Occupational Wellness – Page 6

New Well Wisconsin Portal

A quiet morning near the water. Driving with your windows down. That feeling after a great workout.

Life is full of tiny enjoyable moments. All you have to do is be there to notice them.

This year, Well Wisconsin is inviting you to tune in to greater well-being. Because there’s no better time than now to make healthy choices.

Take care of yourself. Get rewarded for it.

Even though the Well Wisconsin experience is new this year, the reward remains the same.

Complete these three activities by October 8, 2021, to earn a $150 Well Wisconsin gift card*:

HEALTH ASSESSMENT: Complete WebMD ONE’s 10-minute questionnaire.
HEALTH CHECK: Complete one of the following health checks:
- Biometric screening
- Dental exam
- One coaching session
WELL-BEING ACTIVITY: Complete one of the many activities WebMD has to offer, including Daily Habits, well-being challenges, health coaching and more.

Not eligible for rewards? Well, you’re still eligible for improved well-being.

If you don’t qualify for Well Wisconsin rewards, don’t worry: You can still benefit from well-being activities, like challenges and Daily Habits campaigns.

And you can still join us at webmdhealth.com/wellwisconsin to take bold steps toward improved well-being.

Improved experience powered by WebMD ONE

Our well-being partner, StayWell, has merged with WebMD Health Services to boost your Well Wisconsin experience in every way.

With the new WebMD ONE wellness portal, you can find what you’re looking for more quickly and enjoy personalized recommendations, information and action plans.

And your privacy will always be protected. See our privacy video for more information about how we keep your information secure.

Let’s get started—together

We know: It’s a lot easier said than done to “be in the moment.” Especially with all that’s currently going on.

But don’t worry—we’ve got you. The tools and resources available to you through Well Wisconsin can help guide and support you. We’ll help you take care and be there for life’s most meaningful moments.

It all starts at webmdhealth.com/wellwisconsin. Create a new account today to get started. (Yeah, you’ll have to take this step—sorry. New portal, new account, new approach to well-being!) (NOTE: After clicking on the link above, click Create Account, and then you will enter some personal information, such as date of birth and email address to create your account. Please note that your UWGB user name and password will not work – you will need to create a user name and password specific to the Well Wisconsin/WebMD ONE portal.)

Questions?

Contact Customer Service at 800-821-6591 or email CustomerSupport@webmd.net.

Download our mobile app, Wellness At Your Side

Visit the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store and search for “Wellness At Your Side.”
After downloading and opening the app, enter your Connection Code: SOWI

Your privacy is important

Whether you’re completing the health assessment, getting a biometric screening or speaking with your health coach, WebMD is committed to protecting your privacy. Please watch WebMD’s short privacy video for details.
*The Well Wisconsin incentive program is a voluntary program available to employees, retirees and spouses enrolled in the State of Wisconsin Group Health Insurance Program, excluding Medicare Advantage participants who have incentives available through their health plan. The Well Wisconsin incentive will automatically be issued to eligible participants upon completing the applicable activities. All wellness incentives paid to participants are considered taxable income to the group health plan subscriber and are reported to their employer, who will issue a W2. In some cases, the Wisconsin Retirement System acts as the employer. Retirees, continuants and their spouses will have some taxes withheld from the incentive amount earned.

Source: Well Wisconsin

Group Fitness Schedule for Winter Break

Give your body a healthy re-start in 2021 by participating in virtual fitness classes through UREC! These classes are free to employees, and held virtually weekdays via Microsoft TEAMS. Try the 15 minute Quick Core class on Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons, take 30 minutes of your lunch break for yoga or Zumba©, or end your day with a 30 minute “Sculpt” full-body workout. Please see the full schedule and instructions below.

Want to workout at a different day or time? Check out the UREC website – under Fitness you will find lots of videos including Bodyweight Strength classes, Yoga classes, and Tabata workouts, so you can exercise whenever you have time.

Employee Assistance Program Vendor Change January 1, 2021

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) vendor for UW System will change on January 1, 2021 from FEI to Kepro.

The EAP services provided by Kepro will remain confidential and continue to address personal and/or work-related concerns. Some of the specific concerns you may use the EAP for include:

- mental health
- substance abuse
- grief and loss
- legal and financial issues

The EAP will continue to provide you and your household family members up to six sessions per person per issue per year.

How to Contact Kepro:

- Phone: 833-539-7285 or 877-334-0489 (TTY)
- Website: https://sowi.mylifeexpert.com (code SOWI); to access the online resources, you will need to set-up a username and password

If you are currently receiving services through FEI, you may continue to do so through December 31, 2020. After January 1, 2021 you should contact Kepro to continue EAP services with your current provider (if they are in the Kepro network) or a new provider.

Note: FEI recently sent their network providers a communication making them aware of this change. The communication included information for them to become a Kepro provider.

For more information, visit the UW-Green Bay EAP webpage.

Source: UW System

Ergonomics for your home workstation

Are you starting to experience any of these symptoms after working at your home work station?

