The Resource

In This Issue

Back to School
Career Development
WorkLife
Wellness
Home Loan Program
Retirement Seminars
SafeCampus
Take a Break

Published: August 8, 2012

Compensation at the University of Washington goes beyond salary. The UW offers a vast range of benefits—from the traditional to those offered by other premier employers to those that are truly unique to working at the UW. The Resource—UWHR's e-newsletter keeps you informed of all of these offerings so that you can make the most out of your UW employment.

Back to School  
 
 

Back to School or College Readiness
Get your kids ready for school or off to college by taking full advantage of your health plan coverage for preventive care visits, sports physicals, and immunizations. Read more about how to prepare for going back to school.

   

Child Immunizations
Check the CDC Immunization Guide to make sure all immunizations are up to date. These services are likely covered under your health plan once the necessary deductions and co-payments are satisfied. For further details on your benefits and exclusions, contact your plan.

   

Back-to-School Discounts
Dell has great deals for faculty, staff, and students! Buy select PCs and get an Xbox 360® 4GB or choose a $200 Dell promo eGift card to use toward thousands of accessories on Dell.com. Terms and conditions apply. Learn more at www.Dell.com/DellU/Ubookstore or call 800-695-8133. Use code US118681484.

Be sure to check out more deals in our UW Discount Program.

Career Development  
 
 

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.

   

Support Professionals Development Day
Space is limited—register now for the September 6 offering of this event for UW support staff! The day begins with a continental breakfast followed by an in-depth morning workshop, and the afternoon offers a satisfying lunch and two sessions packed with valuable tools and information. Workshop topics include personal kanban, avoiding burnout, facilitating meetings, staying competitive in your career, and more. Access event information and registration.

 

Discovering Your Dependable Strengths
The more you know about your strengths, the more you understand how to adapt them to different careers and the changing demands of the workforce. This two-day workshop uses a proven process for uncovering what you do best and learning new ways to use your unique excellence. Access course information and registration.

   

Increasing Your Influence
A common source of frustration in the workplace is feeling powerless within the team. Identify where you need more influence in your work life, determine whether your usual approach is working, discover how to become a smart partner to your colleagues, and learn the principles of “managing up.” Access course information and registration.

   

Register Now for POD Webinars in September
September is packed with webinars that can help you improve your Microsoft Office skills and increase your productivity on the job. To optimize learning, these dynamic live webinars include advance distribution of the webinar slides via email and a link to a recording of the webinar afterward. Register now to gear up for the academic year! Access webinar listings and registration.

   

Leverage Your Strengths Through One-on-One Career Counseling
As you and your department prepare for fall quarter, you may find yourself falling into the same old routine. Start fresh this year by learning to make the most of your strengths or by exploring a new career path. Career counseling sessions are offered by Training and Organizational Development Consultant Susan Templeton for $95 per one-hour session if paid with a UW budget number (with supervisor approval) or $109.82 if paid with cash, check, or credit card (due to a mandatory institutional overhead fee). Learn more about this service.

WorkLife  
 
 

Back-Up Care—Improved Access!
Earlier this year, UW WorkLife rolled out its Back-Up Care child-care program, in partnership with Bright Horizons®. The Bright Horizons Back-Up Care Advantage Program® is available to all faculty, staff, and students at the UW for use when your regular caregiver is unavailable, you are transitioning back to work after leave, or your child's regular school is closed. Bright Horizons has numerous centers in the area ready to provide for your needs, and care can be reserved up to one month in advance of the actual day care is needed. We have now established a 24/7, one-stop registration and call center for the UW to help evaluate your needs and find available centers. If this is a service you may need to access in the future, we recommend you register now so that, when the need arises, you’ll be able to simply go online or call to find care. To register, visit http://backup.brighthorizons.com (enter the user name UnivWA and password 4Backup). Once you’re registered, you may find back-up care by logging into your Bright Horizons account or calling 877-242-2737. Be prepared to show your current UW Husky card at time of drop-off. The cost is $100 per day, paid by the UW faculty, staff, or student.

   

Connecting With Your Teen
Many parents notice that, as their children get older, even a simple chat can become difficult. As kids head back to school, good communication is a must. This month’s UW CareLink Tipsheet offers some great ideas for connecting with your teen. If your relationship with your teen is strained, UW CareLink can help with confidential counseling services. All benefits-eligible faculty and staff, their household members, and their dependent children receive an in-person assessment and up to five free counseling sessions for difficult decisions on complicated personal, family, or career issues. Counselors are experienced, state-licensed professionals who hold master’s or doctoral degrees in counseling or related fields. To set up an assessment, call 866-598-3978. In addition, UW CareLink will present an hour-long online seminar, “Raising Responsible Teens,” on August 21 at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 1:00 p.m. (PST). The seminar offers practical parenting tips for raising trustworthy teens to ensure their safety and give you peace of mind. To register, go to www.apshelplink.com (use “UW” as the company code). On the right-hand side of the page, click on the appropriate link under “Online Seminars.”

Wellness  
 
 

Take Your 2012 Health Risk Assessment
Get immediate feedback on your health through a simple questionnaire called a "health risk assessment." As part of your state-sponsored PEBB medical plan, you're entitled to participate in a 20-minute, confidential assessment that helps you prioritize your health challenges and set reasonable goals. Learn more about Health Risk Assessments.

 

Interactive Health Tools & Calculators
Interested in seeing how many calories you burn in a typical day? Wondering what your ideal weight might be? Check out the fitness and weight loss calculators and get answers in a flash. What you learn might surprise you!

For Uniform Medical Plan members: Log into www.myregence.com (type in “calculators”)

For Group Health Plan members: Log into www.ghc.org (type in “interactive tools”)

Be sure to check out the other interactive tools and calculators located here!

Home Loan Program  
 
 

Our Hometown Home Loan Program offers the following seminars—each are free of charge and open to all UW faculty and staff.

  • Buying a Distressed Property Thinking of buying distressed real estate? Learn where to find properties, how to finance this type of purchase, and how the industry defines terms like short sale, bank-owned, owner-occupied, and investment home. Offered Tuesday, August 21, at UW Tower in Seattle.
  • Home Maintenance through the Seasons Homeownership is a major responsibility, and seasonal temperature fluctuations can take a toll on your important investment. Learn what you need to do to maintain a sound and healthy home, and find out about payment options for basic home maintenance. Offered Thursday, August 23, at UW Bothell and Tuesday, September 18, at UW Tacoma.
  • The Path to Homeownership If you’re a first-time homebuyer, consider attending this seminar to learn about today's real estate market, how to use down payment assistance, and special programs designed for you. Find out what costs to expect in your first transaction. Offered on Wednesday, September 19, at Health Sciences in Seattle.

Access event information and registration on the HomeStreet site.

Retirement Matters  
 
 

UWRP & VIP Retirement Consultations
Whether your retirement is many years away or just around the corner, schedule a free, one-on-one consultation with a Fidelity Consultant to maximize your retirement and savings plans. Contact Fidelity in a way that works best for you.

To schedule an appointment with a TIAA-CREF representative, see Fund Sponsor Appointments.

   

PERS, TRS, LEOFF Plan Participant News
Be sure to read the summer issue of Retirement Outlook to catch important news about your PERS, TRS, or LEOFF plan and see what online tools are available to you. Any questions about this newsletter should be directed to the Department of Retirement Systems either by email at recep@drs.wa.gov or by phone at 800-547-6657 (option 6, then option 2).

SafeCampus  
 
 

Relationship Violence in the Workplace
Relationship violence is not often something employees think about in a work environment. However, our lives are not strictly separated between work and personal. Relationship violence—frequently referred to as domestic violence—is a pattern of abuse that can include physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Relationship violence does not discriminate and can affect men and women of all racial and economic backgrounds. For more information about relationship violence and effects on the workplace, view the Silent Storm video at the bottom of the SafeCampus training page. The educational video describes the impact of relationship violence, warning signs, and what you can do if you think this is occurring in your workplace.

One UW resource available to employees and students who are affected by relationship violence is the UWPD Crime Victim Advocate Natalie Dolci. Natalie provides a range of services including: meeting with people to discuss options to deal with their specific situation; safety planning; advice on obtaining a protection order; and accompaniment to court. Those seeking services from Natalie do not need to file a police report. Natalie's office is located at the UWPD Station, and she can be reached at 206-543-9337 or dolcin@uw.edu.

Take a Break  
 
 

Art Exhibit: Gary Hill's Glossodelic Attractors
Take a trip over to the Henry Art Gallery to view Gary Hill’s Glossodelic Attractors. Gary Hill is a pioneer in video, sound art, performance, and installation. For more than four decades, he has produced highly experiential works that defy convention and expand consciousness. Central to his work is the relationship between the body, as a means of perceiving the world, and language, as a means of making perception concrete. This exhibit will include works that investigate how visual and verbal communication is experienced at the phenomenological level and how that experience creates meaning. Admission to the Henry Art Gallery is free to UW staff with a valid Husky Card. For more information, visit the Henry Art Gallery website.

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