Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Working@Duke - June/July, 2012
Working@Duke - June/July, 2012
Working@Duke - June/July, 2012
INSIDE
Guide To Saving On Summer Fun How To Beat Burnout New Parking Rates Announced
Editors Note
LEANORA MINAI
Contents
Cover: The Gift of Time
Last year, 1,415 Duke staff and faculty donated 31,218 hours to help colleagues who have suffered catastrophic injury or illness to themselves (or eligible family members) and have exhausted all of their accrued time.
end us your best shot, Duke staff and faculty. Youre invited to submit your best vacation photo and share how Dukes paid time off benefit helps you relax and recharge. If you submit a photo, youll be entered in a random drawing for a mini-vacation: a one-night stay and dinner and breakfast for two at the Washington Duke Inn in Durham. Well use some of the best stories and photos in our print and online publications. Well also post all photos in an online album for the Duke community to view. This project is part of our ongoing effort to provide information about Duke benefits and resources that help you enhance work-life balance. Taking advantage of vacation time is one way to change the rhythm of life and beat burnout. There is something about breaking a routine, said Carol Retsch-Bogart, a counselor with Dukes Personal Assistance Service. Shaking it up a little bit can be energizing. Please visit hr.duke.edu/vacationpics to learn more about the project and to upload a photo. Only one photo is eligible per staff or faculty member. (If you dont have computer access, send one 4 by 6 print taken in the past two years to Working@Duke, Box 90496. Please include full name, email, phone number and how the vacation helped you renew). The deadline is July 23, so you still have time to send us your best shot. Meanwhile, Im sharing an image from Marsha Green, a senior writer on the Working@Duke team, to get you in the spirit. Marsha, seen here at the right, holds a tarantula in the Mayan ruins of Guatemala, where she visited in 2011. Two weeks of hiking in the jungles and highlands of Guatemala among gorgeous scenery refreshed my mind, strengthened my body and reminded me of how important it is to Marsha Green get out of the office and back to nature, Green said.
Peace of Mind
Michael Evans lost his wife to complications from cancer in 2011. As part of Dukes benefits, he received survivor benefits because his wife worked as an administrative assistant in Duke University Health System.
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Duke to add tobacco surcharge to health insurance Four employees honored with Presidential Award Telecommuting offers balance and savings New parking rates announced
Working@Duke
2011, 2009, 2008, 2007 Gold Medal, Internal Periodical Staff Writing 2009, 2007 Bronze Medal, Print Internal Audience Tabloids/Newsletters
This paper consists of 30% recycled postconsumer fiber. Please recycle after reading.
Briefly
Are you prepared for hurricane season?
The Atlantic hurricane season begins June 1 and ends November 30 with peak activity from midAugust to late October. Take this quiz and test your knowledge of Dukes severe weather policy and what you should do in the event a hurricane threatens campus. 1. When was the last time Duke activated the severe weather policy because a hurricane threatened Durham? 2. If Dukes severe weather policy is activated, where should you go for real-time information? 3. What are the job categories when Duke activates the severe weather policy? 4. Who defines the job category for your job your supervisor or Duke Human Resources? 5. True or False: Staff and faculty can sign up to receive emergency text messages when the severe weather policy is activated. For more information about Dukes severe weather policy, visit emergency.duke.edu.
Answers: 1) September 2003 for Hurricane Isabel. 2) Emergency.duke.edu and today.duke.edu/working. 3) Essential service employees are required to report to or remain at work; reserve service employees will be assigned at the time of the event; and delayed service employees should not report to or remain at work. 4) Supervisor. 5) True. Sign up at emergency.duke.edu.
today.duke.edu/working
Cover Story
Erin Bartels, right, enjoys a trip to Disney World with her husband, Matt, and daughter, Ada.
