Category: July 2021

CommonHealth Weekly Wellnotes
Looking for a way to get quick wellness tips without doing any extra work? Each week, we update the CommonHealth page on the HR & Payroll website with Weekly Wellnotes that provide quick wellness tips! These tips range from how to manage stress, delicious recipes, how to nurture your relationships, financial tips, ways to stay physically healthy, and more.

Visit the CommonHealth page on the HR & Payroll website each week for a new tip!

Strategies for the Sandwich Generation
July 27 at 12 p.m. ET

Double the care, double the love: the Sandwich Generation has the unique role of caring for children and parents at the same time. Join Bright Horizons for a webinar to dive into helpful strategies to care for them and for yourself. Register online.

New Resilience Toolkit
Sometimes, we all feel overwhelmed and become unsure of how to deal with the stress in life. Building resilience can help us learn to handle the stress so we can bounce back and rediscover the energy needed to create positive solutions.

Press pause for a moment and press play on our new Resilience Toolkit. This toolkit is packed with resilience-building tools like a fun resilience music playlist, mental toughness webinars, asynchronous learning opportunities, short videos on stress, weekly wellness updates, and personalized programs at your fingertips.

DHRM Employee Experience Magazine
If you haven’t had a chance to check out the spring edition of the DHRM Employee Experience Magazine, here are a few highlights:

• Do you have a colleague who motivated others to maintain their health and wellness this year? Nominate them for the CommonHealth Wellness Champion Award
• If you have observed an employee (or group of employees) going above and beyond to help maintain operations, assist others, or ensure safety, you can recognize them by submitting to DHRM. This information will be posted to their website and social media.
• Have you found it challenging to recognize your co-workers while working remotely? Check out these tips for virtual employee recognition.

You are encouraged to take a few minutes to browse the magazine for more articles and tips to help you improve your engagement and well-being.

Parking

Fall 2021 parking passes go on sale online on Monday, Aug. 2. Hang tags will be returning, but annual permits will not be sold for academic year 2021–22. The longest duration is a semester pass. There are also daily, weekly, and monthly options. Visit parking.gmu.edu and select “Faculty and Staff Parking.” 

Payroll Deduction Permits

Are you a full-time faculty/staff member who is planning to return to campus and wants to reinstate your payroll deduction permit? If so, complete a Payroll Deduction form (Fairfax/SciTech or Arlington).   Questions? Call Parking Services at 703-993-2710 (Fairfax), 703-993-8007 (Arlington), or 703-582-4698 (SciTech).  

Transportation for the New Academic Year

While some staff have been on campus throughout the pandemic, many of you might be planning your transition back to campus in August. Parking and Transportation has put together some information to assist you as you plan your return. 

We hope you will consider commuting using a new mode for some or all of your journey! If you have any questions, reach out to 703-993-2828 or transpo@gmu.edu. 

Car and Vanpool

Are you looking for some insight on how to commute to and from campus during the fall semester? Ridesharing is a great option for those looking to potentially save at least $1000 a year, cut time from their commute, help reduce traffic for their community, and shrink their carbon footprint.

For some background information, visit Is Ridesharing a Commuting Option for You? 

When choosing to vanpool, you can also utilize Mason’s Commuter Choice subsidy that provides up to $270/month for vanpool monthly costs.   

Carpool/Vanpool Q&A Session: July 27

If you have questions about ridesharing, join Katie Thompson, transit consultant with Commute 66, along with Josh Cantor and Janet Walker of Mason Parking and Transportation for a drop-in session on Tuesday, July 27, from 10–11:30 a.m. 

Drop by to ask questions on commuting and learn about the resources available in the region. No need to register; just join them on July 27 at https://gmu.zoom.us/j/94993575101?pwd=d1RQbTVRTzRFY1kwUkJHbmxDR1N4UT09  

Recruiting Vanpool Riders from the Fredericksburg, VA Area 

Are you a full-time faculty/staff member who lives in the Fredericksburg, Virginia area? Would you like to have your commute costs reimbursed up to $270/month, tax-free, not have to do all the driving, park free at Mason, and reduce carbon emissions? 

If so, consider vanpooling. Parking and Transportation is starting with the Fredericksburg area and has developed a short vanpool match survey. We will be recruiting for other vanpools in the future. 

Biking

Do you live within a few miles of a Mason campus and think biking to work could be good for your well-being?

All faculty and staff are eligible to participate in the Bike Commuter Choice Program. The program now has four tiers of support. The more you ride, the greater the financial incentive. The new, introductory tier requires just five rides per quarter.

For details, visit bike.gmu.edu and scroll to the Faculty/Staff Bike Commuter Choice Program.

Need help planning your route? Visit Community Biking Resources and scroll to the bottom. 

Mason Shuttles

For faculty/staff planning a return to campus in August, a reminder that Mason Shuttles is operating on a summer schedule for most of August. 

There are two routes operating this summer: Fairfax to SciTech (on a reduced operating schedule) and the On-Demand Shuttle, which serves stops on and around the Fairfax Campus. 

The CUE bus is operating on its regular schedule with service to Vienna Metro. 

For details on the Mason Shuttles summer schedule, visit shuttle.gmu.edu. Schedules for fall will be posted in early August.  Although service will be much more robust than last year, it will not be at pre-pandemic levels. Fall service is scheduled to begin on Friday, Aug. 20, or Monday, Aug. 23, depending upon the route.   

COVID Response on Mason Shuttles

A reminder that a valid Mason ID is required to ride Mason Shuttles.   

Masks continue to be required to ride Mason Shuttles by all passengers, regardless of vaccination status. Mason and CUE follow the CDC Order regarding buses. 

Due to COVID-19, guests are not permitted to ride on Mason Shuttles until further notice.  

On-Demand Shuttle

Mason Shuttles is offering an on-demand shuttle service on and around the Fairfax Campus. This is a shared ride service with designated pick-up and drop-off locations. Waits time for pick up vary depending upon how many people have requested the service. 

For details, visit shuttle.gmu.edu and select the On-Demand Shuttle. 

Commuter Choice

If you’re a full-time faculty or staff member who uses public transportation to travel to and from work, you can use the Commuter Choice program. This program covers qualified transportation expenses (not parking) up to the IRS limit of $270/month, based upon your actual commuting costs. 

For details, visit Commuter Choice. The deadline to request September benefits (the deadline for August has passed) is Tuesday, Aug. 10.   

SmarTrip Cards and WMATA Improvements

Metro (WMATA) is installing new fare gates at their Metro stops over the next year. The new faregates will not accept older SmarTrip cards (purchased before 2012). If you are a current or future participant in Mason’s Commuter Choice program, visit Commuter Choice and Metro Fare Gates Update for information on how to check your SmarTrip card and replace it if needed.  

ParkMobile at Mason

If you’re coming to campus and looking for a convenient way to park, some areas of the Fairfax and SciTech campuses are linked to the ParkMobile app. For locations and codes, visit Quick Links on transportation.gmu.edu/parking-services. If you have questions, call 703-993-2710 or email parking@gmu.edu.