4/16 Weekly Email + Bereavement/Childcare
Hi all,
I have a few updates and reminders this week. There are two new surveys in this email, one regarding bereavement and one regarding childcare - if you have opinions on either topic, please fill them out.
HR Open Enrollment Meeting: The Employee benefits team is doing a presentation on Thursday, April 23rd, about upcoming changes to our healthcare in the 2026-2027 plan year. They will be discussing a few topics including the Recuvo telehealth plan and our new Health Advocate program. If you’d like to attend, click the link in the attached email to sign up. UAEA’s Board will do their best to attend and provide any relevant notes in an upcoming weekly email, but the things we focus on in our summary may not match your interests.
HR Benefits Fair: The annual benefits fair will take place at Tempe Center for the Arts from 9AM-2PM on Tuesday, May 5th. This is a good opportunity to learn about your benefits and ask questions to providers, all on City time. Some of the conversations, like about retirement plans, may be counted towards your 2026-2027 health insurance incentive. There will also be opportunities to win a variety of prizes from the attendees. If you’re interested in attending, please let your supervisors know soon - some workgroups may need to limit attendees due to operational needs like ensuring sufficient coverage throughout the workday.
UAEA will be tabling at the event and offering $25 giftcards to people who sign up as members and $25 gift cards to the person they said recommended them. If there is someone in your workgroup who has been on the fence about joining, let them know there is an extra incentive if they do so on this date.
Employee Childcare Survey: The 6-sided partnership (the quarterly meeting of Tempe employee groups) met last Monday and discussed a few topics, including that of childcare. The employee groups were asked by management to gather some additional details on what employee’s needs are, so UAEA and TSA have put together a joint survey looking for feedback from our members. The linked survey gives parents an opportunity to provide feedback on what they’re looking for in terms of childcare services from Tempe or a community partner - we will then use that information to make some proposals to Tempe about the best ways to support staff.
Policy Change: The 6-sided partnership also discussed a proposed revision to the Personnel Rules at last Monday’s meeting. HR has expressed the desire to reduce the number of family members currently covered by the bereavement policy to be more in line with other cities and simplify administration of the bereavement system. In exchange for removing aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews from the bereavement policy, HR would give an extra 5 days of bereavement leave for employees to use for the death of their parents (including step parents and in-laws). This would mean 10 total days of bereavement for the death of parents, up from the current 5 days. UAEA does not have an immediate position on whether this is something members are interested in - we know many members have extended families and may like the current policy, but also acknowledge that many people may need more time to grieve the death of a parent and/or settle their estates. If you would like to provide feedback on this policy change, please fill out this survey in the next few weeks. If you would like to review our current MOU’s bereavement language (Section 4-5), please see below:
Upon the death of a family member, a Unit Employee shall receive up to five (5) working days (based on the employee’s normal work schedule) of paid leave not chargeable to medical or vacation leave. Additional time may be taken as sick leave in accordance with City Personnel Rules. Family member is defined as spouse or domestic partner; ex-spouse or ex-domestic partner if there is joint custody of children under the age of 18; child (including step and foster); parent (including step and in-law); sibling (including half, step, and in-law); son/daughter in-law; aunt or uncle; niece or nephew; grandparent (including in-law and step) or grandchild (including in-law and step).
If the family member is a spouse, domestic partner or child, the employee shall receive up to five (5) additional working days of paid leave not chargeable to medical or vacation leave. Time beyond ten (10) working days may be taken as sick leave in accordance with City Personnel Rules
Member Meeting Minutes: I’ve attached a copy of the minutes from today’s member meeting at the Tempe Transit Center.
Next Member Meeting: Our next membership meeting will be on Wednesday, May 20th, from 12-1PM at the JGM Water Treatment Plant. You can rsvp hereuntil Thursday, May 14th, at 5PM. Please note that the parking for the JGM Plant is a little hard to find if you haven’t been there before. Please reference the attached photo or the instructions on our Events Page if you need directions. Please also note that this will take place on a Wednesday, not a Thursday as usual.
UAEA College Scholarship: The 2026 Jackie Awosika Scholarship Competition is now open. This annual competition is an opportunity for UAEA members and their families to win some funds for college or trade school - all they need to do is fill out a quick application with some background information, copies of their transcripts, and answers to a few essay questions. Members, their children, and direct relatives who are entering college or already in college may apply from now through April 30th - $2500 in scholarship awards are distributed to those who have the strongest applications. Winners will also be recognized at the June 4th, 2026, Tempe City Council Meeting. Members can find the full list of rules at this link, and apply to the contest here.
Valley Metro: April is Bike Month and Valley Metro is offering a variety of prizes for people who bike and log their trips on the SharetheRide app. You can check out the competition here. As a reminder, the SharetheRide app offers a variety of discounts and incentives for people who log clean-air commutes (biking, taking the bus or lightrail, walking, carpooling, using an electric vehicle, etc) and Tempe offers giftcards each month to employees who do the same
Community Resources: UAEA is aware of rising fuel prices and how this is impacting members. We are having some internal city discussions about possible workplace changes, but also wanted to post some resources for members who may be struggling to make ends meet. This is a similar list to what we posted in November with a few new additions. Please feel to reach out if you have additional recommendations about local resources.
AZ Food Bank Network: This link contains information about dozens of food banks and assistance sites across Arizona. You can search by the directory and the zipcodes they provide services for to find food banks in your areas.
AZ Medical and Nutrition Assistance:This is an Arizona-State run program that can help connect people with Arizona State programs that provide assistance for people who need medical coverage, WIC support, or additional access to nutrition. I do not know all that the program entails.
Maricopa County Utility Support: This is a Maricopa County program that can help people receive assistance paying for utilities. Some cities have unique offerings while others are covered under one umbrella program.
AZ 211: This is a Arizona-State run help line that can help people connect with a variety of resources and support they may be unaware of in their area.
Tempe Employee Relief Fund: This is a Tempe-run program (paid for by employee donations) that can provide support of up to $1,200 to assist Tempe employees with unplanned emergency bills (housing, mortgage, utilities, etc).
Employee Assistance Program: If you have insurance through the City of Tempe, you can take advantage of the EAP, a group of resources which can provide free therapy, legal consultations, or classes on stress management.
CheapRecipeGuides: These are two free cookbooks designed for cooking high-nutrition and easy meals on a budget. Even if you’re not a fan of the recipes, there are some good tips on stocking a kitchen with affordable and long-lasting staples.
Free Transit Pass: This contains information on how to obtain your free bus, streetcar, and lightrail pass as a Tempe employee.