Category: Wellness

New Husky Flexible Benefit Plan – Benefit Forums and 2019 Open Enrollment

open enrollmentHuman Resources is working on a comprehensive rollout regarding the 2019 benefit changes with resources and tools that will be available throughout the Open Enrollment period.

Open Enrollment Flyer

2019 Open Enrollment begins Monday, Nov. 5 and ends midnight Friday, Nov. 30. Open enrollment is your opportunity to assess your individual and family needs and elect the benefit package that is right for you. This year the enrollment process is mandatory. Current coverage and elections will not automatically roll over.

The Benefits Office will host four Benefit Forums with information about the new Husky Flexible Benefit Plan and Open Enrollment process.

Due to the changes on how benefits will be offered, it is very important that faculty and staff attend one of the Benefit Forums and use the tools and resources provided to learn more about the Husky Flexible Benefit Plan.

The times, dates and locations are listed below. Release time will be provided to attend the Benefit Forums.

  • 2 to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 17 in MUB–B2 and B3
  • 2 to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 7 in MUB–B2 and B3
  • 2 to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 15 in MUB–B2 and B3
  • 2 to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 20 in MUB–B2 and B3

Open Enrollment Assistance

During the week of Nov. 12-16 in person, one-on-one Open Enrollment assistance will be available between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the MUB. More information will be available in the coming weeks with specific details and how to schedule an appointment.

Open Enrollment support through a call center will also be available from Nov. 12-30. More information will be provided with call center hours and a call center phone number in the coming weeks.

Read Tech Today and attend the Benefit Forums for more information about the Husky Flexible Benefit Plan and Open Enrollment.

 

Stress Less: Lunch & Learn

stress less

Join us for a presentation with Don Grisham, Northstar Employee Assistance Program, to learn about:

  • physical and mental symptoms of stress
  • Seasonal Affective Disorder
  • healthy ways to deal with stress
  • tools for your mental health toolbox
  • Q & A

The presentation is from noon to 1 p.m. October 11, in MUB Superior Room. Register online.

Feel free to bring your lunch. Beverages will be provided.

This free event is open to faculty, staff, students, and local community members. HuskyPAW members will receive 100 points for attending this event. Questions? Contact Shannon Brodeur.

Sponsored by Employee Wellness.

Mental Health Awareness Simulation for Faculty & Staff

At-Risk for Faculty & Staff
At-Risk for Faculty & Staff

College can be stressful at times, and Michigan Tech wants to empower our faculty and staff with resources they need to assist students. Be prepared to lead real-life conversations with students that build resilience, strengthen relationships and connect them with support.

We’re excited to present the Kognito simulation At-Risk for Faculty & Staff course, which will help in recognizing signs of distress, determining if a student needs help, how to talk to a student in need of help and where to direct students for further resources. It can be difficult to deal with these kinds of issues, but an effective conversation can help more than you think—it can help change someone’s life. 

As faculty and staff, we can take small steps that make a big difference. We hope you enjoy this simulation, as we all work together to help one another and build a stronger community. At-Risk for Faculty & Staff lets you practice these challenging conversations at your own pace through role-play with virtual students.

Use the Michigan Tech key to open a free account and take the simulation. It can be completed in multiple sittings and your progress will be saved.

Questions? Contact Shannon Brodeur.

Fall 2018 Flu Vaccine Clinics

 

UP Health System – Portage will be offering flu clinics on campus this Fall.  The quadrivalent vaccine is by injection at a cost of $40 payable at the time of service. Cash, check or credit card will be accepted. Vaccines will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis; no appointment is necessary.

Employees, retirees, family members and students are welcome to attend one of the flu clinics. Anyone under the age of 18 cannot be vaccinated without parental permission. A spouse and/or child may attend without the employee.

Students with Michigan Tech’s Consolidated Health Plan (CHP) insurance can have their flu vaccine billed to insurance with their CHP member ID card.

Employees, retirees and family members insured by Michigan Tech’s Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) plan can also have their flu vaccine billed to insurance with their BCBSM member ID card. This does not include retirees that have Blue Cross insurance through MPSERS.The dates of the Clinics are:

  • 2:30-4:30 p.m. Monday, October 8, in MUB Alumni Lounge A
  • 4:00-6:00 p.m Monday, October 15, in MUB Ballroom B3
  • 11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 23, in MUB Alumni Lounge A
  • NEW!  4  – 6 p.m. Monday, Nov 5, in MUB Alumni Lounge B

Bike and Pedestrian Safety Reminder from Campus Bike Initiative

As we embark on a new academic year, Campus Bike Initiative sends a reminder to everyone in our community.

The people we all see out on the road walking, jogging, biking and using wheelchairs are our neighbors, family and fellow community members. They deserve to be treated fairly and equally by drivers, just as drivers expect and deserve to be respected by them.

Our hope is that by being considerate of others, Michigan Tech and our local communities can become a place where people can safely bike to a friend’s house, to church, school, work or the grocery store. Non-motorized transportation plays an important role in campus life and needs to be respected as a viable means of transport.

Michigan law requires drivers to give at least three feet of space when passing a bicyclist. If three feet can’t be given, drivers must wait for a safer place to pass. In Michigan, it is legal to cross a double yellow line to pass a bicyclist if there is no oncoming traffic. It shouldn’t be too much to ask that drivers wait until it is safe to pass a bicyclist before they continue on their way.

