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2025 PSO Annual Forum: Resilience in Community

Join us for the PSO Annual Forum as we come together to build resilience, foster connections, and explore ways to support well-being within our university and beyond.

馃搮 Dates: April 22 & 23
Time: Visit the event website for further details. You can join by sessions, or you are welcome to stay for the whole forum
馃搷 Location: Online via Zoom (link provided upon registration)
馃敆 Register here:

The PSO Annual Forum provides a welcoming and engaging space where members of the 91探花 community intentionally come together to share ideas, build connections, and strengthen our collective resilience. This year鈥檚 theme, 鈥淩esilience in Community,鈥 acknowledges the uncertainty of our times and emphasizes the importance of cultivating a supportive, connected environment where we can learn from one another and grow together.

We invite all who are interested and committed to engaging in this work to join us. Through interactive workshops and thoughtful discussions, we will explore practical strategies for supporting well-being, strengthening community support, and driving meaningful change within and beyond our university. This forum is not just about reflection鈥攊t鈥檚 about action, equipping attendees with concrete tools to navigate challenges while making space for gratitude and connection.

Our hope is that these conversations extend far beyond the forum, creating momentum for continued engagement and future events that sustain and uplift our community. Join us as we cultivate resilience, share experiences, and reinforce our collective commitment to promote an environment where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered. The PSO Annual Forum is developed by professional staff but welcomes all members of the 91探花community who want to be part of this important work!

Cost: Free (Suggested donation $5鈥$8)

This event is made possible entirely through payroll contributions and donations to the Professional Staff Organization. Your support helps sustain future programming.

Donate here:

All members of the 91探花community are welcome! We look forward to learning and growing together.

For questions, contact: psoboard@uw.edu

Courageous Conversations: A Listening Session on Anti-Racism & Community

Description:
In times of uncertainty, finding space for reflection and honest dialogue is essential. This listening session, hosted by , is not about having all the answers鈥攊t鈥檚 about beginning the conversation. Together, we will explore our shared humannesshumaness, interconnectedness, and the ways we can be in community with one another. Through open listening and shared experiences, we will hold space for truth, understanding, and collective care, moving beyond the individual self to recognize the strength of community in dismantling systemic oppression.

What to Expect as an Attendee:

  • A welcoming, judgment-free space for discussion and reflection
  • Opportunities to listen, share, and process emotions around racial justice
  • Guidance on moving beyond non-racism to active anti-racism
  • A chance to connect with others committed to meaningful change

Event Details:

Thursday, February 13

4:30-5:30 PM

Via Zoom. Please use this for the Zoom link

Join the Movement: Dementia Friends Information Session听

Let鈥檚 change the way we think about dementia! Did you know there are over 125,000 people living with dementia in Washington? Now鈥檚 your chance to be part of a movement that鈥檚 making a difference鈥攔ight here at UW!

Join our 90-minute Dementia Friends Information Session, where we鈥檒l dive into what dementia really is, how it affects people, and most importantly, how YOU can make a difference in your community. We鈥檒l chat about ways to better communicate with those living with dementia, clear up what鈥檚 normal vs. abnormal in aging, and share loads of resources to support you and others.

This is a super interactive session, designed to give you time for questions and discussion, so you鈥檒l walk away feeling confident and ready to take action. It鈥檚 not a formal training鈥攊t鈥檚 a fun, informative way to get involved in building a more inclusive, dementia-friendly campus and community.

Curious? Excited? Ready to make a change? Don鈥檛 miss out on this opportunity to be part of something truly meaningful.

When: November 20, 11:30 AM-1 PM

Where: Zoom

Who: 91探花Faculty, Staff, Students

Registration Link Forthcoming

2024 DEI Forum Achieving Equity Together: April 30-May 1, 2024

The Professional Staff Organization DEI Committee is thrilled to announce the upcoming 2024 Annual DEI Forum will be held on April 30 and May 1. This year’s forum will focus on overcoming the challenges associated with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in higher education.

The event will center around the UW鈥檚 commitment to social justice and will feature workshops and small group discussions among campus leadership, esteemed faculty, and dedicated professional staff. The sessions are designed to foster open discussions to develop strategies for creating diversity initiatives to ensure the success of marginalized communities across the tri-campus community.

Mark your calendars, and join us as we work together to create a university community that embraces diversity, champions equity, and values inclusion.听

Registration is now open:

For more information, please email the PSO DEI Committee.

Intergenerational Wisdom: Healing Forward with Dr. Wilson Edward Reed

In honor of Black History Month, the Burke Museum has partnered with the PSO DEI committee to host a candid conversation that centers on the elders of the African diaspora, cultural healing modalities, and a shared reflection from Dr. Wilson Edward Reed.听He will share how his healing journey from anxiety and depression has evolved since living through the era of Jim Crow in the racially divisive state of Mississippi.