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oubled over with abdominal pain, Erin Bartels sat in the emergency room with her husband and 4-year-old daughter, Ada. Suddenly, she slumped sideways, and her eyes rolled. I cant see! cried Bartels, her words slurred. Hospital staff rushed Bartels to surgery, the first of three operations in 2010 to find and repair a burst aneurysm pouring blood into her abdomen. Bartels, associate director of development and alumni communications at the Fuqua School of Business, had saved up 10 weeks of vacation and sick time, but that wasnt enough to see her through a three-month recovery. Colleagues at Duke stepped in to help, donating 192 hours of their own vacation time for Bartels to use. The Kiel Memorial Vacation/PTO Donation Program allows staff and faculty of Duke
University and Duke University Health System to donate vacation or short-term paid time off to colleagues who have suffered catastrophic injury or illness to themselves (or eligible family members) and have exhausted all of their accrued time. When Bartels vacation and sick time ran out after 10 weeks of recovery, the donated hours allowed her to receive a full paycheck and benefits until she returned to work a month later. That financial security was crucial for the family because her husband, Matt, temporarily shut down his home inspection business while Bartels was in-and-out of surgery. In the midst of all the mystery about what was going on medically, it was a huge relief not to have to stress out about finances, Bartels said. Thanks to the generosity of people at Duke, we had the assurance of at least one steady income.
Working@Duke
Melinda Swift, left, organized colleagues in the Pathology Department to donate hours under the Kiel program for Duke housekeeper Qianna Cradle, right.
today.duke.edu/working
When Erin Bartels returned to work at Fuqua in June 2010, she offered her thanks during a staff meeting for her colleagues help, which also included dinners delivered to her home and offers to help with childcare. Their generosity was overwhelming, she said. I found out I had a lot of friends. By January of this year, Bartels had accumulated enough vacation time to carry out a promise she and her husband made during the
long ordeal: a family trip to Disney World for daughter, Ada. The whole experience was a tough ordeal for Ada, Bartels said. She spent her fifth birthday in the hospital with me, and Matt and I promised each other that when everything settled down, wed do something really fun for her. Disney World fit the bill.
BY MARSHA A. GREEN
Alida Cockerham, front row and third from left, received 224 hours from colleagues through the Kiel program. She is shown here with friends and colleagues during a gathering in Duke Human Resources.
Working@Duke
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PERQS
employee discounts
at Biltmore.
Biltmore Estate
Completed in 1895, George Vanderbilts 250-room chateau is regarded as an architectural and historical gem. With Dukes discount, admission price for adults is $42 to $49 (regularly $49 to $54). Children 16 and under are free to September 4. Last September, Heidi Cope, visited Biltmore in Asheville with husband Jason, daughter, Emma, and son, Easton. For my daughter, it was like visiting a castle, Cope said.
Tw e e t s i e R a i l r o a d
Go on a Wild West adventure at Tweetsie Railroad theme park near Blowing Rock. Admission is $29 for adults and $17 for children ages 3 through 12 when using the Duke discount.
North Carolina Zoo
Railroad Tweetsie
N o r t h Ca ro l i n a Zo o
Get some face-to-face time with animals at the North Carolina Zoo near Asheboro. Discount admission is $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 2 through 12.
Carolina RailHawks
Kick back with professional soccer at a Carolina RailHawks game in Cary. Duke employees receive a 20 percent discount on adult tickets. Children ages 3 through 5 get in for $5.
Carolina RailHawks
We t n W i l d E m e ra l d Po i n te
Heather Rabalais, administrative assistant in Duke Pathology, uses the discount to save her family $9.49 per ticket to cool off and splash around at the water park near Greensboro.
RushHour Karting
Get a group of five adults together and save 20 percent per person on indoor, high-speed go-kart races at RushHour Karting in Garner. Each race includes a five-minute practice, six-minute qualifier and 10-minute race.
BY MARSHA A. GREEN
RushHour Karting
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today.duke.edu/working
In a national survey by CareerBuilder last year, 45 percent of employers said they thought their workers were burned out, largely due to doing more with less after the economic downturn. But, experts say, changing the rhythm of life with activities like a vacation or exercise can help with renewal. There is something energizing about breaking a routine, whether it is taking a vacation for two weeks or turning off your email for 20 minutes, said Carol Retsch-Bogart, a counselor with Dukes Personal Assistance Service. Its like hitting the reset button. Take some pointers from these Duke employees on how they beat feeling overwhelmed and reenergize themselves.
Divinity staff members take a moment to decompress with a paper airplane contest.
DeAnna Hall clears her mind by running with the Duke Run/Walk club.
Kathryn Helene revitalizes herself with a two-week vacation each year. She is pictured here in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.
Meg Barker helped launch the PRATTically Speaking Toastmasters to expand her public speaking and leadership abilities.
