myHR Archives
myHR: November 30, 2022
Wrap Up Your Gift List with Penn Winter Discounts
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for Penn winter savings. Staff and faculty can use various discounts at Penn’s arts, cultural, and recreational facilities. Penn shopping deals are available online and
in-store, so warm up this winter with these hot deals.
Shopping
Deals@Penn: Visit the Deals@Penn website for information about
the YouDecide discount program and other offers for Penn faculty and staff all year long. Save on everything from apparel to entertainment.
Penn Bookstore: The bookstore’s Annual Winter Sale-a-Bration will be held December 7 and 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Save 20% storewide*, all while enjoying seasonal festivities. Stop in one or both days for performances by the Penn
Glee Club, free professional photo at the winter-themed photobooth (fun props provided), and hot chocolate and cookies. Find something special for everyone on your holiday shopping list at this fun and festive event. Free gift wrapping will be provided.
*In store only. Cannot be combined with other offers. Not valid for the purchase of gift cards, textbooks, electronics, and specialty items. Other restrictionsmay apply.
SHOP PENN: The Days of Deals,
held December 1-12, is 12 days of sales and giveaways from our collection of eclectic stores and restaurants around campus in celebration of the holidays. Watch for special events, discounts, contests, and experiences for all. For more details, visit
www.shopsatpenn.com and check out the SHOP PENN Gift Guide to find the perfect holiday present to purchase locally for the cooks, fashionistas, readers, runners, and more in your life.
Recreation and Fitness
Penn Campus Recreation: Get a head start on your New Year’s intentions by signing up for a Penn Campus Recreation membership. Access to two locations (Pottruck & Fox), the Sheerr Pool, indoor basketball courts, intramural sport leagues, and basic group exercise classes are all included with membership. Additional services include
rock climbing, golf simulator, aquatics lessons, premium group exercise classes, personal training, outdoor gear rentals, and reformer Pilates. There are membership options for spouses and dependents. Penn Campus Recreation offers children’s
Adventure Camp in the summer.
Visit the Penn Campus Recreation website to explore offerings.
Penn Ice Rink: Holiday Skate Sunday, December 20 from 1 to 2 p.m. Free admission with the donation of a new toy for Toys for Tots. Skate rental is not included.
2023 Penn Relays Ticket Information: It’s never too early to plan for the Penn Relays. Tickets go on sale January 31, 2023. The Penn Relays will be held April 27-29, 2023.
Thursday, April 27, 2023: Free ticket with PennCard; in observation of “Take Our Children to Work Day,” Penn faculty/staff can pick up free tickets for their children at any ticket sales location for Thursday’s events.
Additional family members can purchase tickets for $5.
Friday, April 28, 2023: $12 General Admission ticket with PennCard (limit of 4): $15 reserved.
Saturday, April 29, 2023: $15 General Admission ticket with PennCard (limit of 4); Tier 3 $19 reserved, Tier 2 $26.50 reserved.
Penn Athletics Ticket Discounts: Penn employees can go to the Penn Athletics ticket site to get the best prices on the winter’s best action at the Palestra. Discounted season tickets, mini-plans, and single game tickets are available for Men’s and Women’s Basketball and
Wrestling. Get your tickets now and don’t miss a second of the action. Pre-game hospitality packages are available. This is a great option for staff holiday gatherings.
Penn Racquets: You can start 2023 fitness goals by joining the Penn Tennis and Squash Centers. Get 10% off both tennis and squash memberships for a limited time. The membership gives you access to discounted private lessons, group clinics, and open court time. No matter your level of skill, Penn Racquet Centers will provide you with an enjoyable experience. Sign up now.
Arts & Culture
Morris Arboretum: The Shop at Morris Arboretum offers an array of locally crafted goods and recycled, upcycled,
and repurposed items meant to inspire love and appreciation of the natural world. Visit The Shop to get those special holiday gifts for all ages. December 1 through 30, 2022, enjoy a special 10% discount on all Shop purchases for Penn staff and faculty.*
Every purchase you make supports the Arboretum’s mission of connecting plants, people, and place.