The presentation will include a grounding exercise inspired by the book:

鈥楾he Inner Work of Racial Justice by Rhonda V. Magee

Drawing: Attendees will be entered into a raffle for a chance to receive a free copy of the author鈥檚 book 鈥楯une Bug鈥. Up to 10 winners will be chosen.

Learn more about the background of the author and the book details below.

About the Author:

 

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

12-1 PM

Registration Link: https://wholeu.admin.washington.edu/uwnetid/twuext/EventDetail.aspx?regid=&eventid=1631&eventsessionid=1593&mkt_tok=NTI3LUFIUi0yNjUAAAGRjvzge4GIvHMoZor8nmT_9bHezae3y7E3vLB27Vs7h02XHHQQup8Ej1T36MuZ8ObrIaz0QhoKb4O0Ri-MvBSmWuNvK39f6cBc-zG3DHqT_nk

For questions, please reach out to psoboard@uw.edu

Join us for the Winter Wellness Fair – January 26

The Professional Staff Organization Events Committee is excited to invite staff to our Winter Wellness Fair, in collaboration with 91探花Recreation. Stop by the Intramural Activities Building (IMA) on January 26, 11am-1pm to meet colleagues and start your year off right. We鈥檒l have…

  • Micro massages
    Climbing at the Crags Climbing Center
    Intramural games
    Access to the pool, activity areas, and tours
    Group fitness classes
    And more!!!

You鈥檒l have the chance to win amazing raffle prizes, including class passes and climbing center passes. This event is free for 91探花staff!

UWHR policy updates for vacation accrual, PFML and more

has shared updates to a few policies.

Effective July 1, 2022, more than 10 days unpaid time off no longer impacts two provisions of employment:

  • Unpaid time off will no longer affect the rate at which contract covered, classified, and professional staff earn a month of service towards a higher vacation accrual rate. While vacation time off is not accrued during a calendar month in which staff take more than 10 days of unpaid time off, staff will earn a month of service for each month in which they are active in the payroll system.
  • Unpaid time off will no longer affect the timing of step progressions for classified staff. Progression start dates will no longer be extended due to the use of more than 10 days of unpaid time off in a calendar month.

These changes are required for classified non-union staff due to revisions in the state civil rules that go into effect July 1, 2022 and are being extended to professional staff and other contract covered staff following to follow civil service law unless explicitly stated otherwise. Associated webpages that refer to the impact of unpaid time off on these two provisions of employment will be updated for July 1. Workday updates have been completed in anticipation of these changes.

PFML bereavement supplemental benefit: Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) has been expanded to allow up to 7 calendar days of paid leave following the death of a child when an individual expected to use leave for the child鈥檚 birth or to bond with their child after birth or placement. Effective June 9, 2022, 91探花will allow use of bereavement time off as a in these same circumstances. All contract covered, classified, and professional staff in non-temporary positions receive up to three days of paid for the death of a family member. Please contact your should you have questions.

Survey of Professional Staff on Return to In-Person Work

Over the course of spring and summer 2021 quarters, the PSO Board received emails and questions from professional staff who expressed concerns about returning to onsite/in-person work. It became clear that professional staff wanted more transparency and information about the university鈥檚 plans to return to in-person work.

In order to better understand the concerns of our professional staff colleagues, the PSO board ran a survey soliciting feedback about the return to onsite work. We sent the survey to our PSO membership listserv of 10,838 people and received around 1974 responses.

The survey was conducted anonymously in order to encourage respondents to share their opinions and experiences freely. The survey included 11 questions – 6 single or multiple choice and 5 optional, open-ended questions.

The responses that we received were wide-ranging and thorough. We first want to thank you, our members, for taking the time to share your experiences with us through this survey. You鈥檝e shared thoughtful, specific, and very personal feedback with us, and we are committed to using this information to do what we can to help professional staff during this transition and in our work going forward.

Our first step after analyzing this data was to prepare a summary to share with 91探花Leadership. We were moved by your responses and felt it was of utmost importance to share our findings with 91探花leaders.

From there, we continued a deeper analysis of the survey results, and are committed to sharing these findings with you, our members, and taking your feedback and experiences to shape our work as the PSO Board of Directors.

In our initial review of the open-ended survey responses, we identified a few categories that represent the primary themes that emerged. These themes included equality vs. equity oriented policies, concerns regarding scheduling, transportation and safety, questions about masking and vaccination, and more. We explore these themes in greater detail in our report, which is published on our website.

It鈥檚 important to note that these themes are not exhaustive, and are not independent of each other – we observed a high degree of overlap and intersection amidst your responses. For example, scheduling concerns were largely related to issues around transportation. As we describe in the report, we used these categories to sort your responses so that we could provide as comprehensive a review as possible.