TAKE A VACATION
Kathryn Helene stood in the cobblestone street. She didnt know where she was. She didnt know anyone, and she couldnt speak Hungarian. It was so disorienting it was liberating, she said. That sense of freedom of being disconnected from a regular routine is why Helene takes a two-week vacation every September. I save up my pennies and my time for one big vacation each year, said Helene, senior practice partner for Dukes Learning and Organization Development. Duke staff and faculty accrue 10 to 20 days of vacation a year, depending on job level and years of service. Although taking a long weekend or occasional day off helps with stress, the best vacations are long ones, said Carol Retsch-Bogart, counselor at Duke Personal Assistance Service. Real vacations allow people to completely disengage from work and come back renewed, she said. Thats good for both the person and the organization. Helene has also traveled to France, Iceland and the Czech Republic, immersing herself in different cultures by visiting with locals and minimizing visits to tourist attractions. Going to a totally different place and doing totally different things means that I come back to work with a clean slate, ready to start fresh, Helene said.
today.duke.edu/working
Michael Evans, center, poses for a portrait with his son, Jamal, and late wife, Wanda.
hen Michael Evans lost his wife, Wanda, to complications from cancer in 2011, he knew hed have to quickly deal with the financial implications of her death from funeral expenses to clearing credit card debts. During a tough time for both himself and his son, Evans was grateful to have extra support from Duke. He received Dukes survivor benefits because his wife had worked as an administrative BY BRYAN ROTH assistant in Duke University Health System for about 20 years. Were very fortunate to be a part of the Duke family because with everything we had to deal with, the Benefits employees were very supportive and made all the paperwork such a smooth transition, said In the event of death while employed by Duke, benefits offered include: Evans, a conference center director with Aramark, a food service vendor at Duke. There was a personal $10,000 of basic life insurance to an employees designated touch to all aspects of the process, which made it easier beneficiary. to deal with the situation. A lump sum payment of one months pay for each complete Dukes survivor benefits provide a lump sum year of full-time service, up to a maximum of six months of pay. payment to the spouse or registered same-sex partner The payment is made to a spouse or registered same-sex partner. in the event of death while employed by Duke. If If single, the sum is paid to an employees estate. Applicable single, the sum is paid to an employees estate. This taxes apply. payment is one months pay for each complete year of full-time service up to a maximum of six months of Duke also offers voluntary benefits, which include supplemental life pay. For family members to receive the lump sum insurance. For more information, visit hr.duke.edu/supplemental. survivor benefit, an eligible employee must have at least Our package of benefits supports the fact that we strive to be a family-friendly one year of service at Duke and be an active staff workplace, said Lois Ann Green, assistant vice president of Human Resourcesmember regularly scheduled to work at least 30 hours Benefits. Whatever the case, we want a range of options that help fill the gap per week or a regular rank faculty member.
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Learn more about Dukes life insurance policies and survivor benefits at hr.duke.edu/life
As part of tobacco cessation programs, LIVE FOR LIFE, the Duke employee wellness program, collects cigarette refuse and distributes tobacco cessation materials outside Duke Hospital.