Remember when you’re driving—that person you see on a bike could be on their way to meet a child, parent or spouse. Be kind when passing bicyclists—give them three feet and you’ll be to doing your part to get them home safely to their loved ones.

Bicyclists: Your bike is a vehicle. You need to follow Michigan traffic laws. Ride with traffic. Use a helmet. Wear high visibility clothing or a vest. Days are getting shorter, so use LED lights—front and rear. Drivers expect vehicles to be predictable in their behavior—signal your turns. Follow traffic lanes. Stop at stop signs. When passing a pedestrian, announce yourself as “Bike on your left” or use a bell.

We have a number of new resources available online. Take a look at the webpage and feel free to reach out to campus-bike-initiative-l@mtu.edu if you have any questions or concerns.

Rescheduled: Mindfulness 101 Lunch & Learn

Mindfulness 101

 

Learn simple techniques to promote self-awareness, resilience, emotional balance and problem-solving with the Mindfulness 101 Lunch and Learn, presented by Brigitte Morin, senior lecturer in biological sciences, and hosted by WorkLife Connections and Employee Wellness.

The presentation is rescheduled for July 25, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Great Lakes Research Center Room 202. Space is limited so please register in advance. 

Bring a yoga mat!

Feel free to bring lunch; beverages will be provided. This free event is open to faculty, staff, students and the community.

HuskyPAW members will receive 100 points for attending this event. Questions? Contact Business-Ops@mtu.edu.

Husky Health Coming in 2019

HuskyHealth-LightBGBenefits Services, in conjunction with the Wellness Committee, has developed a more inclusive approach to wellness at Michigan Tech.

Beginning in January, Michigan Tech Wellness will pilot a new, more flexible and streamlined employee wellness program called Husky Health.

Husky Health will offer benefits-eligible Michigan Tech employees more choice and flexibility with their wellness plans and incentives.

This pilot program has been approved by President Mroz and the Executive Team and is a voluntary, financial incentive-based program available to all benefits-eligible Michigan Tech employees. Several employee wellness plans and incentives—including the HRA Incentive, HuskyPAW, SWEAT, TechFit (employee and dependent) and T2—will be rolled into Husky Health.

More information about Husky Health will be communicated in the coming months.

Presentation: Internet Safety for Parents

421698-project-iguardian

What are our children actually doing online and are they hiding anything from us?  Michigan Tech will host a safety training for parents.

This is a free event open only to adults due to the subject matter. Please RSVP here.

Wednesday, April 25 at 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm | MUB Ballroom B3

Special Agent (SA) Todd Wilton, assigned to U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, will be teaching parents, teachers and guardians the risks/consequences and ways to protect our kids from online predators, high risk social media apps (75+), sextortion, sexting, cyberbullying and many more of the dangers aimed at our children on the internet.

The World Wide Web has no boundaries and our children are no more isolated in the Upper Peninsula than anywhere else. SA Wilton will bridge the gap between the generations and provide basic/discreet computer/telephone forensic training for monitoring our children’s online activities.

The presentation is very real and fact based. Audiences have referred to it as “eye opening” and “a powerful message.” Audiences are encouraged to take notes and/or pictures for their future reference. In addition, instructional manuals referred to as “Smart Cards” for monitoring social media will be disseminated electronically to anyone interested.

Actual case examples will be discussed, which include explicit conversations among children and online predators, as well as training that is not subject for children, as we don’t want to teach them anything they don’t already know.

Statistics:

  • The Internet has become the preferred playground for child sex predators seeking innocent young victims.
  • Last year alone, HSI special agents logged nearly a million hours working child sexual exploitation cases, opening more than 4,000 investigations.
  • Research shows one in 25 children ages 10 to 17 have received an online sexual overture where the person attempted to meet the child face-to-face.
  • Every week there are over 20,000 images of child pornography is posted on the web.
  • Illegal child pornography is offered by approximately 100,000 websites.

Additional parent presentations (open to the community) are being held:
4/24 at 6:30PM Houghton High School
4/26 at 6:30PM Jeffers High School

 

Get in Gear: Lively and Informative

IMG_1607On April 11th, members of the Campus Bike Initiative and Bike Initiative Keweenaw were on hand to discuss the how-to’s of bike safety, commuting, and local resources for cyclists.  The audience was also treated to a fashion and gear show and learned how to dress for all kinds of cycling weather.  The group addressed specific questions related to biking across the bridge, how to maneuver through downtown traffic, and where commuters can clean up on campus.

Check out The Daily Mining Gazette, April 12, 2018, for a summary of the event.

If you were unable to attend this event and would like more information about cycling in our area, contact Shannon Brodeur  for resources.

 

Lunch & Learn: Get in Gear

Lunch & Learn: Get in Gear

Join us for a presentation by the Campus Bike Initiative and BIKE! on biking locally and learn about area resources for cyclists including:

  • Fashion and gear show
  • Show and tell: how to be a safe cyclist
  • The National Bike Challenge
  • Bike to Work

Register here.

Feel free to bring your lunch.  Beverages will be provided.  This free event is open to faculty, staff, and students. HuskyPAW members will receive 100 points for attending this event.  Questions? Contact Shannon Brodeur.

Sponsored by WorkLife Connections and Employee Wellness.

 Wednesday, April 11 at 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

 Memorial Union Building (MUB), Ballroom B1 and B2
1503 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931