Sign PHL’s Funneling Airport Petition

PHL has not received a single transatlantic flight since March 16, unlike the airport's East Coast competitors which have continued to receive flights from Europe and the United Kingdom. This is negatively impcting the Greater Philadelphia region and the industries that rely on this connectivity for their businesses.
 
The airport needs your help to receive funneling status so transatlantic flights can begin operating to Philadelphia again. Show your support for PHL by signing the airport's online petition. Together, we can help the region.  

Coming in September:

Racial Equity Survey

Creating different forums for communication are critical as we work to advance racial equity throughout the Division of Aviation. We want all voices to be heard and feedback from the survey will help elevate reoccurring themes and shape the strategic plan. Questions or comments may be sent to [email protected] or the hotline at 215-863-5300.

HR Updates

OnePhilly:

Self-Service Pointers

You have access to do and find so many things in Employee Self Service. Here is something to try this month: Designate an emergency contact and email.

2020 City Administered Health Plan Employees News:

Open Enrollment – NOVEMBER

Open enrollment for CAP employees will take place in November this year. At this time HR is awaiting further instruction but was informed 2020 Benefits Guides and additional handouts will be provided electronically. As always, the staffing team will be available to assist with open enrollment via Microsoft Teams and pre-scheduled onsite appointments. More details to come. Stay tuned!

Wellness Points Waivers

Due to COVID-19, a few healthy actions are not feasible for wellness 2020. Therefore, the biometrics healthy action and the dental/vision activities have been waived. CAP employees and covered spouses are still required to complete the HRA. CAP employees only must complete one additional healthy action to receive the $500 credit. The deadline to complete your wellness activities is Saturday, October 31, 2020. Do not lose your $500 credit. Start now, finish early! Login to or register your wellness account at www.MyActiveHealth.com/city. For assistance, call 1-866-795-2970.

Flex Spending Account Deadline Extended

Dependent Care - Unused balances from 2019 will remain in your account until 12/31/2020. Employees may submit eligible expenses to WageWorks for reimbursement until 12/31/2020. There will be no “Carry Over” provision to the next year (in 2021) of unused balances remaining (from 2020).

Health Care – remaining “carry-over” balances, up to $500, were transferred to employee’s 2020 HCFSAs in June. Remaining 2019 balances more than $500 remain in employee’s 2019 HCFSA. Both balances are available for reimbursement of eligible 2019 expenses. Expenses submitted for reimbursement more than the balance remaining in employee’s 2019 HCFSA account are eligible for reimbursement. Employees must contact WageWorks customer support at 1-877-924-3967 to request transfer from 2020 HCFSA.

Commuter Benefit Credit

In response to remote working, SEPTA instituted its transit card return policy in March. Since commuter benefits are taken on pre-tax basis, the IRS does not permit refunds directly to employees. SEPTA will forward the refund to WageWorks who will then apply the refund to the employee account as a credit. See below for details. Questions or comments related to CAP Benefits may be sent to [email protected] or [email protected].

Employee Re-Work:

Message for Parents with School Aged Children

Many of our employees with school aged children have expressed concern for work-life balance with the School District's recent announcement to begin the school year learning remotely. Our goal is to thoughtfully address how we can support the many needs of you and your families.

As of now, the City’s policy remains:

Dependent Care Leave Usage – Employees may use accumulated leave, including sick time, to care for a dependent who is in self-quarantine or in the case of COVID-19 related school or daycare closure for their children. Accumulated leave may be used intermittently. If the employees are able and authorized to work from home, they may use work from home time during this time period. Employees for whom the City has opted-out of providing FMLA+ (see below) are limited to using accrued leave for dependent care pursuant to existing leave usage policies and collective bargaining agreements.

Emergency Paid Sick Leave and FMLA+ – Employees are eligible for up to 10 days’ Emergency Paid Sick Leave (EPSL) and certain employees may also be eligible for up to 12 weeks’ FMLA+ pursuant to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Please note that because the EPSL provides 10 days’ leave, the City no longer advances sick leave for COVID-19 related conditions after April 1, 2020. Questions related to both EPSL and FMLA+ can be sent to [email protected].

Childcare – At present, Division of Aviation employees are not permitted to bring children to airport facilities.

Communication with your supervisor is strongly recommended to evaluate schedule options or leave usage available to you. Information and resources for School District of Philadelphia families can be found at https://www.philasd.org/coronavirus/schoolstart2020/.

-Re-Work Committee ([email protected])

Safe Return to Work Playbook:

The Division of Aviation’s Safe Work Playbook can be found on the Division of Aviation’s Intranet and on the HR Intranet page. Continue to follow CDC and City of Philadelphia guidelines.

Administrative Support Unit:

New Office Hours

The Administrative Support Unit (ASU) will be on-site every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday between 10 a.m.-2 p.m. to circulate the Division of Aviation’s mail and to assist with other special requests. The mail services to be provided are as follows:

• UPS Shipping*
• Post Office
• Airport Interior
• International Plaza
• Center City (Mondays Only)
• Northeast Airport (Wednesday’s Only)

*Special request

Time of drop-offs and pick-ups cannot be predetermined. To ensure priority items are transferred timely, parcels should be prepared in advance, and notification sent to [email protected] (cc: [email protected]).

All additional special requests, questions and concerns can be directed to them as well.

MASK UP PHL!

Face masks are required at PHL to help fight the spread of COVID-19. A new initiative that supports Philadelphia's #MaskUpPHL campaign will reward employees airport-wide who are wearing their masks properly with special pinback buttons. 

