Penn Faculty Benefits News: September 15, 2015

Be in the Know: the Whole You for the Whole Year

For the last four years, Be in the Know has helped Penn’s faculty and staff learn more about their health and use what they know to make improvements. This year, Human Resources’ wellness campaign makes improvements of its own to better support you in attaining your goals for health and wellbeing. You’ll be inspired to take action with activities offered year-round, more Bonus Actions to choose from, and more chances to earn cash incentives.

Be in the Know 2015-2016 kicks off with free, on-campus biometric screenings held October 5 – November 20. Register today for one of these events at www.hr.upenn.edu/beintheknow.

The biometric screening and the online health assessment form the Core Actions of Be in the Know. These are the same activities you’ve used in the past to assess your current health and get recommendations for taking action in certain areas, such as physical activity, nutrition, or stress management.

These new and expanded features of Be in the Know will help you make the most of what you learn from the Core Actions:

Year-Round Campaign – Don’t worry if you can’t make one of the fall biometric screening events. More will be offered in the spring. You can also participate in other Be in the Know activities and earn points toward cash incentives at any time during the campaign year, which runs from October 2015 to August 2016.

Earn Points – and Cash – You’ll earn points for completing the Core Actions (biometric screening and online health assessment) and $100.* Earn points and up to an additional $80 for completing qualifying Bonus Actions, which are events and activities that help you focus on health and wellness. When you earn 100 points in Bonus Actions, you’ll also be entered into a raffle drawing for great prizes.

More Points, More Cash – The more qualifying Bonus Actions you complete, the more cash you’ll earn. Earn 40 points in Bonus Actions, and receive $40. An additional 40 points will get you another $40. In all, you can earn up to $180 with Be in the Know.

Expanded Bonus Actions – Improve your health and earn points (and cash) with more qualifying Bonus Actions. They include things you may already do, such as your annual health screening, on-campus Wellness Walks, Penn’s wellness workshops, an online educational programs through StayWell, Penn’s wellness partner.

Visit the Be in the Know webpage for campaign updates and details.

*All cash incentives will be less applicable payroll taxes. You must be an active full- or part-time benefits-eligible faculty or staff member to participate. Bonus Actions may be completed and points earned at any time during the Be in the Know campaign. However, cash incentives will not be awarded until the two Core Actions are completed.

Ready to Reap Your Retirement Benefits?

As you’ve grown in your career, you’ve planted the seeds for retirement by investing effort, thought, and money. When it’s time to consider retiring, be sure you know the basics to make the best of all your work over the years. Register for Penn’s September 30 Thinking About Retirement information sessions.

If you’re a year or two away from retirement,* Thinking About Retirement may be just right for you. On September 30, from 9am to 3pm at the Inn at Penn, Thinking About Retirement covers the essential parts of your retirement package, including your retirement income options, Social Security, and Medicare. This informative event features expert guest speakers and Penn Benefits specialists. Register for this special three-part program and prepare to reap the rewards of your Penn career long after you retire.

During Thinking About Retirement, you can attend all three one-hour information sessions, or just the ones that cover your areas of interest. Representatives from the Social Security Administration and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will explain the basics of these programs. Retirement professionals from TIAA-CREF will discuss important information about retirement plan distributions. Penn Benefits specialists from Human Resources will also be there to answer your questions about retirement savings, healthcare, and other aspects of your retiree benefits for you and your dependents.

Register for the sessions of your choice by clicking on the links below.

For more information go to the Penn’s Retiree Benefits webpage, or visit the Saving for Retirement webpage for information on Penn’s retirement investment plans.

*According to the “rule of 75,” you are eligible to receive retiree health benefits if your age plus your years of full-time, continuous service total at least 75, with a minimum of age 55 and 15 years of service, or age 62 and 10 years of service.

Work and Family Month Highlights

No matter how you define family, Penn has many resources in place to support your work and life plans. In October, Work and Family Month, Penn’s Quality of Work Life and Benefits professionals are highlighting these services with a series of events.

Click here for a complete list of Work and Family Month events. You can also visit Penn’s Work and Life Support website for information on a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

Breastfeeding Support Group, October 5
If you are breastfeeding, pumping and bottle-feeding, pregnant and thinking about breastfeeding, or formula-feeding and curious about breastfeeding, this group is for you. The group will also meet on November 2, and December 7. Funding for Penn’s Breastfeeding Support Group is provided by the Division of Human Resources, the Family Resource Center, and the Penn Women's Center. Click here to register.

Guided Meditation: Take a Break and Relax, October 9, 16, 20, and 30
In these noontime workshops, practice mindful breathing that focuses your attention on the present moment with kindness, compassion, and awareness. Self-massage and gentle movements that promote relaxation and reduce stress may also be included in these workshops led by Sandra Herman. No experience necessary. Click here to register.

Legal Document Planning, October 8
Join trust and estate lawyer Margaret Sager to learn about the importance of estate planning, managing your estate during life and disposing of your estate at your death through the use of trusts, wills, beneficiary designation forms, and other planning documents. Click here to register.

Penn Family Day, October 10
A celebration of Penn’s family of faculty, staff, and postdoctoral scholars, the special day is full of fun, food, athletic events, and other festivities. Make plans to meet up with your Penn colleagues and celebrate what makes Penn a great place to work: the people. Visit www.hr.upenn.edu/familyday for the full line up of Family Day events.

Order tickets online today. Tickets may also be picked up at the Penn Athletic Ticket Office in Weightman Hall, 235 S. 33^rd Street.

Faculty, staff, and postdocs can order up to four free tickets. Additional tickets are available for $8 each. The last day to order tickets online is October 6.

National Save for Retirement Week, October 19 – 25
To help you stay on track for a secure retirement, Penn Benefits will host special Save for Retirement Week investment and financial literacy sessions at various convenient locations. Visit www.hr.upenn.edu/myhr/benefits/retirement for details and registration.

On October 19 from 12pm to 1:30pm, Willo Carey, WHYY spokesperson and Executive Director of Wider Horizons, will lead a discussion on the psychological and relationship adjustments that accompany retirement at Purposely Planning Your Encore (Retirement) Career. Click here to register.

Sustainability 101: Rethinking Our Footprint on Campus and at Home, October 30
Join Penn’s Sustainability Director, Dan Garofalo, to begin to rethink your ecological footprint. Participants will learn how to “green” their daily habits and lifestyle practices. Click here to register.