Department of
Human Resources

Healthy Heroes

By: Susan Westering, Health and Wellness Coordinator

Left to right: Teresa Smith and Sheila Hinderer

Congratulations to Sheila Hinderer from the Office of Admission and Teresa Smith from the Business Office.  These two epitomize a commitment to fitness and a healthy lifestyle!  Both joined the Weight Watchers class offered at PLU, and then got involved in several of the fitness classes. 

Sheila joined Walk Live and 30 Minute Abs.  “PLU made it so easy by offering a variety of classes during lunch and after work.  I actually started enjoying exercise!”  She loves the enthusiasm of both instructors and appreciates those in her office who help support and motivate her.

Teresa, in addition to Weight Watchers, started walking with her husband Rob and then joined the “Road Runners Club” led by Beth Crippen.  She has gone from novice to athlete this past year.  She completed the “Over the Narrows” 10 miler this summer, and competed in her first half marathon in September!  WOW!

Great job ladies – we salute you!

Zipcar - A Better Way for Your Department to Get Around

Next time you need a vehicle for university business, consider reserving a Zipcar!

Zipcar provides a better way for your department to get around – car sharing. It’s kind of like having access to a company car, but smarter. Become a Zipcar member and you will have easy access to cars by the hour, day or overnight. It costs as little as $8 per hour and $66 per day and there are 2 fuel-efficient cars parked in PLU's Library lot to choose from.

Need to pick up supplies, go for a team lunch, attend an off-site meeting or conference, or meet a colleague? Grab a Zipcar. Now you can carpool or bike to work and still have a car when you need one during the workday. Sharing cars reduces carbon emissions, eliminates the hassles of expense reports and parking, and saves money. Gas and insurance are included, so please take advantage.

Sign up for free today and you can start using Zipcar for all your department-related driving. Visit zipcar.com/plu and follow the link to “I’d like to open a new account for my department.”

For more information or to join PLU’s Zipcar network, visit www.zipcar.com/plu or call Gretchen Howell at ext. 7329.

A warm welcome to all new faculty who joined us this Fall!

30 new members of the faculty joined PLU this year.

Coping With Change 

"Nothing endures but change." - Heraclitus

Heraclitus had it right: Change is a fact of life. In the Greek philosopher's time, change tended to unfold gradually. But today's world changes at an alarmingly rapid pace. Thanks to television and the Internet, images and information zip around the globe in seconds, and we're sometimes expected to respond just as quickly.

Change can take many forms and affect every aspect of our lives. It occurs in our family, work, social life, and well-being. Some changes involve additions, such as births, new friends or relationships, and new possessions. Others involve losses, such as death, divorce, or illness. Some changes are sudden, such as losing your job, while others are more gradual, such as entering middle age.

Change can be good or bad, depending on the person and the circumstances. For example, a divorce may be seen as a tragedy or a relief. A promotion is generally viewed as a change for the good, but if you're anxious or unsure of your skills, you may view it as negative or threatening. Change may be sought out, appreciated or accepted, or it may be forced upon you, and resented or resisted. It can challenge or stimulate you, or make you feel anxious and threatened. Too little change can make life boring or depressing, while too much change can be uncomfortable or overwhelming.

Whatever its form, change requires an adjustment of some kind. This takes energy and, when the demands are too great, it can drain you physically and mentally. Change creates stress, so it needs to be managed effectively to prevent the development of stress-related symptoms and illnesses. Unmanaged stress can cause physical and emotional disorders, including everything from headaches and digestive problems to high blood pressure and insomnia.

The key to coping with change is to recognize it, understand its effects, and bring it—or your responses to it—under control as much as possible. When you can't control the change itself, adjusting your attitude toward it can help lessen any stress or tension. You'll stay healthier that way.

To read more on this topic or access the wide range of confidential services offered by First Choice Employee Assistance Program (EAP) visit the EAP website, call 800-777-4114, or email info@firstchoiceeap.com.

