September 2, 2008
New online videos offer information on Purdue benefits
Two new online videos providing an overview of Purdue benefits are now available. The videos -- one covering insurance and flexible spending account plans and the other addressing retirement and tax deferred annuities -- are offered through the Staff Benefits home page at www.purdue.edu/benefits.
"The videos are a resource for new employees and prospective employees who want to learn more about Purdue's benefits," says Cory Melchi, Staff Benefits operations and support services manager. "Current faculty and staff will find them useful, too."
The around-the-clock availability made possible by housing the videos on the Web will allow employees to tap into this extensive source of information whenever a question arises.
Rather than the streaming video presentations that many people are familiar with, the benefit videos were created using Flash technology. Flash is compatible with both PC and Mac computers and allows a bigger viewing area than streaming video productions do.
Live links to related Web sites are provided on-screen during the presentations. Viewers who click these links will be taken directly to the appropriate Web site.
The left side of the video screen includes a chapter guide, which viewers may use to click directly to the benefit information that interests them. Or, viewers may start the video at the beginning and allow it to progress automatically from chapter to chapter, covering all of the benefits.
The chapter guide also provides controls to pause, play, reverse, and fast forward the video and adjust the volume. A link to the Staff Benefits home page is included, too.
Viewers coming back to the videos for another look will be given the option to resume where they left off or to start over again at the beginning.
Staff Benefits will update the presentations annually to reflect benefit changes.
"We encourage people to let us know what they think of the videos," Melchi says. "Good suggestions can be incorporated during the annual update process."
As with all matters related to Staff Benefits, comments can be sent to staffbenefits@purdue.edu.
-- From the Aug. 28 edition of Inside Purdue.