Discomfort
Pain
Numbness
Loss of motion/flexibility
Stiff joints
Tingling

Listen to your body – these are symptoms that the ergonomics of your home workstation may not be right. Make changes to your ergonomic environment at home so that your body is in a neutral position (DOA Proper Neutral Posture poster). You want to avoid awkward posture (ex. slouching – shoulders should be relaxed and should have a straight line from lower back to top of head), avoid reaching out to get to keyboard or mouse (should be close enough to reach easily when your elbows are at 90 degrees), have your feet flat on the floor, and keep knees at 90 degree angle (if sitting).

The State of Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) provides some additional helpful resources:

If you sit at a desk or table to work at home, consider making some small adjustments so that you are more comfortable. In the example above, the picture on the right shows how she used items easily available at home to improve her work area.

She added a patio furniture cushion to her chair
Put a box under her laptop to improve her neck alignment
Connected a keyboard and mouse to her laptop to improve her posture
Put a shoe box under her feet to keep her knees at a 90 degree angle (could add a non slip pad under if needed)
Rested her wrists on a folded towel to improve her wrist position

Do you sit on the couch while working from home? Here are some tips you can consider, that were used in the second photo.

Add a cushion or pillow behind your back
Use a TV tray or card table for your computer/keyboard
Put laptop on a box to improve neck alignment
Have feet flat on ground to improve circulation

If you stand while working at home, here are some tips that helped in the photo on the right.

Wear shoes for better support
Put laptop and/or keyboard on a box to change their height
Connect keyboard and mouse to laptop

Some other tips:

Monitors should be placed directly in front of you at the same height, so that your eyes stare straight ahead at them. (DOA Workstation Arrangement poster)
If you have two monitors, your primary screen should line up with your dominant eye (ex. if your right eye is your dominant eye, your right monitor should be your primary screen).
Do you have sufficient lighting that doesn’t glare on the screen? Consider adding a lamp or supplemental lighting to your work area.
20/20/20 rule – every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds to avoid eye strain.
Every hour, take a stretch break – stand up, stretch your arms, neck and legs. Do some hand stretching exercises. (DOA Take A Break! poster)
Apply Ergonomics While Working From Home – helpful brochure from DOA

Please evaluate your home work station, and implement some of the changes noted above so that you feel more comfortable and keep your body healthy while working.

Teleworking During the Coronavirus: Tips for Coping

‌Teleworking during the COVID-19 pandemic can make you feel like you’re working all the time. Know how to set boundaries between your work and personal life, as well as avoid professional isolation.

If your office is closed due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, you might be working from home for the first time. While teleworking can offer many benefits, teleworking during the pandemic poses unique challenges. Consider these tips for maintaining work-life balance and avoiding professional isolation while social distancing.

Pros and cons of teleworking

Before the pandemic, research suggested that teleworking can increase employees’ job satisfaction and commitment to an organization and even slightly improve their performance at work. Teleworking can also reduce exhaustion and work-related stress, possibly due to a reduced commute or more-flexible hours. Other benefits include a reduction in commuting costs and more freedom to work independently.

However, teleworking has always had drawbacks, including social and professional isolation, decreased information sharing opportunities, and difficulty separating work and personal time. The lack of a physical separation between these two worlds can cause family obligations to intrude on work and work obligations to bleed into family time. This can cause teleworkers to work extra hours to prove themselves, resulting in burnout. The ability to be constantly connected to work through a variety of technologies also can cause employees to feel like they are always on or unable to unplug at the end of the day.

Teleworking due to the coronavirus

Teleworking during the pandemic brings extra challenges.

Those new to working from home likely aren’t used to being isolated from co-workers and might not have a home office or area conducive to doing work. With other family members also potentially at home, including children or a partner, avoiding distractions and interruptions might be next to impossible. To find privacy, employees could find themselves in the awkward position of conducting meetings from their bedrooms or kitchens. And getting virtual meeting technology to work properly isn’t always easy. These changes can cause anxiety, stress and frustration.

Preventing professional isolation while teleworking

For those new to teleworking, the biggest challenge of working from home during the pandemic might be the lack of in-person collaboration with colleagues. Teleworkers don’t get to see their managers, staff or team members in the hallway or at the watercooler. As a result, regular contact through email, phone calls and virtual meetings is crucial. You might make time at the start of meetings specifically for small talk to give people time to interact.

Managers might consider having a regular five-minute check-in with each staff member, even if there is no pressing business to discuss. For colleagues, consider scheduling virtual lunch and coffee meetings to catch up on each other’s projects and maintain your relationships. Online communication platforms also can help keep you connected throughout the day.

