This is a reminder that due to COVID-19, Drake University has made the decision to waive the physician exam requirement to qualify for the wellness premium discount in 2021. All participants enrolled in Drake’s medical plan will receive the wellness health insurance premium discount in 2021.

We will return to the physician only option in 2021 to receive the health insurance premium discount in 2022. Employees on Drake’s health plan will need to complete a physical with a PCP between Dec. 1, 2020, and Nov. 30, 2021, and submit a Physician Exam Completion Form by Dec. 2, 2021, to receive the wellness health insurance premium discount in 2022.

Until then, we encourage all employees to participate in the wellness programs offered at Drake University and to utilize the resources available to enhance your health and wellbeing.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Join Employee & Family Resources on Aug. 26 at 11 a.m. for the 30-minute webinar: “Stop Beating Yourself Up: Using Mindfulness and Self-Compassion During Difficult Times.”

Register here, and/or listen to past, recorded webinars in the weekly series designed to educate, enlighten, and inspire healthier behaviors and attitudes.

If life is weighing you down, Employee & Family Resources offers a variety of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) resources to help you now or anytime.  Reach EAP by phone (800-327-4692) or visit their website.  All EAP benefits are confidential and available 24/7.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

The American Lung Association (ALA) is offering a free one-year membership to Freedom from Smoking Plus (FFS Plus). This interactive online program works on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones and includes telephone, chat, and email support.

Freedom from Smoking Plus assesses your readiness to quit and guides you through a three-part process from getting ready to quit, to quit day, and finally, staying smoke free. There are online tips and tools to keep you on track as well as access to ALA tobacco cessation counselors. You may also visit the Freedom from Smoking online community to interact with others who are working to break their tobacco addiction.

To join this program, click on the link: bit.ly/ALAFFSPLUS. Users can set up a profile to begin the self-paced, nine-module course.  FFS Plus includes 12 months of continuous support.

FFS Plus normally costs $99.95 but the ALA is offering it at no cost for a limited time. So, if you are a tobacco user who is contemplating quitting, now is the time to join.

Should you have any questions, please contact the American Lung Association’s National Tobacco Team at freedomfromsmoking@lung.org.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

You may have heard the phrase: “We are done with the Coronavirus but it isn’t done with us.” The ongoing pandemic has disrupted our work and home lives and it is difficult to know when it will get better.

If you are taking steps to manage your worry and anxiety but it doesn’t seem to be helping, Employee & Family Resources (EFR) offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for all full-time Drake employees and their family members. It includes counseling with a licensed mental health therapist as well as financial and legal consulting, eldercare and childcare resources. You can reach EAP by phone (800-327-4692) or visit their website at https://www.efr.org/login/. All EAP benefits are confidential and available 24/7/365.

Besides the Employee Assistance Program, EFR offers additional resources to help us navigate these stressful times.

Webinars. If you did not get a chance to view the EFR weekly webinar series this summer, they are still available for viewing online when your schedule allows.  They cover a variety of topics pertinent to our times.

Podcasts. EFR created a series of podcasts called Emotion Well Podcast.  The podcasts are available on their website, as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.

COVID-19 Resources. EFR’s website has links to COVID-19 resources, including online groups, work from home tips, exercising from home, and mental health tips.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

To help us navigate these stressful times, Employee & Family Resources is offering a weekly webinar series. Join EFR for the following webinars:

July 22 at 2 p.m. — Connecting the Dots: The Mind-Body Experience
July 29 at 10 a.m. — Stress and Burnout    

Register here.  All webinars are live, but will be recorded and available for later viewing if these dates and times do not work with your schedule. 

If life is weighing you down, EFR offers a variety of Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) resources to help you now, or anytime.  You can reach EAP by phone (800-327-4692) or visit their website at https://www.efr.org/login/.  All EAP benefits are confidential and available 24/7/365.   

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Due to COVID-19, the IRS has permitted employers to provide employees an opportunity to change flexible spending account (FSA) elections made for the current plan year.

Drake University has chosen to amend its FSA plans to allow full-time employees to make prospective mid-year Health Care and/or Dependent Care election changes, effective immediately.  All election changes must be made during the 2020 calendar year.

Adoption of the Temporary FSA Plan Amendment permits you to:

• Elect to participate in Drake’s Health Care and/or Dependent Care FSA plans—even if you have previously waived the benefit.
• Terminate your current participation in Drake’s Health Care and/or Dependent Care FSA plans.
• Increase or decrease your current Health Care and/or Dependent Care elections.

It is important to note elections can only be changed going forward.  Election changes cannot be made retroactively.  In other words, you cannot get a refund for benefits you have already received or amounts you have already contributed.

To make changes to your current FSA participation, please complete and return the Mid-year FSA Change Form to drakehr@drake.edu

The Temporary FSA Plan Amendment and  Mid-year FSA Change Form are posted in the Human Resources app on myDrake.  Should you have questions regarding your benefits, please contact Marlene Heuertz at 515-271-1901 or marlene.heuertz@drake.edu.

— Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources

Last year, Drake University took a closer look at the faculty and staff wellness program, including biometric screenings, to determine best practices as it relates to the well-being of our employees. In January of this year, a decision was made to offer a physician only option in 2020.  Employees on Drake’s health plan who wished to receive the wellness health insurance premium discount during the 2021 calendar year would need to complete a physical with a primary care physician (PCP) between December 1, 2019, and November 30, 2020.

At that time, no one could have imagined that we would be facing a global pandemic. COVID-19 has made it difficult for employees to make appointments to receive their annual physicals, and has created a sense of anxiety for some about going to their doctor’s office for a well check.

Due to these extraordinary conditions, Drake University has made the decision to waive the physician exam requirement to qualify for the wellness premium discount in 2021.  All participants enrolled in Drake’s medical plan will receive the wellness health insurance premium discount in 2021.

We will return to the physician only option in 2021 to receive the health insurance premium discount in 2022. Employees on Drake’s health plan will need to complete a physical with a PCP between December 1, 2020 ,and November 30, 2021, and submit a Physician Exam Completion Form to receive the wellness health insurance premium discount in 2022.

Until then, we encourage all employees to participate in the wellness programs offered at Drake University and to utilize the resources available to enhance your health and wellbeing.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

The Peerceive Employee Recognition Portal has been in place since April 2017.  Over that time, many of you have taken time to recognize colleagues with a kudos or ecard.

Unfortunately, budgetary adjustments related to COVID-19 have made it necessary to discontinue Peerceive for FY21.

Although faculty and staff will not have access to the portal, there are other ways to recognize employees. It could be as simple as sending an email, or better yet, a handwritten note. Give a “shout out” during a virtual staff meeting or Teams chat. For a more formal recognition, nominate a staff member for a Called to be True Blue Award or faculty and staff for one of the Madelyn M. Levitt awards.

Find a creative way to stay connected and recognize others this academic year.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

A great way to stay connected while telecommuting is through chat groups. The All Staff Council created three TEAMS chat groups this spring for staff employees.

 Staff—Remote Work Support Group.  This group shares remote work best practices, obtains crowd-sourced responses to remote work inquiries, and connects staff from across campus. If you are a staff employee and interested in joining, please send an email to ascspecialinterest@drake.edu.

Parents Group. One of the biggest challenges for parents is juggling work and parenting while telecommuting. This TEAMS chat group shares resources and ideas to help support each other at home. To join this group, please send an email to jenny.jones@drake.edu.

Wellness Group. Taking care of yourself can often be a challenge. Throw in a pandemic and social distancing and your well-being can take a hit. Fortunately, there are resources to help, including a Wellness Group TEAMS chat. To join this group, please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu. In addition to the chat group, Drake’s Recreational Services department also offers Group X virtual workouts.

Other resources. Check out the Drake Coronavirus Website and the Drake Health & Wellness Guide for additional resources to assist you as you continue to work from home.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

With more employees working on laptops from home, eyestrain can become a real problem. Symptoms such as dry eyes, blurred vision, and headaches often occur after long-term use of computers and other digital devices.

Although most individuals can’t avoid long-term screen time, there are some simple things you can do to help prevent eyestrain.

Take a break. It is not easy to break away from your computer. Working from home you may find yourself spending more time staring at your screen. Nevertheless, taking breaks is not only good for your eyesight, but also your mental health. Set a timer to go off every hour.  Then step away from your computer for 5 minutes. Stretch, take a walk, or get a glass of water.

Check the lighting and reduce glare. Bright lighting and too much glare can strain your eyes and make it difficult to see objects on your monitor.  Consider turning off some of the overhead lights and instead using lamps that provide indirect soft lighting. Close blinds or shades if the sun creates a glare on your screen, and avoid placing your monitor directly in front of a window.  If necessary, place an anti-glare cover over the screen.

Adjust your monitor. Position your monitor directly in front of you about an arm’s length away so that the top of the screen is at or just below eye level.  It helps to have a chair you can adjust too.

Adjust your screen settings. Enlarge the type for easier reading and adjust the contrast and brightness to a level that is comfortable for you.

Try some eye exercises. One cause of computer eyestrain is focusing fatigue.  To help with this, look away from your computer at least every 20 minutes and gaze at a distant object (at least 20 feet away) for at least 20 seconds.  Some call this the 20-20-20 rule.  Another exercise is to look far away at an object for 10-15 seconds, then gaze at something up close for 10-15 seconds.  Then look back at the distant object.  Do this ten times.  Also, remember to blink frequently during the exercises to reduce your risk of computer-related dry eye.

Other ideas include using eye drops such as artificial tears, wearing proper eyewear, and if the indoor air is dry, trying a humidifier. Finally, if you experience eyestrain that is severe or lasts a long time, discuss the condition with your doctor.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources