Category: announcements

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In Case Of Emergency – Inventory Items Every Site Should Have On Hand

As we rapidly approach this holiday season, we wanted to take a moment to provide some timely guidance to communities on some critically important items to have on site in situations when after-hours calls come in at rather inconvenient times during the holidays.

  • A replacement for each appliance likely to be used by a resident hosting a holiday meal: Range and Refrigerator at a minimum.
  • Plug-in Portable Electric Accordion Heaters (Generally a sufficient number of portable heaters with which to provide adequate heat for your largest apartment floor plan).
  • Smoke Detectors and Smoke Detector Batteries
  • Traction material including such as sand or gravel.  NOTE: Cambridge does not permit chemical or salt based ice-melt products and discourages Pea-Gravel.
  • Have an adequate quantity of fire extinguishers serviced and certified in the prior 12 months.
  • If your community is located in an area that routinely experiences freezing weather conditions, ensure you have an adequate supply of “Freeze Warning” Notifications on hand to distribute. (available in hard copy through B&B Printing as well as available on Tenant Tech)

These are holiday specific reminders designed to prepare your site for an emergency need in the coming weeks.  For a complete list of supplies and equipment pre-approved for your property, please see below.

CRES Spec Sheet Revised January 2016

Standard Equipment List

CRES Freeze Warning

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Open Enrollment / Health Benefits

This email is for all employees who are eligible for our health benefits (medical, dental, vision, life):

Open enrollment packets were mailed to your home address on 11/16.  Included in the envelope is an open enrollment memo that I encourage you to read so that you understand your options and responsibilities during open enrollment.

In general, open enrollment is the time to do the following:

  • Add or drop a dependent
  • Drop your coverage
  • Enroll in our coverage

IF YOU ARE NOT CHANGING YOUR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR VISION, THEN YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO ANYTHING.

If you plan to make changes to your coverage, those changes need to be submitted to Diane via fax or email no later than 12/16/16.  Once you make any changes you are “locked in” until our next open enrollment period which will likely be December 2017, unless you have a qualifying event before then.  Attached is a list of the most common qualifying events.

Common Qualifying Events

All changes will be effective Jan 1, 2017.  Watch for this packet in the mail and please contact Lindsay Winkle lwinkle@cambridgeres.com with any questions.

 

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Tenant Tech (Eforms) Update – C046 Abandoned Property Notice

EFORMS TENANTTECH UPDATE FOR OREGON PROPERTIES ONLY!

C046 Abandoned Property Notice

For Use Effective November 18, 2016 

_______  This is a NEW form.

__  X ___  This is a MODIFICATION To An Existing Form

The purpose of the addition of this form and/or form modification is:

C046 Abandoned Property Notice form has been updated by adding a declaration and signature section to the top portion that the resident will fill out.  The rest of the area, designated as “This section to be completed by Management only, if applicable, upon move out” will only have to be completed if the resident passes and this form is required to be used.

This form will be included in the Required Move In Forms section and please note it will need to be filled out for every resident of a single resident household, and updated not less than annually.

If this is a MODIFICATION to an existing form, please discontinue the use of all prior versions of this form effective the date noted above.

The below form will be effective until further notice.

Abandoned Property Notice

As always, we welcome your suggestions and your feedback on this and any other form we currently use. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact your Property Supervisor.

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UPDATED EMPLOYMENT APPLICATIONS

IMPORTANT UPDATE

Below please find our updated employment applications along with some helpful interviewing tips.

  • Please save these to your computer and discard / discontinue using the old applications as of today.
  • Attached you will find 2 versions of our management and maintenance application, each one has a version with the background screening and one without.  It is important to give out the proper application when recruiting for an open position; do not give out an application with background info or discuss criminal history until you are ready to offer employment.
  • The cover memo on the applications is for your information only and should be removed before giving it to the applicant.