ecause tobacco use drives up health care costs and leads to chronic health problems, Duke will ask staff and faculty who smoke or use other forms of tobacco to pay more for health insurance beginning in 2013. During the annual open enrollment period in October, employees enrolling in a Duke health insurance plan or verifying dependents online will be presented with a question about whether or not they smoke or use other forms of tobacco. Staff and faculty who are smokers or tobacco users will be charged $10 per month, beginning in January 2013. Because tobacco use is linked to many cancers and other health conditions, it drives up the cost of health care, said Lois Ann Green, assistant vice president of Human Resources-Benefits. The surcharge is one way to emphasize this and is an added incentive for employees and their family members to seek support now to quit. Duke will remove the monthly surcharge from an employees health insurance if the employee successfully completes a tobacco cessation program. LIVE FOR LIFE, Dukes employee wellness program, offers free smoking cessation support options. To encourage staff and faculty to quit Some Duke tobacco-cessation resources: smoking, Duke has ramped up efforts to QuitSmart Stop Smoking Kit publicize tobacco cessation programs and QuitSmart Classes sponsored Why I Want to Quit, a campaign Nicotine replacement therapy at no cost for employees to share photos illustrating for employees in a Duke health plan what motivated them to give up tobacco. Three-month supply of prescription Sue Stanton, who quit smoking last tobacco cessation drugs with no co-pay November, submitted a photo of her two for those active in LIVE FOR LIFE cats, Georgia and Tacoie. support programs. Smoking not only harms us, but it also Georgia and Tacoie harms those who live with us, said Stanton, To learn more about these a clerk at the Duke Credit Union. There have been times I was tempted to try a and other LIVE FOR LIFE resources, email diane.dunder@duke.edu, cigarette, but then I looked around at my cats, prairie dog and cocker spaniel and call (919) 684-3136 or visit thought about what it was doing to them and me. hr.duke.edu/tobaccofree. BY MARSHA A. GREEN
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Presidential awards
Four employees honored with Presidential Award
n April, President Richard H. Brodhead recognized Presidential Award winners for their distinctive contributions in the past year to Duke University and Duke University Health System. In every one of the thousands of units that make up the university, there are people who lead the effort in bringing the highest competence, the highest imagination, the highest pride in service to their work, Brodhead said during the awards luncheon in April. Thats what it takes to make a great university. The Presidential Awards recognize winners in different job categories. Each winner receives a Presidential Award Medallion and check for $1,000. Here are the winners:
Michael W. Golden
Cynthia A. Sherwood
Ellen Wilbur
James Hildebrand
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August Burns works at her home in Pittsboro once a week. She says telecommuting helps keep her energized and focused on big projects.
ach Wednesday and Thursday, Corky Safley makes a short commute down the hall to an office in his home and logs onto his workstation. Safley, a senior systems programmer in the Pratt School of Engineering, started the practice of telecommuting in 2008, when gas prices in North Carolina Advantages spiked to nearly $4 a gallon and Telecommuting reduces his commute from Wake Forest daily commutes, which can lower stress and personal grew costly. expenses. I get up, jump on the computer and start working Telecommuting employees are likely to be more earlier, he said. Ill go from productive because of fewer 8:30 a.m. to 6:30, sometimes interruptions. 7 p.m. I actually think Im putting in more time because I dont have to leave my house early. Telecommuting is a work arrangement that enables employees to work from another off-site location typically home. Since working remotely may not be appropriate for all faculty and staff, Duke community members should discuss arrangements with a supervisor to determine the number of hours and days that would be best to telecommute. While I wish everyone could do it, not every job is designed for telecommuting, said Dexter Nolley, director of Staff and Labor Relations. However, Duke, as an organization, supports the idea of telecommuting as one of many options that can help employees establish a strong work-life balance.
Safley discussed with his boss a trial of telecommuting once a week to see if it would be a fit. Because Safleys job can sometimes have him on call to monitor and handle web server issues, he already had his home office set up to remotely connect to his work computer. He telecommutes twice a week, cutting carbon emissions and saving $120 a month in fuel. Challenges Saving money is a big Telecommuting employees factor, but I also like the level must create and maintain a method for productive, of freedom Im able to get to constant communication concentrate on tasks, Safley with coworkers. said. It can help me be more Telecommuters must secure productive because Im able data to protect confidential to find focus quicker. and personal information. Offering telecommuting is one of the aspects of Dukes flexible work options that helped the university become listed among Carolina Parents top-50 family-friendly workplaces in North Carolina and garner awards like The Chronicle of Higher Educations Great Colleges to Work For. August Burns, departmental business manager for the Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics, works from home in Pittsboro once a week. Cutting a commute to Durham lets her catch up on time-sensitive work in silence. I feel energized because I get two hours back into my day, she said. Its rewarding because Im able focus on clearing my inbox and finishing big projects.
