myHR: February 25, 2026

Support for Senior Care Planning

Life expectancy in the U.S. has increased sharply in recent years. The National Center for Health Statistics reports that the average 65-year-old can expect to live past 78. Now more families can expect to enjoy greater time with their elders. However, since those who live longer are likely to need additional support, it’s important to plan for our older loved ones’ potential needs. To help you prepare, join Bright Horizons for the From Planning to Peace of Mind: How Adult and Senior Care Penn Benefits Can Help webinar on March 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Whether you are caring for an adult now or anticipate providing care in the future, this webinar introduces you to Penn’s Bright Horizons adult and senior care benefits.

Seniors and their caregivers often face sudden, unexpected health changes. Even the most independent seniors may encounter challenges or temporary disabilities that can limit their basic activities—from transportation and housekeeping to feeding and hygiene. Penn benefits such as Bright Horizons can relieve these caregiving pressures with practical support services and expert guidance.

At From Planning to Peace of Mind, you’ll learn how to:

Plan ahead and prepare for changing care needs
Find trusted providers, services, and resources
Get expert guidance for both everyday questions and unexpected situations
Save time, reduce stress, and feel more supported

Balancing your career while handling these adult care responsibilities sometimes feels like working two full-time jobs but working family caregivers don’t have to face it alone thanks to Penn’s benefits.

Discover Penn’s Job Architecture

Three colleagues talking near staircase In today’s dynamic business landscape, organizations are increasingly recognizing the value of structured job architecture as a foundation for workforce planning, talent development, and organizational transparency. Job architecture is more than just an HR tool — it is a strategic asset that provides staff with a clear view of how their individual roles fit within the broader framework of jobs across the University, fostering career growth and internal mobility while contributing to the University’s long-term success.

To explore these concepts in more depth, the Division of Human Resources’ Compensation department has scheduled several webinars to review Penn’s job architecture and bring clarity, consistency, and opportunity to how staff understand job profiles and career paths.

The webinars will be held on the following dates. To register simply click on the link:

After registering, you will receive a meeting link followed by a calendar invite.

In these interactive webinars, facilitators will:

Provide background on job architecture as a market best practice
Explain how it connects to Penn’s salary structures
Guide you through the Job Architecture Module, including job families, subfamilies, career streams, and job levels
Share how you can use this framework to navigate your career, explore future opportunities, and access resources to support your professional journey

The sessions include a Q&A period to allow you the opportunity to gain clarity on the topics most relevant to you.

Whether you’re curious about how your position fits into the bigger picture or are ready to chart your next steps at Penn, this webinar will provide valuable insights and practical tools to help guide your path forward.

For more information about Penn’s Job Architecture, download the Compensation Guide.

Burnout Can Be Beat

Staying energized and focused in today’s fast-paced world takes intention. For those who may be feeling drained, WebMD’s Well Informed: Facts for a Healthier Future campaign offers practical insights and simple strategies to help you reset, recharge, and move forward with clarity. Using quick-read information and data you will be able to recognize burnout and understand its impact. The campaign also offers a three-step reset plan to get you back on track so you can feel healthier and more invigorated in your professional and personal life. Campaign information will be available in early March.

Penn benefits-eligible staff, faculty, and postdocs who are registered on the WebMD platform will receive an email with details to enhance awareness and reduce feelings of burnout. WebMD is Penn's wellness platform partner and powers the Be in the Know campaign. If you’d like to receive this email, plus learn about additional Penn resources to support your mental health and overall well-being, be sure to enroll on the WebMD platform.

Burnout Defined

The first step to beating burnout is to recognize when it starts. Burnout isn’t just stress. It’s a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged pressure.

