidebook >Section VI - Time Off; and Paid Time Off.