myHR: March 23, 2022

Mark Your Calendars for Benefits Open Enrollment

Penn’s Benefits Open Enrollment is your annual opportunity to make changes to your health plans, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts. The next Open Enrollment period is Monday, April 18 through Friday, April 29. While Open Enrollment is still a few weeks away, we want to give faculty and staff plenty of time to learn about the upcoming 2022-2023 plan year. Be sure to carefully review the Benefits Enrollment Guide that will be mailed to your home soon.

This year, the Division of Human Resources will host an on-campus Open Enrollment Benefits Fair as well as virtual benefits presentations. Penn provides many other tools and resources to help you make informed decisions.

For more information about your benefits, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/openenrollment. You'll have access to benefit comparison charts, contribution charts, and more.

Looking Ahead to a New Plan Year on July 1, 2022

On-Campus Open Enrollment Benefits Fair and Virtual Benefits Presentations

This year the Open Enrollment Benefits Fair will return to campus on Monday, April 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Inn at Penn. Penn Benefits staff, representatives from Penn’s healthcare providers, and wellness partners will be there to answer your questions.

Live, virtual Open Enrollment presentations will also be held on the following dates.

Visit www.hr.upenn.edu/registration for log in links and other information session details.

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) Updates and Reminders

Health Care FSA

If you have a Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA), you will be able to roll over up to $570 of all unused funds from the 2021-2022 plan year to the 2022-2023 plan year. All unused funds over the $570 limit will be forfeited, so carefully consider your contribution for the new plan year.

You must incur all expenses between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. Claims must be submitted by September 30, 2022. All rollover funds will be available in November.

Dependent Care FSA

You must use all available funds by the end of the plan year deadline or you will forfeit any remaining balance. You have until September 15 of the following plan year to incur expenses, and until September 30 of the following plan year to submit eligible claims. 

For example, if you enroll in a Dependent Care FSA during the 2022-2023 plan year, you’ll have until September 15, 2023 to incur expenses and until September 30, 2023 to submit eligible expenses for reimbursement. 

Visit www.hr.upenn.edu/flexible-spending-accounts for more FSA details and single-sign-on access to WageWorks/HealthEquity.

Medical Rates

There will be an increase to the medical plan rates. Most other plan rates will remain the same.

Workday@Penn

During Open Enrollment, you can make changes to your benefits coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via Workday@Penn at www.myworkday.com/upenn/login.html. Please remember to print a confirmation statement for your records.

Read the Self-Service: Manage, View and Change Your Benefits tip sheet for instructions.

Update Your Beneficiary

While you’re logged in to Workday@Penn, please review and update your life insurance beneficiary information. To update your retirement plan beneficiaries, log in to your retirement planning account through Penn’s TIAA.org SSO link.

Additional Resources

To find out more about Benefits Open Enrollment:

• Visit the Open Enrollment Benefits Fair
• Review the 2022-2023 Benefits Enrollment Guide coming soon to your home address or your email inbox.
• Visit www.hr.upenn.edu/openenrollment for details and useful tools.

Contact Human Resources at benefits@hr.upenn.edu or the Benefits Solution Center at 1-866-799-2329, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Enjoy Nature’s Rewards with the 30x30 Challenge

Now that spring is officially here, Penn encourages you to get outside and experience the benefits of nature. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans spend approximately 90% of their time indoors. Yet research shows that going outside and enjoying some green time can improve our well-being. Penn Sustainability’s annual 30x30 Challenge welcomes the whole Penn community to spend time outdoors, learn about local ecology, and appreciate the beauty of nature. The University-wide 30x30 Challenge starts on April 1 and runs until the end of the month on April 30. Be in the Know participants can join the 30x30 Outdoor Challenge on the Virgin Pulse platform for more rewards.

To get ready to earn Be in the Know points for this year’s 30x30 Outdoor Challenge:

• Sign up for the 30x30 Outdoor Challenge on the Virgin Pulse platform.
• Select "Yes" on the daily check-in on Virgin Pulse for 25 out of the 30 days in April
• Use the challenge’s chat feature to connect with your friends and colleagues.

If you meet the April 30x30 Outdoor Challenge for 25 out of 30 days, you’ll earn 750 Bonus Action points for the 2021-2022 Be in the Know campaign! (You must start the challenge by April 15, and the platform only allows you to enter data for the previous 14 days. The deadline to track final data is May 7.)

Nature doesn't have to be seen as a destination—it may be just around the corner! Green space is as close as your neighborhood park or garden. Community gardens, trails, parks, and open, natural areas offer a short diversion from your daily routine. Whether it’s a weekend hike or a lunch-time stroll to the bio pond in Kaskey Park, there are countless ways to experience nature that fit your schedule and lifestyle.

