December 2014 – SourceLive Home

A Year in Review

Published on December 30, 2014 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Farewell 2014! We are looking forward to discovering what 2015 will bring.

While many of you may be counting down to the new year, join us in counting down 2014’s most popular blog posts on SourceLive! Our readers learned how to deal with stress, how to prevent themselves from contracting the flu, how to get a massage during lunch break, interesting locations to enjoy a meal on campus, and the true difference between sick time and family sick time, among other topics. Thank you for your readership and we look forward to further informing you in 2015!

#5: How to Deal With Stress

Stress can cause headaches, anxiety and tension. Learn how to manage stress and reduce its negative impacts on your life with this video from Employee Assistance Program Counselor Lisa Laughman.

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#4: 2014 Campus Flu Clinics

The Office of the University Physician offered flu clinics at various campus locations in October and November. Flu vaccines administered at the flu clinics were subsidized by Human Resources for MSU faculty, staff, and retirees.

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#3: New Services at Olin!

With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season quickly approaching, it’s natural to feel stress and anxiety. Luckily, Olin Health Center is offering three new services that are sure to help! You can now receive reflexology, reiki, and massage therapy services through Olin Health Center.

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#2: Unique Places to Eat at MSU

Are you tired of your regular lunch break routine? There are delicious and affordable meal options all over MSU’s campus, you just have to know where to look. Here are a few options that we recommend trying out on your next lunch break!

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#1: Sick Time vs. Family Sick Time

Have you ever wondered how sick time balances relate to family sick time balances? Family sick time is not a separate bucket of hours to be used independently. It is a subset of sick time available to use for the illness of a member of the immediate family or other household members.

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Happy Holidays from HR!

Published on December 23, 2014 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

This holiday season, we hope that you spend well-deserved time with loved ones, allow yourself the opportunity to relax, and eat some delicious meals! With that being said, it is important to remember that this time of year presents a wonderful opportunity to express gratitude. Here at MSU Human Resources, we would like to thank all of our dedicated faculty and staff for their outstanding performance! Michigan State would not be the great university that it is without the work that you do on a daily basis and we are thankful for your talents and service. Happy holidays from MSU HR!

Winter Exercise Alternatives

Published on December 18, 2014 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

As temperatures drop lower and lower, it can be tempting to stay inside, curled up in front of the TV, surrounded by unhealthy holiday treats. However, with the right methods in place, exercising during the winter can be a breeze! There are many creative ways to get active.

Indoor Walking Tracks
Indoor walking tracks provide low-impact exercise while avoiding winter’s bitter cold temperatures. IM Sports East features an indoor track for public use.

Try skating at Munn Ice Arena for your next workout.
Indoor Pool
Swimming is a great form of total-body exercise and can help you imagine being in a tropical oasis as opposed to an arctic wasteland. Visit IM Sports Circle or IM Sports West for indoor swimming.

Ice Skating
By skating at an indoor rink, you can work off those holiday meals without freezing. Munn Ice Arena holds open skate sessions for the public.

Yoga, Zumba, Cardio Kickboxing, etc.
MSU Recreational Sports and Fitness Services holds group exercise classes every week. These classes are a great way to exercise indoors without being bored. Be brave and try something that you’ve always wanted to! View a schedule of courses.

Exercise at Work
You can even exercise at work; all you have to do is think outside of the box! Try walking up and down the stairs in your building for a simple workout. You can also stretch from your desk chair.

Health Mattters: Fibromyalgia

Published on December 17, 2014 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

neckache_2789246k — Fibromyalgia affects two to four percent of people.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain and tenderness, accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way the brain processes pain signals. Women are much more likely to develop fibromyalgia than are men. Many people who have fibromyalgia also have tension headaches, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression. While there is no cure for fibromyalgia, a variety of medications can help control symptoms. Exercise, relaxation and stress-reduction measures also sometimes help. There is no test to detect this condition, but lab tests or X-rays are usually conducted to rule out other health problems.

If you have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia or are facing a medical decision, Best Doctors is here to help.

Call 1-866-904-0910 or visit www.bestdoctors.com/members

Read the entire PDF by Best Doctors.

Job of the Week 12/12/14

Published on December 12, 2014 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

This week we are highlighting an Operations Supervisor (Posting #0579) in College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The successful candidate will supervise, schedule, and assign the work of employees; trains, evaluates, and disciplines employees, including student employees; serves as a liaison with clients, customers, vendors, and university departments to provide expertise pertaining to the Swine Farm; assists in developing and implementing policies and procedures; oversees operations to maintain quality control, and meet deadlines; performs duties to facilitate operations, to include: directs and assists workers in maintenance and repair of equipment and physical facilities; inspects buildings, supplies and equipment to determine work to be performed; oversees cleaning of agricultural facilities; prepares reports on equipment, and materials; keeps records and prepares estimates to forecast needs and order supplies to maintain inventory levels; will transport or arrange for transport of animals, equipment, feed, and/or supplies; maintains health and safety standards to ensure compliance with university, state, and federal and AAALAC rules and regulations.

