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In this Issue
As we announced in last week’s all-staff COVID-19 update email, the Met Council’s COVID-19 Leave Policy will no longer be available after Sept. 17. Moving forward, employees will need to use personal leave or work with their supervisors to manage work absences through flexibility in scheduling.
The federal law providing us the authority and funding to establish COVID-19 leave was not renewed and expired at the end of 2020. We continued offering the leave to employees this year, however, as the support was still needed and we did not know how long the pandemic conditions would last or whether the federal government would renew the leave. Now, with vaccines widely available to the public and one receiving full FDA approval, the need for this leave has diminished and we are sunsetting the policy.
Both types of leave in this policy – Emergency Sick Pay and Expanded School Leave – will end, and any unused Emergency Sick Pay hours will also expire with the ending of this policy.
If you need to use COVID-19 Leave before it expires, review the policy document (PDF) and the instructions for requesting the leave, on page 4.
We know that this might present challenges as you manage your schedule with your supervisor and navigate the emergence of COVID-19 variants and community concerns. We continue to focus on creating safe work environments for employees, while doing our part to reduce community spread of the COVID-19 virus. We encourage you to work with your supervisors to address your concerns. You may also use the online COVID-19 form to share your questions and concerns.
This serves as a call for nominations to the virtual Project Manager Development Program (PMDP), 2021-2022!
Project management is a critical, in-demand skill set. Being a successful project manager requires a combination of process skills (gathering project requirements) and human interaction skills (leading a project team). This certificate provides a strong foundation in both the knowledge and the specific competencies needed such as plans and aligns, optimizes work processes, and balances stakeholders. One-year equivalent supervision experience is granted upon completion of the program. If you are serious about improving your project management knowledge and skills, then the project manager certificate is for you.
Employees interested in nomination to this 12-month professional development certificate program are encouraged to review the application information and nomination forms on the PMDP MetNet site and talk with their manager.
Completed application/nomination documents are due no later than 4:00 p.m. on Sept. 30. Following a review of applications, one program cohort will be selected with the start in mid-October.
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Getting your seasonal flu shot will be especially important this fall during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year we’re offering flu shot clinics at many Met Council sites in September. Review the flu shot schedule and mark your calendars (PDF).
Onsite employees do not need to schedule an appointment; simply stop by during the scheduled time to get your flu shot. Wearing a mask is required at these flu shot clinics, and a mask will be provided if you don’t have one.
Employees who are teleworking should not drive to a site for these flu shot clinics. Instead, employees not working onsite can schedule a flu shot appointment at either of the Well@Work clinics, or through their regular clinic or convenience clinics, where flu shots are free to anyone enrolled in a medical plan.
Did you know there are currently four generations in the workforce, each with their own defining values, beliefs, and views of success on the job?
When there is a mix of generations working towards common goals, assumptions about communication preferences and different workstyles/methods can create challenges. With awareness comes understanding and opportunities for all to learn and grow.
In the Generational Considerations at Work course you’ll identify and address generational bias in yourself and others in the workforce and apply the values differences, collaborates, and communicates effectively competencies. You’ll also learn strategies for working more effectively with people who have different communication preferences, goals, and/or methods.
This virtual, instructor-led class will be held Sept. 21 from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. To enroll:
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Go to Learn.
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If you have a Council-issued email address, go to the Talent Hub page on MetNet and click Learn. Then click "Employee with an email address."
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If you do not, go to https://metc.sumtotal.host, click the "Employee without an email address" button, and sign in with your Learn username and password.
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Click the library book icon at the top of the page, locate “A-Learning Institute,” and click the arrow pointing to the right.
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Click “LOD Classes Open for Registration.”
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Locate the class and register.
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The final presentation in our 2021 benefits education series is this month, and we’ll be talking about the dental plan. Although this plan doesn’t get a lot of attention traditionally, since it doesn’t change much from year to year, we hope to provide an overview of dental benefits, share some insights into our plan, and clarify a few questions we hear regularly from staff.
Benefits session: Dental plan
Sept. 15, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Webex
Mark your calendars and join us for the final benefits presentation of the year. An Outlook calendar invite for the Webex session will be sent soon.
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