myHR Archives
myHR: November 25, 2020
Self-Care for a Scaled Back Thanksgiving
According to the CDC, “The safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving this year is to celebrate with people in your household.” What if you’re a household of one? Flying “over the river” or taking the Greyhound “through the woods”—to paraphrase the traditional Thanksgiving poem-- can put the people you visit at risk and require you to quarantine when you return. New traditions like indoor Friendsgiving parties might also be off the table this Thanksgiving, so your options to celebrate might seem limited.
“The holiday season may look different for each of us due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our daily lives and on our mental health,” says Batsirai Bvunzawabaya, Ph.D. Staff Psychologist and Director of Outreach and Prevention Services at Penn CAPS. “It is natural to feel sad, disappointed, frustrated or overwhelmed at having to adjust our expectations or plans for the holidays.”
If you have mixed feelings, we encourage you to be kind and patient with yourself.
Being alone this weekend doesn’t mean you have to be lonely. In one sense, you are in good company. People in heroic fields such as public safety, health care, and military service often spend holidays away from friends and family—pandemic or not—while managing to mark special occasions their own way. Immigrants, international scholars and businesspeople—even astronauts—also cope creatively with being far from loved ones on holidays.
If this is your first small or solo Thanksgiving, here are some suggestions to make November 26 and 27 brighter and focus on the meaningful aspects of this celebration.
Make Room to Zoom
If you haven’t planned the ultimate virtual Thanksgiving video conference, it’s not too late to set up calls with family and friends. Even with casual online gatherings, using workplace conference call techniques can help things go smoothly. If you have a large group on the call, set an agenda, take turns, be patient with those who are new to the technology, and understand that long video conferences can result in screen fatigue.
Show Gratitude through Letter Writing
Give thanks to loved ones across the miles through the timeless art of letter and card writing.
Practice Physical Distancing for Outdoor Meetups
Bundle up and gather with local friends and family outdoors in a park or back-yard. Fire-pits add warmth and cheer, so long as you use them safely as part of your commitment to public health.
Treat Thanksgiving Like Any Other PTO Day
Just because Thanksgiving is a federal holiday doesn’t mean you need to do make it a big deal. You can treat this weekend like any other if that works best for you. Perhaps reschedule your Thanksgiving for a safer date, or just let it go all together.
Engage in Contactless Sharing
Acts of kindness can uplift your spirits as well as those around you. If you know a neighbor or friend who could use a treat, arrange a contactless drop off at their home. Distant elders, for example, might appreciate a phone call from you and the opportunity to have someone simply listen to them.
Many agencies and organizations are still accepting donations to help those in need of food, clothing, and other necessities this winter. For example, Penn Volunteers in Public Service is holding a Holiday Drive now through December 12.
Try a New Recipe
This year is an opportunity to create new traditions. If you’ve always served or eaten the same dishes ever since you can remember and you’re curious about different foods, this is the perfect year to test something new on a small scale.
Run or Walk a Virtual 5K
One great thing about virtual 5K runs and walks is that you can register even if they’ve started. Campus retailer Philadelphia Runner has a convenient calendar of fundraising 5K events, Races — Philadelphia Runner, that will take place over Thanksgiving break.
Go on a Healthy Binge
One benefit of solitude is being free to do lots of whatever you like so long as its beneficial. Watching a baking show marathon is a harmless escape, while eating baked goods all day might leave you with regrets. Instead of maxing out with so called retail therapy or masking your feelings with empty calories or drinks, take a deep dive into your favorite music, movies, sports trivia, or literature. If scrolling through social media leaves you drained or outraged, give it a rest this weekend.
Whether your holiday household is big or small, everyone deserves a safe and healthy Thanksgiving.
For additional resources please visit www.hr.upenn.edu/mindwell or www.penncobalt.com.
Where Are You Now?
Much depends on your contact information in the University’s records. Penn can’t deliver essential information and documents to you without a complete, accurate mailing address. Small details, such as apartment numbers, make a big difference. Your payroll tax withholdings are also tied to your address data. If you’ve recently moved, you’re working from a new location, or you’ve missed mailings that everyone else received, chances are your University records need an update.
Since access to your individual records is limited, the best way to make sure your information is accurate is for you to check it yourself in Workday@Penn. Log in with your PennKey username and password to get started.
Note that if you make changes to your personal information, Workday may place a “To Do” item in your Workday inbox entitled “Complete To Do Address Change: Possible Updates Needed to Tax Elections.” Changing your address may also trigger health plan changes. Please contact the Benefit Solution Center at 866-799-2329 if you have questions about changes in address that may affect your benefits.
View Your Workday Profile
After you log in to Workday@Penn:
- Select the Personal Information application from the homepage.