For a complete description of this position, and to view all of our current postings, please go to www.jobs.msu.edu and select Support Staff under the Fast Jobs Search.

What is your New Year’s Resolution?

Published on December 10, 2014 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

That last ten pounds. Quitting smoking. Discarding your fashion faux pas from the past year. Every year, we think about what to get rid of. Why not focus on gaining something, like a little knowledge?

Today’s careers are more demanding than ever. What is cutting edge today may well be obsolete tomorrow. Professional development and job skills training have become an essential part of most careers. But how do you find the time to perform the obligations associated with your job when you are trying to stay on top of your skills with ongoing training and other professional development activities?

elevateU can help to meet these demands. Take a course, whenever it’s convenient for you. Watch a five minute video to boost a specific skill. Download an audio book to listen to on your commute. So many options, to make the most of your precious time.

As we approach a new year, you may want to watch this elevateU video:Continue Reading… What is your New Year’s Resolution?

Michigan Tobacco Quitline

Published on December 8, 2014 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

The Michigan Tobacco Quitline is now open to all MSU employees, spouses of MSU employees and MSU students. It is a free service that provides access to a professional Quit Coach and a personalized quitting strategy, along with other resources to help individuals quit tobacco use. You can even call if you are helping someone else quit smoking.

This flyer can be used to post in your office or to forward to your colleagues.

This service is provided to MSU members courtesy of the Michigan Department of Community Health, the MSU Healthy Campus Initiative and the MSU Physician’s Office.

Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) to learn about how you can get help to quit smoking.

Job of the Week 12/5/14

Published on December 5, 2014 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

This week we are highlighting an executive staff assistant (Posting #0556) in the College of Education. The successful candidate serves as Executive Staff Assistant for the College of Education providing administrative and executive secretarial support to the dean and assisting with office management, while demonstrating judgment and maintaining strict confidentiality; duties include, but are not limited to: scheduling, coordinating, and maintaining the dean’s calendar and arranging travel, including domestic and international; assisting with event planning to include: catering, scheduling, booking of venues, registration, and providing on-site event support (including non-regular work hours); providing support to college-level committees and projects; interacting with administrators, trustees, alumni, donors, students, faculty, staff, and other constituents in order to represent the dean and the College of Education in a professional and confidential manner; attends meetings with and for the dean in order to acquire and disseminate information; composes and edits documents and correspondence; compiles and tracks financial data for the dean’s budget; acts proactively, handling diverse and multiple tasks and effectively prioritizing work during frequent interruptions; these and all other duties assigned are done in a confidential and professional manner; will use extensive knowledge and understanding of university policies and administrative procedures in order to respond to inquiries and initiate necessary courses of action; performs other duties as assigned.

For a complete description of this position, and to view all of our current postings, please go to www.jobs.msu.edu and select Support Staff under the Fast Jobs Search.

Clerical-Technical Award 2014

Published on December 4, 2014 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Annually, the Clerical-Technical Award is presented to an exemplary clerical or technical employee at MSU. The award is made possible by Dr. Charles and Marjorie Gliozzo who established a fund in honor of Thomas and Concettina Gliozzo in 2001. According to Dr. Gliozzo, “the CTS are the backbone and the infrastructure of the university and they deserve recognition.”

Anne Simon poses with her cake at the 2014 CT Award ceremony. — Anne Simon shows off her celebratory cake at the 2014 CT Award ceremony.

The recipient of the 2014 Clerical-Technical Award is Anne Simon. Simon has been a dedicated MSU employee for 29 years. She began working for the College of Music in 2005 and quickly became indispensable to the department, acting as the sole office assistant in the graduate office. While Simon has myriad responsibilities in this position, she has proven to be an amicable and diligent worker, a wonderful colleague, and a fantastic resource. An intimate ceremony was held in Anne’s honor on October 31st. Present were co-workers, students, friends, family, and Anne’s supervisor, David Rayl. Rayl nominated Anne along with several co-workers and students.Continue Reading… Clerical-Technical Award 2014

Protect Yourself When Shopping Online

Published on December 3, 2014 by MSU Human ResourcesLeave a comment

Smartphones and tablets are some of the most popular shopping tools this holiday season. At any given time you may have your financial information, family photos and contact information on one or several devices you carry daily. It’s important to protect yourself against digital pickpockets, hackers and identity thieves by following some basic safely rules:

Protect your device first and its contents second. Update your apps and operating system frequently. Updates often contain security patches to help protect you. Install anti-virus and malware protection on your device.
Enable locks on all electronic devices requiring a password to unlock. The default lock codes are generally only four digits (Apple calls this a simple passcode), select the ‘password’ option to use at least an eight character alphanumeric password. Most devices will also allow you to limit the number of attempts before the phone locks.
Disable Bluetooth if you are not using it, others can discover your device without your knowledge. Remember when you paired it with your car and the password was 0000?
Turn OFF Location Services or Tracking; this allows apps to know where you are, where you shop or even where you work.
Limit online shopping to when you are on a secure Wi-Fi network, like your home. If you must do business while out, turn OFF wifi and use your phone’s 3G or 4G network, it is far more secure than a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Continue Reading… Protect Yourself When Shopping Online