BY BRYAN ROTH
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or the first time in three years, Duke parking permit rates will increase as part of an ongoing effort to maintain parking Permit Rate Categories Old Monthly Rate New Monthly Rate facilities and cover operating costs. RESERVED SPACES/GARAGES $96.50 $106.25 Beginning in August, parking permit rates for 2012-13 will go up between 70 cents to $9.75 UNIVERSAL ACCESS $80.00 $ 88.00 per month depending on the type of permit. PREMIUM LOTS/GARAGES $62.50 $ 68.75 This will be the first rate increase since GARAGES - PG1, PG2, PG3 $52.25 $ 57.50 2008-09 when officials first held rates flat to MEDICAL CENTER LOTS $34.75 $ 38.25 help reduce the financial impact of the recession on members of the Duke community. PROXIMATE LOTS $30.50 $ 33.75 During that period, Duke had to defer UNIVERSITY REMOTE LOTS $ 9.65 $ 10.75 maintenance of certain parking lots and garages MEDICAL CENTER REMOTE LOTS $ 6.80 $ 7.50 to manage expenses during the recession. As the Source: Parking and Transportation maintenance issues have piled up the last few years, so have the costs to address them. The rate increase may well be the first of several increases over Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president of administration, the next few years to address rising costs related to maintenance of said those needs will have to be met through more significant parking lots and garages, leased space, and the increased demand investment over the next several years. for parking, he said. Although no one is ever in favor of a rate
How to Renew
Permit renewal begins June 11. Most employee permits expire in August 2013 and require no action. If a permit expires in August 2012, Duke community members can renew permits online at parking.duke.edu/parking/permits. Expiration dates are printed on the bottom of each placard. New permits are mailed to an employees listed address with Parking and Transportation, which is most commonly a home address. To learn more, to update account information and to learn how to change a permit, visit
increase, the challenge is providing a safe and accessible system at a reasonable cost. Part of the rate increase will also help offset the price discrepancy between what a parking spot costs and what a student or employee actually pays for it. Over the years, Duke has absorbed a portion of the cost for things such as leasing lots to expand capacity for an ever-increasing number of people coming to campus each day, said Sam Veraldi, director of Parking and Transportation Services. That practice isnt sustainable and ultimately limits the funds we have available to address other needs, such as ongoing maintenance.
BY BRYAN ROTH
parking.duke.edu/parking/permits.
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Sustainable uke
YOUR SOURCE FOR
GREEN
N E W S AT D U K E
Bus
Duke community members can try the GoPass, a free public bus pass that allows all students and eligible employees to ride regional and local bus lines for no charge. Orla Swift, director of marketing and communications at the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, got a GoPass last fall. She bought an iPad and used savings from riding Triangle Transit buses to work to pay off the tablet. On rides between Raleigh and Durham two-to-four times a week, she uses the iPad to check email and get caught up on
Bike
In April, the League of American Bicyclists named Duke a Bicycle Friendly University. The recognition reflected enhanced infrastructure on and around campus like sharrow bike safety signs painted on campus roadways. Registered bike commuters also receive up to 24 free parking passes and may use showers at Wilson or Brodie recreation centers until 9 a.m. Monday to Friday without a membership. Theres even a website bikeduke.com that features registration
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WORKING@DUKE
HOW TO REACH US
Editor: Leanora Minai (919) 681-4533 leanora.minai@duke.edu Assistant Vice President: Paul S. Grantham (919) 681-4534 paul.grantham@duke.edu Graphic Design & Layout: Paul Figuerado (919) 684-2107 paul.figuerado@duke.edu Senior Writer: Marsha A. Green (919) 684-4639 marsha.green@duke.edu Writer/Videographer: Bryan Roth (919) 681-9965 bryan.roth@duke.edu Photography: Duke University Photography and Marsha Green and Bryan Roth of Communication Services.
dialogue@Duke
What do you do to beat burnout?
I try to stay at my church in Providence a lot and meditate. I also sing in the choir. I like to just sit around with my family most of the time and watch movies. My daughter loves puzzles and crossword puzzles, so well do those. I think she got it from me.
Larry Dunkins Senior recycler, Duke Recycles 9 years at Duke
I love to work out and go running. I have two dogs, so I like to take them on a run every morning. My goal in training is a half marathon, so an average morning is three to five miles. I also have a dinner group with friends once a month. Even though its with other people from Duke, its a nice break from the norm.
Whitney Dunlap Director of special events, Athletics 6 years at Duke
Working@Duke is published every other month by Dukes Office of Communication Services. We invite your feedback and story ideas.
Send email to working@duke.edu or call (919) 684-4345. Dont forget to visit the Working@Duke section daily on Duke Today: today.duke.edu/working
I used to just go home, relax and read, but now I have three boys Ive adopted. I used to never like cooking, but now Im relaxed in the kitchen cooking for them. My favorite meal to make is beef tips with rice and some vegetables. Im a beginner cook, but Im getting comfortable in the kitchen.
Gilbert Singleton Transit supervisor, Parking and Transportation Services 10 years at Duke
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