Benefits staff changes, service still emphasized
Keeping track of your employee benefits is important. Helping you do that is the WSU Benefits Services office. Benefits Services administers employee benefits including medical and dental insurance, life insurance, long-term disability insurance and retirement savings programs. Personnel can offer solutions and information to customers needing assistance with a wide variety of benefit-related topics.
The Benefits Services staff has changed over the last year. The four staff members are available 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday-Friday. The office is open during the noon hour. Contacts include:
Marie Weiss, benefit specialist – retirement, mweiss@wsu.edu, 335-4580, manages the retirement programs (TIAA-CREF and PERS), including the two supplemental retirement accounts. She also provides one-on-one counseling for employees who are planning for retirement. There are many informative retirement workshops throughout the year that she coordinates.
Jamilee Gecas, benefit specialist, jdgecas@wsu.edu, 335-1760, oversees the worker’s compensation program for all WSU employees and volunteers. She also aids in the return-to-work program and vocational rehabilitation for work-related injuries. Long-term disability is managed by Gecas, who provides counseling and arranges training for employees unable to work due to medical conditions. She administers the University Medical Surveillance Program, which monitors employees in high health risk positions.
Diego Chavez, human resource assistant, diego@wsu.edu, 335-4589, and Arlene Burke, office assistant III, burkea@wsu.edu, 335-1759, provide frontline customer service for Benefits Services. Both assist walk-in and phone customers on general benefit questions. They help with enrollment forms and form processing.
Benefits Services also coordinates the annual Employee Benefits Fair, which allows employees to meet representatives from benefit vendors and local medical providers and hospitals. The fair will take place 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, in the French/Lighty second floor atrium. More details will follow later.
Visit Benefits Services at French Administration 232 or call 335-4589.