Pins featuring Rocky Balboa, the Phillie Phanatic, Gritty and Swoop wearing masks will be presented to employees found to be wearing their masks properly while in the terminals. Employees receiving buttons are encouraged to wear them on their uniforms or lanyards to encourage 100 percent mask-wearing compliance from employees and guests.

Lets Make Sure Philly Gets Counted in 2020!

The U.S. Census Bureau is ending all counting efforts for the 2020 census on September 30, a month sooner than previously announced. If you still haven’t filled out the 2020 Census, do it today and encourage your family, friends, neighbors and coworkers to do the same.

The census significantly impacts Philadelphia and its communities because the information collected is used to determine representation in Congress, distribute more than $675 billion in federal funding to states and communities, and to allocate resources for job creation, housing, infrastructure, and more. Currently, only 53 percent of Philadelphians have completed the census; the national average is 67.3 percent.

The 2020 Census takes about 10 minutes to complete and you have the option of answering the questionnaire by:

• Phone - 844-330-2020
• Mail  
• Online

Information Security News

Avoid Phone Scams

Cyber criminals are taking advantage of increased telework by using phone and voice scams to trick employees into believing they are talking to legitimate colleagues or coworkers. These scams will sometimes involve spoofed phone numbers, which could be programmed to look like familiar work numbers.

Be sure to verify the identity of an individual before discussing sensitive information with them over the phone by using a second form of identification, such as calling them back on a known telephone number. If someone asks you over the phone to provide sensitive materials or perform a task, always trust your instinct! If it doesn’t feel right, report it immediately to Information Security.

Threat Landscape

Hacking is a lucrative business. Cyber criminals sell everything from stolen credit cards, to guaranteed access into corporate networks. Ransomware is now sold as a service. These gangs even staff call centers where victims of cybercrime can call in to be walked through how to purchase Bitcoin to pay for their data back. In a 2020 study by Verizon, money was the overwhelming motive for cybercrime in approximately 4,000 breaches studied.

It is no surprise that social engineering and phishing continue to be large threats facing organizations.

With these threats in mind, there are simple yet effective steps all of us can take to combat them:

• Never reuse a password between services. For example, don’t use the same password for work as you do for LinkedIn, etc.
• Use a passphrase as a password; you may be surprised how easy they are to remember! For example, “Fly away to Rome!” would take 271 centuries for bad guys to crack with their tools!
• Avoid common passwords like Summer2020. This is easily guessable and could be an attacker’s foothold into an organization.
• Do not click on email links or attachments you were not expecting, but instead report them to Information Security using the Phish Alert Button.
• Keep your desk and work areas clean of sensitive information (even at home!). Be careful about discussing sensitive information in public areas.
• Don’t allow piggy backers at doors.
• Be aware of the information you share on social media. Avoid pictures of sensitive areas of the airport and its systems. Criminals have automated tools for gathering intelligence on organizations directly from social media platforms.
• Curious if any of your accounts have been detected in a data breach? Check them out.

The Latest From PHL’s Online Newsroom:

Airlines:

The Case for PHL’s Funneling Airport Status

Pre-COVID-19, international travel at PHL generated approximately $2 billion and was responsible for about 11,000 jobs per year. It is critical that PHL, one of the country’s top airports for transatlantic travel, receive funneling airport designation. Read more.

PHL Welcomes Back Qatar Airlines

Beginning September 15, Qatar Airlines will operate four flights per week between Philadelphia and Doha, making it the first international carrier to resume passenger service at PHL.

American Airlines Expands Cargo Flight Operations at PHL

Since May, American Airlines has continually added more cargo flights to its PHL roster, making the airport a key hub for medical and pharmaceutical companies transporting supplies and medicine critical to fighting COVID-19. Learn more here.

At the Airport:

The Art of Physical Distancing

Blocked off seats in waiting areas, physical distancing reminders in security checkpoints queues, and making sure guests aren’t crowding each other are some of the practices Philadelphia International Airport has put in place to keep everyone safe. What other changes has the airport implemented to keep guests six feet apart?

Operations & Security:

PHL Adds TSA Checkpoint Disinfecting to its Cleaning Regimen

Adding another element to its sanitizing efforts, PHL cleaned and sanitized all seven TSA checkpoints, two TSA break rooms and a TSA training center. What does this process entail and how often is the airport planning on doing this?

USO is Once Again Welcoming Military Personnel at PHL

After a nearly five months closure, the Liberty USO is once again welcoming Active Duty, Active Guard and Reserve Service Members along with their dependents to its facility in Terminal E. They are currently operating limited days and hours, but have a plan in place to gradually expand their services.

New TSA Technology Enhances Screening Process at PHL

In an ongoing effort to enhance the passenger screening process, TSA officers at PHL are using Credential Authentication Technology, which enhances TSA’s detection capabilities for identifying altered or fraudulent IDs and confirms the passenger’s flight status in near real time. Read more.

Sustainability:

The Impact of Climate Change on Philadelphia International Airport

PHL conducted a Climate Vulnerability Assessment to better understand and prepare for the impacts of climate change on the airport’s employees, guests, services, surrounding communities, facilities, and assets. Learn more here.

People at PHL:

We continue to shine a spotlight on the amazing work our employees do every day. This month we highlight Rebecca Rodriguez, Administrative Officer in the Human Resources Staffing Unit, and James Reed, Equipment Operator II at PNE. Find out what have been the biggest challenges they have faced because of COVID-19 and how they overcame them.

Read the rest of our stories in our newsroom.

PHL Food and Shops Update

Go Flyers! Go Eagles!   

When Philadelphia teams win, you win! Get $3 off your Grab order for every Flyers playoff win and Eagles win when the season starts September 13. 

The Grab app is available at the App Store and on Google Play. For more information, visit getgrab.com