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In this Issue
As we weather the COVID-19 pandemic, patience is being tested, and we’re finding out just how resilient we really are.
Now more than ever, beginning with a foundation of respect will take us a long way toward building and sustaining a culture where employees of the Council can survive and thrive. We don’t always have to agree, but we do need to make space for each other, especially in the middle of stress or disagreement. It’s so important to be inclusive of others and welcome input from all groups of employees. And, the best way to demonstrate inclusivity is to listen – focus on others in order to better understand their perspective and point of view.
Respect, honor, include, listen – simple actions for living the daily path of servant leadership.
The Council’s Respectful Workplace procedure provides a great summary of how to be at
work, what behaviors to avoid, and how to address concerns.
We’ve got a terrific web-based course in Learn called “Respectful Workplace Program: Civility
and Respect” that provides a useful refresher.
To view the online course:
- Go to Learn.
- Once in Learn, click the magnifying glass and search "LOD Respectful Workplace – Civility and Respect v4."
- The course will appear (14 min.).
You can also find other resources on the Respectful Workplace Program page of MetNet.
Remember: Civility is everyone’s responsibility. Your efforts make a difference!
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Earlier this week we rolled out a new login screen for the Learn system, slightly changing the process for users. This change positions the Met Council for new functions in Learn in the future.
When accessing Learn, the new login screen asks if you are an employee with or without a Council-issued email address. Select the button that best describes you and sign in accordingly:
- Employees without Council-issued email addresses log in with their five-digit employee ID and Learn password.
- Employees with Council-issued email addresses log in using their network account.
Check the box for “Remember my selection” before clicking the button if you want to bypass this page in the future.
For staff who need to access Learn using a direct link, as opposed to clicking the Learn icon on the Talent Hub MetNet page, the web address has changed to https://metc.sumtotal.host.
The Learn Employee Quick Start Guide and FAQ documents on the Talent Hub page have been updated with this new information. Please email Learn@metc.state.mn.us if you have questions.
Are you a highly skilled project manager or Information Services professional or know someone who is? If so, we invite you to learn more about an exciting opportunity in the Met Council's Information Services department. Please join Human Resources and Information Services for an informational session on a new position as a Senior Enterprise Resource Planning Program Manager.
This position will be part of the Information Services Department, Project Management Office. As a program manager the position will provide leadership to staff assigned to projects within the Business Process Systems Integration program. The position will collaborate with stakeholders throughout all divisions of the Council, delivering solutions that support the Council’s initiatives.
The informational session will be held Monday, May 17, at 1:00 p.m., and registration for the session is open to all.
For more information or questions, please contact Nancy Jennings, Human Resources manager.
It’s almost halfway through the annual performance evaluation cycle, which means it’s time for managers to check in with their employees on their performance goals and competencies.
Regular check-ins help ensure there are no surprises for either managers or employees at the year-end performance evaluation. Ongoing and progressive discussions provide opportunities to acknowledge employee contributions, help address issues as they arise, and allows for adjustments as necessary throughout the year.
A check-in is twofold: a discussion with the employee and a task to mark as completed in Perform. While monthly check-in discussions are recommended, managers are required to record two check-ins as completed during the year – one by the end of May, and one by the end of August. These two check-ins are now tasks within the Perform system for the manager to mark as complete and do not require completing an online check-in form.
Here are some tips to help you prepare for a check-in:
- Review the assigned competencies for your employees. You can access information about the Competency Model on the Performance Management Page on MetNet or within your employee’s performance evaluation in Perform.
- Review progress towards performance goals, and consider if any adjustments to goals need to be made for the remainder of the year.
- Consider adding content and updates on goal and competency progress to the performance evaluation itself. Perform will autosave any content added; drafts and in-progress content will not be lost.
- Mark the task as completed in Perform after the May and August check-in discussions.
To learn more about how to complete check-ins, access the following:
The Benefits unit in Human Resources is pleased to announce the next webinar in its educational series: planning for retirement. All employees are welcome and will find valuable information on the retirement plans sponsored by the Met Council.
The session will begin with a review of Pension, Deferred Compensation, Health Care Saving Plan, and other information for retiring, followed by an opportunity to ask questions of the Benefits staff.
Mark your calendars to learn more about how to start planning for retirement, when to start planning, and where to find resources to make good decisions. The retirement planning session will be held May 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. An Outlook calendar invite to the Webex session was sent last week.
For more than a year now, we have been experiencing hardships from the global level to our own neighborhoods, multiplying our stress and testing the limits of our resiliency. Collectively and individually, we have been grieving, and isolation may be getting the best of us.
In these times, we need to remember that grief is a natural process that takes time – but you have help at your fingertips! Counseling and mental health resources are available to help you on your way towards healing, at your own pace.
If you aren't sure where to start or what you might need, talking to someone can be a great first step. Free, confidential mental health counseling is available 24/7 through the Met Council's employee assistance program, Sand Creek. They also have referral partners that specialize in racial trauma counseling. For more information, call 1-888-243-5744 or visit SandCreekEAP.com.
Trade Time for Fitness is a health and wellness program that allows you to trade in your annual leave hours to receive up to $2,000 (gross) per payroll year in reimbursements for eligible health- and wellness-related expenses, and now includes eligible home office furniture.
This temporary exception to include home office furniture will be in effect until official notice is given – likely through the COVID-19 pandemic while some employees must work from home.
Eligible purchases are limited to home office furniture items. Examples include:
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Office desks
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Sit/stand desks
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Office chairs
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Task/desk lighting
Computer equipment, keyboards, monitors, docking stations, mouse pads, and similar Council-provided items are not eligible for reimbursement. These items are brought home from work offices and requested through the ITR process with Information Services.
If you are unable to access the Trade Time for Fitness MetNet page, or would like to verify eligibility of an item, please contact FitForLife@metc.state.mn.us.
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