Interest Meeting: Adult Caregiving Support Group
If you are a Mason faculty or staff member currently caring for an adult loved one, join Wendi Carroll and Courtney Ashmore from Human Resources and Payroll for a meeting on Thursday, June 9, at noon in Merten Hall, Room 4102 to gauge interest in an on-campus adult caregiving support group. The sessions will provide an opportunity to share stories and strategies, as well as offer insight into the challenges of providing care for adult loved ones (adult children, spouses/partners, and parents).
Questions? Contact Wendi Carroll at 703-993-6229 or wcarrol2@gmu.edu.
DMV2Go in Fairfax Taking a Summer Break
DMV2Go’s next visit to the Fairfax Campus will be on August 22. The 2016 schedule for their visits to Arlington, Fairfax, and SciTech is available here. A list of DMV2Go services and their schedule in the region is available on the DMV2Go website.
Compressed Schedules and Holidays
If your faculty and staff are utilizing the compressed schedule flexible work option, they may wonder how to handle the upcoming summer holidays (Independence Day and Labor Day). With supervisor approval, they can go off their compressed schedule for the week, work eight hours each day, and take the eight hours of holiday leave. (Note: These examples are based upon a full-time schedule; it would be prorated for part-time).
If they choose to stay on their compressed schedule and the holiday falls on a day when they would normally not work, when they complete their timesheet, enter eight hours under Comp Time Earned. They then have eight hours of comp time that can be used, with supervisor approval, anytime during the 12 months after the holiday.
If the holiday falls on a day when they would normally work, remember that they receive eight hours of holiday pay for the holiday. If they are on a nine-hour or ten-hour compressed daily schedule, they have to account for the full amount of their work day on the holiday by working during that week or taking leave.
If you or your faculty and staff have any questions, call the Human Resources and Payroll Customer Service Center at 703-993-2600 and ask to speak to a member of the Life/Work Connections team.
Wellness Wednesdays from CommonHealth
CommonHealth, the wellness benefit for all Commonwealth employees, has a Wellness Wednesday program. Visit their site at commonhealth.virginia.gov/commonhealthvirginia.htm and take the Wellness Wednesday pledge to receive a weekly email with activities and ideas to help you in the area of wellness. For example, a recent CommonHealth email:
For the month of May, we are focusing on being thankful and expressing thanks.
Check out Unstuck: A Practical Guide to Gratitude to find out more about the practice of being thankful or grateful and get some ideas on how to add more gratitude to your life.
If you are on Facebook, try posting a gratitude status each day—regardless of what the day was like, find something to be thankful for and write about it! Hey and while you are there, go to the CommonHealth Facebook page and like it!
Use a blank index card and insert a note of appreciation in your kids’ lunches or in their backpack. We know you are packing lots of healthy food for them.
Take a moment to say:
- You are a fantastic daughter
- You are becoming a great softball (volleyball/soccer) player
- I have the best son in the world – and it is you
- How about adding some self-esteem in that lunch. You are only limited by your imagination!