myHR: May 4, 2022

Celebrating Staff Excellence

Penn has experienced another challenging year of the pandemic, but the Penn Community has remained resilient and focused on carrying out the University’s mission as a global leader in education, research, and public service. The University’s Models of Excellence program continues to recognize the remarkable staff contributions to that mission.

This year, Penn coworkers and colleagues nominated 688 members for Models of Excellence Program awards. From this pool, 10 individuals and 12 outstanding teams from schools and centers across the University were chosen to receive 2022 Models of Excellence honors. Penn is proud to honor the professionals who exemplify the dedication, care, innovation, and resilience that allows our community to persevere.

We celebrate this year’s honorees with a Commemorative Video and the 2022 Models of Excellence Keepsake Book. The video features staff member interviews, as well as images of the 22 Models of Excellence, Pillars of Excellence, Model Supervisor, and Supporting Penn Through COVD-19 and Return to Campus Work honorees. The online book includes honoree photos, quotations about their contributions, and images of sculptures and artwork throughout campus that represent strength.

In addition to these resources, staff can visit the Models of Excellence Program webpage and click on each team name to view a slideshow of individual team members. 

Each Models of Excellence, Pillars of Excellence, Model Supervisor, and Supporting Penn Through COVID-19 and Return to Campus Work award-winner and winning team member received $500 and a symbolic award. Staff members who have earned Honorable Mentions  received $250 and a symbolic award.

For more information about Models of Excellence, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/models or contact models@hr.upenn.edu.

Connecting with Coworkers

Research shows that workplace friendships, in-person or online, have multiple benefits that go beyond career networking and just enjoying time with someone you like. These connections also help us stay well emotionally and physically. A recent Harvard Business Review article points to the latest wave of expert publications on all of the social and biological reasons behind the common sense notion that working with friends can be good for us.

During Mental Health Awareness month, we invite you to share ways your team supports positive coworker connections. Please complete this quick Community and Connection questionnaire. Whether it’s simply sharing a snack with a few coworkers, meeting up to talk about sports, gaming, or crafts, or organizing a small team building activity, you’re welcome to let your colleagues across campus know what you do to strengthen friendships with other professionals.

Selected entries will be published in the May 18 issue of myHR. One Penn faculty or staff member’s entry will be selected at random to receive a gift package, provided by Business Services and Shop Penn, to share with your small group. To be eligible for the prize drawing, complete the questionnaire by 5.p.m. EST on May 11, 2022.

If you’re looking for more opportunities to spend quality time with your coworkers beyond your next meeting, consider these activities:

• Bring your team to the Penn Healthy You Wellness Walk on May 19.
• Register for the next social Be in the Know Penn challenge on the Virgin Pulse platform and share wellness tips with your coworkers online.
• Schedule an indoor or outdoor lunch with your team. Shop Penn features local dining options including DIG, a vegetable-forward restaurant that’s winning rave reviews.
• Meet Penn’s Working Dogs at the Ben Franklin Statue on May 6 or schedule a tour of the Working Dog Center and spend time with these future canine professionals.
• Learn a new sport together through Penn Recreation. You can even request a group workshop for your team.
• Schedule a visit to the Penn Museum, Arthur Ross Gallery or Institute of Contemporary Art.
• Take a Campus Sculpture Tour and snap a team selfie, formal or fun photo of your team.
• Pick up a hot or iced beverage and have a team chat at the BioPond.
• Picnic in the Park with grab-and-go fare or bring your own lunch from home.
• Join your music-loving coworkers at World Café Live for a Free At Noon Concert.

Visit the Wellness & Work-life pages for links to more emotional well-being resources.

Flexible Spending Accounts Updates and Reminders

With a new Penn’s benefits plan year beginning July 1, please keep these Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) due dates and updates in mind.

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.

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.

Carefully consider your contributions for the new plan year.

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 the Flexible Spending Accounts webpage for more FSA details and single-sign-on access to WageWorks/HealthEquity.

If you have questions, please contact the Benefits Solution Center at 1–866–799-2329 Monday–Friday, 8am–10pm.

Rethinking Time Management

“How is it that we have more tips and tricks, tools and technology, calendars and checklists than ever before, and yet we still always seem to be behind?” asks self-discipline strategist and New York Times bestselling author Rory Valden. Though this question may be a head scratcher for some, Valden suggests that the answer is simple. It’s our thinking.

“You cannot solve today’s time management problems with yesterday’s time management thinking,” Valden says.

