myHR Archives
myHR: September 21, 2016
Get on Track to Wellness with Be in the Know 2016-2017
Penn’s Be in the Know wellness campaign, part of Penn Healthy You, makes it easier to bring greater health awareness and more fitness activities into your life. Be in the Know gives faculty and staff the opportunity to improve their wellbeing while earning up to $200.*
This year, Be in the Know runs through August 2017. Register today at www.hr.upenn.edu/beintheknow.
Get Started with Core Actions
Participation begins with the Core Actions: a Biometric Screening and Online Health Assessment.** Complete both required Core Actions to earn your first 100 points and $100.*
On-Campus Biometric Screenings
The free, confidential screenings provide you with key indicators of your health status, such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and blood sugar. Over the past four years, more than 8,500 Penn staff and faculty have taken advantage of this campaign.
Online Health Assessment
This brief questionnaire gives you a personalized report on your current health and recommendations on how to maintain or improve your health and wellbeing. The online health assessment will be available on Penn’s wellness portal, penn.staywell.com, on a rolling basis beginning in October 2016 for those who have completed their biometric screening.
Earn More with Bonus Actions
Bonus Actions are opportunities to go beyond the biometric screening and online health assessment to improve your health—and earn more cash. They’re available on campus and online at Penn’s wellness portal, penn.staywell.com. Complete Bonus Actions to earn points and an extra $50 or $100 in additional incentives.* Bonus Actions may be completed and points earned at any time during the Be in the Know campaign (September 2016 – August 2017). However, cash incentives will not be awarded until you complete the two Core Actions.
What’s New This Year
More Points, More Cash, More Often!
Earn up to 200 points for $200!* Incentive payments will go out as soon as November 2016 and will be made every other month this campaign year.
Three Tracks to Fit Your Goals
We’ve made things simple this year with three tracks to choose from: Core Track, Easy Choice Track, and Custom Track. So you can just do the basics, choose a package of activities, or totally customize your Be in the Know experience.
Campus Recreation Partnership
This year, you can choose to apply all of your incentive dollars toward a Penn Campus Recreation membership and exciting recreational services.
New Mindfulness Bonus Actions
We’ve built on Penn’s popular mindfulness program options to include new online meditation programs and mindfulness workshops.
Physical Activity Credit
Earn Bonus Action points for staying active this year!
Year-Round Campaign
On-campus biometric screenings will be offered each semester, letting you join the Be in the Know campaign any time during the year.
Check the Be in the Know webpage at www.hr.upenn.edu/beintheknow for key dates and more information.
*All cash incentives are less applicable payroll taxes. Incentives will be included in November 2016, January 2017, March 2017, May 2017, July 2017, and September 2017 paychecks, or in Campus Recreation accounts. Payment times depend on when you complete the Core Actions and qualifying Bonus Actions. On the Health Assessment, Question 6 “How would you like to receive the full amount of your Be in the Know earned incentive(s)?” is a required question. If the question is not completed, the employee will automatically receive the incentive(s) on their paycheck.
**Your privacy is strictly protected. Penn will never know your questionnaire answers, what your screening results were, or your personal health goals.
Honor Your Coworkers with a Models of Excellence Award Nomination
Looking for a meaningful way to show appreciation to 
truly outstanding staff members? Nominate your coworkers for Penn’s Models of Excellence awards. Nominations for fiscal year 2017 are open now through October 21, 2016.
The new online nomination is available at www.hr.upenn.edu/models.
The Models of Excellence award program celebrates the extraordinary achievements of full- and part-time staff across the University’s schools and centers. Awards are given in three categories:
- Models of Excellence Award – Recognizes staff member accomplishments that reflect initiative, leadership, increased efficiency, and a deep commitment to service.
- Model Supervisor Award – Honors supervisors who contribute to Penn's success.
- Pillars of Excellence Award – Celebrates the important work that weekly-paid staff members do to promote Penn’s success.
All nominees receive a certificate of appreciation for their service. Models of Excellence, Pillars of Excellence, and Model Supervisor winners each receive $500 and a symbolic award. Nominees selected for honorable mention receive $250 and a symbolic award. Awards are presented at the Models of Excellence ceremony on March 28, 2017 at 4pm in Irvine Auditorium. (Doors open at 3:30pm; reception to follow.) The entire Penn community is invited to attend.
Being nominated is an honor in itself, but it can be especially thrilling to see someone you’ve nominated go all the way to receive an award.
Janice Panesar, Senior Business Systems Analyst, and her coworkers were happy to nominate Rosey Nissley of Information Systems and Computing for the 2016 Model Supervisor. Janice noted that while ISC staff members often receive Models of Excellence honors as part of larger University-wide teams, it was “pretty cool” to see someone from her organization earn this unique prize presented by Dr. Amy Gutmann at the Models of Excellence ceremony in April.
When colleagues of Brian Anders, Sweeten Alumni House Building Manager, decided to nominate him for the Pillars of Excellence Award this year, they had no doubt he deserved recognition. Elise Betz, Executive Director, Penn Alumni Relations, appreciated the opportunity to demonstrate how much Anders’ work means to Penn Alumni Relations.
“Everybody’s so excited,” said Betz of her team before the Models of Excellence Ceremony in 2016. They had even planned their own celebration to follow the official ceremony.
Your deserving coworkers can’t receive Models of Excellence recognition without a nomination.
Two lunch-time programs will be held to help you begin putting together a nomination that conveys exceptional performance and award worthiness. Register at www.hr.upenn.edu/modelsbrownbag or models@hr.upenn.edu:
- Thursday, September 22, 1pm-2pm, 3401 Walnut Street, 5th Floor, HR Conference Room
- Thursday, September 29, 12:30pm-1:30pm, 3624 Market Street, Suite 1A South, Learning and Education Training Room
Visit the Models of Excellence program website for more information, or contact Human Resources at models@hr.upenn.edu or 215-898-1012 if you have questions.
Healthy Meals: Quick Chicken and Vegetable Curry with Garlic Naan
Looking for something quick with a little kick? Try this time-saving, aromatic stew.
Did You Know? Penn Community Yoga
On the first Thursday of every month, Penn faculty and staff are welcome to participate in free monthly yoga on Shoemaker Green. Campus Health and Campus Recreation have partnered to host open-air yoga classes on October 6, November 3, and December 1 at 6pm. Visit www.vpul.upenn.edu/shs/campushealth/movewell.php for more information.