Our next step was to take our initial findings and dive deeper into the interconnections of your responses in order to provide a more nuanced report with clear action items to our community of members as well as 91探花Leadership. As the PSO Board, our mission is to deliver the issues and concerns of professional staff to the university administration and to our greater campus and local communities. These are your experiences, and we are grateful to you for sharing them with us.

As a near-term action, we鈥檝e compiled a list of resources published by the University to address some of the primary concerns surfaced via the survey:

General guidance and policies:

Autumn quarter health and safety
Autumn quarter health and safety measures (Message to 91探花personnel)

How contact tracing works at the UW
COVID-19 vaccination requirement

Scheduling:


Caregiving:


Transportation:



Indoor spaces:


Implementing special out-of-cycle checks on central supply air MERV-13 filters
Sick-leave:

Long-term, we will use this information to drive our work and continue to advocate for the needs of professional staff at the 91探花. We鈥檝e also prepared a more detailed report for you to read more about our process, findings, and recommendations for 91探花leadership. On September 16, we sent a

Thank you again for all the professional staff that submitted survey responses and have reached out to us personally about your concerns and needs. We deeply appreciate you trusting us with your stories, and we will continue to advocate on your behalf during this transition and after.

WA Cares Fund: details and resources

Washington State鈥檚 new mandatory long-term care (LTC) insurance under the will pay for long-term care expenses (up to $36,500 in total) for those who reside in Washington State when they require long-term care. The WA Cares Fund will be funded by a new payroll tax, starting January 2, 2022, of 0.58% of gross wages. The tax will affect all employees in听 the state unless they take action to opt out.

Washington State allows individuals that have purchased听qualifying private LTC insurance before November 1, 2021, to opt out of the WA Cares Fund. Private LTC insurance ranges with respect to coverage and premiums, as compared to the WA Cares Fund and attendant payroll tax. Two typical differences:

  1. Private LTC insurance typically provides coverage in all U.S. states rather than just Washington State, and in some cases outside the U.S. as well.
  2. Private LTC premiums typically must be paid beyond retirement, until claim or death.

As a state institution, 91探花is not authorized by the Health Care Authority (HCA) to offer group-based long term care insurance programs. The PSO encourages all professional staff to learn about the WA Cares Fund and to decide what option is best for their individual circumstances.

For more information:

  • Faculty Council for Benefits and Retirement, which has been evaluating this initiative from the faculty perspective and has generously made available their findings.
  • A list of insurance companies approved to sell LTC insurance in Washington State
  • Geekwire explainer:

Election stress: UWHR resources

No matter where you stand on candidates and issues, it is important to acknowledge how many may feel due to the election. Stress and anxiety can affect our health, our work, and our relationships and interactions with others. Please review and share UWHR鈥檚 resources to help employees and managers over the next few weeks:
FOR MANAGERS
听听*听听 : Election stress is real, and at this moment in time leaders are managing unprecedented levels of anxiety and distress among their teams. Join POD鈥檚 experienced consultants to ask questions, discuss organizational and interpersonal challenges, and get help with managing during this difficult time. The Nov. 2 session will focus on addressing anxiety and sharing best practices for preparing your team, and the Nov. 9 session will focus on moving your team forward and helping people become 鈥渦nstuck.鈥 Register for the Monday, Nov. 2 and/or the Monday, Nov. 9 session from 2:00 鈥 3:00 p.m.
FOR ALL EMPLOYEES
听听*听听 : Participants will receive an e-mail from The Whole U every work day between Monday, October 26 and Friday, November 13 that includes concrete, 5鈥15 minute action steps to support resilience, compassion for others and self-care.
听听*听听 : Find relaxation and build resilience this election season through practicing mindfulness. Join Catherine Bachy and Jeff Leinaweaver for a 10-minute guided meditation session at noon starting October 26 and continuing daily through November 6. This meditation session will have you calm, focused, and empowered for the rest of the day.
听听*听听听听: Watch 91探花CareLink鈥檚 on-demand webinar to learn about healthy media consumption habits that don鈥檛 damage your mental and physical wellbeing.
听听*听听 Helpful tips are also available in Work-Life Director Kathleen Farrell鈥檚 and in 91探花CareLink鈥檚 .
听 *听听听 Dealing with Harassment: In the upcoming season we may see an increase in online harassment. SafeCampus continues to be available if you or someone you know is targeted. There are many kinds of online harassment, from the annoying (rude comments made by online trolls), to the invasive (doxing), to the potentially dangerous and traumatic (cyberstalking, threats of violence, hate speech and beyond). 91探花staff, faculty and students may be targeted because of a belief they share in a classroom, a political position they hold or because of their area of research. You do not have to deal with the situation alone, reach out to SafeCampus for caring consultation and resources at 206-685-7233 or visit their online harassment resources at: uw.edu/safecampus/harassment-and-sexual-harassment/