Benefits & Worklife Departmental Workshops and Webinars

Overview of Benefits & Worklife Programs

Johns Hopkins University offers a robust selection of benefits for its diverse employee population. Understanding all of the benefits can be an overwhelming task, so this overview will guide you through current benefits and workLife programs available to all employees. We want to ensure that you understand how to access your benefits and take full advantage of them to best support the well-being of you and your family. This presentation covers a general overview benefits programs: health insurance, retirement planning and worklife program: family support (i.e lactation support, daycare vouchers and emergency backup care), the Live near Your Work Program, community engagement opportunities, employee recognition and our Lifemart discounts platform.  

 Overview of Family and Caregiving Program

 For full-time Johns Hopkins University faculty, staff, and post-graduate learners — hear about resources available to support you and your family. Learn about offerings from Family and Caregiving Programs to help with finding, selecting, and paying for quality child care, and school age and educational resources. Resources and information for new and expectant parents and caregiving for seniors will also be shared. 

The below health & wellness webinars are coordinated with our partner BurnAlong. Based on the general theme you choose below, BurnAlong will coordinate with one of their expert instructors to deliver live virtual content to your team. If your team is unfamiliar with the BurnAlong platform you may also add a 15 minute interactive introduction to the platform to your webinar time. If you don’t require a live instructor try the  BurnAlong on Demand option below. 

BurnAlong On Demand

If you want to start a meeting with light stretching, a breathing exercise or or even a high energy workout,  you can search for a recorded video on the BurnAlong platform and play during your meeting/event.  Sign up for your free Burnalong account:  https://join.burnalong.com/JHU.

Fitness Forever

Work with BurnAlong to curate a 30 min-1hour live fitness class based on the interests of your department;  some offerings include HIIT classes, dance or stretch and restore. If you have a specific class in mind BurnAlong can work to match you with one of their expert instructors. Add a 15 minute BurnAlong introduction to your meeting if your team is unfamiliar with this free virtual wellness platform (see description below).

Mind over Matter

Work with BurnAlong to curate a 30 min-1hour live meditation or mindfulness class based on the interests of your department. If you have a specific class in mind BurnAlong can work to match you with one of their expert instructors. Add a 15 minute BurnAlong introduction to your meeting if your team is unfamiliar with this free virtual wellness platform (see description below).

Restorative

Work with BurnAlong to curate a 30 min-1 hour live restorative class such as yoga for stress relief, QiGong or  breathing meditation. If you have a specific class in mind, BurnAlong can work to match you with one of their expert instructors. Add a 15 minute BurnAlong introduction to your meeting if your team is unfamiliar with this free virtual wellness platform (see description below).

Nature of Nutrition

Work with BurnAlong to curate a 30 min-1 live hour nutrition class that may include guidance around weight management, nutrition for stress relief, better snacking for the afternoon and more. If you have a specific class in mind, BurnAlong can work to match you with one of their expert instructors.  Add a 15 minute BurnAlong introduction to your meeting if your team is unfamiliar with this free virtual wellness platform (see description below).

Introduction to Burnalong meeting (15 mins):

Add a 15 minute BurnAlong introduction to any workshop above. During this part of the event a Burnalong team member will give a basic understanding of what Burnalong is and how it works, how JHU staff can sign up for their very own Burnalong account and finally a general overview of the content and features on Burnalong. BurnAlong can do this piece at the beginning or end of the event.

Burnalong Table (1-2 hrs.):

Burnalong is also available to come onsite to set up a table in a place that is most convenient for the department ex. break room, conference room and JHU staff are welcome to stop by and get a 30 sec. breakdown for Burnalong and how they can set up their own personal account. If you and your team are unfamiliar with Burnalong please sign up for your free account here.

The below on-site fitness classes are offered in 8-week series. The department/location is responsible for reserving the appropriate location for the class.  Request these classes six weeks ahead of expected start date. The instructor will provide a waiver form on site. A minimum of 10 employees is necessary to request the class. If your department is in a building with other JH staff please consider opening to the entire building depending on space availability.

Abs, Core, and More

This class utilizes your body weight to strengthen your core muscles including your abdominals and your lower back. Get ready for a toner body and sturdier back. Participants should bring a mat to this class.

Core & Cardio 

Get your heart rate up and improve your health and tone your midsection.

HIIT

Looking to get your heart rate up, burn calories, and build strength that achieves results in 30 minutes? HIIT is for you. This interval-style class uses short bursts of heart-pumping exercises, followed by short rest periods. HIIT can help you build lean muscle, melt fat, and increase your cardiovascular fitness.

