Welcome back Berkeley Community!
Before our lives get fully scheduled with the return of students and all the things we do to support other people, I’d like each of us to take a moment to think about ourselves. We‘re so committed and dedicated to the mission of the University that we often forget to take care of ourselves and deprioritize our own well-being.
I want to challenge each of us to do something for ourselves this semester:
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make time in your schedule for lunch (not a working lunch!) or coffee with a colleague,
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take a walk in the middle of the day to clear your mind and enjoy our beautiful campus or the Botanical Gardens,
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try saying, “no, I can’t,” the next time you’re just too busy to take on more work,
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sign up for one of the many opportunities right here on campus sponsored by Be Well at Work
For those of us who manage other people, we have a special responsibility to help our employees Be Well at Work, and this is more than just asking how someone is doing. In addition to supporting our employees who might want to do one of the things suggested above, there are other simple things we can do. For example, when an employee says that they are too busy to do more work, believe them. Even better, next time when you want to ask someone to take on more work, ask them first if they can, or ask them how much time they might need before you set the deadline. These are just a couple of examples of the many things we can do to improve the experience of our employees, and model a healthy workplace culture. At the same time, however, we cannot forget the equally important task of taking care of ourselves.< /p>
Enjoy the long weekend!
Eugene
Eugene Whitlock, Chief People & Culture Officer
If you are a manager who supervises UC Berkeley employees without email access, please circulate this information to all.