In the June 14 Talent Development workshop, TED Talk Tuesday: How to Multiply Your Time, you will learn how to change your thinking around time management, get more done in your personal and professional lives, and find out why procrastinating on purpose is the key to being able to multiply your time. The virtual workshop will be held from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and facilitated by Amma Napier, Senior Talent Development Consultant, HR Talent Development.

“Time is always an issue for busy people, so if there are tools that resonate for you and you can draw upon and use in your everyday life, you are better for it,” says Napier.

“Not all tools will resonate with everyone, that’s why it’s important to have different perspectives on time management and be exposed to a variety of resources. This TED talk is an interesting way of looking at time and time management,” Napier adds.  

According to Valden, historically, we have thought that if we just develop tools and technology to get our to-do lists done faster, that would give us more time. If we prioritize tasks into categories of “important” and “urgent,” focusing first on what matters most, somehow that will free up more hours for us to accomplish everything we want.

The reality is that we all have the same 86,400 seconds in a day to work with, so while time management tools and the process of prioritizing items is important, Valden suggests that increasing your available time also means becoming what he calls a “multiplier.” Multipliers use three-dimensional thinking that not only allows you to make decisions based on urgency and importance, but also significance.  

“When creating a to-do list, most people ask what is the most important thing I can do today? Multipliers don’t ask that question. They ask, what can I do today that would make tomorrow better? What can I do right now that would make the future better? They are making the significance calculation,” Valden explains.

In the workshop, participants will discuss why this calculation matters.

When faced with tasks, multipliers use a process called a Focus Funnel to evaluate how to spend their time. Each task goes through the funnel for consideration. In this workshop, Napier will discuss the three stages of the funnel: 

• Eliminate. The first question a multiplier asks is: Can I eliminate this task? Decide if the task is worth taking on and if you can say no. Multipliers realize that next generation time management is the permission to turn down some things. While saying ‘no’ to an assignment may not be an option in every situation, you may be able to develop a process to make your project easier using the other Focus Funnel stages.
  
• Automate. Invest time in setting up a process that will streamline your work and make it easier to complete. “Automation is to your time exactly what compounding interest is to your money,” Valden says. “Just like compounding interest takes money and it makes money into more money, automation takes time and makes it into more time. Multipliers give themselves the permission to invest the time and energy to automate the process.”
  
• Delegate. Delegation is important to good time management. Consider whether you can teach someone else to complete the task. Investing a bit of time in training a colleague to do the work you may not have the bandwidth for, could save you time in the long run.
  

Napier will also discuss procrastinating on purpose and how that decision impacts time management and the Focus Funnel.

Register today for TED Talk Tuesday: How to Multiply Your Time and rethink your time management process for improved workflow. 

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

Healthy Meals: Plant-Based Breakfast Bowl

Looking for a brunch idea this Mother’s Day? Try these vegan breakfast bowls. They are not only packed with vegetables and protein. They’re also delicious. This breakfast will keep you energized and satisfied for hours. You can prep the bowls ahead of time so you and mom have more time to spend together this holiday.

Click here to send us your healthy recipes and tips.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces firm tofu

1 cup of raw baby spinach

1/2 medium onion, diced

1/2 bell pepper, diced

1/2 sweet potato (quartered and thinly sliced)

Spices:

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon of onion powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of chili powder

Optional: pinch of turmeric, nutritional yeast

Optional Add Ins:

1/2- 1 avocado sliced

Drizzle of hot sauce, ketchup, or sriracha sauce

Instructions:

Press tofu until dry. Chop and use a fork to crumble into bite-sized pieces.

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.

Add onions and cook until translucent.

Add tofu and all spices and mix.

Add peppers, sweet potatoes and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.

Add spinach to skillet and cook until wilted.

Pour evenly into two bowls and add any additional toppings of choice.

For more tips and nutrition support, meet with a Corporate Wellness Nutrition Registered Dietitian today!

• One-on-One, virtual sessions you can schedule at any time that works for you
• 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 1-2 business days to book your appointment.

Did You Know: Be in the Know Biometric Screenings at Home or at Labcorp

The Be in the Know 2021-2022 wellness campaign participants can obtain a biometric screening using the Pixel by Labcorp Home Test Kit or the Labcorp Voucher Program offered through Virgin Pulse. Just follow these step-by-step instructions.  Be sure to completing a biometric screening at Labcorp or mail your Pixel test by June 15, so you can earn 5,000 points in Be in the Know’s Steps for Success campaign.