Fire Prevention

By: Joe Bell, Environmental Health and Safety Manager

October 9th through the 15th is National Fire Prevention Week...Protect your Family from Fire!  Protect your home and family with life-saving technology and planning. Focus on preventing the leading causes of home fires -- cooking, heating and electrical equipment, as well as candles and smoking materials.

The Fire Department offers the following tips for protecting your home and family from fire: 

• Stay in the kitchen while you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
• Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
• Replace or repair damaged or loose electrical cords.
• If you smoke, smoke outside.
• Use deep, wide ashtrays on a sturdy table.
• Blow out all candles when you leave the room or go to bed. Avoid the use of candles in the bedroom and other areas where people may fall asleep.
• Install smoke alarms inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home (including the basement).
• Interconnect all smoke alarms in the home so when one sounds, they all sound.
• Test smoke alarms at least monthly and replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or sooner if they do not respond when tested.
• Make sure everyone in your home knows how to respond if the smoke alarm sounds.
• Pull together everyone in your household and make an escape plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible ways out.  Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors.

For more information visit the NFPA website.

When Should I Call 911 or Campus Safety? 

By: Greg Premo, Director of Campus Safety

Left to right: Greg Premo, Jackie Schaffrath, Jennifer Thompson, Peter Moran, Stephanie Farrow, Annmarie Pearson, and Jeff Wilgus

In some situations it will be very clear who to call first but at other times the situation may not be so clear. Whichever number you call, you are getting an emergency response. If you do call Campus Safety first, our office is very practiced at making the call to 911 while responding to the incident. If the situation is life threatening (i.e. serious medical concern or acts of violence) you should try to call 911 first. If you call 911 first, we ask that you follow up with a call to Campus Safety’s emergency line to report the incident.  Better still would be to have a colleague call Campus Safety at the same time.

Notifying Campus Safety of your call to 911 will only help expedite the response. Our officers will be able to facilitate the response from police and fire personnel onto campus by providing directions or unlocking doors or gates. If the incident requires the police, there are times during the week that the university has a Sheriff’s deputy on duty around the campus. This deputy is monitoring the Campus Safety radio and is able to respond quicker when the call comes from the Campus Safety office versus the 911 dispatch center.

Campus Safety staff are trained in First Aid/CPR and AED’s. In the event of a heart attack, minutes or even seconds can make a difference. Notifying Campus Safety first may be the best course of action. For incidents involving property crimes, suspicious persons or reporting incidents after they have occurred, you should contact Campus Safety directly.

When in doubt call 911 first and then Campus Safety, but remember that the Campus Safety staff are ready to respond and assist with all types of emergencies.

Police or Fire Emergency
    From campus phone: 9911
    From personal cell: 911
Campus Safety
    Emergency Line: ext. 7911 (535-7911)
    Non Emergency Line: ext. 7441 (535-7441)

Considering Higher Education Options for Your Son or Daughter

Attention: Parents of High School Children

 Calendar

PLU Vision Plan Clarification

By: Donna Albers, Albers and Company

Effective June 1, 2011 PLU expanded its vision benefit for glasses, frames, and contacts from its limit of $150 to $250 – that’s every 24 months. This means you will receive the additional amount, up to $250, if you’d already received some benefit in the past 24 months. 

An example: if you purchased a pair of glasses in May 2010 for $125, you may receive another $125 in vision hardware benefit anytime between now and May 2012. Starting June 2012 you’re entitled to another full $250 in benefits for the next 24 month period. 

Questions? Group Health customer service line is 888-901-4636 or contact our benefits broker, Albers & Company at 253-272-2711 or 888-823-2377.

Sign-ups For Fall Fitness Classes Still Welcome

ORCA

PLU offers regional transit passes to benefits eligible employees. Faculty and staff receive their ORCA card preloaded with an annual pass good from June through May. The majority of the pass’ cost is covered by PLU, but a small fee is charged to employees. The cost of this benefit to employees is only $25.68 for the fiscal year. Bring your valid PLU ID to the Concierge Desk in the University Center to purchase an ORCA card.

