Staff Bulletin
From the Rutgers School of Social Work Staff Council
May 2021
Let's celebrate May as the sun warms, the birds chirp, flowers bloom, and as Rutgers researchers anticipate the arrival of Brood X cicadas in New Jersey...
More importantly, we recognize the hard work of our staff colleagues as the spring semester wraps up and for their continued service in supporting our students and faculty during this transitional time of year.
This month's bulletin also includes special information for our staff members who are experiencing furloughs through July 2021. We've compiled a list of tips and suggestions from colleagues who have previously experienced a reduction in their schedule and invite you to connect through our anonymous suggestion box for support.
Staff Spark Notes
- Rutgers is now offering COVID-19 vaccination appointments. Please visit the Rutgers COVID-19 vaccine portal to schedule an appointment or to upload your immunization record.
- If you do not plan to use all available vacation time before the end of the fiscal year (June 30), please consider donating your extra days to the Compassionate Leave Program, which is donated leave-bank for employees who are experiencing medical hardship, either personally or in their immediate families.
- President Holloway announced Rutgers will be hosting in-person, school-based events to celebrate and honor the Class of 2020, as well as the Class of 2021! Click here for more information.
Furlough Tips
A few thoughts from SSW Staff who have previously been furloughed:
- Plan an activity or something to do for your day off to avoid being overwhelmed.
- Communicate anything that needs to be addressed while you are out (try for a few days advance notice).
- It is important to communicate with your supervisor your work priorities during this time.
- IF YOU NEED HELP, ASK!
- Everyone whose work yours interacts with should know that you will be on furlough- expectation setting during this time is key.
- The above should be done as a “before furlough” info campaign. The day-to-day absence should be noted on shared calendars, and automatic “out-of-office” messages should be up and running.
- Since it is staff across all units that are impacted by the furlough programs, it can be difficult (almost impossible) to schedule meetings with colleagues during the time of furlough, there are some useful tools available to find available meeting times such as Scheduling Assistant and/or FindTime on 365. (if you have questions about any of these feel free to reach out to the Council!)
- Brief daily coordination meetings have been helpful for some and allow the team to stay on top of priorities, discuss current issues and plan ahead.
- Try to Enjoy your day off, do something useful at home 😊
- Take the time to unplug– that means no devices near you or around.
Quick Links
- Live | Tips on overcoming “anticipatory anxiety” in 2021
- It’s Electric | Check out President Biden’s Test Drive of the New Electric F150 Lightning
- Build | Why it's so hard to create habits (fewer decisions = more action)
- Garden | Check out all that has grown at the RU Gardens- they're open for visitors!
- Watch | Continue the celebration and watch the 2021 RUSSW Convocation Ceremony
Meet a Staff Member
Each month we'll highlight another submission to help shine a spotlight on the important and unique work of our colleagues.
Luis Molina
- What is your name/nickname? Luis or Lou
- What is your position and how long have you been with the School of Social Work?Administrative Assistant, Institute for Families- almost 3 years
- What was your first job? Pretzel Maker at Auntie Anne's Pretzels
- Do your prefer coffee or tea? Coffee
- If you had to eat one meal every day for the rest of your life, what would it be? Lasagna
- What is your favorite holiday and why? Christmas. It is just jolly and the most wonderful time of the year.
- What fictional place would you like to visit? Narnia
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SSW Staff Council
Email: staffcouncil@ssw.rutgers.edu
Website: socialwork.rutgers.edu
Facebook: facebook.com/RutgersSSW
Twitter: @RutgersSSW