IFB Beat 10-21 Edition

A Message from the Editor

We’re still celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and don’t forget to mark your calendar for:

  • Performance reviews open October 28
  • Benefits upcoming information sessions
  • Asheville and Winston-Salem Halloween activities
  • Winston-Salem Facility Red Cross Blood Drive Thursday, November 14
  • Novant Health Mobile Mammogram Unit at the Winston-Salem facility on Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Thanks for reading the IFB Beat and have a wonderful week!

Anastasia Powell

IFB Solutions Communications Manager
apowell@ifbsolutions.org | 336-245-5698

Quick Links:

New this Week

– Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month
– IFB Annual Performance Reviews Open October 28
– Help Accessing Polls for Asheville, Winston-Salem and Clemmons Employees
– IFB Sick and COVID Policy Refresher
– Asheville and Winston-Salem Facility Halloween Festivities
– Attention Veterans!
– Winston-Salem Facility Canteen Reminder
– See what S.E.E. is Doing!
– Community Low Vision Center Updates

From Our Community

– Winston-Salem Facility Blood Drive Thursday, November 14

HR and Opportunities

– Winston-Salem Facility Benefits Upcoming Information Sessions
– October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
– Mobile Mammogram Unit at Winston-Salem Facility
– New Job Announcements

Support Group Zoom Meeting Links
Archived Editions of The IFB Beat

Celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Observed each October, during National Disability Employment Awareness Month, or “NDEAM,” we celebrate the value and talent workers with disabilities add to America’s workplaces and economy. NDEAM’s purpose is to confirm our commitment to ensuring disabled workers have access to good jobs, every month of every year. That’s the spirit behind this year’s theme: “Access to Good Jobs for All.”

IFB Solutions recognizes the employment barriers and remains committed to changing lives by creating job opportunities for people who are blind or visually impaired.

“IFB helped me conquer my doubts that I could not hold a full-time job again after vision loss and now I’ve launched a new career.,” says Jackie Perrea, IFB Solutions employee. Watch her journey here!

 

IFB Annual Performance Reviews Open October 28

IFB Annual Performance Reviews will be made available through your Paycom Employee Self-Service portal on Monday, October 28 for all admin and salaried employees. Please log in to your Paycom portal to complete your employee self-review as soon as possible. Comments are required to support ratings. Self-reviews will close out on November 11 and cannot be reopened.

Upon finishing your review, please be sure to type your name on the signature line, date the review, and click “Final Approve” for your manager/supervisor to complete their portion of the review. Managers/Supervisors must have ALL employee reviews completed in Paycom by Friday, November 22.

All hourly employees’ performance reviews will be handled by supervisors.

Please contact Luyann Ledesma at 336-245-5666, lledesma@ifbsolutions.org or Mary Hunter at 828-667-9778 ext. 5827, mhunter@ifbsolutions.org if you have any questions.

 

Help Accessing Polls for Asheville, Winston-Salem and Clemmons Employees

If you need help getting access to the polls for early voting, please let your supervisor know and IFB management will help connect you with transportation solutions for early voting on Friday, October 24 or Friday, November 1. ober 25, and Friday, November 1. Transportation will be provided from your home to the polling site and back home.

If you need help, please contact your supervisor, who will in turn work with the following to connect you with transportation options:

IFB Sick and COVID Policy Refresher

Feeling sick? Be considerate of others and stay home. As we gear up to move into the cold and flu season, we must remember that COVID-19 is still here, as well as other respiratory illnesses. Do you know the difference between a bad cold, COVID-19, or the flu? Because the symptoms can be similar for all three, you can’t tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. All three are contagious and this is why we ask you to stay home when you are sick.

At this time masks are not required inside any IFB Solutions facility unless you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or you have tested positive for COVID-19 within the past 10 days. If you have tested positive for COVID-19 you must isolate (be out of work) for a minimum of 5 days from the time your symptoms began or from the date you tested positive if no symptoms were present.

We will continue to follow CDC guidelines to help minimize the spread and keep each other safe. In addition, we also ask that you follow good everyday hygiene practices by washing your hands frequently or using hand sanitizer and covering coughs and sneezes. Please use the links below for more information on protection and free test kits. If you have questions, please email staysafe@ifbsolutions.org.

Thank you,
Angela Jordan Director of Compliance, EH&S

 

Asheville and Winston-Salem Facility Halloween Festivities

Halloween is right around the corner, and we invite all interested employees to dress up and have a little fun!

Asheville: On October 31, the Asheville facility will have a Halloween Parade at 8:30 AM and all employees will enjoy candy bags and cookies during breaks after the parade.

Winston-Salem: On October 31, the Winston-Salem facility will have a costume contest and parade at 10:00am, while treat bags of candy will be distributed to all employees.

Categories for the costume contest are:

  • Scariest
  • Most Creative
  • Best Group
  • Best Overall

In addition to the festivities, we’re excited to introduce a fun game: “Candy Corn Count!” Participants can guess how many candy corns are in a jar located in the break room. You are welcome to touch and feel the jar to help make your estimate! The employee who guesses closest will win a “Boo Basket” filled with Halloween treats…not tricks. For any employees needing support with participation or those who would like to enter the game, an HR representative and/or Claudia will be available to assist.

