myHR: October 15, 2025

Be in the Know Wellness VIPs

One of the most rewarding and exciting aspects of Penn’s Be in the Know wellness program is the opportunity to achieve VIP status. For the 2024-2025 campaign, participants needed to earn 50,000 or more points to be named a Very Impressive Participant and receive special recognition, as well as a special gift this year. Carrie Renner, Director of the Office of Student Affairs at Perelman School of Medicine, was among the 269 faculty, staff, and postdocs to reach the highest reward level.

“I felt proud when I found out I was a VIP, and then I immediately started nudging friends in the office to go for VIP, too,” Renner says. 

It’s no surprise that Renner wants others to share her enthusiasm for the wellness program. She has been participating in Be in the Know for the past 13 years. 

“I still have my vintage ‘Know Your Numbers’ card from 2012,” she quips. “I participate because I strive to maintain a healthy lifestyle and this makes it fun. I love being part of something bigger and knowing the entire campus is involved motivates me,” she adds. 

Renner and the other 2024-2025 VIPs received a chic, eco-friendly crossbody sling tote bag. Great gifts and VIP bragging rights aren’t the only reason why faculty, staff, and postdocs engage in the wellness program, now powered by WebMD. 

“I find the program and reward incentives to be realistic and accessible for me as a Penn employee. The new, self-service platform through WebMD is easy to navigate, easy to understand, and helps you tailor the program to your own personal goals,” says Anthony Asciutto, Project Manager of Design & Construction for Facilities and Real Estate Services. 

Asciutto, a two-time Be in the Know VIP, has been a participant for the past three years. He says the program has had great impact on his health and well-being.  

“I think the program has focused my approach to wellness. I am a fairly active person already as I run, play ice hockey and golf. Each of these activities count through my smart watch and are easily integrated into the data collected by the Be in the Know program. But for the off days where I am not working out, the activity incentives related to sleep, mindfulness and steps are helpful for mental and work-life balance considerations,” he says.  

Renner adds that in addition to improving her wellness, Be in the Know has also helped foster community through discussions she has had with colleagues in her office about the latest activity or team challenge. She encourages anyone who has yet to join the program to give it a try. 

“It just takes a few minutes a day and those check-ins are great reminders to care for your mind and body. It’s an easy lift and you can earn actual money,” she says. 

Ascuitto agrees. “The program can act as the push you need to set goals and achieve them. If you have trouble setting a workout plan and keeping to it, Be in the Know can be that program, that nudge that keeps you stepping, practicing mindfulness, or simply staying active.” 

Ready to Get Started? 

So you want to set and maintain healthy habits and wellness goals and earn points toward becoming a VIP? Be in the Know is open to all benefits-eligible faculty, staff, and postdocs, and you can get started with any of the wide variety of wellness activities, including a biometric screening.

HR’s wellness team is pleased to offer free on-campus biometric screenings at convenient University locations through November 25. These quick, confidential screenings provide valuable insights into your health — and completing one earns you 1,000 points and a $50 cash reward as part of the 2025-2026 Be in the Know campaign year.

Signing up for an appointment is easy:

1. Visit the Health Advocate website and login with your PennKey and password.
2. Click the HEALTH tab, then select Get a Health Screening.
3. Choose Health Screening Event, click Schedule Now, and follow the steps to book your preferred time and location.

You’ll receive a confirmation email from Health Advocate, Penn’s biometric screening partner, once your appointment is set. Be sure to bring your Penn ID card to your screening appointment.

Once you complete an on-campus screening, Health Advocate will automatically send credit to the new WebMD wellness platform on your behalf. (Please allow a few weeks for biometric screening credit and reward points to appear on WebMD.)

To earn rewards, you must enroll on the new WebMD platform. Get started by visiting WebMD or downloading their “Wellness At Your Side” app (connection code: Penn).

For 2025-2026, complete your choice of qualifying wellness activities to earn up to $300 in cash rewards – as well as achieving VIP status! All cash incentives will be added to your paychecks (less applicable payroll taxes) and paid on a monthly basis starting October 2025.* 

The Be in the Know 2025-2026 campaign year runs July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026. 

