myHR: October 5, 2011

Help Us Find Models of Excellence

Penn is known for extraordinary people doing extraordinary things, and now’s your chance to honor them!

Through the Models of Excellence program, Penn acknowledges and rewards exceptional staff accomplishments and inspiring role models. But we need your help to identify these valued staff members—by nominating them for Models of Excellence recognition.

If you know staff members whose work reflects exemplary initiative, leadership, efficiency, collaboration and commitment to service, help us recognize their achievements by nominating them for a Models of Excellence Award.

Or, if you know a supervisor who’s an exceptional manager, a strong leader and a valuable team player, show your support by nominating him or her for a Model Supervisor Award.

All nominations are due by Friday, November 4. You’re also invited to honor and celebrate these staff member accomplishments at an awards ceremony and reception on April 3, 2012 at the Annenberg Center at 4:30pm. Click here for complete details and to RSVP.

Fight the Flu This Season

Want to beat the flu before it beats you? We can help you prepare. Penn Human Resources is partnering with Occupational Medicine to offer discounted flu shots—right here on campus!

Beginning in November, you can get a flu shot at three convenient locations at Penn for just $25 (cash only). Shots will be administered on November 7, 8 and 15 at the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Wharton School, and the School of Nursing. All you need to bring is your PennCard and cash—and remember to wear clothes that provide easy access to your upper arm.

Pre-registration is required. Time slots generally fill up quickly, so be sure to register as soon as possible. For complete details and to register, click here.

4 Reasons to Save with Penn’s Retirement Plans

Saving for retirement is one of the best financial decisions you can make. But if you’re not fully convinced, see why Penn’s Tax-Deferred Retirement (TDR) and Supplemental Retirement Annuity (SRA) plans are a smart way to safeguard your financial future.

Tax benefits. You can contribute to Penn’s retirement plans on a pre-tax or Roth after-tax basis. If you contribute pre-tax, you get a tax break now—you don’t pay federal income and Social Security taxes on that money when it comes out of your paycheck. If you contribute after-tax, you get a tax break later—you don’t pay those taxes when you withdraw money from your account in the future. And either way, you get the benefit of deferred taxes on your account earnings.

Money from Penn. If you’re eligible for the TDR plan, Penn puts money into your account even if you don’t contribute anything. But you can really amp up your savings when you contribute your own funds, since Penn matches your contributions dollar-for-dollar up to 5% of your salary.

Personal control. You’re in complete control of your retirement savings. You decide how much you want to contribute, which investment options you want to choose, and whether you want to contribute on a pre-tax or Roth after-tax basis. And you can make changes to your contributions and investment strategy at any time.

Free financial counseling. Both of Penn’s retirement vendors—TIAA-CREF and Vanguard—offer free one-on-one retirement counseling to help you meet your financial goals. They can help you find the right investment mix and get your retirement planning on track.

Want to learn more? Join us at Penn’s retirement fair on October 18, or take advantage of a series of retirement planning workshops in honor of National Save for Retirement Week.

Make a Successful Career Change at Penn

Penn is chock full of diverse career opportunities, so it’s no surprise if you’re thinking about taking your career down a new path. But how do you stand out as a candidate when you apply for a job in a completely different field? Your resume is key—and we’ll show you how to make yours a winner.

Join us on October 19 for our latest career workshop: Resumes for Career Changers. You’ll learn how to write a resume that markets your strengths and highlights skills that you can easily transfer to a new role. You’ll also find out what hiring managers at Penn often look for in candidates, and how to customize your resume toward different opportunities.

Click here for complete details and to register.

Balance Your Life with Worklife Benefits

Life is full of competing demands, whether it’s professional responsibilities, family obligations or other personal needs. So how do you manage it all? Penn’s worklife benefits can help.

In honor of National Work and Family Month this October, discover the many resources at Penn to help you balance your life better. From flexible work options to backup care and other dependent care resources, you have plenty of tools to help you live a positive and productive life—at work and at home.

To give you a better understanding of Penn’s worklife benefits, we’re holding free workshops throughout October on a variety of worklife topics, like flexible work options, resources that can help when you return to work after having a baby, and tips for communicating with your teenager.

Click here for complete details and to register.