* In store only. Must present PennCard for discount. Not valid for the purchase of gift cards. Other restrictions may apply.
Make your holiday even more magical with a visit to the Holiday Garden Railway. This holiday favorite returns to the Morris Arboretum, November 25-December 30; 10 a.m.–4 p.m.* See enchanting miniature rail cars in a festive wonderland of lights and sounds. It is a marvelous experience for visitors of all ages. Daytime viewing is free with Arboretum Admission. PennCard holders must show card.
*Last entry is 3 p.m. The Arboretum is closed December 24 and 25.
Penn Live Arts: Penn faculty and staff get a 20% discount to all Penn Live Arts Presents performances, including Rennie Harris’ Rome & Jewels. This hip-hop adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet runs
December 9–10 at the Annenberg Center. Use promo code PENN when purchasing tickets online or by phone. Visit https://pennlivearts.org/ for
more information.
Penn Museum: Kids under 17 will receive FREE admission at the Penn Museum during Winter Break, December 27-30. Penn staff and students (along with CHOP's staff) can save 25% at the Penn Museum Shop between November 22 and December 4. The sale will continue December 18-23. If shopping online, use the code Holiday2022Penn.
More Biometric Screening Options
The Be in the Know 2022-2023 wellness campaign, open to all benefits-eligible faculty and staff, is your opportunity to focus on your health, connect with the Penn community, and earn rewards of up to $300.*
Biometric screenings are the first step towards earning rewards in Be in the Know 2022-2023 Steps for Success program and the only activity required to receive Pulse Cash rewards this year.
Over 3,100 employees took part in this fall’s on-campus biometric screenings. If you were unable to attend an on-campus screening, you can still participate in Be in the Know 2022-2023 using the following options:
Submit screening results from your healthcare provider
Send biometric results obtained between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, to Health Advocate using the Consent to Release Results Form available for download at www.hr.upenn.edu/beintheknow. Health Advocate will process and forward your screening results to Virgin Pulse for uploading on the platform and awarding credit.
Receive a LabCorp voucher or home test kit available through Virgin Pulse
Go to the Programs tab on the Virgin Pulse platform, then select Biometric Screenings Options at the bottom of the page for directions. For both options, LabCorp will process and forward your results to Virgin Pulse, plus send you email updates along the way.
- Voucher Program: Download a voucher and schedule an appointment at a participating LabCorp facility near you.
- Home Test Kits: Order online, complete at home, and return in the mail.
Once you complete your biometric screening, using any of the available options, you earn $50 in Pulse Cash rewards, plus qualify to earn an additional $250 in rewards by completing your choice of qualifying “Ways to Earn” activities. Please allow at least two weeks for credit and rewards to appear on the Virgin Pulse platform.
Redeem your Pulse Cash rewards on the Virgin Pulse platform to buy VISA or retailer gift cards, shop the Rewards Store, or make charitable donations.
For complete Be in the Know details, including more ways to earn rewards, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/beintheknow.
*Per IRS guidelines, all Be in the Know rewards are subject to applicable payroll taxes at the time they are earned and rewarded to participants—even if rewards have not yet been redeemed (i.e., spent). Penn will process rewards taxes on a quarterly basis (remaining dates for this campaign year are January, April, and July 2023.) Virgin Pulse will send email alerts in advance of taxation to all impacted participants.
Gratitude Works
The power of thanks isn’t limited to one day of the year or time spent away from work. Bringing gratitude into the workplace not only makes it more pleasant and improves the way we treat each other. A growing number of studies show that practicing gratitude on the job reduces stress and increases employee satisfaction, which all leads to better client service and more productivity. So those who truly want to get ahead and work efficiently will take time to acknowledge and
appreciate the people around them. Their support makes success possible.
To help build workplace gratitude habits and learn new ways to express appreciation, myHR invites Penn faculty and staff to complete this quick coworker gratitude questionnaire.
Selected entries will be published in an upcoming issue of myHR and at www.hr.upenn.edu/gatheringgratitude. To show our gratitude for participation, one Penn faculty or staff member’s entry will be selected at random to receive a gift package from the Human Resources Work-life and Wellness team. To be eligible for the prize drawing, complete the Coworker Gratitude questionnaire by December 5, 2022 at 5 p.m. EST.
While Penn’s recognition programs like Models of Excellence recognize coworkers for what they’ve achieved, individual faculty and staff members can also show gratitude for who our colleagues are. There’s no one-size-fits-all way to express thanks when people share their time and personal strengths with us. However, whether it’s a thank you text, a cup of coffee, or a handwritten note, workplace culture and gratitude experts agree it is important to be specific about what you truly appreciate from others.
“A simple ‘thanks’ is a start, given how many of us sign off every email with that word, its impact has probably waned,” writes author Amy Gallo. “Instead, you want to be specific about what you’re grateful for, explain why it was meaningful to you, and point out what exactly you appreciate about the other person.”
For more personal and professional development resources, visit HR’s Learn & Grow pages.
Special Winter Vacation Reminder
Each year, the University President, Provost, and Senior Executive Vice President assess the feasibility of observing Penn’s traditional Special Winter Vacation. Based on this assessment, the Special Winter Vacation
granted to faculty and staff will be December 27, 28, 29, and 30, 2022. If an employee is required to work to continue departmental operations for part or all of this period, the Special Winter Vacation can be rescheduled for some other time.
Staff members who are absent from work either the work day before a holiday, the work day after a holiday or both days will receive holiday pay if that absence is charged to pre-approved paid time off or to sick days substantiated by a written note from
the staff member’s health care provider.
Vacations and holidays for hospital employees or those staff members in collective bargaining units are governed by the terms of hospital policies or their respective collective bargaining agreements.
The complete list of recognized holidays for this fiscal year is available on the Holidays policy page.Hooray for Hoops
If you’re a three-point hot shot or your coworkers just want to gather for some fun in the famous Palestra, join the Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics, in partnership with Human Resources, for the
Campus Cup 3-Point basketball competition on December 7 from 5 p.m. to 6: 30 p.m.
Tournament participants and spectators can register online for the basketball competition by December 5.
In this tournament, participants have three minutes to make as many three-pointers as possible from five positions behind the three-point line. Players begin shooting from one corner and move station to station along the three-point arc until they reach the other corner.
Registered benefits-eligible Campus Cup 3-Point competition players and spectators will earn Be in the Know 2022-2023 wellness campaign points for attending this event.
You don’t need to be a Campus Cup team member to participate in the December 7 basketball competition. However, participants from Campus Cup teams will earn two points toward the Campus Cup Relay on April 20, 2023. The top three participants will earn three points. Spectators will earn one point for their Campus Cup team. Campus Cup Team registration is available online.
Learn about more Penn Campus Recreation programs for faculty and staff at recreation.upenn.edu. For more wellness activities, check out the Human Resources events listings.
The Gift of Financial Wisdom
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over at last, but winter holiday shopping season continues. This year, with high travel costs and advertising from every possible media source pushing consumers to shop until we drop, remember to give yourself some peace of mind. While it’s wonderful to give friends and family generous gifts to show you care, that doesn’t mean ignoring your financial well-being and racking up debts that will haunt you like a ghost from a Charles Dickens novel.
To spend your time and money wisely, keep these fraud protection guidance and commonsense tips from Health Advocate in mind as you check off your holiday shopping lists.
Avoiding Holiday Shopping Fraud Webinar, December 1, 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
Join presenter, Chris Shelton, a Fraud Resolution Specialist, for expert guidance on this important issue. We’ll discuss fraudster targeted information, common tactics, best safety practices, and what to do if you find yourself the victim of identity fraud. Protecting yourself and minimizing your risk will help ensure you can enjoy a happy holiday season. Registration is available online.
