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Human Resources: Upcoming Programs September

Professional & Personal Development Programs

Improve your skills and get ahead in your career by taking advantage of the many development opportunities provided by Human Resources. You can register for programs by visiting knowledgelink.upenn.edu or contacting Learning and Education at (215) 898-3400.

Engagement Starts with You; 10/6; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; free. Engagement starts with the employee. Research show that engaged employees are more productive and satisfied with their jobs.  In this session we will look at engagement from the individual perspective and discuss ways to increase and maintain engagement.

American Management Association’s LEAN Process Management; 10/6 & 10/7; 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; $75. Processing requests taking forever? Customers calling to complain about delays and high delivery costs? Worried you could be losing business as a result? LEAN process improvement tools offer simple fixes that will change your thinking, improve your operations, and deliver quick solutions. LEAN can be especially relevant if you have fewer resources and need to deliver more with less.

In this course, you’ll discover there are seven types of waste and five methods to eliminate it—5S, Poka Yoke, Kanban and Kaizen. You will learn the DMAIC process (define, measure, analyze, improve and control), LEAN metrics and how LEAN relates to Six Sigma. Now, you can map the customer value stream and determine which activities add value to the customer and which do not. Then, you will learn to eliminate or curtail non-value-adding activities.

A highly interactive case study will cement the learning as you participate in repairing a broken process with instructor guidance utilizing LEAN tools and principles.

Recognizing Your Employees; 10/12; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; free. Recognizing staff both individually and as team members can help improve performance and increase engagement.  This session will provide managers with strategies for providing recognition that help employees feel appreciated and valued.

Intro to Finance for Non-financial Managers; 10/21; 1-4 p.m.; $75. The goal of this interactive workshop is to give the participant a basic understanding of budgets and financial reports so they can hold relevant discussions and render decisions based on financial data, defining key terms like ROI, EBIT, GAAP and EBITDA.  Furthermore, this half-day course will discuss commonly used financial terms, financial statements, budgets, forecasting, purchasing decisions and laws that regulate the handling of financial information. 

Quality of Worklife Workshops

Dealing with the demands of work and your personal life can be challenging. These free workshops, sponsored by Human Resources and led by experts from Penn’s Employee Assistance Program and Quality of Worklife Department, offer information and support for your personal and professional life challenges. For complete details and to register, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/myhr/registration or contact Human Resources at (215) 573-2471 or qowl@hr.upenn.edu

New and Expectant Parent Briefing; 10/5; 11 a.m.-noon; free. This is an introductory resource briefing designed for expectant parents and those who are new to parenting or child care. Participants will learn about local and University childcare and parenting resources including breastfeeding support and the nursing mothers program, childcare locators, back-up care, adjusting to new schedules and flexible work options, among other topics.

Guided Meditation–Take a Breath and Relax; 10/11; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; free. Practice mindful breathing that focuses your attention on the present moment with kindness, compassion and awareness. Self-massage and gentle mindful movements that promote relaxation and reduce stress may also be included in the workshop. No experience is necessary.

It Costs How Much? What to Expect When Paying for Senior Care Webinar; 10/18; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; free. Sooner or later, everyone facing the difficult challenge of how best to care for an elderly parent comes up against the issue of cost. Most people are surprised to learn that a nursing home costs over $80,000 per year or that Medicare will not pay for long-term care. This seminar will review the costs of different care options, and explain how payers such as Medicare, Medicaid, veteran’s benefits and long-term care insurance work. With this information in hand, you’ll be better equipped to make the decisions that are best for you and for your family.

Mastering Change; 10/19; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; free. This workshop will highlight skills for coping, handling and managing change on a day-to-day basis. It will also cover adaptive strategies to anticipate and prepare for future changes and situations.

Worklife and Wellness Resources Overview; 10/24; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; free. Whether you are new to the Penn family or you have been an employee for quite some time, we have put together a workshop that will benefit all who attend, no matter your employment status. In 50 minutes, we will highlight 50 wellness and worklife resources that are offered on Penn’s campus. You will walk away with the tools needed to put you on the path to becoming a better balanced and healthier employee.

Wills, Trusts and Estate Planning; 10/25; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; free. Join trust and estate lawyer Margaret Sager to learn about the importance of estate planning, managing your estate during life and disposing of your estate at your death through the use of trusts, wills, beneficiary designation forms and other planning documents. Ms. Sager is a partner with Heckscher Teillon Terrill & Sager, P.C. and is listed as one of the leading trust and estate attorneys by The Best Lawyers in America. Ms. Sager’s practice includes estate planning for high-net worth individuals, trust and estate administration, fiduciary litigation and related dispute resolution, guardianships of incapacitated persons and charitable giving.

