Autumn Registration is Open
With registration open for 36 POD classes, now is your chance to check out new offerings such as Business Email Etiquette and Management, Introduction to Research Administration, and Strategic Thinking. This is also a good time to register for classes typically offered just once a year, including Managing Stress, Planning and Facilitating Effective Meetings, and Master Process Planning. And don't miss out on some other fall quarter favorites such as Process Improvement Tools, Assessing Your Career Fit, and Leadership for Leads. Access registration and course information via POD's online course catalog.

Hourly Career Counseling
Even though autumn quarter is about to begin, you don't have to fall into the same old pattern. Learn how to make the most of your strengths, prepare for a job search, or explore a new career path through one-on-one career counseling. 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.

Flu Shot Clinics are Coming to Campus
Starting September 27, UW Benefits is offering seasonal flu shot clinics at several convenient campus locations. All UW faculty and staff with Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) medical plan coverage—including Group Health Cooperative—are eligible to attend. No appointment is necessary. Bring your photo ID and your health insurance card so we can bill your plan at no cost to you. View the schedule.

September is National Cholesterol Education Month
Do you know your cholesterol levels and what these numbers mean relative to potential heart disease? Visit the UWellness website and calculate your personal risk for heart disease.

Weight Watchers Open Houses
Weight Watchers @ Work teaches you how to stick to healthy living and have a healthier relationship with food so you can lose weight and keep it off. Attend a Weight Watchers Open House at Schmitz Hall, UW Medical Center, or UW Bothell to learn about the program, ask questions, and meet the leader. No RSVP necessary, just drop in. See dates and locations.

Taking Charge of Your Health
This month’s tip sheet from UW CareLink summarizes the important aspects of an overall healthy lifestyle. This may be just right to send with your college-bound teenager. Remember, UW CareLink counselors are available for your immediate family members whether they live at home or are away at school.

Health Plan Changes for 2011
The Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) recently approved medical and dental plan changes which will go into effect on January 1, 2011. While the average employee premium share remains at 12 percent (UW share is 88 percent), your premiums may have changed. Also note that Aetna Public Employees Plan will no longer be offered. Read about the changes at our Open Enrollment website.

UW Benefits Fairs are Coming
Save the date to attend a UW Benefits Fairs on November 2, 3, or 4. This is an excellent time to explore all the benefits available to you and your family. Remember, any changes to your medical and dental plans and/or additions to previously uncovered dependents must be made during the Open Enrollment period. Changes become effective January 1, 2011. Benefits Fair locations and times.

How National Health Care Reform Affects Your Benefits
Watch for PEBB’s newsletter, For Your Benefit, to arrive in your home mailbox, and be sure to read about these important topics that could affect your coverage:

• National health reform. How it affects your PEBB benefits, including coverage for dependents up to age 26 starting January 1, 2011.
• Immediate options to continue a family member’s coverage.
• Calculating your long-term disability benefit.
• Information on the Washington Health Plan, which provides low-cost health insurance for Washington residents who don’t have other coverage.
• Results of the PEBB dependent verification project.

Update Your Contact Information in ESS
Each fall, the Health Care Authority sends benefits information directly to employee home addresses listed in Employee Self Service (ESS). If you recently changed your name or address, be sure to update your contact information here. Enjoy the convenience of viewing your earnings, taxes, retirement, investments, and health plans, too—all in one place!

Lunch and Learn
Saving, investing, and retirement planning are important for you and your loved ones. The following free lunchtime seminars will guide you through these life stages/events:

• Credit and Banking for High School Students
• Identity Theft—When Bad Things Happen to Your Good Name
• Socially Responsible Investing
• Social Security: A Foundation for Planning Your Future
• Reduce Debt, Build Wealth, and Get Ahead
• Feel Financially Secure

Access seminar information and registration. Seminars are presented by our partners—Washington State Employees Credit Union (WSECU), School Employees Credit Union (SECU), Calvert, Vanguard, and the Social Security Administration.

Retirement Plan Check-ups
How much have you stashed away for retirement? How much more should you save? Representatives from our fund sponsors 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. Register for a free appointment today.

Homeownership 101
Want valuable information about buying your first home, refinancing your existing home, or tapping into your current home equity? Attend one of these free lunchtime seminars:

• Using Home Equity & Refinancing - September 29 at Tacoma
• Buying Your First Home - October 6 at Health Sciences

Also, take advantage of free homeownership counseling sessions on campus. Seminars and counseling sessions are provided by HomeStreet Bank, our Hometown Home Loan partner. Access information and registration.