 

Attention Veterans!

Each year around Veterans Day, IFB Solutions honors individuals who have identified with our HR department as Veterans. PLEASE report your veteran status to HR by Wednesday, November 6 so that we can recognize your service – if we don’t have you on the list, we can’t honor you! Stop by the office of a member of HR or send an email to HR@ifbsolutions.org.

 

Winston-Salem Facility Canteen Reminder

The Canteen is closed daily between 3:45p and 4:30p for cleaning. Please plan accordingly. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

 

See what S.E.E. is Doing!

S.E.E. students pose in front of the tractor

Our S.E.E. goes to Kersey Valley experience was filled with new adventures from jumping on air pillows and playing in a pit of corn kernels to playing the game of Clue while navigating through a large corn maze and mining for gems and fossils. We tasted treats of caramel kettle corn, cinnamon applesauce mini doughnuts, and different flavors of fudge throughout the day. After a wagon ride pulled by a John Deere tractor, we stood beside the huge back tires to learn that they were taller than our tallest explorer. Then, it was time for a short rest sitting on a plastic ear of corn man shaped into a giant chair. This experience was a-maize-ing!

 

Community Low Vision Center Updates

CLVC Item of the Week:

EZ See Insulin Syringe Magnifier

EZ See Insulin Syringe Magnifier for $4.68

Avoid dosing errors with this syringe magnifier that easily clips firmly onto all 1cc and 1/2cc insulin syringes. It magnifies the calibrations 2 to 2 1/2 times, making it easy to see exactly how much you are measuring.

If you have questions or are interested in any of the weekly items, please contact your local CLVC for assistance.

 

From Our Community

Winston-Salem Facility Blood Drive Thursday, November 14

Submitted by the AAA Committee at IFB

Winston-Salem Facility Red Cross Blood Drive Hosted by AAA Committee will be Thursday, November 14, 2024. Every 2 seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood. Your donations assist with heart surgeries, revitalizing accident victims, organ transplant recipients, and patients needing lifesaving procedures. So, will you raise your sleeve and help someone have a second chance in life?

When: November 14, 2024
Where: Tad’s Room (Winston-Salem)
Time: 10:00 am-2:30 pm, Contact your supervisor to set up an appointment to donate.

Admin contact: Morgan Dugan at mdugan@ifbsolutions.org or 336-245-5612 or AAA President Marcia Harton at marcialharton2013@gmail.com.

 

HR & Opportunities

Winston-Salem Facility: Upcoming Benefits Upcoming Information Sessions

For more information, reach out to Tammy Whitmire-Powers, IFB Solutions Benefits Administrator at twhitmire-powers@ifbsolutions.org.

Information sessions will be held at the Winston-Salem location on the topics listed below. Hourly employees should inform their supervisors if they are interested in attending a session. Hourly Admin and salary employees may contact Tammy Powers to schedule a time to attend a session.

October 30, 2024 – Medicare

  • Basics / Changes / Cost
  • Significant changes to Part D-Prescriptions
  • Difference between Medicare Supplement & Medicare Advantage
  • How Medicare and Medicaid work together

November 6, 2024 – Profit Sharing Account

  • Overview of a Profit-Sharing Account
  • Eligibility
  • How to monitor your account

December 11, 2024 – 403(b) & Investing for your future.

 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Did you know that breast cancer is the most common type of non-skin cancer in women in the United States. According to the National Cancer Institute, approximately 310,720 women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024. Furthermore, about 42,250 will die of the disease.

Learn how you can become an advocate for cancer research, participate in events to raise awareness, volunteer your time, and share your story of how cancer has affected your life at Donate, Advocate, Volunteer | Get Involved | AACR Foundation

Information from: Breast Cancer | Cancer Awareness Months | AACR

Mark your calendar! The Novant Health Mobile Mammogram Unit will be at the Winston-Salem facility on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, for screenings. Please let your supervisor know if you are interested in scheduling an appointment.

 

Mobile Mammogram Unit at Winston-Salem Facility

Mark your calendar! The Novant Health Mobile Mammogram Unit will be at the Winston-Salem facility on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, for screenings. Please let your supervisor know if you are interested in scheduling an appointment.

 

New Job Announcements

For all current openings, visit https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs?clientkey=8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909

BSC Store Manager – McGuire AFB

Education and work experience:

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher preferred.
  • Minimum of 3 years prior retail management experience.
  • Must have a valid driver’s license
  • Must pass government background and drug tests.

External candidates may apply at https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=105054&clientkey=8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909

Internal candidates may apply at https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=105055&clientkey=8B43E6E34C5D5C9AA3D07BB04DBEB909&jpt=ce8685cef740a6280b5fcb492b556fa5

For more information, please contact a member of the recruitment team at careers@ifbsolutions.org.

 

Zoom Meeting Links

Support Groups Zoom

https://ifbsolutions.zoom.us/j/99498078576?pwd=ODJzK0sxcXZrME9yN25YRTdiNXBSQT09
Meeting ID: 994 9807 8576
PASSWORD: 92638
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Meeting ID: 994 9807 8576