Daylight Savings Tips!

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Spring is just around the corner and with that comes Daylight Saving Time. We’re losing an hour of sleep to get ready for the warm weather. Here are seven tips to help you adjust:

  1. Make small adjustments to help you transition. That could mean going to bed a little earlier each day.
  2. If you feel sleepier after Daylight Savings, try taking a short nap each day to help you feel more rested. Make sure it is not too close to when you go to bed.
  3. Keep your regular sleep schedule. That means going to sleep and waking up each day at the same time, even on the weekends. This will allow your body to naturally adjust to the new time in a few days, and make it easier to wake up on those Monday mornings.
  4. Get active by working out! Working out is a great way to get your energy up. Being active will decrease your anxiety, stress and other sleep disorders. Try being active for at least 30 minutes each day.
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  5. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and tobacco before bed, as these can negatively affect your sleep by keeping you stimulated. Avoid certain drinks and food that has caffeine in it for at least 4-6 hours before bed.
  6. Turn off the television! It is not a good idea to watch television right before bed, as it can keep you more alert when trying to fall asleep. The same is true for other electronic devices (phone, tablet and laptop). The blue light emitted by electronic devices can suppress melatonin, which is the hormone that controls your wake and sleep cycles. It is best to get off your phone 30 minutes to an hour before bed.
  7. Try alternatives for relaxing and reducing stress and anxiety. Essential oils, such as lavender, eucalyptus, orange, and bergamot are used for increasing sleep and helping you become better relaxed.

With these seven tips, you can increase a better sleep schedule for this year’s Daylight Saving Time. Try at least one of these tips and see how you feel the next day. Remember to spring forward this Sunday by setting your clock forward one hour.

Manage Your WageWorks Account Anytime, Anywhere

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Managing your flexible spending account (FSA) healthcare benefits is quick and easy with the WageWorks EZ Receipts App. You’ll love the convenience of submitting claims, uploading receipts and checking account balances directly from your phone.

According to one happy EZ Receipts App user: “I absolutely love the WageWorks EZ Receipts mobile app. It makes using my WageWorks benefits so simple. I just snap a photo of my receipt with my smartphone and submit my claim for reimbursement. I signed up for text alerts recently, and now I check my account and card balances when I’m on the go. It couldn’t be easier!”

Watch the video below to learn how to use the EZ Receipts App.

The WageWorks EZ Receipts App is available for download from the App Store or Google Play.

Starting in 2018, WageWorks became MSU’s FSA plan administrator. Have more general questions about MSU’s FSA plan administrator? Learn more about WageWorks and watch the Welcome to Your WageWorks Account video here.

Job of the Week 3/2/18

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This week’s job of the week is an Instruction Equipment and Supplies Tech I (#492166) for the Neuroscience Program in the College of Natural Science.

This positon is seeking an individual to serve as a laboratory preparation technologist for the NEU311 Neuroscience Laboratory course. The course is required for all undergraduate neuroscience majors. This individual will provide logistical support for the lab course instructor. Responsibilities for this role include supply inventory, lab assistance, making solutions, assisting students, training teacher assistants, demonstrating experiments, maintain online courses, and performing general office duties.

The ideal candidate would possess knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree in Neuroscience, Physics, Physiology, Chemistry, Biology, or Engineering; one to three years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in electronics, working with specialized scientific equipment, instructional computer hardware and software, developing and presenting experiments and supervision; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

For more details on the responsibilities of this position, and to view all our current postings, visit careers.msu.edu. Internal applicants should access postings through the Careers @ MSU tile in the EBS Portal.

Events Round-Up March

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Our Community: Engaging to Move Forward

On Friday, March 2 from 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. a guided conversation entitled “Our Community: Engaging to Move Forward” is being offered for all MSU faculty, academic staff, support staff, postdocs, and graduate student employees. The purpose of these sessions is to allow attendees to provide the context of where they see the university community now, and productively discuss ideas for moving forward. Find out more about this event.

