November Employee Benefits Spotlight

From: Human Resources

Below is a list of important announcements highlighted by the benefits team.

Fall Retirement Planning Workshops

Human Resources is committed to making sure employees are well prepared for retirement and offers planning information sessions specific to employees’ mandatory retirement plans. 

Virginia Retirement System sessions include information on the VRS retirement options, calculating monthly benefits, increasing retirement income, life insurance, health insurance, and other VRS benefits and resources. Register here.

• Wednesday, Nov. 6, 1-3 p.m., at the North End Center 
• Tuesday, Nov. 12, 1:30-3:30 p.m., via Zoom

The Optional Retirement Plan session includes information on increasing retirement income, life insurance, health insurance, and other retirement benefits and resources. Representatives from TIAA and Fidelity will be present to discuss retirement planning and payout options, as well as answer general questions. Register here.  

• Wednesday, Nov. 20, 9-11 a.m., via Zoom

All employees are welcome to attend these free sessions. The information presented will be especially helpful to employees planning to retire within the next six years. 

Note: Please ensure you register for the correct session based on your retirement plan. If you need confirmation of your retirement plan, view your Virginia Tech pay stub in HokieSpa, or contact the HR Service Center.

For questions or more information, contact the HR Service Center at hrservicecenter@vt.edu or 540-231-9331.   

2025 holiday and winter closing schedule announced

The holiday and winter closing schedule for 2025 has been posted on the university’s website.

University Policy 4315: Guidelines on Holidays contains more information on university holidays, holiday time, and other procedures. For questions about the policy, contact your college or department HR representative.  

Annual tax document mailings: Verify addresses by Dec. 31

Payroll and the Commonwealth of Virginia are getting ready for the annual mailing of tax documents, including W2s, 1042S, and IRS 1095-C forms. Tax documents will be available electronically or will be mailed to home addresses of record by Jan. 31, 2025.

To ensure tax documents are sent to the right address, employees are encouraged to review all applicable address types in Hokie Spa and update as necessary by Tuesday, Dec. 31.  

Once available, W2 forms can be accessed electronically through Hokie Spa or ADP. ADP will mail W2 forms based on the print status each employee indicates in the ADP system prior to W2 printing in mid-January. 1042S forms will be available electronically through HokieSpa for all applicable employees before the IRS deadline. Printed W2s and 1042S will be sent to employees’ current mailing addresses. The Virginia Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) processes IRS Form 1095-C, which provides information regarding any employer-provided health insurance coverage or offers of coverage. DHRM is required to mail 1095-C documents to home addresses of record.

For questions about address updates, contact the HR Service Center at hrservicecenter@vt.edu. For more questions about year-end tax statements, visit the Payroll's website. For specific W2 or 1042S questions, email VTW2@vt.edu.

Unsolicited retirement emails and phone calls 

If outside agencies contact you under the guise that they are endorsed by Virginia Tech to provide financial advising services, please remember that Virginia Tech does not endorse unaffiliated financial advisors. Notices such as this can be reported as spam or phishing using these instructions.

• Virginia Tech employees have access to free financial counseling sessions at with representatives from our retirement account providers including, TIAA, Fidelity, and MissionSquare.

Benefits representatives in Human Resources are also available to answer general questions related to employee retirement benefits. Retirement planning workshops are held each fall, which are beneficial to all employees - not just those planning to retire in the near future. Employees have the option to seek outside financial counseling. This is a courtesy reminder to exercise caution when responding to unsolicited offers of retirement planning or advice as well as learn about the resources available to Virginia Tech employees.

For questions or to schedule a retirement counseling appointment, contact the HR Service Center at 540-231-9331 or hrservicecenter@vt.edu.