Hurricane Katrina Frequently Asked Questions for Employees Affected by the Hurricane
General
1. Q: My family lost their home and possessions. What should I do? A: There are several agencies you may want to contact to find out what assistance may be available: • The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provides assistance for people whose homes were damaged or destroyed. • Visit www.disasterhelp.gov, an online resource site for disaster information and assistance. This site allows individuals to apply for disaster assistance, has disaster preparedness guides, links to various disaster agencies and organizations, and much more. • Your local American Red Cross chapter and your state's Emergency Management Agency which can direct you to various state disaster relief programs. • The State Emergency Management Office, provides assistance through state programs and local resources and emergency medical services for disaster victims. • In addition, Xerox is helping affected employees with continuation of pay and benefits. Other help may be available. Contact your manager for details.
Pay, Business Expense Reimbursements & Hours Worked
1. Q: Will employees continue to get paid? A: Yes. Generally, employees who cannot return to their assigned work location; customer site or an alternative work location will continue to be paid for the immediate future. Xerox will continue to evaluate the appropriate next steps with regard to employees’ pay. 2. Q: I’m having problems accessing funds from my last paycheck. What should I do? A: Contact your local bank to determine what customer support is available for lost or destroyed ATM cards, checkbooks, etc. Try contacting your local manager and/or the Human Resources Services Center (HRSC) at 1-800-428-2203. A reissued check can be express mailed to a specified address or deposited to a Western Union Agent if needed. 3. Q: I’m temporarily in another state. How do I get paid? A: Direct Deposit recipients will automatically continue to receive payments to their financial institution. Hard copy check recipients will need contact the HRSC at 1-800-428-2203 to arrange special handling of their next paycheck. 4. Q: I want to receive my mail where I am staying temporarily. What should I do? A: We advise you to leave your current mailing address unchanged for now. Address changes may have unintended impact on withholding taxes and healthcare benefit coverage, especially if they cross state lines. Most mail from Xerox is pay or benefits related and we are making interim adjustments to those processes for affected employees. Please check back periodically for updates. 5. Q: Should we continue to code our time? How do we code our time? A: It is not required that an employee code time. The employee will be paid straight salary by default. If an employee chooses to report exception time, Code 13, Emergency Closing, can be used until further notice.
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6. Q: I submitted an expense report to my manager and they are not able to approve it now without access to a PC. What should I do? A: Contact Epay Customer Service at 1-800-472-1473 and expense reimbursement can be processed by exception.
Benefits / Employee Assistance
1. Q: What happens with my benefits? What if I am temporarily located in a different state? A: Know that you have coverage wherever you are. Don’t let this concern prevent you from receiving appropriate medical treatment. We are working with our healthcare insurance carriers so that costs are charged at the “in-network” rate regardless of provider or hospital. More information will be provided as soon as possible, but if you need immediate additional information you should contact your health plan at the numbers listed below. 2. Q: How will a temporary change in address affect my benefits? A: It should not change anything. We are working with Payroll Services to ensure that your residence remains the same from a payroll tax perspective. 3. Q: What emotional assistance or support is available to me? A: Employees or their families should contact the Xerox Employee Assistance program at 1-800USA-XEAP or www.xeaponline.com. 4. Q: A: Is there a list of contacts for the various benefit carriers and plans? Yes. The list follows. Carrier Name
Aetna – Salaried Employees (High, Moderate, and Low Deductible options) Aetna HMO – Union Employees Empire UnitedHealthCare Excellus (for Old Plan retirees only) Preferred Care Caremark (prescriptions for Empire and United HealthCare members only) Xerox Benefits Center ADP Where Do I Go For Help?
Phone #
866-253-8885
Website
www.aetna.com/custom/xerox www.aetna.com/custom/xerox www.empireblue.com www.provider.uhc.com/xerox www.excellusbcbs.com www.preferredcare.org www.caremark.com www.resources.hewitt.com/xerox www.matterofchoice.com www.xerox.com/hurricanesupport
866-253-8884
866-878-6177 877-561-2822 585-325-5950 or 800-828-6550 585-258-8671 or 800-767-1678 866-559-6892 1-888-979-9961 1-888-979-9961 N/A
5. Q: I have no health insurance card with me. How do I get medical support and services? A: If you lost your health insurance card, please call your carrier (see list above) to request a new one. Xerox is working on ways to send our employees new documentation if they need it. For now, calling your direct carrier is the best approach.
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6. Q: How do I get a prescription refilled? A: For United and Empire BCBS members, contact Caremark (Rx) at 866-559-6892. They have established a refill process to authorize a prescription where an active prescription is on record. They cannot authorize a totally new, never-before-filled prescription. If you have an existing prescription on record for a regularly dispensed medication, like insulin or high blood pressure medication, that prescription will be filled. For prescriptions from other plans such as Aetna, call that plan directly at the number listed above.
Facilities & Office-Related Services
1. Q: Where do we report to work since our offices are closed? Is there work available to us? A: The disaster recovery team is aware of this issue and will work with employees on an individual basis, depending on personal and business need. 2. Q: What is Xerox doing to help employees resume office services like voice mail and computer network/PCs? A: Xerox has established alternate voice mail boxes to replace those that have become inoperative in the affected areas. Instructions are being communicated to affected employees through e-mail and management staff. If your voicemail is inoperative, and you are in the affected areas, contact your manager or call Bob Hancock at 615-386-5371.
