myHR Archives

myHR: September 16, 2020

Sustaining Excellence

This spring and summer, Penn faculty and staff found new ways to carry on the University’s proudest traditions, including the Models of Excellence Awards. The Models of Excellence Award Program celebrates the outstanding achievements of full- and part-time staff members and teams throughout the University’s schools and centers.

This fall, Penn’s long-standing recognition program will continue to highlight the best in staff commitment and achievement with the 2021 call for nominations. Nomination submissions will be accepted through October 23.

The online nomination form and guide are available at www.hr.upenn.edu/models. Refer to the Quick Start Guide to Submitting a Nomination to make the process easier.

You can nominate individual Penn staff members and teams for an award in these 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 are effective and productive leaders for the University.

Pillars of Excellence Award – recognizes the important support Penn’s weekly-paid staff members provide to promote the University’s mission.

Sustaining Penn Through COVID-19 – For 2021 only, this category was created in recognition of extraordinary staff efforts to continue education and research in the face of the pandemic.

In each category, award recipients each receive $500 and a symbolic award. Nominees selected for honorable mention receive $250 and a symbolic award. Awards will be announced and the honorees celebrated in the spring of 2021.

The Models of Excellence Selection Committee bases their choices on the content of your nominations, so your participation is crucial. Learn how to submit a nomination that conveys the exceptional work of your colleagues by attending a virtual How to Write a Models of Excellence Nomination information session. Two sessions will be held on:

Tuesday, September 29, 12pm-1 pm

Tuesday, October 13, 12pm-1pm

While the way we work has changed, Penn’s standards remain high. In spite of unprecedented obstacles, staff members not only met those standards, but frequently surpassed them. If you know a staff member or team who exemplify this spirit, don’t miss this opportunity to share their story with the entire Penn community. Nominate them for a Models of Excellence program by October 23.

Visit the Models of Excellence Program webpage for more information.

New Penn Grant Can Ease Childcare Costs

child with arms around parent working from home Do you work from home and need assistance with your children while they attend another school year of remote instruction? Have you gone back to on-site work and now need to send your kids to a childcare or learning center? Whether you work remotely or on campus, navigating childcare during the pandemic is a challenge for many staff and faculty – and so is the expense. That’s why the University has developed the Penn COVID-19 Childcare Grant.

The Penn COVID-19 Childcare Grant provides reimbursements up to a total of $2,000 per household to eligible faculty, staff, and postdoctoral trainees to cover childcare expenses incurred in their homes or in a childcare or learning center from September 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021. You are eligible to apply for the grant if you meet the following criteria:

Be an active, full-time, Penn benefits-eligible employee or postdoctoral trainee. Faculty, staff, and postdoctoral trainees who are on leave or sabbatical are not eligible. Faculty, staff, and postdoctoral trainees must be completing their normal work requirements remotely or on campus.
Have at least one child aged 10 or younger, or 11-18 years of age with a disability-related special need at the time of the first application.
The grant amount is per household, not per child. If both parents are employed at the University of Pennsylvania, the Childcare Grant benefit is limited to the benefit that would be provided to one faculty or staff member.
Have a yearly Penn salary of $100,000 or less (from all Penn sources).

The grant application available in Workday from September 15, 2020 through May 31, 2021. To apply, follow these steps:

Log into Workday.
Search for “Create Request” in the Workday search box. Select “Create Request.”
Select "All" from the Request Type Menu and navigate to "COVID-19 Childcare Grant Application."
Click “OK.”
Answer all questions on the application, ensuring the necessary supporting documentation is attached.
Sign the application by typing full legal name in Question 10.
Click Submit.

You can submit up to one application per month for reimbursement of expenses not to exceed $2,000 in total. If you submit your application by the 15th day of the month, once approved, you will receive reimbursement by the end of the following month; however, it may be processed sooner.

When applying, you will need to attach documentation to support your grant request such as childcare center receipts or provider payment confirmation. Costs associated with therapy services such as speech, physical, or occupational therapy are not covered by the grant.

If your child is age 11-18 with a disability-related special need, you will need to submit an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) from your child’s school or a letter from a medical doctor or other professional.

If your child is not covered by a Penn health insurance plan, for each child you will need to attach a birth certificate, official court adoption certificate, your 2019 tax return (with Social Security number and salary information redacted), proof of legal guardianship, Visa documentation, or other attestation that certifies that your child is age 10 or younger.

If you experience any issues with the application, please email worklife@hr.upenn.edu. If you have questions about the grant benefit, call the Penn Employee Solution Center at 215-898-7372.

For information about additional resources to help you navigate your childcare needs, visit the Penn Childcare Resources and Support webpage.

Performance in Mind

What drives you and your team to apply talents, knowledge, and skills required to meet your goals? As leaders and members of an organization, understanding these motivations can make a huge difference in performance. Each of us has a unique set of habits and beliefs that draw us to success, but those same psychological factors can sometimes stand in the way--especially when we don’t support ourselves and each other.

To help you and your team avoid mental obstacles and stay engaged, Penn is offering the Psychology of Job Performance virtual workshop on September 30 from 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm.

This workshop, facilitated by Bryant Kuehner, Training and Development Consultant for Talent Development, connects workplace performance with behavioral science and motivation concepts. Participants will learn how to use those concepts to troubleshoot performance issues and find the most efficient and effective ways to overcome barriers to success. By exploring several common performance scenarios, participants will have the opportunity to apply these concepts.

“Resources and support are much scarcer for all of us during COVID-19, especially those of us who now work from home. If you manage a team or a team’s resources, this session should help you figure out what questions to ask to ensure that everybody is getting what they need to do their jobs properly,” says Kuehner.

“This session will also help you to shift your focus away from your team member’s individual characteristics, and towards providing them with the information and infrastructure they need to do their jobs,” he says. This approach works well whether your group works remotely, on-campus, or in a hybrid setting.

By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

Explain the connection between job performance and basic principles of human behavior and motivation;
Identify the key factors of workplace performance;
Describe the difference in effectiveness between staff-centered interventions and workplace-centered interventions; and
Apply an understanding of these factors to “troubleshoot” performance issues on their teams and propose solutions.

Register online for the Psychology of Job Performance workshop and discover effective ways to foster engagement and productivity across your team.

For more professional development opportunities, visit the Learn & Grow section of the Human Resources website.

Healthy Meals: Turkey Spinach Salad with Beets

turkey and beet salad Whether you need quick work-at-home fuel or you’re packing meals for work or school, liven up lunch with this colorful, nutritious combo. This mix of summer blueberries, seasonal beets, and savory turkey is perfect for back-to-school season

Find the recipe here.

**Did You Know: Be in the Know Rewards Are Taxable Income**

Be in the Know rewards remain subject to applicable payroll taxes. With the change to Virgin Pulse, Penn will process these taxes through participants’ paychecks. Taxes will be processed on a quarterly basis (January, April, July, and October) as your rewards are earned, not redeemed. Virgin Pulse offers an array of reward options through their platform. For details on the 2020-2021 Be in the Know campaign, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/beintheknow.