Family Caregiver Network
Are you caring for a loved one who is no longer independent? Are you having difficulty balancing new caregiving tasks with the rest of your life? The Family Caregiver Network provides informal, confidential, guided discussions where caregivers can share their experiences and successes. The next meeting is Tuesday, September 28, in Loew Hall Conference Room. Access information and registration.

Parenting Teens—New Volunteer Section
Helping others can make a big difference in your teenager’s life–developing empathy, exploring talents and developing skills. Volunteer Options is the latest addition to Parenting Teens with links to resources and information about teen volunteer options.

UW CareLink
Brush-up on your school-related parenting skills with helpful tips for dealing with homework, bullying, parent-teacher communication, and more. UW CareLink’s online resource, APS HelpLink, has a wealth of information for you. Use "UW" for the company code.

Balance
APS Healthcare’s quarterly newsletter for faculty and staff features an article about the serious issue of youth bullying and much more.

Join Staff from Facilities Services in Breaking a Guinness World Record!
Facility Services is helping Northwest Harvest and Emergency Food Network’s effort to break the Guinness World Record for collecting the most pounds of donated food in a single location within a 24-hour period. You can help too! Look for food collection boxes in the following locations.

The world record attempt will begin at 4 p.m. on September 17 as vehicles from across the region (including UW vans) roll in to drop food and fill up the Stadium Bowl in Tacoma. Within 24 hours, the Bowl should be full of food which will be distributed throughout the state to those in need.

You can also support Northwest Harvest and Emergency Food Network by giving through the UW Combined Fund Drive, our workplace giving campaign.

Volunteer Opportunities Available
The UW Combined Fund Drive, our workplace giving campaign, kicks off October 13 providing an opportunity to give to your favorite charities. In addition to giving through payroll deduction, have you wanted to give your time? Check out the new Volunteer page on the UW Combined Fund Drive website for upcoming volunteer opportunities.

What’s Your Code Word?
You can prevent violence in the workplace by using a “code word.” Code words can alert another person in your office that you need police assistance. A code word or phrase should sound innocuous enough that the person causing the problem doesn’t understand, but be uncommon enough so it won’t be used accidentally in the course of normal business. For example, a co-worker could call asking for “the red folder” and that would mean to call for help.

For more information on code words or workplace security assessments contact UWPD Crime Prevention at 206-543-9338.

UW Caregiver Directory
Could you use some extra help for occasional childcare or eldercare, light housekeeping, dog walking? Consider listing those jobs with the UW Caregiver Directory. The Caregiver Directory is accessible only with a UW NetID. There are two pools of UW-affiliated individuals: those who are seeking caregiving employment and those who are looking for caregivers.

Adult Eldercare Consultations
Eldercare service options can be overwhelming and confusing. WorkLife staff are available to consult with you about personal caregiving situations and provide information about various resource options. Email WorkLife to schedule an individual consultation.

Take a Break…
…and stop to smell the roses, those last blooms of summer in the UW’s Rose Garden surrounding Drumheller Fountain. Few things are more beautiful than the fountain and the garden with the tree-lined lawn beyond and, on a clear day, Mount Rainier floating in the distance.

Recognition
Do you save thank you notes from colleagues, clients, and peers? Perhaps you’ve stashed a couple of cards in a desk drawer that remind you of something you’ve accomplished. For most people, a thank you note is a very tangible and meaningful form of recognition; it doesn’t matter if it’s handwritten, emailed, or a “kudos” placed in the office recognition bulletin.

A thank you note is guaranteed to be meaningful to its recipient if you include (and elaborate on) the following:

• “I noticed what you did”
• “I appreciated it”
• “Here’s the positive impact it had”

Give it a try; you’ll be surprised how easy it is—and how good it makes YOU feel.

FACT OR FICTION: the University Bookstore offers a rebate on qualifying purchases.
FACT. UW faculty, staff, and students can participate in the rebate program every year. Visit the UW Bookstore website for more details on the rebate program.

FACT OR FICTION: $6.50 will buy you all you care to eat at McMahon Hall.
FACT. A special summer dining program is offered through September 17. Check it out.