Guided Meditation—Take a Breath and Relax; 10/28; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; free. Practice mindful breathing that focuses your attention on the present moment with kindness, compassion, and awareness. Self-massage and gentle mindful movements that promote relaxation and reduce stress may also be included in the workshop. No experience necessary.

Mindfulness Monday: From Mind Full to Mindful; 10/31; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; free. Mindfulness is “paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally,” according to Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. Mindfulness practice develops awareness of your present thoughts and feelings to help you manage different situations. In this once-a-month experiential workshop, you’ll see how mindfulness can help you become more engaged and effective both at home and in the workplace. No prior meditation experience necessary.

Mindfulness Skills Course October 31 to November 21; 10/31; 3-4 p.m.; free. The four-week mindfulness skills course, offered by Penn’s Employee Assistance Program, is designed to teach you the core principles and practices of mindfulness, which include breathing meditation, body scan, sitting meditation and movement meditation. In addition, each class will focus on a theme linking mindfulness, stress, and quality of life, and ample time will be devoted to experiential guided meditations. To register, call EAP at 1 (888) 321-4433, select option 3, and ask to register for the mindfulness course.

Healthy Living Workshops

Get the tools you need to live well year-round. From expert nutrition and weight loss advice to exercise and disease prevention strategies, we can help you kick-start your body and embrace a healthy lifestyle. These free workshops are sponsored by Human Resources. For complete details and to register, visit www.hr.upenn.edu/myhr/registration Or contact Human Resources at (215) 573-2471 or qowl@hr.upenn.edu

Sugar Detox; 10/6; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; free. Sugar has gotten bad rap in the media recently. Come and learn why. A Family Food registered dietician will help you identify hidden forms of sugar, how to reduce the amount of added sugars you consume, and will explain which sugars to avoid.

Yoga on the Green; 10/6; 6 p.m.; free. Student Health Services is thrilled to be partnering with Campus Recreation on a monthly yoga series. The first Thursday of every month will be a yoga class on Shoemaker Green and it is open to all faculty and staff. You can also document this activity as a qualifying bonus action item for the upcoming Be in the Know campaign.

Gentle Yoga; 10/12; 11-noon; free. Let your body reward itself with movement! Join us for this Gentle Yoga session and explore the natural movements of the spine with slow and fluid moving bends and soft twists. During this session, you will flow into modified sun salutations that loosen those tightened muscles and joints of the lower back, neck, shoulders, and wrists. And as an added bonus, you’ll get a workout in the process. Mats and props will be provided.

October Wellness Walk: Breast Cancer Awareness; 10/21; noon-1 p.m.; free. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and in honor of this month, we are dedicating October’s walk to those who are currently battling breast cancer, have lost their battle to breast cancer, and who are survivors of breast cancer. We are asking everyone who can to show their support by wearing pink. It can be a pink hat, shirt, socks, jewelry, scarf, etc. The more pink the better! Meet the Center for Public Health Initiatives staff at noon, in front of College Hall, by the Ben Franklin statue, and walk a one-mile or two-mile route around Penn’s campus, returning to College Hall. Bring your water bottle and don’t forget your sneakers!

Flu Vaccine Clinic–New Bolton Center; 10/26; 11 a.m.-2 p.m.; free. Penn faculty and staff (full- and part-time) are encouraged to get their no-cost flu vaccine this season. AREUFIT will be on campus to offer Penn employees a flu shot. Registration required. Please bring your Penn ID Card, a consent form which can be found on www.hr.upenn.edu and a ‘Confirmation Statement’ for this event.

Gentle Yoga; 10/26; 11 a.m.-noon; free. Let your body reward itself with movement! Join us for this Gentle Yoga session and explore the natural movements of the spine with slow and fluid moving bends and soft twists. During this session, you will flow into modified sun salutations that loosen those tightened muscles and joints of the lower back, neck, shoulders and wrists. And as an added bonus, you’ll get a workout in the process. Mats and props will be provided.

TED Talk: A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit; 10/27; 12:30-1:30 p.m.; free. Can we break bad habits by being more curious about them? Psychiatrist Judson Brewer studies the relationship between mindfulness and addiction — from smoking to overeating to all those other things we do even though we know they’re bad for us. Learn more about the mechanism of habit development and discover a simple but profound tactic that might help you beat your next urge to smoke, snack or check a text while driving.

—Division of Human Resources

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