Other Select COVID-19 Response Emails and Articles to Employees
Friday, April 10, 2020
Email Message
From – Melissa Jones, EVP, Chief HR Officer, Executive Administration
To – All employees
As the impacts of COVID-19 shift daily, we continue to evaluate our response to supporting those impacted. We remain flexible in our programs – including volunteerism, pro-bono work and charitable giving – so we can best meet the needs of our communities now and in the future as their needs evolve. To date, we’ve made $70,000 in charitable donations to respond to community needs. Today, I’m pleased to share we’re announcing an additional way you can provide support, a special 2:1 match of employee donations.
Special 2:1 Employee Matching Gifts Program
The company will match 2:1 on employee donations made to the National Foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC Foundation) and Feeding America, up to $25,000, through June 30 when using our Matching Gifts program. These organizations are responding at national and local levels to bolster the public health and community needs response, respectively. Below my signature is more information on these organizations, their response and how to make your donation.
This benefit is a special addition to our Matching Gifts program, which typically matches 1:1 for employee and company donations. We still encourage you to donate to any nonprofit that is important to you through our Matching Gifts program. Many nonprofits are in dire need of funding now and in the months to come. Approximately 75% of nonprofit organizations have less than three months of cash on hand, and they are facing real challenges in keeping their doors open.
Thank you for supporting our communities during these unprecedented times.
Melissa
Intranet Article
How are you practicing self-care?
Social poll: Join the conversation!
As we’re all finding out, you cannot control everything life throws your way, but you can control how well you take care of yourself. Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional and physical health.
Self-care can be surprisingly easy. Calling a loved one and catching up, journaling about your feelings, getting the recommended hours of sleep, going outside for a walk, and taking a day off from work are all examples. You also can participate in the Wellness team’s new self-care program and earn 100 Vitality Points™.
There’s no better time than now to show yourself some love and do something that will make you feel good.
We invite you to share what actions you’re taking to practice self-care.
Here's the question for you. Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. And be well.
P.S. For more help, go to the Coronavirus Outbreak: Tips and Resources page on Vista > Health and well-being resources.
Selected employee responses to the prompt:
- I'm finding I need to be more intentional about taking breaks from the computer and going outside, if only to walk around the block. I've rediscovered my bike, and have started going out on 30-min rides around my neighborhood at lunch or after work. I love to work in my little patio garden. And I look forward to checking out the Wellness team’s new self-care program and virtual workouts. Yesterday, I took a day off from work to spend some one-on-one time with my teenager, hiking and listening to music. Time well spent!
- There are a number of things I always do and a few things I have started since sheltering in place. Over the past year or two I finally learned that getting daily exercise isn't a "should" or "ought" it's a MUST for me. I walk my dog almost every day, making sure to get in longer hikes in the hills on the weekends. I use the Calm app sleep stories to help me get to sleep quicker so I can get more sleep. Since the SIP order I am also using the Calm app to meditate (almost daily). I have begun to lift weights and am adding floor Pilates that we are doing as a family, which is interesting and fun. Preparing healthy and balanced food has long been important to me, but being at home with the whole gang it has taken on a new level of intensity as we eat and prepare and clean up as a family. Zoom and FaceTime have improved my connection with family and friends with weekly virtual happy hours and virtual book club. I also see and talk to my neighbors now than - albeit at a distance! They are wonderful! Zoom is also great for our team meetings. Everyone likes to play with the virtual background!
- Every evening I walk and take the air. I listen to a funny podcast or stories that aren't related to the current pandemic. Like everything, I know this is only temporary and I need to find some good in the situation. My earpieces are somewhat invisible, so I imagine neighbors looking down and seeing my smile or laugh probably think I'm off my rocker - but that's ok!
Intranet Article
How are you staying socially connected?
Social poll: Join the conversation!
Working from home? Cancelling your restaurant reservations and sneaking to the grocery store at 4:30 a.m. to avoid the crowd? Good for you: You’re following the coronavirus-related health and safety guidelines for your health and the community’s well-being.
And chances are you’re missing your friends and coworkers right about now.
It’s time to connect. And let’s be real – we’re asking for “physical” distancing and not truly “social” distancing, right? You can still connect personally with friends, loved ones and colleagues by phone, through Skype, FaceTime, texting, etc. …What else?
We invite you to share what actions you’re taking to stay and feel connected.
Here's the question for you. Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. And be well.
Selected employee responses to the prompt:
- I just scheduled a virtual lunch with my team. Basically, I've invited those who are interested to grab lunch and join me on video via Skype to just check in with one another - no agenda, presentations, etc. Not sure how it will go but I'm looking forward to informally connecting with my team.
- Formerly a consultant who worked from home I am surprised to find how much I actually prefer being in the office and enjoy my co-workers presence. However, during this time it has made me reach out more to people on my team who are in different locations, which I would not have done before, just to say hello and check in. I have also found a positive in running outside, totally new for me. I was convinced I could only work out in the gym and without a treadmill my legs just wouldn't move, but in fact outside is so much better ha. Also I am sure my Pomeranian Bear is pretty stoked to have me around more often.
- I can be somewhat of an introvert at heart so when I was working in the office and talking to people I usually would never make a phone call at home. Now I found myself calling out to people in my personal circle (even though I've actually been on Skype calls more for work now that I'm at home). Haven't done any personal FaceTime yet but plan on doing that with my grandparents today.
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Email Message
From – Christopher Lassalle, Director, Benefits and Leave Management
To – All employees
How are you feeling? It’s an easy question to ask. And it can go a long way toward reducing stigma around the topic of mental well-being – and making sure we’re taking care of ourselves.
Like many of you, I’ve had times where I’ve experienced anxiety over the past month. As someone who enjoys connecting with co-workers face-to-face, I find myself struggling with social distancing and having to make more of an effort to reach out to others. On the plus side, I’ve been enjoying the walkable “commute” to my home office, and I’m grateful for the extra time I have with my wife and daughters. I’ve learned keeping a regular schedule helps, too.
On the heels of the Strategy and Culture Framework Roadshows – and considering our core belief, investing in ourselves – now is a great time to expand the conversation around mental well-being. As the director for Benefits and Leave Management, I’m excited to be the executive sponsor for our new initiative, Better Mental Well-being Starts with You.
We want to make sure we’re supporting your mental well-being as much as we are your physical and financial well-being.
___________________________________________
An invitation to explore resources that can help you
I invite you to explore the Mental Well-Being Resources page on Vista and get to know our robust offerings. Then, take 15 minutes to watch the webinar we’ve created on this topic:
Along these lines, check out the Wellness team’s new Invest in Yourself program, focused on simple ways to incorporate self-care into your daily routine. Earn 100 Vitality Points™ for participating.
Please also consider how you can use your accrued time off (PTO) to take some mental well-being days. Although we can’t physically go places during the shelter-in-place, it’s still critically important to mentally separate from work from time to time.
Lastly, I challenge you to check in with three co-workers or family members this week and ask them how they’re feeling. The more we can talk candidly about our mental well-being, the more we’ll make it easier to talk about – lessening the effects of any stigma and paving the way for greater overall health for us all.
Chris