MIXXEDFIT

This dance-inspired class is a mix of explosive dancing and boot camp toning. IT is spiced up by adding boot camp-inspired exercises to make your workout more effective and challenging. Steps are repetitive and very easy to follow which means students can naturally increase their level of intensity during their workouts.

Relaxation/Meditation

Relaxation will help you relieve tension with gentle bending and twisting, accompanied by coordinated breathing. This journey will ease physical discomfort while improving mental clarity and peak performance. Let go of all your problems during this workout.

Stretch and Balance

Stretch and balance will help you improve mobility, balance and strength.

Yoga (three offerings)

• Chair Yoga -Gentle chair yoga can be practiced by almost anyone at any age. The entry-level requirement for practicing yoga in a chair is simply the ability to breathe and to sit upright in a chair while gently moving the torso and limbs.
• Restorative Yoga is known for its relaxing, calming and healing effect. It allows students to practice at a slower pace without any strain or pain. As well as being popular with students who are recovering from illness or injury, Restorative yoga is considered an ideal balance to hectic and stressful modern lifestyles.
• Hatha Yoga-In this class, postures are practiced to align, strengthen and promote flexibility in the body. You can expect an emphasis on simplicity, repetition and ease of movement. Full-body relaxation and balance are the goals as we make a full circuit of the body’s range of motion with both seated and standing postures, twists, backbends, forward folds and hip openers.

Zumba

A combination of Latin dance rhythms with cardiovascular exercise creating a fun, easy, and high-energy aerobic routine. All aspects of the body are put to good use creating a full body workout.

All About Johns Hopkins Employee Assistance Program 

Emotional distress and challenging life events can affect employees’ well-being and  their performance at work.  Johns Hopkins’ expanded employee assistance program, provides professional assistance when stress or other concerns impact faculty, staff, and their family members. JHEAP services are free and confidential and help employees address problems of daily living and enhance their emotional well-being. JHEAP also provides guidance and resources to managers so they can better support their employees. This workshop offers an overview of JHEAP’s services, which are available to JHU and JHHS faculty and staff and their family members. 

Promoting Emotional Well-Being in the Workplace  

Clinicians from the JHEAP Onsite Clinical Team will share information about the Johns Hopkins’ employee assistance program (JHEAP) and strategies for managing stress in a healthy way and for nurturing a psychologically healthy work environment. Clinicians will also explore ways that participants can manage a healthy work-life balance. After completing this session, participants will be able to 1) understand the full-range of JHEAP services; 2) recognize how promoting emotional well-being in the workplace benefits everyone; 3) identify strategies for promoting a healthy work environment and managing stress; and 4) discuss ways to manage a healthy work-life mix.  

Strategies for Managing Stress in Challenging Times 

Too much stress can leave us feeling frazzled and fatigued, whether due to events in our personal lives, changes at work, national crises, or all three. Clinicians from the JHEAP Onsite Clinical Team will discuss how Johns Hopkins’ employee assistance program (JHEAP) helps stressed employees and their family members, describe common reactions to stress, and share tools for healthy coping. After completing this session, participants will be able to 1) understand the full range of JHEAP services; 2) describe the ways stress shows up in our lives; 3) identify tools for healthy coping and thriving during challenging times.  

Visual Journaling

Join a JHEAP Clinician as they lead the team through a guided visual journaling exercise to learn new ways to reduce stress and open up about their individual experiences and emotions. A consultation is needed when scheduling the session to ensure the prompts are geared towards the pressing concerns/topic. Artistic ability is not a requirement of this session. Participants will need a piece of paper and something to write with. If a participant enjoys arts and crafts, they are free to use supplies (magazine pictures, colored pencils, etc) to make a colorful visual.

JHU Retiree Benefits 

This presentation covers the benefits university retirees are entitled to. This includes medical and dental coverage, life insurance, tuition benefits, pension and/or 403b plan, vacation/sick time, and more. 

Workshops are delivered by Johns Hopkins subject matter experts and external field experts, depending on the topic area.

Workshops are typically 60 minutes. However, they can be modified to meet the needs of your department. Workshops are delivered at a location you reserve and a time that is convenient for your department. For virtual meetings, the department is responsible for providing the speaker with a virtual link.  If an non-Hopkins vendor is conducting the workshop, the vendor will likely provide the virtual link.

Complete the registration form one month before your desired delivery date. Workshops are offered on a first-come, first-served basis and depend on our ability to coordinate the availability of speakers.

Unless otherwise indicated, there is no cost for the workshops.  If your department is requesting a specialized workshop not listed in the catalog, the department arranges the fee and processes the payment for the speaker.

You may want to contact our Learn & Grow team at Learning@JHU to take advantage of their workshops and consulting services on topics such as team building, group processes, and organizational effectiveness.