myHR Archives
myHR: January 4, 2012
4 Resolutions to Kick Off a Healthy New Year
Now is the perfect time to embark on a healthier you—and we can help you get there! If you're looking for realistic health goals that you can stick with year-round, add these New Year's resolutions to your list.
1) Get in shape. With so many fitness resources at your fingertips, shaping up at Penn is no sweat. Enjoy the lowest rates at thousands of fitness clubs in the Philadelphia area with a GlobalFit gym membership, or tone your body by joining the Penn Walking Program. The winter walking session begins on January 10.
2) Lose weight. Weight Watchers at Penn can help you burn those extra holiday calories—at an affordable price! Sign up now, and you can join for less than half the normal price. Plus, meetings are right on campus so you won't have to go far to lose weight and feel great.
3) Develop a healthy eating plan. A nutritious lifestyle can be difficult to maintain. But we can show you how to eat well and still enjoy yourself. Enroll in one of our many nutrition workshops to get simple tips for healthy eating. We're kicking the year off with Food Swapping 101: Tricks of the Trade on January 19.
4) Quit smoking. It may be one of the hardest things you've ever had to do, but we can make it easier for you. Penn's Quit Smoking Program is jam-packed with resources to help you ditch your nicotine habit and embrace a healthier lifestyle.
Catch Some Workplace Energy with FISH!
Wouldn't it be nice to have a workplace that's bursting with energy, excitement and a positive attitude? Well we can show you how to do it!
Join us on January 18 for a workshop on FISH! This captivating video tells the story of Seattle's famous Pike Place Fish Market and its infectious atmosphere. You'll get a first-hand look at what great customer service really is and how to turn your workplace into an enthusiastic and rewarding environment.
Ready to get your creative juices flowing? Click here for complete details and to register.
Are You Adding a New Child to Your Family?
Bringing home a new child is a special time in every parent's life—and we're here to support you along the way. Use the steps below to help you figure out how to take time off for the birth or adoption of your child.
Find out if you're eligible for Family and Medical Leave. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows either parent to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for family or medical reasons, including the birth or adoption of a child. But you have to meet certain eligibility requirements first.
Calculate how much paid time off you're entitled to. When you take leave, you're required to use your own accumulated time off to start.
If you're pregnant, you'll use your sick leave, vacation leave and short-term disability leave (if applicable) in that order. Keep in mind that short-term disability can only be used for medical necessity. You're typically eligible for up to eight weeks of sick or short-term disability leave in the case of a normal delivery and ten weeks for a Caesarean Section. If you exhaust your paid leave, any additional time off—up to the 12-week maximum allowed under FMLA—is unpaid.
If you're the father or it's an adoption, you're entitled to three days of sick leave before using your vacation leave. Once you've exhausted your vacation leave, any additional FMLA time is unpaid.
Notify your supervisor. Once you've decided how much time off you'll take, let your supervisor and Human Resources know at least 30 days in advance. Just fill out and submit the following forms:
If you'd like more information on parental leave from Penn, click here or contact Human Resources at fmla@hr.upenn.edu.
When Life Changes, Change Your Life Insurance Beneficiary
The new year is often a time of reflection. As you think back to the year that's passed, consider if the most important players in your life have changed. Did you get married or divorced, add a child to your family, lose a loved one? All of these things have a huge impact on our lives, and we often overlook one crucial thing in the midst of everything else: updating our life insurance beneficiaries.
No one can predict the future, but one of the simplest ways to protect your loved ones is to keep your life insurance beneficiary information up to date. A few minutes is all you need to make sure the people who mean the most to you are being taken care of when you can't be there to take care of them yourself.
You can review and update your beneficiary designation online so it's fast and easy. Visit Penn's online benefits enrollment site and log on with your PennKey and password. Choose the “Update Life Insurance Beneficiary” option and the online system will walk you through the rest.
Questions? Contact the Penn Benefits Center at 1-888-PENN-BEN (1-888-736-6236).