myHR Archives
myHR: July 6, 2016
Get Your Free YMCA Day Pass
Penn and the Y have done it again. Now you have another chance to give the Y a try with a free one-day family pass good through July 31, 2016. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn about discount YMCA memberships for faculty and staff.
To get your pass, just download this form and present it with your PennCard at any Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA location or Regional Y Alliances.
Philadelphia Freedom Valley YMCA and Regional Y Alliances offer a 10% monthly membership discount to all Penn employees with valid PennCards. There is no joiner fee for new Penn employee memberships. To receive the discount on a new membership, visit any YMCA location listed here and present your PennCard. Existing members can sign up for a discount at their home branch.
Now there are 40 participating Y branches in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. With dozens of locations to choose from, a free pass, and a discount, this is a great summer to check out Y services near you.
Thanks to Penn's partnerships with the Y and GlobalFit, along with Penn Rec’s facilities, staying in shape is more convenient than ever!
Can You Spare a $1,000?
You’ve probably heard the advice about having a savings account to cover surprise expenses for three to nine months, or longer. But if you don’t have that much cash in your bank or credit union account, you’re not alone.
According to a recent poll, two thirds of Americans don’t have ready cash to cover a $1,000 emergency—never mind three months’ expenses. Even some people with relatively high incomes admit they would have trouble coming up with cash in a pinch. That means common but unexpected expenses, like car repair bills or a family emergency, could easily send them reaching for a high-interest credit card or borrowing against their retirement accounts.
“Part of the reason you need an emergency fund is to keep your life from heading into a tailspin when the unexpected crashes in, but another reason is to stop you from relying on credit cards to bail you out when things get tough,” says Amy Podzius, TIAA Financial Consultant.
The good news is that increasing numbers of Americans of all generations do have a cash cushion to protect their finances. Emergency funds offer peace of mind and a feeling of extra confidence that comes from knowing that you can handle life’s surprises.
Here are some basic tips for building up your emergency fund.
Just Start
It’s fine to begin with a small savings goal based on your individual situation. (e.g., $500 is better than $0; six months’ worth of expenses is better than three). A basic savings account with a low minimum balance is fine in the beginning. Once you get started, you may find that saving isn’t as difficult as it first seemed.
Make It Automatic
If you haven’t developed a saving habit, an easy way to save is to set up an automatic recurring transfer to your savings account. Let technology do the work each pay cycle.
Give Yourself Time
It takes a while to build up savings, so don’t give up just because you don’t see big results right away. You’ll see progress as the months go by.
Don’t Touch It
If you think you’d be tempted to spend your emergency savings on a non-emergency, then don’t keep a debit card for that account. Once you’ve reached a significant savings goal, you may want to consider other ways of saving or investing, such as a money market account, for additional emergency funds that you put away.
For more financial literacy information, visit www.tiaa.org or retirementplans.vanguard.com.
Essentials for Effective One-on-One Meetings
A positive relationship between staff members and their direct supervisor is essential to success. Trust and open lines of communication help staff understand expectations, meet goals, and stay engaged. Supervisors and managers benefit, too, when they know what is happening in the organization and how employees are doing.
So how can you build positive relationships with your own staff? One of the easiest ways is with one-on-one meetings. Regularly meeting one on one with each of your staff members offers the opportunity to check in on progress, share feedback, ask questions, discuss professional development, and work together to solve issues. All of these help build effective, trusting relationships with your employees, while you develop as a leader and help your team thrive.
To learn how to make the most of these opportunities and turn your one-on-ones into productive sessions, register for Essentials for Effective One on One's brown bag, July 12, from 12:30pm-1:30pm. You’ll discover how to structure and prepare for effective one-on-ones, and how to avoid common pitfalls. Led by Human Resources Staff and Labor Relations, this free brown bag will give you practical ways you need to make your one-on-one meetings meaningful for both you and your staff. Space is limited, so register now!
Prescription Pain Medication Awareness and Support
Prescription pain medication has been in the news a lot in recent months. Tragic reports of accidental overdoses shine a spotlight on the “hidden” epidemic of opioid addiction and dependence.
