Our DOL March 2022

He’s one of the first people new hires meet when they start at the DOL. Lloyd Nimrod, an EDGE Training Supervisor, has been a member of Our DOL Family for more than 23 years. See how he continues to “keep the spark in his heart” by seeking inspiration from his father, who served the people of Grenada, an island country in the Caribbean, during a distinguished political career.

March is Women’s History Month and we’re celebrating the achievements of some fascinating New York women, past and present. Take a moment to watch our slideshow, which features entertainment stars like Billie Holiday and Lucille Ball to activists like Margaret Sanger and Matilda Joslyn Gage.

As we approach Women’s Equal Pay Day on March 15, we recognize the U.S. women’s soccer team, who won a major fight this year for gender equality. Women's Equal Pay Day symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year. At the DOL, we remain committed to closing the wage gap and achieving equal pay for equal work.

National Grammar Day is a time to celebrate language and to improve our use of verbal and written skills. And while we marked the day last week, the Communications Department encourages you to always strive to improve your language use. Our Plain Language Team is a great resource that can help keep your writing simple, effective, and improve your audience’s understanding of your material. We can also assist you with creating printed and electronic forms and memos, translations, and so much more! For all your grammatical needs, feel free to email us at [email protected].

Our brand-new training unit EDGE has some exciting opportunities coming up to boost your Microsoft skills! Every Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. from March to September, Microsoft, in collaboration with EDGE, will host a 60-minute virtual Microsoft Tools workshop.

On the last day of each month, an Office Hours session will be held where trainers will be available to answer any questions you may have on the tools covered that month.

Attendees will receive credit in SLMS for participating. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email from [email protected] with a link to join. Register today using the course links below:

March

• Wednesday, March 16 | Outlook
• Wednesday, March 23 | OneNote Level 100
• Wednesday, March 30 | Teams Level 100
• Thursday, March 31 | Office Hours

April

• Wednesday, April 6 | Word Level 100
• Wednesday, April 13 | To Do Level 100
• Wednesday, April 20 | Excel Level 100
• Wednesday, April 27 | Word Level 200
• Friday, April 29 | Office Hours

These workshops will also be recorded, uploaded to SLMS, and available for you to view 1-2 weeks following each session. You will be able to find them using the keyword search feature in SLMS.

Remember to check the training section of the intranet for additional details and upcoming courses!

The NYSLRS recently celebrated a century of service to New York’s public employees.

In 1921, NYSLRS opened its doors and set to work providing New York’s public employees with secure retirement benefits. The original pension plan was very similar to the defined benefit plan NYSLRS members have now. Unlike the 401k-style defined-contribution plans common in the private sector, a defined-benefit plan provides a guaranteed lifetime benefit, so you don’t have to worry about your money running out during retirement. Your benefit is based on your service credit, earnings and (for most members) your age, providing a higher benefit the longer you work.

NYSLRS’s founders recognized the need to calculate the cost of the pension plan considering factors such as employees’ salaries and how long they are expected to be retired. They also saw the need to make provisions to cover those costs through contributions and other income. They recommended a plan supported, in part, by the contributions of public employers and employees.

Today, NYSLRS’s pension plan is widely recognized as one of the best-managed and best-funded plans in the country, and investment returns cover most of the cost of retirement benefits. In 1921, the Retirement System provided benefits to just a few dozen retirees and had $8.3 million in total assets. A century later, NYSLRS has grown into one of the largest public pension systems in the nation, providing retirement security to over a million members, retirees and beneficiaries. In its centennial year, the fund has grown to an estimated value of $267.8 billion.