Here are a few ideas from Penn Sustainability to help you take a break and enjoy the outdoors:

• Take your reading outside. Find your favorite shady (or sunny) spot and enjoy the outdoors, as you enjoy some literature.
• If you're on or near campus, use our Nature Rx @ Penn map to find nature near you!
• Take a photo that captures the detail of a plant or other natural object.
• Find a cool bug or plant, and try to identify its species using the iNaturalist app.
• Make a healthy dinner and eat outside.
• Take a scheduled call outside.
• Watch the sunrise or sunset for multiple days this week. Notice the difference in colors and hues.
• Bike or walk somewhere you've never been before. Explore your own neighborhood or one you've been wanting to check out.
• Skip the gym in favor of an outdoor run, bike ride, or other workout.
• Get your hands dirty in a garden. If you don't have your own garden, look into volunteering at a community garden near you!
• Take a pencil and paper outside with you. Sketch what you see, write a poem, or just reflect on the day.

For more information on the 30x30 Challenge, visit the Penn Sustainability website.

Public Health Guidance Update

Penn recently announced changes to its campus protocols following the changes in guidance from the Philadelphia Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of March 15, 2022: 

• Screening testing is now required only for those who are unvaccinated, are not yet fully vaccinated, or have not uploaded their booster information, all of whom continue to be required to test twice a week. Voluntary COVID-19 testing continues to be available for all members of the Penn community.
• Masking is now optional in indoor public spaces on campus, with the following exceptions:
• Masking continues to be required in classrooms until March 28.
• Masking continues to be required in healthcare spaces and on Penn Transit.

The complete announcement is available at coronavirus.upenn.edu/announcementss.

Keep Using PennOpen Pass

Daily use of PennOpen Pass is required for all on campus to report symptoms and/or exposures to help reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading within the community. Symptom checks must be completed before the start of each day, including on weekends, to reduce the risk that any COVID-19 case could lead to an outbreak.

When you are on campus, be prepared to show a Green Pass since individual schools and centers may still require its use for building entry. Although it is not required for entry into most on-campus buildings, it is needed for entry into healthcare spaces, including Penn Medicine facilities, the Penn Cares testing sites, and Student Health and Counseling offices.

Keep Your Booster Records Up to Date

When you receive booster vaccinations, make sure your records are up to date in Workday. Step-by-step instructions for uploading vaccine information into Workday can be found here: Self Service: Enter Vaccination Information.

As the Penn community learns to co-exist with COVID-19, you can stay up to date on University guidelines at coronavirus.upenn.edu. 

Saying Yes to Your Priorities

When collaborating with coworkers, making a family decision, or simply arranging to meet up with friends, do you often feel obligated to please others while denying your needs and goals? It doesn’t have to be this way if you practice assertiveness. Being truly assertive—not aggressive or passive-aggressive—lets you say yes to your priorities while respecting those around you. At the Assertiveness Skills virtual workshop on April 6 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., you can learn how to speak up without bringing others down, and build more trusting relationships at work, home, and in your community.

Jamie Apgar, Training and Development Consultant, Talent Development, says one of the assertive behaviors that is most challenging for people to demonstrate is saying “no” when asked to do something.

“This is especially true in a work environment where you may want to be seen as a team player, be a supportive colleague, and value team priorities even when you already have plenty of work and priorities of your own,” she says.

Apgar adds that people may also resist saying no to avoid hurting the person’s feelings or to prevent damaging a relationship.

“It’s very natural for us to want to be liked. We may be nervous that if we say ‘no’ to a friend, colleague, or boss that it could jeopardize their perception of us. However, explaining why you can’t help can sometimes help to minimize the anxious narratives we create in the back of our minds,” she says.

In this workshop, Apgar will highlight three ways to use assertive behaviors in everyday situations: 

1. Practice effective ways of saying “No”- Saying “No” can be difficult, but sometimes it’s necessary. If you must, be polite, firm, clear, and direct. Don’t say “maybe” when you actually mean “no,” and don’t give a reason if you don’t want to. Use assertive body language such as direct eye contact, a confident posture, and - when appropriate - a genuine smile. Also, eliminate hinting because being indirect is the enemy of assertiveness.

    

2. Offer an alternative to saying “No” – You may need to ease into the process of saying “no.” You can do this by offering an alternative response, such as:
   • “I’d like to help you with that project, unfortunately, that deadline won’t work with my schedule. Is the deadline flexible?”
   • “I’d love to participate; however, I’m not comfortable with the role you are proposing for me. Is there a different way I can help?”
   • “Could we discuss other ways I might contribute?”

     By using this approach, Apgar says, “you are still being clear and direct that you cannot help, given the current circumstances, but if those circumstances change, then you may be open to helping. Just be mindful that if those circumstances are met, it’s important that you follow through. If those circumstances aren’t changed to meet your needs and boundaries, continue to be firm in your stance.”

3. Say “Yes,” but set your boundaries – Agree with conditions. Say something like: “I can get it done by (date)….” or “I can only offer you one hour.” Also, make sure you get complete information before committing yourself. That means finding out what exactly needs to be done, the deadline, and how long it will take.

Assertiveness Skills will also show participants how to recognize the assertiveness matrix (from passive to assertive to aggressive), identify personal blocks to assertiveness, and demonstrate assertive language and behaviors. Apar says the workshop is important to improving work relationships.