Burnout is more than feeling “tired.” These are some of the key warning signs:

Chronic fatigue, even after rest
Difficulty focusing or remembering things
Cynicism or detachment from your job, team, or loved ones
Irritability or mood changes
Lack of motivation

If any of these symptoms sound familiar, you’re not alone. According to the 2025 Eagle Hill Consulting Workforce Burnout Survey, 55% of U.S. employees report experiencing burnout. Younger employees are most affected with rates of 66% among Gen Z, 58% among millennials, 53% among Gen X, and 37% for Baby Boomers. But the feelings don't need to be permanent. You can overcome burnout and move forward with a healthier mind and body.

Create Your Reset Plan

Burnout doesn’t mean weakness — only that you’re human. Of course, your health is just as important as your job and home routine. If burnout does surface, get back on track with this three-step reset plan:

Set clear boundaries: Your time is one of your most precious resources, and it deserves protection. Establishing firm limits around your work and personal life helps safeguard your well‑being and ensures you have the space to recharge.
Plan intentional breaks: Make rest a deliberate part of your daily routine. Give yourself permission to slow down. Even a simple 15‑minute pause to step away, breathe, and reset can help you disengage from stress and return with a clearer, more focused mind.
Make use of your Paid Time Off: Many employees leave vacation days unused, missing valuable opportunities to rest and restore. Schedule your next day off—whether it's a long weekend or a quiet day at home. Time away, however you choose to spend it, supports your overall health and resilience.

Resetting your habits takes time. You may want support and guidance along the way. In addition to this WebMD campaign and wellness resources, you have access to many emotional well-being and mental health resources through Penn’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Behavioral Health Benefits.

Penn offers both preventative and treatment services to you, your coworkers, and your family through the EAP and the behavioral health component of your Penn health plan.

All Penn benefits-eligible faculty, staff, and postdocs have 24/7 access to masters-level intake counselors via the EAP, which offers free confidential counseling services to help you manage challenges. You can reach out in any of the following ways:

Call 1-888-503-2380
Email support@curalinc.com
Visit https://www.hr.upenn.edu/eap

When you take time for yourself, you show up stronger for work, for your team, and for the people you care about. Give yourself permission to step back, recharge, and reset, so that you can return to work and to life more energized.

Traffic Safety Reminder

As the days get longer and snowbanks melt away, traffic safety awareness remains important for everyone traveling on campus. Whether you walk, ride a bike or scooter, or drive, please keep these tips from the Penn Division of Public Safety (DPS) in mind. Together, we can make commuting safer all year long.

Tips for Pedestrians

Be predictable. Follow the rules of the road and obey signs and signals.
Walk on sidewalks whenever they are available.
Keep alert at all times. If you listen to a personal device, wear only one earbud so you can be alert to your surroundings.
Cross streets at crosswalks or intersections whenever possible.
Be clear about your intention to cross the street. Be sure the driver sees you and comes to a stop.
Be visible. Wear light, reflective clothing and carry a flashlight in low-light conditions.
Watch for hazards such as ice or snow. Allow additional time when traveling.

Tips for Bicyclists

Use reflectors, reflective tape, or similar devices on cycling shoes, fenders, belts, frames, pedals, and handlebars.
Keep to the right. Ride with traffic, not against it. By law, a bicycle is a vehicle and must obey traffic laws.
Watch for pedestrians and follow all traffic signals.
Use hand signals to indicate turning or stopping.
Ride defensively.
Use bike paths or bike lanes whenever possible.
Walk your bicycle across busy intersections.
Never race in public spaces.
Avoid riding in bad weather.
Be cautious if riding on snow or on ice – use other forms of transport if possible.
Avoid riding on trolley tracks.
Perform regular maintenance checks.
Wear appropriate clothing.
Park your bike in an open, well-lit, frequently traveled area.
Secure it properly with recommended chains and locks.
Use bicycle racks, which are strategically located on campus.
Register your bike with DPS through CampusExpress.

Tips for Drivers

Drivers are reminded to turn on vehicle headlights at dusk and remain alert for cyclists and pedestrians. Additionally, drivers must:

Stop for pedestrians at crosswalks.
Slow down and obey the posted speed limit.
Yield to pedestrians and cyclists when turning.
Look before opening your door.
Be careful when passing stopped vehicles.
Watch for hazards such as ice or snow. Allow additional time when traveling.
Allow at least four feet when passing bicyclists.