For complete details, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/beintheknow.

*Per IRS guidelines, all Be in the Know rewards are subject to applicable payroll taxes. 

Performance Goals and Dates Matter

Staff and their managers can set themselves up for a smooth performance review experience by making sure that staff goals in Workday have the appropriate due dates before the mid-year performance review launches on November 3, 2025.

Below are a few frequently asked questions about goal management in Workday.

What goals does Workday include in the mid-year performance review for evaluation?

Workday will automatically prepopulate the employee’s self-evaluation with the employee’s goals that have due dates within the review period. For example, the review period for this year’s mid-year performance review process is May 1 through October 31, 2025. Goals with due dates between May 1 and October 31, 2025, and with the status of “not started, “in progress,” and “completed,” will automatically pre-populate in this year’s mid-year review.

What goals does Workday exclude from the mid-year performance review for evaluation?

Goals with due dates either before or after the review period will not prepopulate on the review. For example, since the review period for the mid-year performance review process is May 1 through October 31, 2025, goals with due dates before April 30 or after November 1 of the review year will not appear. Workday also excludes goals with the “not applicable” status.

If you would like to include a goal due on a future date, such as June 30, 2026 (for example), on the review, you must manually add the existing goal during the review process via the on-screen prompts.

When are goals entered in Workday?

If the employee, manager, or others have entered goals into the worker record before November 3, 2025, and the goals have due dates between May 1 and October 31, 2025, these will automatically prepopulate in this year’s mid-year performance review. The best practice is to enter and edit goals in a timely way, at any time throughout the year, as objectives are set and reached. Managing goals throughout the year will ease the effort during performance reviews. 

Who sets goals?

Managers and departments may each have their own approaches to goal setting and development that correspond to their department goals. Managers should have ongoing discussions with their direct reports about their goals. They should consult with their local human resources professionals, as schools and centers may have different guidelines. The Penn Human Resources website has resources on creating goals for effective performance management.

Who is responsible for entering goals in Workday?

Managers or employees, and even organizations, can add or update goals in Workday. Guidance around identifying who performs the actual entry in Workday can differ by school or center, department, or manager.

Are you notified if someone creates or edits a goal?

When a manager creates or edits a goal, the employee will get a notification in Workday. When an employee creates or edits a goal, the manager will get a task to review and approve the goal. As a reminder, Workday allows for goal management throughout the year, outside the performance review process.

Can you edit a goal during the performance review period?

When Workday pulls a goal into a performance review, you will not be able to edit it outside the performance review. You must update goals within the performance review. After the employee and manager complete the performance review process, either can edit the goal.

How can managers view all goals for their direct reports at any time, outside of the performance review process?

Managers can view all goals for their employees at any time (outside of the review process) by running the report called My Team’s Goals. 

Helpful Workday Hints

• If you are an employee adding or updating more than one goal, make all your changes before submitting. In that way, all changes will be bundled for a single review by your manager.
• Consider using the optional Workday check-in feature to document some of your regularly scheduled meetings or project updates.
• If you are a manager, support your direct reports by using Workday's Manager Insights Hub regularly. The hub provides automated insights and timely suggestions. Managers can find the Manager Insights Hub in their Workday app menu.

Consult the updated Goals and Check-Ins and Performance Management for Managers and Employees Workday tip sheets, or take advantage of Penn HR’s Effective Performance Management for tips on writing smart goals.

Adapting with Confidence

Henry Ford once said that “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always gotten.” That’s a good argument for change, and a good reason to attend the Roll With It: Strategies for Embracing Change workshop on November 19 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

In this session, Talent and Organizational Development Consultant Manroocha Singh will explore strategies for dealing with and embracing change. Singh will discuss why it’s important to welcome change, particularly in your professional life, how to use the Seven C’s to smooth transitions, how to achieve a “change-ready mindset,” and why it’s important to take risks.

“We’re going to explore the difference between a change and a transition,” says Singh. “A change is an external event or situation that takes place, whereas a transition is the inner psychological process that people go through as they process a new situation, one that change can bring on. Recognizing this difference is integral to being able to deal with changes and transitions in the workplace.”