Common prescription drugs can deliver much-needed relief for many people. After surgery or an injury, a doctor may have prescribed an opioid-based medication, such as Percocet, Vicodin, Hydrocodone or Oxycodone, to help you manage pain during recovery. Or your doctor may have written a prescription to help you cope with chronic pain. Because these drugs work so well, they are frequently made available to patients.
The downside is that more people are misusing prescription pain medication than ever before. Prescription opioid abuse is now the third most common drug problem in the United States, after alcohol and tobacco, and marijuana. In fact, according to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health:
- 4.3 million Americans engaged in non-medical use of prescription painkillers in the last month.
- 1.9 million Americans had a substance use disorder involving prescription pain relievers.
- Deaths from prescription opioids quadrupled between 1999 and 2014.
You don’t have to be a celebrity or live under extreme conditions to develop a problem. Anyone can be affected, no matter their background, age, or profession.
Misuse of prescription pain medicine can begin with a seemingly harmless decision, like taking an extra pill to deal with a severe bout of pain or to ease the nerves. Misuse can also mean taking pills more frequently than recommended or in any way other than how it was prescribed – that includes using medicine prescribed to someone else or sharing your prescription drugs with friends and family.
If you are concerned about drug abuse at home or in the workplace, Penn’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can help you understand and deal with these issues. EAP offers one-on-one counseling services to faculty, staff, and their immediate family members. Whether you just have questions or need more assistance, EAP’s licensed counselors will listen, assess the situation, and guide you to a solution.
Just call 1-888-321-4433, or visit the EAP website for more information. EAP services are free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
All EAP discussions and records are confidential, including any records of online communications. Faculty and staff can feel confident about information security and privacy, and comfortable that using these services will have no impact on their jobs.
Sources: Penn Behavioral Health, Centers for Disease Control, National Institute on Drug Abuse, American Society of Addiction Medicine
Healthy Meals: Blueberry-Orange Parfait
Save money and time by mixing local fruits like blueberries with handy favorites like oranges for a grab-and-go breakfast or lunch.
Find the recipe here or send us your healthy recipes and tips.
Did You Know? Penn Offers Guidance for Flexible Work Options
If your commute–or your staff’s–is significantly affected by SEPTA’s modified regional rail schedules, consider Penn’s longstanding flexible work options program. Since 1999, Penn has offered guidance on setting up flexible work options to adjust the time or place work is completed. Please remember that these arrangements must fit the organizational needs of the University and require prior supervisor approval.
Outdoor Break Poll Results
According to the June myHR poll, Kaskey Park–also fondly known as the BioPond–is our reader’s favorite place for an outdoor break. 47% of participants chose this shady garden as their go-to green space.
Kaskey Park (the BioPond) 47%
Penn Park 17%
College Green/Blanche Levy Park 6%
Stoner Courtyard at Penn Museum 4%
Warden Garden at Penn Museum 2%
Hamilton Village Green near 40th Street and Locust Walk 2%
Shoemaker Green 2%
Lehman Brothers Quadrangle between McNeil Building and Vance Hall 1%
These results may not be a surprise, but perhaps you didn’t know about all interesting “write-in” spaces that readers shared. It’s a pleasant time of year to visit one of these spots near you.
“36th & Walnut sidewalk tables by the Penn Bookstore”
“Smilow building rooftop garden/Jordan Medical Education Center Patio”
“The Shakespeare Garden in front of Fisher Fine Arts library”
“Outside the ARCH on Locust Walk”
“The courtyard behind GSE”
“The patio behind 3535 Market”
“The Fels Institute garden”
“The steps in front of the Peace Sign next to Van Pelt”
“The Woodlands” (4000 Woodland Avenue)
“Morris Arboretum”
The latest myHR poll prize drawing winners are Sue Chen at the Center for Neuroscience and Society and Laura Sprague in the Department of Microbiology–School of Dental Medicine. Each will receive a personal and professional development prize package.
Thanks to everyone for participating!