Open Enrollment Deadline is November 30
Do you want to choose a different medical or dental plan or make account changes to your PEBB health coverage? Are you thinking about enrolling in a 2011 pretax savings program such as a Flexible Spending Account or the Dependent Care Assistant Program? November is the Open Enrollment period—your chance to do any these things! Be sure to act before midnight on November 30. Visit the Open Enrollment web page for more information.

Nominate an Outstanding UW Staff Member
Here’s your opportunity to recognize exceptional UW staff members who exceed expectations by nominating them for the Distinguished Staff Award. The Distinguished Staff Award costs nothing other than your time to submit the application, but it provides meaningful recognition for those that receive a nomination. Do your part today in promoting a UW culture of recognition—nominate a well deserving colleague!

Visit the Distinguished Staff Award website for more information, including how to nominate an individual or a team. The deadline for nominations is December 15, 2010.

What Happens When Christmas and New Years Fall on Saturdays?
This coming December 25 and January 1 fall on Saturdays. Don’t worry—we don’t lose our paid holidays. The UW calendar policy provides that when a holiday falls on a Saturday, the holiday is observed the preceding Friday. Make sure your calendar has Friday, December 24, 2010 and Friday, December 31, 2010 marked as paid holidays. For those keeping count that means there are technically 11 paid holidays for 2010 and 9 paid holidays for 2011. You can verify all the 2010 and 2011 holidays online on the UW Human Resources website.

You're Invited: UWCFD Children's Mini-Charity Fair
In honor of National Philanthropy Day, representatives from non-profit organizations serving children will be on campus November 15 at a Children's Mini-Charity Fair, part of the UWCFD Meet the Charities workshop series. Learn more about programs and services as well as volunteer opportunities offered by Ronald McDonald House of Washington & Alaska, University YMCA, Treehouse, Prospect Enrichment Preschool, St. Joseph’s Baby Corner, Children’s Home Society, Seattle Children’s, United Way of King County, and Childhaven. Enjoy refreshments and enter to win tickets to Seattle Children’s Theatre.

Also, the UWCFD giving campaign continues until December 3. You can give to the charities of your choice via a giving form or online. Imagine the difference we can make. Visit the UWCFD website for more information.

Family Caregiver Network
Are your elder family members prepared to cope with severe weather conditions this winter? Do you have other concerns? If so, plan on participating at the next Family Caregiver Network meeting and gather information and ideas from others in similar situations. Next meeting is Tuesday, November 30, in Loew Hall Conference Room. Access workshop information and registration.

Identity Theft
Identity theft is a growing problem that isn’t going away. Learn simple, practical tips to substantially reduce the chance of falling prey to identity theft, as well as the steps to take to minimize damage if you’re a victim. Join us on November 17 or 19 at South Lake Union, or December 15 at the Seattle campus. Access seminar information and registration.

Credit Reporting 101
Learn five easy steps to a better credit score and come away from this seminar with valuable tips to help you get the most from your credit worthiness. Hear how credit bureaus develop your “score,” what affects your credit, why scores may differ, and how to get your free credit report. Join us on December 8 at Harborview Medical Center. Access seminar information and registration.

Approaching Life's Milestones
Regardless of where you are in your life journey, there is planning to be done. This free seminar covers the common (and not so common) life milestones, and provides timely advice on how to approach them in a financially sound way. Join us on November 17 at South Lake Union, December 8 at Harborview Medical Center, or December 15 on the Seattle campus. Access seminar information and registration.

Review your Retirement Portfolio
When was your last retirement plan checkup? Representatives from Calvert, Fidelity, TIAA-CREF or Vanguard are available to meet with you and your spouse—either by phone or in person—to provide general investment information, discuss your savings objectives, or review an existing account. Sign up for your free consultation today!

Time for a Bigger, Better Home
Are you ready to move up to a bigger home? Do you want to remodel or renovate your existing home? Get valuable information about these topics and more by attending a free lunchtime seminar. Upcoming seminars include:

• Moving Up—Buying Your Next Home
• Home Remodeling & Renovation
• Understanding Credit

Also, take advantage of free homeownership counseling sessions at Tacoma on November 16 or at the Seattle campus on December 13. Both seminars and counseling sessions are provided by HomeStreet Bank, our Hometown Home Loan partner. Access seminar information and registration.

Planning Ahead for WorkLife Balance through the Holidays

• Are you worried about elderly relatives during the holiday season? Too much activity or perhaps loneliness and isolation? WorkLife provides private consultations with information and resources tailored to your specific caregiving situation. To schedule an appointment, email worklife@uw.edu.
• Will you need some “extra hands” to help with errands, childcare, serving at your holiday party? Check out WorkLife’s Caregiver Directory for listings of UW students looking for opportunities to earn dollars.
• You have information at your fingertips with UW CareLink’s online resource, APS HelpLink. Find holiday travel information, consumer tips for staying on budget, communication help for ‘difficult’ encounters, and more. Use UW for the company code.
• Specific help tips for the holiday season on UW CareLink’s Tip Sheets include “Budgeting for the Holiday Season,” “Holiday Stress,” and “Easing Family Tension During the Holiday Season.”
• Take control of your holiday budget by comparison shopping online with UW Discounts—your national discount network featuring over 400 national retail companies. You may even decide to purchase those discounted items online, saving time as well as dollars.