Community Festivals

Saturday, March 17

Maple Syrup Festival

Community Events

Arts

Thursday, March 8

The Local Scene

March 13-18

Something Rotten! Musical

Food

Tuesday, March 27

Forks & Corks

Music

Sunday, March 11

Lansing Symphony Jazz Band

Family/Kid Friendly

Tuesday, March 6

Zoo in Your Neighborhood

Thursday, March 15

Harris Nature Center: Chipmunk Story Time

Saturday, March 31

Doggie Easter Egg Hunt & Kids Eggstravaganza

Saturday, March 31

Easter Egg Hunt at the Capitol

Sports/Fitness

Wednesday, March 14

Lansing Brew Run

Sunday, March 18

Shamrock Run

Other

March 9-11

Michigan Horse Expo

Professional Development Opportunities

Tuesday, March 13

Records Management and Retention at MSU

Wednesday, March 21

EBS Financial System-Roles/Onboarding

Thursday, March 22

Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

Thursday, March 22

Engaging Teams for Maximum Performance

Wednesday, March 28

Managing Difficult Customers

Thursday, March 29

The Spartan Experience

Thursday, March 29

Fiscal Officer and Delegate Expectations

Thursday, March 29

Processing Purchasing Requisitions

 

*Additional days required to complete course

Thank You MSU Libraries!

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The MSU Libraries have something for everyone – staff, faculty and students! There are tons of resources that you may not know about, and they’re constantly adding new additions.

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MSU Main Library

Traveling out of the country soon? The library offers passport photos and other passport services in Hollander MakeCentral, located on the second floor of the West Wing. This resource also includes 3D printing and an Espresso Book Machine that can create a full paperback book in 15 minutes!

Are you a history buff? The Special Collections Library is home to books made before 1800. There is also the MSU’s extensive comic book collection which is the largest in the world! There are house works from the personal library of former MSU President Theophilus Abbot. A new Reading Room and service area on the first floor were recently added where you can spend a lunch period checking out these special items.

The library also holds events, seminars and workshops on a range of different subjects including their Coffee Break Series, a Zotero Workshop and a scholar-led book discussion. There are also programs and books covering over 70 languages. Fun Fact: the 4th floor in the west wing is home to video game labs that can be reserved for research or recreational use.

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MSU Library Video Game Room

Looking for a book or other library material that MSU does not have? They can have it shipped from another library within their network and have it available for you to pick up. In addition, the library website has an entire list of faculty services including things like D2L Help, Distance Learning Services, and articles on how to place materials on reserve. Thank you MSU Libraries for all of your help and efforts to make countless resources available to everyone!

Job of the Week 2/23/18

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This week’s job of the week is a Life Span & Family Services Coordinator (#49127) in the Worklife Office.

This position is seeking an individual who will provide opportunities for faculty and staff to more successfully meet their work/education and family responsibilities, and will make the recruitment and retention for faculty and staff more competitive. The Life Span & Family Services Coordinator will provide administrative and program coordination for child and family care assistance programs. Responsibilities for this role include conceptualization, development, implementations and administrations of the university-wide work/life programs and activities.

The ideal candidate would possess knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree in Human Resources, Public Administrations, or Business; 1-3 years related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in program planning, coordination, and evaluations or in a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

For more details on the responsibilities of this position, and to view all our current postings, visit careers.msu.edu. Internal applicants should access postings through the Careers @ MSU tile in the EBS Portal.

Source Newsletters – February 2018

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In case you missed it, here are the February 2018 Source newsletters.

There is a Source Newsletter for Support Staff and a Source Newsletter for Faculty, Academic Staff and Executive Management.

You can find older editions of the newsletter on the HR website.

Here are the headlines at a glance for this month’s Source:

Support Staff:SS-Source-Feb

  • MSU Support Resources
  • Have You Heard of Care.com?
  • Seminar: Motivating the Leader from Within
  • Join the Women’s Advisory Committee for Support Staff
  • Heart Health Can be Easy
  • Electronic City Income Tax Withholding Now Available
  • Training Available for Administering Graduate, Undergraduate and Professorial Appointments
  • Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities

Faculty/Academic Staff:

FAS-Source-Feb

  • MSU Support Resources
  • Toward a More Inclusive Classroom: A Few Tips from the Academic Advancement Network
  • Have You Heard of Care.com?
  • Registration for the Teaching & Learning Spring Conference will Open February 26
  • Heart Health Can be Easy
  • Electronic City Income Tax Withholding Now Available
  • Events at a Glance

Interested in Learning about Emotional Intelligence?