- Under the View section, select About Me for an overview of your records. You will be able to access personal information associated with your job as well as your Contact information.
- Select Contact from the left menu to review your home and work addresses and email address.
- Inside the Contacts view, you can also review your Emergency Contacts by clicking the Emergency Contacts tab on the top of screen.
Update Your Contact Information in Workday
After you log in to Workday@Penn:
- Select the Personal Information application from the Workday homepage.
- Under the Change section, select Contact Information to access your home and work addresses, phone numbers, and email information.
- To change your contact information, select Edit.
- From the edit page, select Add to add information or select the Pencil icon to edit your information.
Refer to the Workday@Penn Modify Your Personal Information Tip Sheet for details.
What If Your Work Location Changes?
If your work location has changed from one city or state to another for more than 30 days, be sure to contact your school or center HR partner so they can update your Work Contact information in Workday. You may need to update related tax withholding forms as well.
Visit the Workday@Penn Guide to Changes in Work Location page for details. If you have questions about Workday or updating your records, please contact the Penn Employee Solution Center at 215-898-7372 or solutioncenter@upenn.edu.
Make Yourself Indispensable
How would you describe a worker who can step up to any challenge, task, or role, and have a significant impact no matter what the assignment? In his book “Linchpins,” author, entrepreneur Seth Godin labels this type of employee indispensable. These superheroes of the workplace perform with a mindset that drives them to think and act differently, go above and beyond what is expected of them, and perform well under pressure. Learn how to become an outstanding staff member by attending the December 8 How to Make Yourself Indispensable virtual workshop from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
“Being indispensable is a philosophy and skillset that allows staff to be successful in any position, regardless of the specialized knowledge and skills they need for their jobs,” says Bryant Kuehner, workshop facilitator.
“Characteristics include resilience, adaptability, ambition, and team orientation – all things that can make staff members stand out and afford them new opportunities in the future,” he says.
In this workshop, Kuehner, Training and Development Consultant, Talent Development, will lead participants through a series of activities that illustrate the following indispensable employee traits:
- Taking ownership of your responsibilities. Think of your current role and consider how you can use the characteristics and behaviors of an effective business owner to do your job well. For example, owners solve problems. Don’t wait for your manager to solve your problem. Address root causes, research solutions, assess the options, and then present the best choices to your manager.
- Going above and beyond. Expand your sphere of influence by working with new connections in other departments or looking for processes that can be improved even if they’re going well. Take initiative by taking on a project that scares you and do it anyway. Come up with an out-of-the box idea that could bring value to the organization.
- Performing well under pressure instead of caving. Keep calm by accepting and coping with your stress so that you can focus on a desired outcome. Also, perform triage to help determine the most critical issues and a plan of action, which may include delegating or requesting assistance.
- Adapting to changing circumstances. Change is hard but flexing your intellectual muscle can make it easier. Increase your adaptability by doing at least one new or different thing each week or talking with people with opinions different from yours.
- Being a team player. Be someone others want to work with. Be pleasant, positive and reliable. Help others perform better by using “power messages” that include words of encouragement, questions to prompt thinking, and calls to action.
- Being replaceable. We usually think of irreplaceable as being a positive quality, but irreplaceable employees are locked into a role because they hoard their knowledge, becoming the only ones who can do their job. Kuehner says, “this is bad not just for teams, but for individuals as well.” You want to be replaceable; someone who shares their expertise and delivers impact wherever they are.
Kuehner also says that though remote work has changed the way we engage with one another you can still become indispensable.
“These qualities are precisely the ones that are conducive to success in the unpredictable era of COVID and remote work. For example, going above and beyond and taking ownership provides the motivation to experiment with new ideas for accomplishing tasks during remote work,” he says.
Register today for the How to Make Yourself Indispensable virtual workshop and set yourself up for success in whatever role you take on.
For more professional development programs, visit the Learn & Grow section of the Human Resources website.
Healthy Meals: Green Chile-Turkey Soup with Hominy
This delicious soup puts a Tex-Mex twist on Thanksgiving leftovers. Onion, garlic, and celery are simmered with cumin, chili powder and other spices. Nutritious hominy adds a boost of fiber and vitamin B. Finish with a squeeze of lime juice and a sprig of cilantro.
Click here to send us your healthy recipes and tips.
Did You Know: Adventures in Anthropology
Penn Museum science and cultural activities continue online for learners of all ages, from digital Daily Digs to lectures to kids’ crafts. Take a virtual journey around the world with the Museum’s Global Voyagers on December 1. The Museum’s At Home Anthro Live events on December 1, 8, and 15 will enlighten and inspire with storytelling and projects for the family. Check the Penn Museum calendar for more options.