Another Childcare Option
The UW Nanny Share Network is another childcare option and has many new listings of UW families seeking the hiring and/or sharing of a nanny. Use your UW NetID to check out the online database and post your own listing. In addition to the database, there are helpful tools such as interviewing and hiring guidelines, licensing requirements, and taxes for household employees.

UW CareLink
Always the source of information bites, the latest issue of Balance from UW CareLink speaks to the issues of our everyday lives—gaining comfort with public speaking, exercise for brain and brawn, antagonism and artery health, and stopping the “us vs. them” mentality.

Stretch Your Dollars Further in 2011
Looking for a great way to save valuable tax dollars on health expenses and/or daycare expenses? Consider one of these pretax savings alternatives below. Remember, all PEBB benefits-eligible employees who wish to participate in one or both of these programs in 2011—whether new or returning participants—must enroll during the month of November for benefits to begin January 2011.

Flexible Spending Account is an IRS-approved, tax-free account that can save you money on eligible medical expenses.

Dependent Care Assistance Program allows you to take a payroll deduction for eligible dependent care expenses before taxes are calculated. You save money in your paycheck now because the deductions are exempt from taxes.

Aetna PEP Health Plan Ends Soon
Due to significant cost increases, the Health Care Authority will no longer offer the Aetna Public Employees Plan in 2011. This means that those UW employees who elected Aetna coverage will find their coverage ending on December 31, 2010. If you’re enrolled in this plan, you should have already received a mailing from HCA (at your home address of record) with instructions on how to select a new plan. Visit the Health Care Authority's website for more information.

Mammovan is Coming!
Women age 40+ know it’s not always easy to find time to get a routine mammogram to screen for breast cancer. Thanks to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance’s Mammovan, now there’s a faster and more convenient way to get it done. The Mammovan, a mobile mammography service, will be rolling into several UW parking lots on November 17, December 6, and December 20. So don’t delay—schedule your mammogram appointment today!

Protect Your Lungs
November is Lung Cancer Awareness month. Did you know that lung cancer represents 1 in every 3 cancer deaths? It's the leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. among every ethnic group. Learn ways you can reduce lung cancer risk for yourself and your loved ones. See Protect Your Lungs.

Join the ‘Great American Smokeout’
November 18 marks the 35th annual “Great American Smokeout” presented by the American Cancer Society. Take that day to cut down on cigarettes, go a day smoke-free, or set this as your quit date. Learn more.

Gear Up!
Are you a bike commuter who wants to learn advanced bike skills for winter commuting? Or maybe you want to see what essential or esoteric bike gear would make great holiday gifts? Join Commuter Services in one of the bike classes being offered this November and December. Visit UWellness events.

Easy Rewards
Want an easy way to earn up to $60 in rewards in just 20 minutes, plus get immediate feedback on your health risks? Here’s how: Complete your confidential, online health risk assessment (HRA) through your health plan and, if you're covered under either Uniform Medical Plan or Aetna PEP, you can earn up to $60 in gift cards. All adult enrollees under your plan are eligible to participate, too! To start your HRA, go the Tools for Change website and click on “Health Risk Assessment.”

Professional & Organizational Development (POD) courses are open to all UW employees, subject to supervisor/budgetary approval and UW’s release time policy. Please view our policy page for additional information.

Punctuation Tune-Up Rescheduled from 11/18 to 11/30
Due to the Husky home game on November 18, POD has rescheduled its popular Punctuation Tune-Up class to Tuesday, November 30. Register now for this practical review of punctuation rules and basics, and explore the subtle and not-so-subtle ways punctuation can influence sentence structure, rhythm, and even meaning. Access course information and registration.

Managing With Motivation
This one-day class explores the characteristics of leadership that inspire followership, key principles of motivation, old leadership vs. new leadership paradigms, communicating expectations, and creating and managing effective teams. This class is suitable for anyone who is in a leadership position at the UW, including leads, supervisors, and managers. Access course information and registration.

Hourly Career Counseling
What's next for you and your career? One-on-one career counseling can help you make the most of your strengths, prepare for a job search, or explore a new career path. Sessions are offered through Training and Organization Development Consultant Susan Templeton for $80 per one-hour career counseling session if paid with a UW budget number (with supervisor approval) or $92.48 if paid with cash, check, or credit card (due to a mandatory institutional overhead fee). Learn more about this service.

Last Training in 2010!
Please attend our last 2010 all-campus Violence Prevention and Response Training on November 16 at noon in Odegaard Library room 220. This training is required for all UW employees every two years. The training will teach participants how to recognize and report potential workplace violence issues, and how to react in an emergency. Access training information and registration.

What to Do—and What Not to Do—If You are Robbed
No one wants to think about getting robbed, but with recent reports of assaults and robberies on or near campus it is hard not to. We all know it is safer to walk in groups and in well lit areas, but that is not always possible. SafeCampus and UW Police offer two important reminders if caught in a confrontation on the street where someone is using force or the threat of force:

• Don’t try to be a hero. Remain calm and don’t resist or argue. Remember that the criminal is also nervous, and raising the level of tension or confrontation will make the criminal more likely to hurt you.
• Hand over your money or possessions. Your safety is more important than either.