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The essence of emotional intelligence (also known as EQ or EI) is our ability to identify and manage our own emotions and to identify emotions in others and manage interpersonal relationships. In today’s high-stress, multi-tasking workplace, having a high EQ can lead to better stress management, stronger relationships and increased job satisfaction.

Organization and Professional Development  is offering two new courses about emotional intelligence, one for all employee types and one with a leadership focus:

Honing Your Emotional Intelligence

Isn’t it interesting how some people have the seemingly natural talent for handling themselves and/or others with ease? Most likely, these individuals have mastered the principles found within EQ. Specifically, this course will focus on:

  • Why EQ is an essential competency in today’s work world.
  • How to fully engage the four fundamental areas of EQ: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management.
  • How to increase your EQ.
  • Why EQ has a direct impact on job satisfaction and performance excellence.

Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

A strong leader ignites motivation and unleashes productivity creating an environment in which individuals want to follow. Specifically, the course will focus on:

  • A case for EQ as a necessary leadership competency.
  • The link between EQ, retention, motivation and productivity.
  • The four competencies of EQ (self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, social skill).
  • Building skill as it relates to the four competencies of EQ.
  • How to design an emotional intelligent culture.

Ready to sign up?

Register for courses by logging into the EBS Portal and selecting My Career and Training, then Courses for Employees at MSU. Click Browse Current Courses, then Organization and Professional Development. You’ll find both of the above courses in the All Current Courses folder.

No time for class? Visit elevateU.

The online learning platform elevateU has tons of resources related to emotional intelligence that you can work through at your own pace. Access elevateU here and select the ‘Develop Your Professional Skill Set’ icon on the homepage to dive right into resources about EQ.

Job of the Week – 2/16/18

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This week’s job of the week is a Campus Sustainability Director (#490894) in the department of the Executive Vice President of Administrative Services.

This position will be responsible for the engagement of the campus community in sustainability efforts by engaging with student groups with an interest in sustainability and developing strategies through which individuals can contribute to sustainability goals and connecting campus activities with best practices. The Campus Sustainability Director will also be responsible for updating the Energy Transition Plan including periodic review and further development, promote and grow recycling efforts across campus, and effectively communicating through the Sustainability website and reporting progress on all sustainability goals.

The ideal candidate would possess knowledge equivalent to that which would normally be acquired by completing one to two years of post-bachelor degree work, such as a master’s degree in sustainability, leadership, business, communications, management, law, environmental science, engineering or a related field; five to eight years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in environmental leadership or sustainability, business, project management, and/or statistical analysis; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

For more details on the responsibilities of this position, and to view all our current postings, visit careers.msu.edu. Internal applicants should access postings through the Careers @ MSU tile in the EBS Portal.

Finding Care Made Easy

Published on by Megan MacGregor3 Comments

Part of your MSU benefits includes access to Care.com – a top-notch service provided free of charge to MSU faculty and staff to help you find quality child care, adult/elder care, pet care and more. You can post a job or find service providers in your area. Whether you have planned or unexpected care needs, Care.com will help you find the right provider for your family.

All care providers have undergone criminal background checks and can provide in-depth profiles and member references. Search with confidence for qualified care providers according to your requirements: ZIP code, experience, hourly rate, availability and more.

Need a care provider last minute?

If you need a care provider last minute, try downloading the Care@Work app. Find, manage and pay for a quality caregiver on-the-go with the Care@Work app. Download from the App Store or Google Play.

Need advice for choosing a care provider?

Are you ready to interview a care provider but not quite sure where to start? Care.com Community is an advice-sharing network that gives members a space to ask questions and share experiences. They have How-To Guides, like How to Interview a Nanny: Your Questions Checklist, along with articles and resources for both caregivers and Care.com members.

Ready to use Care.com?

To access this service, enter the EBS portal, then log in with your MSU Net ID to be identified as an MSU affiliate. Visit Care.com/msu to start searching for quality care. The search service is free and wages for care providers are negotiated between the provider and user. Please direct questions about Care.com to the MSU WorkLife Office.

I used Care.com to find my provider and it was a great service for screening and communicating with caregivers. Thanks for the awesome resource. I would recommend it to anyone, and actually have, several times. - from an Employee at Michigan State University.