To renew your ORCA card for fiscal year 2011-2012 (June-May), you’ll need to visit the Concierge Desk to fill out a renewal form and pay the employee portion of the benefit. You will not receive a new ORCA card. A valid PLU ID and ORCA card are required at the time of renewal. Please make it clear to the Concierge Desk staff that you are renewing your ORCA card.

Visit Commute Smart for more information. Contact Gretchen at ext. 7185 with questions.

$250 Referral Bonus

If you know someone who may be a good fit for an open staff position at PLU, encourage them to apply and you could receive a $250 referral bonus.

Visit the HR website for current openings, descriptions, and qualifications. Contact Laura Fuhrman at ext. 8325 for more information or questions.

Group Health Eliminates Waiting Period for Pre-existing Conditions

Good news: effective June 1, 2011 Group Health has eliminated the 3-month waiting period for pre-existing conditions for new enrollees. 

This means new enrollees can now receive care for all covered conditions, regardless of whether previous care or treatment had been received. It also means that new enrollees will no longer need to provide a copy of their HIPAA certificate of prior coverage, which was used to credit previous coverage toward the 3-month waiting period.

Retirement Committee Communications Available

The Retirement Committee prepares a communication piece each quarter reporting on the results of each meeting.  This communication can be found on HR's Retirement webpage.

If you have any questions or would like further information, feel free to talk to a committee member or contact Teri Phillips at ext. 7187.

Did you know?

Time sheets, jury duty reimbursements, wellness coupons, direct deposit and W-4 forms should all be turned in directly to the Payroll Office.  The Payroll Office is located on the corner of 121st and Park.

Also, you already know that the deductibles on PLU medical plans are calculated on a calendar year basis, right?  However, do you know there is a 3-month carryover on individual (not family) deductible expenses, which means claims incurred in October, November and December that are applied to your 2011 deductible will also be applied to your 2012 deductible?  This carryover occurs regardless of whether you meet your calendar year individual deductible or not.

PLU Alert!

PLU tested its new campus emergency notification system for faculty, students and staff on September 23. If you did not receive a message from this system, PLU does not have current contact information for you in Banner. For more information on this system and how to update your contact information in Banner, please visit this website.

Emergency Response Volunteers Needed

PLU is recruiting employee volunteers who are interested in responding in the following capacities should a disaster strike the university, such as a catastrophic earthquake: Amateur Radio Operators, Disaster Search and Rescuers, Disaster Building Assessment Team members. In addition, Emergency Programs is looking to build a roster of employees interested in helping to carry out campus exercises as an observer or evaluator. If you are interested in volunteering in any of these capacities, contact Jennifer Wamboldt for more information at ext. 6042.

Development Day Presenters Welcome

If you and/or your department are interested in presenting a workshop as part of the Personal and Professional Development Day on Tuesday, February 7th, 2012, please let us know.  All faculty, staff, and administrators will be invited to participate in a variety of sessions throughout the day.  Human Resources will welcome workshop proposals through November 1, 2011.  To submit your proposal, please email a one-paragraph description of your workshop, including the names of the presenter/s, to fuhrmala@plu.edu.

Dr. Oz's Transformation Nation: Million Dollar You

Weight Watchers and The Doctor Oz Show are partnering to rally America to join a health revolution. Dr. Oz's "Transformation Nation: Million Dollar You" is a 7-step challenge to help people across the country transform their health.  Anyone can take part in the challenge (you do not have to be a Weight Watchers member), but you must register for the challenge at DoctorOz.com and then go to a participating Weight Watchers meeting for an official Dr. Oz. weigh-in (PLU's Weight Watchers meetings take place on Monday's from 12:30-1:00). 

By participating in the challenge, you have the opportunity to win $1 million dollars, but the real prize is getting healthy.  Click here to learn more and get started today!