myHR: December 11, 2013

When Winter Weather Strikes, Do You Have a Child Care Plan?

Winter weather can hit at a moment’s notice. If your child’s school is closed for a snow day but you need to get to work, finding alternate daytime care can be challenging. But Penn can help you find a solution.

From now through April 1, you can take advantage of Penn’s Snow Day Child Care Program when the University is open but Philadelphia public schools close due to inclement weather. Child care is provided by the Penn Children's Center. You’ll have access to all-day care for your child (ages 12 weeks to 12 years old), whether he or she attends a Philadelphia district school or not. Keep in mind you need to pre-register with the Penn Children's Center in order to participate in the program. Because space is limited, child care is provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

You can also turn to Penn’s backup care program. The program provides benefits-eligible faculty and staff with up to ten days of in-home backup child care per calendar year. Through a partnership with Care.com Backup Care (formerly Parents in a Pinch, Inc.), care is available for children up to 17 years in age who reside in your household. Keep in mind that this program is staffed for occasional unexpected care needs, not for community-wide situations, so services are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

To help you identify other sources for bad weather care in your community, check out Penn’s Worklife Resources website or call them at 1-888-321-4433.  

For more information on Penn’s dependent care resources, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/myhr/worklife.

Master the Art of Conflict Resolution

Conflict is a normal part of life, but knowing how to address it effectively isn’t easy. Most of us don’t like conflict because it’s uncomfortable and we don’t really know how to handle it. But when we fail to deal with it, the underlying problems often get worse. In the workplace, that can lead to resentment, defensiveness, a lack of productivity, and a loss of morale—and it can even lead to losing good employees.

There are many sources of conflict in the workplace, such as poor communication, personality clashes, scarce resources, and differing interests. Avoiding the problems won’t make them go away on their own, and having out-and-out battles will only serve to strain relationships even further. So what can you do to resolve conflicts successfully?

Join us on January 8 to find out. Our Brown Bag Matinee on Conflict Resolution will help you master skills for resolving disagreements and relieving tensions in the workplace. You’ll learn how to recognize sources of conflict, develop active communication skills, and apply a variety of conflict resolution techniques. This free workshop will take place from 11am-12pm. Click here for more details and to register.

Human Resources Winter Break Schedule

As the end of the calendar year approaches, we want to remind you of our schedule during the holidays. Human Resources will be closed from Wednesday, December 25 through Wednesday, January 1, for the Special Winter Vacation. However, some of our resources will still be available to faculty and staff as shown below: