myHR Archives
myHR: February 26, 2025
More Be in the Know On-Campus Biometric Screenings This Spring
Penn’s 2024-2025 Be in the Know wellness campaign provides a wide range of programs and resources to focus on your health and well-being, connect with the Penn community, and earn up to $300* in Rewards Cash.
All benefits-eligible faculty, staff, and postdoctoral researchers and fellows eligible for the Penn Postdoc Benefits Plan are welcome to participate.
This spring, the Penn Healthy You team, in partnership with Health Advocate, will again offer quick, no-cost on-campus biometric screenings on March 18 and 19, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Houston Hall in the Bodek Lounge. Advanced registration is required, so sign up for your appointment online at Penn’s Health Advocate portal. Log in with your PennKey and password, and follow these steps:
- Click the “HEALTH” tab at the top, then “Health Screenings”.
- Look for “Schedule an Onsite Health Screening” – then click “Schedule Now”.
- Select your preferred appointment location and follow the steps to make your appointment. (If you completed an on-campus screening in fall 2024, you won’t be able to register for a new appointment. However, you will be able to view those screening results.)
Rewards Start with Your Biometric Screening
Completing a biometric screening is an essential step for Be in the Know 2024-2025. It is the only activity required to receive Rewards Cash. Biometric screenings also provide you with key indicators about your health and professional feedback on the meaning of your results.
If you complete your screening between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025, you can earn your first $75 in Rewards Cash. Health Advocate will automatically send biometric screening results and credit to Personify Health (formerly Virgin Pulse) on your behalf. You’ll also be able to earn an additional $25 in Rewards Cash for completing Personify Health’s online health assessment. Plus you can earn up to $200 in Rewards Cash when you complete your choice of qualifying well-being activities from our 2024-2025 “Ways to Earn” list. All Rewards Cash is redeemable on the Personify Health platform where you can choose from gift cards, wellness items, and charitable donations.
If you are not enrolled on the Personify Health platform, get started today at https://join.personifyhealth.com/penn.
What to Expect at the Screening
Please bring your PennCard or University ID card to your biometric screening appointment. At the on-campus biometric screening, a Health Advocate professional will measure key components of your overall health:
- Blood pressure
- Lipid panel: Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides
- Blood sugar/glucose, with optional A1C
More Biometric Screening Options
On-campus screenings are an easy way to earn biometric screening credit for Be in the Know 2024-2025, but there are other choices to fit your schedule. For details, download the Biometric Screening Options flyer.
If you’ve received credit for a biometric screening during this campaign year, you won’t need to complete another one until the 2025-2026 campaign launches on July 1, 2025.
For complete Be in the Know campaign details, including more ways to support your health, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/beintheknow.
Now’s the Time for Summer Camp Planning
Did the recent snap of cold weather have you dreaming of summer? Rest assured, warm days and school vacation time will be here shortly. For families with young children and teens, that means lining up summer activities while spaces are available.
“I’ve learned my lesson about summer camp,” says Karen Kille, parent of three and Manager, Quality of Work-Life Programs. “It comes up before you know it! Summer programs fill up quickly, so I wanted to get the word out about Penn resources and services to support your search.”
Kille recommends checking these summer program listings and services now to take advantage of current openings.
- The Almanac’s 2025 Summer Camps and Programs at Penn Supplement “I am grateful to the Penn Almanac for compiling a variety of learning and developmental activities available by Penn schools and centers this summer.” The links in each listing provide the most up-to-date information. Additional camps and programs will be added to the listing as they become available.
- Bright Horizons backup care “Bright Horizons has filled the gaps for our family,” says Kille. Eligible employees can access up to 10 days of subsidized care each fiscal year (July 1 to June 30). Schedule coverage for summer break using your backup care benefit up to 90 days in advance. Your backup care benefit can be used for summer camp options including Steve & Kate’s Camp which has a new location in center city Philadelphia. Penn employees have also utilized backup care when their primary caregivers take time off. Access support on Penn’s Bright Horizons portal. Use your Penn ID number to register for an account.”
- The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Kille says, “Penn’s EAP has helped me with finding camps, too.” Call 866-799-2329 or email EAPinfo@healthadvocate.com to initiate a search by location, type of camp (day, overnight), your child’s age, and any other parameters.
- YouDecide at Penn Discounts
To help ease the cost of your summer fun, check out YouDecide at Penn for access to hundreds of discounts on activities and events. "The discount we accessed for Legoland last year made it possible for us to visit.”
Visit the Caring for your Family webpage for additional information about benefits and services for eligible employees.
Lead with Impact
Leadership is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It can vary greatly depending on the working environment, personal experiences, and industry. Effective leadership comes down to recognizing which style works best for a given situation and knowing how to adapt to different audiences.
In the Adapting Your Leadership Style workshop on April 1 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., you’ll explore what makes a great leader, examine the key differences between leadership styles, learn how to conduct productive one-on-ones, and discover ways to inspire and motivate your team.
Join Talent and Organizational Development Consultant Sam Sonet for a discussion that will help you learn to recognize style differences and develop motivation approaches for a variety of employees and organizational needs.
“Each leadership style discussed in the workshop is necessary to managing people and participants will learn strategies for flexing between these styles to better support and lead their team,” says Sonet.
“Being an effective leader requires flexibility and adapting to different situations and unique personalities,” she adds.
Learning how to apply different leadership styles doesn’t mean changing who you are. This workshop invites participants to assess what works best for them, while understanding that leadership styles operate differently within different contexts. This proactive leadership approach allows you to relate to others and guide them more effectively. It gives you flexibility to successfully evolve.
Register for Adapting Your Leadership Style and discover how to keep your group productive and engaged in ever-changing environments.
For more professional development opportunities, visit the Learn and Grow section of the Human Resources website.
Discover more ways to Grow Your Penn Career with tools in Workday.
Workday App for Microsoft Teams
Several Workday self-service tasks have gotten easier to complete thanks to a Workday application in Microsoft Teams. Staff, faculty, postdocs, and student workers can now install the Workday application in Microsoft Teams to do quick, high-frequency tasks. Here is a list of the activities you can now perform:
- Look up coworker contact information.
- If you are eligible for paid time off, check how much vacation time you have and request time off.
- View University holidays.
- View your payslip.
- For managers, view your team calendar and perform one-click approval for time-off requests.
- Chat on various Workday topics with the Workday Assistant using natural language.
The Workday app is only available on the University instance of Office 365, not on O365 for Penn Medicine or Penn Law.
For step-by-step instructions on how to use this application, view the Self Service: Workday Application for Microsoft Teams tip sheet. If you have questions, please contact the Penn Employee Solution Center.
Healthy Recipes: General Tso’s Cauliflower
This plant-based version of General Tso’s chicken from EatingWell brings a vibrant boost of green from edamame, packed with gut-friendly fiber. Ready in just 30 minutes, this stovetop dinner is not only low in sodium but also makes a healthy option for all diet types. Serve it over brown rice or whole-wheat noodles to soak up every drop of the flavorful sauce.
Click here to send us your healthy recipes and tips.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 4 cups small cauliflower florets
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
- Pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)
Directions
- Combine 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons hoisin and 1 tablespoon each soy sauce (or tamari), Shaoxing (or sherry), rice vinegar and cornstarch in a small bowl.
- Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 cups of cauliflower; cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Add scallions and garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant, for about 15 seconds.
- Add 1 cup edamame; cook, stirring often, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Whisk the reserved sauce and add it to the pan; cook, stirring, until the sauce is thick and coating the cauliflower, about 1 minute. Serve sprinkled with a pinch of crushed red pepper, if desired.
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 Ramp Health Nutrition Counseling Sign Up Form or call 800-484-7720.
Did You Know: Spring 2025 Term Tuition Requests Due by April 15
Do you or one of your dependents need tuition assistance for the Spring? Penn’s Online Tuition Management System is now open for Spring 2025 term requests. Submit requests by April 15 to ensure timely payment. After this deadline, no requests will be accepted through the online system, and a manual request form and fee will be required. For more information, visit the Tuition Benefit webpage.