Teleworking and work-life balance during the coronavirus

The key to work-life balance as a teleworker is being able to set boundaries — both for your work and personal obligations. To get started:

Develop a routine. Come up with rituals that help you define the beginning and end of your workday. For example, make your bed and get dressed each morning as if you were going into the office. When you’re done working each day, change your outfit, take a drive or walk — in place of your normal commute — or do an activity with your kids. Starting and stopping work at around the same time each day might help, too.
Exercise your willpower. Take care of yourself by eating healthy and working out. Resisting the temptation to do otherwise will help you when you need the discipline to set boundaries for your work and personal life.
Talk to your manager. Discuss your manager’s expectations for your availability and the obstacles you might be facing at home. Ask what time of day is acceptable for you to stop checking your work emails or responding to work requests. Or agree on an alternative schedule with flexibility that allows you to spend some time caring for your kids during the day and make up hours at other times.
Talk to your family. If you are working from home due to the pandemic and also have family at home, try to establish guidelines regarding interruptions. If your children are young, you’ll likely need to regularly talk to them about when you are working and can’t play, as well as come up with activities or temporary distractions for them. If there is more than one caregiver at home, you might take turns caring for the kids. You might also remind family and friends what times of day you can and can’t talk or text.
Think before you press send. Working from home might mean emailing, messaging or texting every time you want to talk to a co-worker. Reduce the burden on your colleagues by making it clear when a request is urgent or important. If you’re in a leadership role, consider how sending late-night emails might affect your employees’ ability to unwind and enjoy time away from work.
Prioritize your work. Focus on your most important work right now. Working all of the time isn’t good for you — or your family.

Working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic requires patience, creativity and persistence. Keep experimenting to figure out what works best for you during this uncertain period.

Source: Mayo Clinic/2020, from FEI website

Flu Shot Clinics

Protect yourself this flu season by getting your annual flu shot!

The Well Wisconsin Program is offering workplace flu shot clinics. Because a quick needle stick now is better than a nasty illness later.

Flu shots are free and voluntary for all site employees [and spouses] who are enrolled in the State of Wisconsin Insurance Program.

You will be required to present your medical ID card at the flu shot clinic.
You are required to wear a mask to your appointment.
Print and complete your Flu Shot Consent Form and bring it with you to the clinic.
- The Flu Consent Form will be available for download in the appointment confirmation email. The site coordinator will also have copies available.

Event details:

Green Bay campus

Tuesday, October 6, 2020
7:30 am to 9:30 am
University Union , Phoenix Rooms

Sheboygan campus

Thursday, October 8, 2020
8:00 am to 9:30 am
Wombat Room

The shot will vaccinate against the four most likely causes of flu illness during the upcoming season, including the H1N1- strain of influenza.

The vaccine is not preservative-free and is not recommended for the following individuals:

Those allergic to eggs or egg products
Those who are sensitive to the mercury-based preservative thimerosal
Those who have an active neurological disorder
Those with a fever, acute respiratory or other active infection or illness

If you are pregnant, you should receive the vaccine directly from your physician.

Preregistration is required. No cash payments or insurance payments accepted. To register for your flu shot appointment, log into the StayWell wellness portal at wellwisconsin.staywell.com and click on Flu Shot Clinics slider on the dashboard.

For more information about the flu shot, visit cdc.gov/flu.

For more information about the event safety enhancements, visit wellwisconsin.staywell.com and click on Questions to learn more.

Faculty/Staff are invited to attend VIRTUAL and OUTDOOR fitness classes

UREC is offering a variety of classes including yoga, Zumba, sculpt, and more! There is even a 15-minute core class offered every Tuesday/Thursday at 2:00pm that can be done in your work clothes from your office. This is a great afternoon movement break! The full class schedule can be found on the UREC website.

Registration will be required for all outdoor classes on the UREC at UWGB app.
Registration is optional for virtual classes but if you choose to register you will receive the link for class in an email. Another way to obtain links for virtual classes is to visit linktr.ee/urec_uwgb. This will be updated each day with the current virtual offerings and can also be found on the UREC website or in our instagram bio @urec_uwgb.

If you have any questions please email UREC’s fitness coordinator, Alex Wandersee, at wandersa@uwgb.edu

You Got This

Source: The StayWell Company, LLC

The Kress Events Center is Reopening!

Phase 1 reopening of The Kress Events Center is scheduled for August 10, 2020. The facility will only be open to UWGB students, faculty, and staff.

Hours of Operation
Monday-Friday 8:00am-5:00pm
Saturday & Sunday CLOSED

Capacity:
Capacity of the fitness center is restricted and held at 40 patrons. Reservations will be required (see below).

Reservations:
All patrons will be required to reserve a 75 minute timeslot on the UREC at UWGB app to use the Fitness Center.
To make a reservation:

Download the UREC at UWGB app
Create an account with your uwgb.edu email
Click “reservations”
Select “schedule”
Select the day you wish to reserve (up to 3 days in advance)
Select one timeslot on that day.
Click “join session”

Open Spaces (for August):
Front Desk
Fitness Center
Restrooms

UREC Outdoors Equipment Rentals

In an effort to make the facilities as safe as possible, University Recreation will:

Increase cleaning protocols
Adhere to Safety Precautions
Impose Social Distancing
Minimize Contact

For more reopening information please visit https://www.uwgb.edu/university-recreation/reopening-update/