Learn more on the Division of Public Safety Share the Road page!

Balancing Time and Energy

Gear and clock productivity concept graphic We all get the same 24 hours in a day, but what do we do with them? That depends on the energy we use.

These are some of the ideas behind Time and Energy Management: Ideas for Sustainable Life Balance, a virtual workshop set for March 31 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. The workshop is an opportunity to explore practical tools and strategies to help you stay focused, energized, and balanced so you can perform at your best without burning out.

During this engaging workshop you’ll do activities, including a personal energy assessment to help identify the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual factors that provide energy or cause us to feel drained.

Managing Finite Time

“I think people don’t always understand that some endeavors take more time but can give us more energy to be more productive. This can be counterintuitive,” says Amma Napier, Senior Consultant for Training and Development, who facilitates the workshop.

“Time is finite, energy is not, so people need to look closer at what drains them of energy and, more importantly, what feeds them – whether it’s in a physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual capacity.”

Time and Energy Management covers these essential skills:

Time management and prioritization. By exercising control over the amount of time you spend on activities and arranging tasks in order of importance, you can increase your effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity.
Workflow systems and the 1-3-5 to-do list rule. What process or method do you use to accomplish tasks? The 1-3-5 rule allows you to create a list that includes one big activity, three medium-sized activities, and five small activities so that you can optimize your efforts.
Energy management and how it relates to work-life balance. Energy is the ability to do work or perform a task. We must examine how to best spend our energy and renew it once it has been depleted.

A Balanced Life

Napier acknowledges that working while navigating the uncertainties of life these days can seem not just challenging but almost overwhelming. Yet she believes having the skills to manage time and energy can go a long way towards helping people balance the daily demands they might face.

“Having the right tools to be able to think about creating a more balanced life is essential to well-being as well as success and greater productivity,” she says.

Register today for Time and Energy Management: Ideas for Sustainable Life Balance and find tools and strategies to optimize your efforts.

For more information about Penn’s Talent Development programs, visit the Learn & Grow webpages on the HR website.

Healthy Meals: Ham and Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Stuffed chicke breast with side of broccoli Ham and chicken go together quite nicely in this recipe from EatingWell that packs in plenty of flavor and plenty of protein. It’s a low-calorie, low-carb, diabetes-friendly dinner that’s satisfying and delicious and can be ready in under an hour.

Click here to send us your healthy recipes and tips.

Ingredients

1/4 cup grated Swiss, Monterey Jack, or part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons chopped ham
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 to1-1/4 pounds total)
1 egg white
1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Use a baking sheet with sides and lightly coat it with cooking spray.
Mix cheese, ham, mustard, and pepper in a small bowl.
Cut a horizontal slit along the thin, long edge of a chicken breast half, nearly through to the opposite side. Open up the breast and place 1/4 of the filling in the center. Close the breast over the filling, pressing the edges firmly together to seal. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and filling.
Lightly beat egg white with a fork in a medium bowl. Place breadcrumbs in a shallow glass dish. Hold each chicken breast half together and dip in egg white, then dredge in breadcrumbs. (Discard leftovers.)
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts; cook until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Place the chicken, browned side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the chicken is no longer pink in the center or until an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F, about 20 minutes.

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: Using Exercise Equipment to Build Fitness Webinar

Whether it’s a treadmill, stationary bike, set of dumbbells, or resistance bands, you can learn how to use your fitness gear better at the February 26 Using Exercise Equipment to Build Fitness webinar led by WebMD. This session covers physical activity guidelines and cardiovascular and strength training equipment options. You’ll learn how different tools can enhance your workouts and help you build an effective fitness routine. By attending you can earn points in the 2025-2026 Be in the Know Wellness campaign.

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