Connect - January Edition

Happy New Year! I hope you all found time to disconnect from work and connect with family and friends. The beginning of the year offers opportunities to make changes for the better. Whether it’s your physical health or mental health, your employment with Lake Forest provides options to improve both. The City offers discounted Fitness Center memberships for individuals, couples, and families, and Lake Forest’s natural amenities – such as the beach or nearby forest preserves – are also great ways to be active or take a mental health break. The employee assistance program is another asset available if you need to navigate a new chapter in life or talk through life’s problems. Contact HR if you’d like more information.

Lastly, thank you to those who shared their thoughts during one of the City Manager Conversations in December. I appreciate your questions and input – these help ensure the leadership team responds to your concerns and communicates effectively. Here’s to a healthy and productive year!

More Money on Your First Paycheck in January 2026

During months with three pay periods, insurance benefit deductions are typically applied to the first and second paychecks. For January 2026, deductions will instead occur on the second (January 16) and third (January 30) paychecks. This provides HR and Finance additional time to prepare for the deductions given the conflict with the New Year's Day holiday.

End of the Year Reminders for FSA and/or HRA Accounts

As 2025 comes to an end, please review the following if you have either an Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Retirement Account (HRA):

FSA carry over: Up to $680 of unused FSA funds will carry over into 2026. Any balance above $680 will be lost if not spent by December 31, 2025.
2025 Reimbursement deadline: the deadline to submit reimbursement from your FSA or HRA is March 31, 2026.
HRA rollover: HRA funds do not expire and are not impacted by the WEX submission deadline. The WEX website/app shows a December 31 deadline – this is not accurate.
Missing Receipts or Repayment: If you have an FSA and do not submit required receipts or resolve any outstanding repayments on your FSA within the deadline, WEX will freeze your FSA account. In addition, debit card transactions may be pulled from your HRA (if applicable), or your debit card will be declined until the issue is resolved. Please review your claims and ensure that receipts are submitted in a timely manner.

We strongly encourage you to log in to your WEX account as soon as possible to review your balance(s) and confirm whether any action is needed.

If you have questions, please contact WEX Customer Service directly or reach out to HR for assistance.

Each month, HR will highlight a policy for clarification and simplicity. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of job‑protected leave for qualifying reasons.

A qualifying reason generally includes:

Birth, adoption, or placement of a child
Caring for a spouse, child, or parent with a serious health condition
Employee’s own serious health condition

What’s defines a serious health condition per FMLA?

Inpatient care (an overnight stay in a hospital or medical facility), or
Off for more than 3 consecutive, full calendar days and either:
2 or more doctor visits pertaining to the health condition within 30 days; or
1 doctor’s visit and a regimen of continuing treatment (i.e. chemotherapy treatments)

Short-term illnesses (such as colds or the flu) typically do not qualify unless complications, inpatient care, or ongoing treatment are involved. If you are unsure whether your situation qualifies, please contact HR as soon as possible to verify whether an absence qualifies for FMLA.

Meira White

Police Officer

Meira joins the Lake Forest team as a Police Officer. Most recently, Meira worked for Northwestern University Police Department as a campus police officer. She has a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology from Loyola University Chicago.

Meira loves art and spends her free time painting. She has a huge sweet tooth and enjoys making (and eating) baked goods.

Sophie Lupini

CROYA Youth Worker

Sophie joins the Lake Forest team as a Youth Worker. She has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Social Work. She comes from a background in juvenile justice and is passionate about walking through identity development and adolescence with youth!

Sophie enjoys thrifting for home decor and going on nature walks and is looking forward to getting married on May 30, 2026.

Genaro Lopez

Mechanic

Genaro joins the Lake Forest team as a Mechanic. He is happy to be joining the City of Lake Forest and is excited for the new opportunity!

Genaro enjoys kayaking, spending time with his family, working on various home projects, and working on his project truck. He is married with a 2 year old daughter and has another daughter coming in June!

JANUARY BIRTHDAYS

Thanks for Attending the 2025 Holiday Party & Recognition Dinner!

Thank you to those who could celebrate at this year’s Holiday Party and Employee Recognition Dinner! Click here to enjoy all the photos from this year's Holiday Party!

We appreciate your feedback on how we can improve next year’s event. Please complete this survey by Friday, January 16, to share your thoughts.

Holiday Spirit Week Trivia Answers & Raffle Winner

Thank you to all that participated in our Holiday Spirit Week Email Trivia. Congratulations to Sophie Lupini on being the Trivia Raffle Winner!

The correct answers to the trivia questions are included below:

In Home Alone, where are the McCallisters traveling when they forget Kevin?
Paris
What department store does the Miracle on 34th Street Santa claim to work for?
Macy's
The song “Jingle Bells” was originally written for Christmas.
False, it was composed in 1857 as a Thanksgiving song, originally titled "One Horse Open Sleigh," celebrating winter sleigh races in New England, later becoming a Christmas staple after its popularity grew and it was sung around Christmastime.
What year was National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation released?
1989
What year did Coca-Cola debut the modern illustrated Santa Claus?
1931
Which song includes the lyric “Everyone dancing merrily in the new old-fashioned way”?
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
What is the literal meaning of the word “Hanukkah”?
Dedication
What popular Christmas decoration was originally made from goose feathers?
Trees
Which holiday song was the first to be played on the radio?
O Holy Night
What are the names of these two "The Year Without A Santa Claus" characters?
Heat Miser & Snow Miser

PPO Buzz

Hinge Health

BCBS PPO members have access to a new innovative digital program for chronic back, knee, hip, shoulder, and neck pain - with no out of pocket costs for the employee. You can register at: hingehealth.com/ipbc.

Wondr

Wondr is a digital behavioral change program that teaches skills to have a healthy relationship with food, lose weight, sleep better, and lower stress. You can access the Wondr digital library at Engage with Wondr (wondrhealth.com ) | Password: expectit

HMO Buzz

Physician Groups Leaving BCBS HMO

Three independent physician associations, recently purchased by Prime Healthcare, will leave our HMO networks on Jan. 1, 2026:

Amita Health Saint Joseph Medical Center Joliet IPA (Site ID 498)
Amita Health Saint Joseph Hospital Elgin IPA (Site ID 499)
Amita Health Saint Mary's Hospital Kankakee IPA (Site ID 500)

Delta Dental Buzz

Members can go paperless with Electronic Explanation of Benefits (EOBs):

Delta Dental of Illinois members can enroll in Go Green E-Statements through our secure online Member Connection portal so they receive their EOBs by email.

Receiving EOBs by email is an eco-friendly way to:

Receive statements quicker
Keep personal information secure
Get real-time updates anytime, anywhere

To check enrollment or opt-in to Go Green E-Statements, members can login to the Member Connection portal and click on "My Benefits," then "Go Green E-Statements."

VSP Buzz

Online Store

As a VSP Vision Care member, you can save up to $300 when you shop for glasses, contacts, and sunglasses on Eyeconic. Plus, you can save 20% on additional eyewear with free shipping, returns, and frame adjustments. The VSP site is linked here.