UK Office of Work-Life Seeks to Support Employees Year-Round

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 23, 2017) — October is National Work and Family Month, but the University of Kentucky Human Resources Office of Work-Life supports UK faculty and staff year-round.

“UK is committed to the overall well-being of its employees and is aware that life circumstances impact daily work engagement and contributions,” said Azetta Beatty, human resources manager of Work-Life.

The UK Office of Work-Life offers a variety of services, resources and consultations on everyday topics that impact the lives of our UK employees. These include:

Parenting Resources

• Little Cats Guide: Provides information for UK employees who will soon be welcoming a child. It includes things to do to prepare for time away from work, help with finding child care and information on child care centers near UK. The guide also includes information about understanding family medical leave and answers some of the most frequently asked questions.
• Lactation in the Workplace: UK has breastfeeding and lactation guidelines in place to encourage and support mothers in the workplace. There are more than 10 dedicated lactation spaces on and off campus.
• Big Blue Family Care (BBFC) and Back-Up Care Solutions: BBFC connects UK families in need of child care with UK students who are able to provide occasional care including after school, nights and weekends. It also connects parents with child care centers offering drop-in and year-round care as well as camps offered during school breaks and closings.
• UK Summer Camps Fair: This on-campus event held every spring helps parents learn about summer camp opportunities. Nearly 40 camps participate in this fair each year. The next one will be held on March 23, 2018, at the Hilary J. Boone Center.

Flexible Work Options: Provides consultations and resources to assist eligible employees who are seeking a flexible work option such as flex work, telework, compressed work week or reduced seasonal hours.

Work+Life Connections Counseling: A voluntary, confidential benefit that offers five free sessions with a licensed and certified therapist. All faculty, regular staff (FTE 0.50 or greater), spouses, sponsored dependents, unmarried children up to the age of 26 (or older if disabled before the age of 26) and UK retirees are eligible.

Elder Care Services: Offers support and resources to UK faculty and staff, retirees and sponsored dependents who are navigating issues involved in caring for an elderly loved one. In addition, the Work-Life office is able to assist employees with locating resources for relatives who do not live in Kentucky.

• In the Know Newsletter: A great way to stay up to date on elder care related events and news at UK and in the community.
• Lunch and Learns: Events held throughout the year featuring topics such as caring for someone with dementia, financial planning and other elder care related issues.
• UK Elder Care Senior Resource Fair: An opportunity for UK faculty, staff, students and retirees to meet with a variety of community agencies that provide valuable caregiving resources. This year’s fair, on Friday, Nov. 10, at the Hilary J. Boone Center, will feature 40 exhibitors and a half-day dementia care workshop, “Seeing It from the Other Side.”  

For more information about the Office of Work-Life, visit www.uky.edu/hr/work-life.