HR Update; June 22, 2007
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- Benefits Open Enrollment: November 1-27, 2007
- Employee Referral Program
- UC Retirement Readiness Education Programs
- 2007 UCRS Advisory Board Election
- The Benefits of Getting a Good Nights Rest
Benefits Open Enrollment: November 1-27, 2007
Open Enrollment provides eligible faculty and staff the opportunity to change enrollments in, or add eligible dependents to their UC sponsored insurance plans: medical, dental, and optical; and/or to sign up for the first time or to continue participation in the Flexible Spending Accounts (Health Care and/or Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts (HCRA/DCRA). Please note this year the November Open Enrollment season will be begin at 8:00 a.m., Thursday, November 1 and end at midnight, Tuesday, November 27.
Upcoming issues of the Human Resources and Benefits Briefing newsletter will preview what’s in store for Open Enrollment 2008, including an update on the results of the medical plan bid reported in earlier issues this year. Be sure to check online for further updates on the At Your Service website (http://atyourservice.ucop.edu).
In October, you will receive detailed Open Enrollment information in the mail at your home address. Faculty and staff will again make Open Enrollment changes online this year at the At Your Service Open Enrollment 2008 website.
Employee Referral Program
This message serves as a reminder that through the Employee Referral Program (ERP) you can receive a $500.00 bonus for referring a friend to certain designated positions at UCSF. The ERP is still in effect and may be used as both a recruitment tool and as a reward for your current employees. The ERP has been a successful way to generate referrals for hard to fill positions. There are 59 job titles currently in the program with 9 recently added positions. Below is the link to ERP guidelines, the job titles that qualify for the program, and the ERP form for submitting your referral.
If you have any question about the Employee Referral Program please contact Frank Tastevin at 476-2703 or .
http://ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/index.php/staffing/article/erp-campus/
UC Retirement Readiness Education Programs
UC Retirement Plan—UCRP
UC Retirement Savings Plans—403(B), 457(B), And DC Plans
Please pass this on to your colleagues, circulate invitations, post the actual schedules, or otherwise re-broadcast these weekly reminders about our valuable (FREE) education programs for faculty and staff. Bring your lunch; your questions; your spouse/partner. . .
Don’t forget about your ducks. Are they all in a row? Start planning now. It’s never too early.
- UC Retirement Plan (UCRP)—UC’s Defined Benefit Plan
- “The Features of UCRP”
- Refer to this schedule for details and future workshops
- The Future of UCRP
- UC Retirement Savings Plans—the 403(b), 457(b) and DC Plans
- “Enrolling in Your UC Savings Program”
- June 26, Parnassus Heights, Toland Hall, 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
- “Finding the Right Investment Strategy”
- June 26, Parnassus Heights, Toland Hall, 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
- “Achieving a Sound Retirement”
- June 26, Parnassus Heights, Toland Hall, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
- Refer to this schedule for details and future workshops
- Focus on Your Future!
- “Enrolling in Your UC Savings Program”
Usually there can be at least one (or more) workshop(s) per week scheduled at various UCSF locations around town. For more details and listings for upcoming scheduled presentations, please refer to our Workshops and Presentations Schedules menus found at our local UCSF HR/Benefits website.
2007 UCRS Advisory Board Election
As previously announced, an election is being held to select two employees who are not members of the Academic Senate to serve on the University of California Retirement System (UCRS) Advisory Board.
A list of candidates and candidate statements has been posted at the UCRS Advisory Board election website. The site also includes details about the UCRS Board, election rules, and eligibility definitions.
June 22nd is your last day to vote.
The Benefits of Getting a Good Nights Rest
Sleep deprivation is a chronic problem facing thousands of Americans. Current Research supports that a good nights rest not only improves people’s memory but also the ability to concentrate, decreases people’s risk of being killed in an accident and also boosts people’s immune system. Furthermore, the amount of sleep we get impacts our productivity level and our relationships to others.