Please also take a look at the interviewing tips below, this will be helpful when you are recruiting for an open position.

management/leasing application with background

management/leasing application without background

maintenance application with background

maintenance application without background

interviewing

If you have any questions, please contact Lindsay Winkle: lwinkle@cambridgeres.com

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HR Tip

This HR tip is for benefit eligible employees who are enrolled in our Health Savings Account (HSA):

Did you know that you can manage your HSA online? 

Go to www.myhealthequity.com to register your account.  Features include:

  • Submitting claims and uploading receipts
  • Viewing your balance and transaction history
  • Paying health professionals directly
  • Using the prescription pricing tool to compare pharmacy pricing
  • Ability to start a medical journal to keep track of your medical history in your own words
  • Setting up direct deposit for claims reimbursement
  • Making an extra contribution to your account if you are not at the max allowed for the current year

Make sure to take advantage of your Health Savings Account and contact your HR department with any questions!

 

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Discontinuation of Payment Plans

Just as a reminder:

Effective June 1st, 2016, Cambridge has decided to discontinue resident payment plans for balances due upon move-out EXCEPT IN CASES WHERE REQUIRED UNDER A COURT ORDER OR BY GOVERNMENT POLICY OR REGULATION.  We have found that very often,  agreed upon payment plans are not consistently followed.   Further, the administrative process of following-up is best accomplished by a bonded collection agent who can assure that every effort to collect is being put forth.

As such, effective beginning with all move-outs that occur on or after June 1, 2016, Cambridge will no longer accept payment plans for move-out charges.   The resident will need to pay their obligation (either as billed or as negotiated) within 60 days of move-out statement.   In the alternative, files will be sent to a qualified collection agent for further action.

Please let your supervisor know if you have any questions about this new policy.

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HR Tip

HR Reminer

When maintenance employees are called into work for an after-hours emergency the following steps need to be taken to make sure they are paid correctly:

  1. In Kronos, log the exact time that you worked, the system will pay you a minimum of 2 hours regardless of the times you have entered.  It is important to only record the times that you worked.
  2. Under the ‘Pay Category’ section on your time sheet, select ‘After Hours’ for that shift only.  If this option is not listed for you, then click the magnifying glass, it looks like this:  1and then click the flag next to ‘After Hours’.

Contact Lindsey Winkle with any questions: lwinkle@cambridgeres.com

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401k Transition Notification to Plan Participants

401(k) Participants:

We are excited to communicate some enhancements to the Cambridge Real Estate Services 401(k) plan arriving in early 2017. We do our best to continuously monitor all benefits we offer to our employees, to ensure we are providing you the best possible options.  After considerable review, we have decided to update our 401(k) Provider from Empower to Transamerica Retirement Services.  This change will provide you with access to more options and a simpler, lower cost retirement plan administration.

We are targeting mid-January of 2017 to have the transition complete, but stay tuned for more specific details regarding the transition. If you have any questions about the updates coming to the 401(k) plan with Transamerica or the transition, please contact our retirement plan financial advisors, Brett Fisher and Matt Floberg.  Also, be sure to watch for communication notices via US Mail and/or e-mail from Transamerica.

Brett and Matt will be available in person at the Cambridge symposium on February 8th, 2017 to review the plan changes, provide advice, and answer your specific questions once the transition is complete.  Prior to February 8th,  Brett and Matt can be reached at (503) 221-4671 and (503) 221-4610 and or at FlobergFisherGroup@ml.com.

With the updates to our 401(k), your workplace savings plan will become an even better way to plan and prepare for your future!

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Air Conditioner Units

Per Cambridge policy, all window air conditioner units should have been removed by October 31st.  Please take a quick review of your property and follow up with any residents who might be delayed in the removal of their window air conditioning unit.

As the season changes the weather is cooler and we will get more precipitation.  By having these units removed from the windows we are securing the building to be more water tight and to prevent cold weather and moisture from entering.

You can find the Air Conditioner Notice on Tenant Tech.   If you have any questions, please direct them to your property supervisor.