“I think it’s a healthy practice for staff members to feel comfortable expressing their needs, wants, viewpoints, and knowing that just because you have an opinion and are expressing an opinion doesn’t mean that you’re being aggressive,” she says.

“As long as you’re still keeping in mind the thoughts, values, and needs of others; we can set our teams up to have more clear, honest, and productive conversations with stakeholders, colleagues, and leadership.”

Whether you’re communicating in person, over the phone, or in writing, assertiveness helps you express your views and goals while recognizing other people’s perspectives.

Register for the Assertiveness Skills workshop to develop confidence for everyday situations and create win-win solutions for you and your coworkers.

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

2022 Public Health Emergency Leave (PHEL) for Temporary Penn Employees

The City of Philadelphia has passed a new Public Health Emergency Leave (PHEL) law beginning on March 9, 2022. In accordance with this law, temporary employees who are unable to work when they were scheduled to do so for one of the reasons listed below may use up to one week (40 hours) of paid PHEL for their absence. The amount of PHEL that is available to a temporary employee is intended to be consistent with the number of hours the employee regularly works during a one-week period. This PHEL time will be available to temporary employees for use through December 31, 2023. Accrued but unused PHEL time will not be paid out upon separation from employment.

PHEL can be used for any of the following reasons related to COVID-19:

1. The employee needs to do any of the following for themselves or to care for a family member who is doing any of the following:
   1. Self-isolating due to a COVID-19 diagnosis or positive COVID-19 test;
   2. Self-isolating due to symptoms of COVID-19;
   3. Seeking or obtaining medical diagnosis, care or treatment while experiencing symptoms of an illness related to COVID-19; or
   4. Self-isolating based on a determination by a public official or public health authority having jurisdiction, a health care provider or an employer that the individual’s presence on the job or in the community would jeopardize the health of others because of the individual’s exposure to COVID-19 or because the individual is exhibiting symptoms that might jeopardize the health of others, regardless of whether the individual has been diagnosed with COVID-19
2. The employee is caring for a child whose school or place of care for the child has been closed or whose childcare provider is unavailable due to COVID-19; and
3. The employee is obtaining vaccination, including a booster, related to COVID-19 as well as recovering from any side effect related to such vaccination.
   

PHEL time is in addition to sick time pursuant to the Temporary Staff on Penn's Payroll (Extra Persons) policy. PHEL time is in effect from March 9, 2022, through December 31, 2023.

Eligible temporary employees should follow the same process as they do when requesting sick time under the Philadelphia Sick Leave Ordinance. Instead of choosing sick leave in Workday, they will select PHEL Sick when requesting time off related to COVID-19. This time off will then be routed to their manager and/or timekeeper for approval.

Information about other COVID-19-related time off is available on the COVID-19 Sick Time and Leave Guidance page.

Healthy Meals: Dairy Free Avocado Alfredo

This easy avocado alfredo is a twist on the classic but doesn't require any dairy. The avocado sauce is made with nutritious ingredients, including fresh spinach, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. This creamy avocado pasta is light and tastes decadent. It is a perfect dish for a busy weeknight meal.

Click here to send us your healthy recipes and tips.

Dairy Free Avocado Alfredo (Serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

8 oz (227 grams) pasta of choice (reserve pasta water for sauce)

For Sauce:

Juice of 1 large lemon (about 2-3 tablespoon or 30-45mL)

1 large garlic clove

2 tablespoon (7.5 grams) nutritional yeast

1 large, ripe avocado

1 handful of baby spinach

1 teaspoon (5 mL) olive oil

½ teaspoon dried basil and oregano or Italian seasoning

Salt + pepper to taste

¼ cup (60mL) reserved pasta water (may use regular water but sauce may not be as thick)  

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. When draining cooked pasta, reserve ¼ cup of pasta water for the sauce.

Add all sauce ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Add more water as needed to achieve desired consistency.

Mix sauce with cooked pasta. Serve and enjoy.

This Corporate Wel/ness Nutrion recipe was inspired by gatherednutrition.com.

PRO TIP: If you do not want to make this a vegan recipe, you can add some plain nonfat Greek yogurt to this recipe to add to enhance the creamy texture!

Meet With a Registered Dietitian Today!

• One-on-one, virtual nutrition counseling
• 100% covered under many insurance plans and available to spouses and dependents
• Simple Sign Up Process – Visit Penn’s Corporate Wellness Nutrition’s Sign Up page, provide your information and a customer service team member will reach out in one to two business days to book your appointment.

Did You Know: Future Working Dogs Need Foster Homes

The Penn Vet Working Dog Center (PVWDC) seeks volunteer fosters to help raise and train future detection dogs, including Urban Search & Rescue Dogs and Law Enforcement Dogs. Fosters range from suburban singles to Philadelphia families with children. PVWDC provides all the food, crates, toys, and medical care the foster puppies need. To learn how you can foster a pup, please fill out the PVWDC Foster Family Survey or contact Foster Program Coordinator Sarah Gally at sgally@upenn.edu or 215-898-2200.