Physicians, psychotherapists, and psychiatrists have been arguing for years, that sleep is one of the most significant and overlooked public health problems in the United States. It’s not common for a few Americans to frequently attain eight or more hours of sleep. The 2002 National Sleep Foundation (NSF) Sleep in America poll found that 39 percent of American Adults get less than seven hours of sleep each weeknight, and more than one in three American Adults feels extremely fatigued during the day that it interferes with daily activities. Research suggests that most healthy adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night. The result of not obtaining enough sleep can have severe ramifications for our health. The research suggests that not getting enough sleep can impair memory and concentration, while increasing stress hormones and disturbs the body’s normal metabolism.
There are two brain processes that are involved with sleep, one is the restorative process and the other controls the timing of sleep. In the restorative process sleep is driven by how many hours we are awake during the day, the more time we spend awake the more hours we need to sleep. The second process controls the timing. Timing is regulated by the circadian biological clock that is located in our brain. This part of the brain, the SCN or suprachiasmatic nucleus, is in part due by light. We naturally become sleepy at night when it is dark and are active during the day when it is light. In addition to timing the sleep-wake cycle, the circadian clock regulates day-night cycles of most body functions, ensuring that the appropriate levels occur at night when you are sleeping. Research even indicates that memory is consolidated during sleep. This “clock” in the brain runs on a 24-hour cycle with the result that we feel most sleepy around 2:00-4:00 am and in the afternoon between 1:00-3:00 pm. We need to have continuous sleep that becomes healing and results in feeling replenished and alert for the day ahead.
It is demonstrated in the literature that the reason some people have difficulties falling or staying asleep is due to people’s sleep hygiene, meaning the health practices and environmental influences that affect sleep quality. For example, it is seen in the research that watching T.V. before you go to bed may interrupt with sleep patterns, because the same light that is drawn from the T.V. mimics the same light that comes from the sun, telling your brain it is time to get up. Therefore the quality of sleep is a very important component to consider. Establishing a regular bed and wake schedule and continuous sleep helps you regulate your internal biological circadian clock and helps you reach the necessary sleep stages to receive the benefits of sleep. Below, I have listed ways to improve your sleep environment.
If you are finding that you appear to chronic difficulties with sleeping, please consult with your physician to see if it’s related to a severe medical condition.
How can I improve my sleep environment?
- Establish a regular bedtime if possible.
- Wake up at the same time each day, including weekends, even if you haven’t slept well.
- Avoid daytime napping.
- Limit your consumption of caffeine (coffee, tea, caffeinated sodas), and don’t have any for at least 4 to 6 hours before bedtime.
- Avoid tobacco use, especially near bedtime and upon awakening during the night-nicotine is a stimulant.
- Avoid using alcohol late in the evening. It can cause awakening later in the night.
- Avoid heavy meals close to bedtime. A light snack may help you sleep.
- Don’t go to bed thirsty, but don’t drink so much you have to urinate frequently.
- Get some exercise every day. It can be vigorous or moderate, but you should not exercise within 3 or 4 hours of bedtime because activity increases metabolism and alertness for a few hours.
- Minimize noise in the house, or mask it with a steady low noise such as keeping a fan running on slow speed, or a radio tuned to static. Use comfortable earplugs if needed.
- Keep the room cool and dark. If you can’t darken the room, use a sleep mask.
- Use a pillow and mattress that are comfortable for you.
- If watching the clock makes you anxious about sleep, turn the clock so you can’t see it or put it in a drawer.
- Set aside time for problem solving earlier in the day so you don’t carry anxious thoughts to bed. Try writing down your worries in a “worry book,” then set it aside well before bedtime.
- If you can’t fall asleep, or you wake up in the middle of the night and don’t get back to sleep quickly, get out of bed and go to another room until you feel sleepy.
To help further understand any of the above strategies, or put them into practice, the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program at UCSF provides confidential assessment, counseling, and referral services that support the well being of both the individual and the organization. Please contact us at (415) 476-8279 or visit our HR web site at: http://www.ucsfhr.ucsf.edu/assist
References:
http://www.sleepfoundation.org
http://www.yogasite.com/sleep.htm
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