Security
1. Q: I’m concerned about hazardous waste as I re-enter areas that have been impacted by the storm. A: Do not enter any Xerox facilities until public officials have given approval. A wide range of hazards, including downed power lines and possible exposure to fungi or toxins, can exist after a disaster has occurred. Refer to the following sites for assistance: • The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has published information on hazards of natural disaster cleanup work and emergency response resources. • The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has published information specific to cleanup after a flood. • The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published information on workers' safety following hurricanes.
2. Q:
I lost my Xerox ID badge and am concerned that I cannot get into Xerox locations. What should I do? A: Your employee ID number and Social Security Number, not the badge itself, are the important resources. As facilities re-open in areas impacted by the storm, we’ll re-issue ID badges.
Other
1. Q: What is Xerox doing to help affected employees and their families? A: We have about 200 employees in the impacted areas of Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. We are doing everything we can to help - - providing continued compensation and benefits, counseling, legal services, cash advances and shelter in other employees’ homes. In other words, we are doing whatever we can to ease their pain and loss.
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2. Q: How should employees stay informed about the latest Xerox news or support? A: Employees should consider http://www.xerox.com/hurricanesupport or the Xerox WebBoard (accessible externally via http://www.xerox.com/webboard) their primary sources. Local management continues to communicate directly by voice mail and by e-mail with affected employees. 3. Q: What happens when Xerox employees are called to active military duty in support of the relief effort? Will they qualify for military benefits? A: Yes, employees qualify for the same military leave provisions as those called up for active duty due to the war in Iraq. 4. Q: Is Xerox Corporation contributing to the support efforts? A: Yes. Xerox is helping the communities that have been the hardest hit - - through commitments of equipment, people and money that will total more than $2 million dollars. Here is a flavor of what we are doing: • We are working closely with the American Red Cross to provide Xerox equipment, services, software, supplies and technical support in their operations centers and shelters. The need is great. The initial value of our in-kind contribution is likely to be more than $1.2 million dollars. Or, as one Red Cross representative said, our involvement is “priceless.” An immediate $250,000 cash contribution to the American Red Cross earmarked for relief efforts in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Kenner, Jackson, Mobile and Gulfport - - the communities in which Xerox operations are based. A pledge of an additional $500,000 in cash to organizations that will be identified in collaboration with our local people as the reconstruction efforts begin. If we find that more is needed, we will do more. The release of up to an additional $50,000 in Xerox Community Involvement Program funds to support the enormous outpouring of Xerox people who are volunteering their time and energy to assist in any way they can.
• • •
5. Q: Why isn’t Xerox matching employee donations for Hurricane Katrina? A: Several reasons. First, we’ve had a long-standing tradition of matching only donations to institutions of higher education. We receive lots of requests to match other causes - - environmental groups, public television stations, United Ways, hospitals - - and we simply can’t afford to do them all so we have drawn the line at higher education. Second, our experience in other situations has been that most of our employees respond generously without the incentive of a match. Some follow the company lead and give to the American Red Cross and others would rather give to other charities that they prefer. Third, many charities are not equipped to deal with the administrative burden of a matching gift program. Some even decline to do the necessary paperwork required by the IRS. It is also important to point out that Xerox has not yet determined where some $500,000 of our financial aid will go. We know from experience that there is an immediate rush to give to the larger and better organizations. In the coming weeks and months, our people along the Gulf Coast will identify other organizations that need help with the on-going impact of the hurricane. We will draw our people’s attention to those organizations, but leave it up to them whether or not they want to contribute.
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6. Q: I'm a volunteer firefighter and my local engine company has been called to New Orleans to provide necessary resources for the Command Center and outreach in the surrounding communities. If I go, will Xerox continue to pay me, or will I have to take a personal leave of absence? A: If you have a formal, written request from your local engine company, Xerox will provide paid leave up to a maximum of 30 calendar days, subject to approval by the HR Services Center. Here is the process to follow: • Fill out a Request for Action Form and attach the letter with the required information (purpose, sponsoring organization, start and return dates) • • Ask your manager to review and approve the form Send to the HRSC for review and approval.
If the HRSC approves your request, Xerox will continue your pay and benefits for the time period specified in the request, up to a maximum of 30 calendar days. The same requirements and provisions apply for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) or other skills officially requested for relief efforts. 7. Q: I’m a Red Cross volunteer in my hometown. The Red Cross has requested volunteers from my local organization to provide support in the affected areas. Would this be paid or unpaid leave? A: If you have a formal, written request from your local organization, follow the process outlined in Q#6 above. If approved by the HRSC, Xerox will continue your pay and benefits for the time period specified in the request, up to a maximum of 30 calendar days. 8. Q: My church is organizing a group of volunteers to help hurricane victims. If I go, will Xerox continue to pay me? A: You may use any remaining 2005 vacation or apply for a personal leave. Unless you are part of an official relief organization that has been officially requested to provide assistance, you will not be eligible for paid leave. Paid leave is limited to reservists called to active duty, and people with specialized skills specifically requested for relief efforts such as firefighters, emergency medical technicians and trained Red Cross staff.
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