Ten Tips to Spend Wisely This Holiday
You’re hoping for happy holidays–but it’s also important to have a happy wallet. Overdoing it, unintended splurges or overpriced last-minute gifts can set you up for the post-holiday blues when the bills roll in. Try these 10 tips to help you spend more wisely this season.
- Start with a budget. Be realistic about how much money you have to spend for gifts this year. Avoid the credit card trap—if you can’t pay it all off, you may have to deal with paying interest on those purchases, which will cost you more money in the long run.
- Plan a gift for each person and how much you want to spend. Do some price-checking online to make sure the intended gift is in line with what you budgeted.
- Look for sales, promotions and/or coupons. This can help you buy a gift that is worth more, while spending less. For Penn deals, see Wrap Up Your Gift List with Penn Winter Discounts.
- Scour cash-back sites to help you get money back on purchases. Getting cash back can help you offset some of the dollars spent during your holiday shopping!
- Avoid the “one for you, one for me” spending. If you’re yearning for an item, see if you still want it after the holidays—then hunt for sales.
- Try switching up your family’s gift-giving. For example, you could do a Secret Santa where each person gets the name of another person, and just buy a nice gift for that one person.
- Consider making gifts and cards. Handmade gifts such as crafts and baked goods—or even nuts in a decorated jar—are less expensive, but generally have greater meaning because you took the time to make them yourself.
- Ditch expensive wrapping. Get creative with your presentations. One idea: Recycle a brown paper bag decorated with a colorful handwritten greeting. Or forgo wrapping altogether—fancy socks rolled up and tied with twine can still be a fun gift!
- Consider giving certificates for a cause in someone’s name. Whether for an animal lover, an outdoor enthusiast, or another person with a particular passion, this could be the exact right gift for the right person.
- Focus on experiences instead of presents. Spending time with those you love and making memories that last a lifetime is priceless! Consider asking your family for ideas for sharing an experience this year. Even going on an outing to enjoy the holiday lights together can be meaningful for young and old!
For more personal finance and retirement planning information, visit the Saving for Retirement pages and TIAA.org’s Resources pages.
Healthy Meals: Gingerbread Tea Cake
Festive times call for festive flavors. This holiday dessert from eatingwell.com is low-calorie
and contains molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and ground cloves. Besides being lighter than typical cakes and dairy-free, it is also warm and delicious. Get into the holiday spirit with this low-calorie festive-flavored cake!
Click here to send us your healthy recipes and tips.
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup canola oil
¼ cup granulated sugar or sugar substitute blend equivalent to ¼ cup sugar
1 ¼ cups cold water
⅔ cup full-flavor molasses
½ cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed, or 2 eggs, lightly beaten
Confectioners' sugar for dusting
Fresh raspberries for garnish
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cloves; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together oil and sugar until combined. Add the cold water, molasses, and eggs; whisk until combined. Add reserved flour mixture all at once to water mixture, whisking just until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. Sift confectioners' sugar over the top and garnish with raspberries, if desired.
Tip: If using sugar substitutes, choose Splenda(R) Sugar Blend for Baking. Follow package directions to use product amount equivalent to 1/4 cup sugar. If using sugar substitute, bake cake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Nutrition per serving with substitute: Same as below, except 81 calories, 12 g carbohydrate.
Meet With a Registered Dietitian Today!
- One-on-One, virtual sessions you can schedule at any time that works for you
- 100% covered under many insurance plans
- Available to spouses and dependents
- Fill out the Nutrition Counseling Sign Up Form or call 800-484-7720.
Did You Know: Staff Mid-Year Performance Reviews Due December 15
Eligible staff and their managers should complete the staff mid-year performance reviews in Workday by December 15. For instructions, you can access a six-minute demonstration video in Knowledge Link or review the Goals and Performance Management tip sheet. You can also visit the Workday website to access a Performance Management Guide, with descriptions and links to helpful resources.