According to Singh, with the right tools and tactics, everyone has the power to reframe and adjust their own thoughts and attitudes when it comes to everyday life, stressful situations, and even times of change. Workshop participants will learn how to self-assess their own attitudes, deal with their thoughts more effectively, manage their perspectives in negative situations, and learn coping tools for dealing with change.

Register today for Roll With It: Strategies for Embracing Change and learn how to navigate life’s transitions with confidence. 

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

Committed to a Drug-Free Workplace

The U.S. Department of Labor started the first National Drug-Free Work Week in 2006 focusing on the construction industry, but it’s grown to represent a wide range of occupations focused on reinforcing to employers and employees that “working drug-free works.” 

This year National Drug-Free Work Week is October 13 through October 17. For the health and safety of the Penn community, the University is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and help those who may be struggling with drug or alcohol problems.

Please take time to review the University’s drug and alcohol policies and support resources.

Penn’s Drug and Alcohol Policies

Penn prohibits the unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, sale, possession, or use of any drug by its employees in its workplace. Complete policy details are available online

• Penn’s Drug-Free Workplace policy for faculty and staff
• Penn’s Alcohol and Other Drug Policy

Understanding Addiction

Addiction is a serious disease, but many effective treatments are available. Whether someone is exploring recovery for the first time or seeking support for a loved one, the Navigator ensures they’re never alone on the journey.

• The Addiction Care Navigator is a confidential, stigma-free digital tool embedded within the Penn Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that helps employees and their families:
• Evaluate substance use risk through a clinically validated, anonymous assessment
• Receive a personalized action plan with treatment options tailored to their needs
• Connect with licensed Addiction Care Coaches, master’s-level clinicians trained in SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment).
• The Addiction Toolkit is a curated collection of tip sheets, videos, and exercises to support employees and their families on the journey of recovery.

For in-the-moment support, reach out to a licensed clinician by phone at 1-888-503-2380 any time of the day or night for immediate, confidential guidance, or schedule an intake session with a counselor using Penn Cobalt. 

Help is Here

If you or a family member has a substance abuse problem, we encourage you to seek help. Penn provides free, confidential counseling services for faculty, staff, postdocs, and their eligible family members through Penn’s new EAP provider, CuraLinc. 

The EAP will assist you with challenges that may interfere with your personal or professional life, including substance abuse. The new EAP contact information is:

To learn more about the new EAP, you can register for one of these virtual information sessions:

• October 23, 12 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• November 18, 12 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• December 9, 12 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.

You can also schedule an EAP appointment through Penn Cobalt or visit penneap.com and use group code: Penn.

Healthy Meals: Chicken Cutlets with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

This Chicken Cutlets with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce – aka Marry Me Chicken – from EatingWell will have your partner saying "I do!" Simply seasoned chicken cutlets are wrapped in a cream sauce that is rich yet light. Antioxidant-rich sun-dried tomatoes bring a tangy earthiness to this dish that gets spicy-sweet undertones from shallots. A sprinkle of parsley at the end adds fresh herbiness to round out the dish.

Click here to send us your healthy recipes and tips.

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken cutlets
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper, divided
• 1/2 cup slivered oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, plus 1 tablespoon oil from the jar
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Sprinkle chicken with 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Heat sun-dried tomato oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, about 6 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add sun-dried tomatoes and shallots to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Increase heat to high and add wine. Cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the liquid has mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir in cream, any accumulated juices from the chicken and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper; simmer for 2 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat with the sauce. Serve the chicken topped with the sauce and parsley.

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: Flu Shots Available at Pottruck

Don’t miss your chance to get your flu shot at Penn’s annual Flu Vaccine Clinic, offered by Wellness at Penn. The on-campus walk-in clinic is fast and free from Wednesday, October 15, through Friday, October 17, in Gimbel Gym at Pottruck Health and Fitness Center, 3701 Walnut Street. No registration is needed. Students, faculty, postdocs, and staff just need their PennCard. Visit Penn’s Wellness website for clinic hours.