The Employee Education Program (EEP) is a popular benefit made available to eligible UF faculty and staff. The program covers the matriculation fees of up to six credit hours of covered college-level courses for eligible employees. To better inform employees of the procedures and paperwork associated with participating in the EEP, the Office of Human Resource Services, in collaboration with the Registrar’s Office, will provide two short information sessions on Thursday, July 27, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in Room 316 Stadium West and on July 31, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in Room 316 Stadium West.

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Spaces available for Fall GED classes

If you’ve ever considered completing your high school education, UF’s GED program can help you! The program has enabled more than 20 UF employees to graduate over the past three years.

The fall schedule of classes for the University of Florida’s GED program begins in mid-August. The GED classes are taught by a licensed instructor and meet two mornings a week for a total of four hours per week. GED participants work at their own pace to best meet their learning needs in the areas of math, science, reading, writing, and social studies. There is no cost to attend GED classes, and the time spent in class is considered time worked.

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Register today for free summer seminar: Managing from the Inside Out

Research indicates that the number one reason why employees leave their jobs is because of their managers. Don’t let that happen to you!

Do you want to sharpen your managerial skills?  Want to gain new tools to help move your team forward?  Are you ready to find new ways to hire the best people, retain them, and motivate them to move UF into the “top 10?”

If so, take advantage of this free summer seminar!

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Achieve… skills, knowledge, leadership: Registration for fall training opens August 7

Registration for the fall training schedule opens August 7 at www.hr.ufl.edu/training. Look for workshops on a variety of topics, such supervisory skills, project management, business communication, and “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Computer software training and myUFL courses—plus several new initiatives—also will be available, including:

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A workers’ compensation alert: Hot weather can cause health emergencies

Even short periods of exposure to high temperatures can cause serious health problems. Doing too much on a hot day, spending too much time in the sun, or staying too long in an overheated place can cause heat-related illnesses. The UF Workers’ Compensation Office wants you to know the symptoms of heat disorders and overexposure to the sun and be prepared to give first aid treatment.

Heat Stroke
Heat stroke occurs when the body is unable to regulate its temperature. The body's temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. Body temperature may rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes.Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided.

Signs of heat stroke vary, but may include the following:

• An extremely high body temperature (above 103°F, orally)
• Red, hot, and dry skin (no sweating)
• Rapid, strong pulse
• Throbbing headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Confusion
• Unconsciousness

If you see any of these signs, you may be dealing with a life-threatening emergency. Have someone call for immediate medical assistance while you begin cooling the victim. Do the following:

• Get the victim to a shady area
• Cool the victim rapidly using whatever methods you can. For example, immerse the victim in a tub of cool water, place the person in a cool shower, spray the victim with cool water from a garden hose, sponge the person with cool water, or if the humidity is low, wrap the victim in a cool, wet sheet and fan him or her vigorously.
• Monitor body temperature, and continue cooling efforts until body temperature drops to 101-102°F
• If emergency medical personnel are delayed, call the hospital emergency room for further instructions
• Do not give the victim fluids to drink
• Get medical assistance as soon as possible

Sometimes a victim's muscles will begin to twitch uncontrollably as a result of heat stroke. If this happens, keep the victim from injuring him/herself, but do not place any object in the mouth and do not give fluids. If there is vomiting, make sure the airway remains open by turning the victim on his or her side.

Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion is a milder heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids. It is the body's response to an excessive loss of the water and salt contained in sweat. Those most prone to heat exhaustion are elderly people, people with high blood pressure, and people working or exercising in a hot environment.

Signs of heat exhaustion include the following:

• Heavy sweating
• Paleness
• Muscle cramps
• Tiredness
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Nausea or vomiting
• Fainting
• Skin may be cool and moist.
• Pulse rate will be fast and weak
• Breathing will be fast and shallow.
• If heat exhaustion is untreated, it may progress to heat stroke

Seek medical attention immediately if symptoms are severe and/or the victim has heart problems or high blood pressure. Otherwise, help the victim to cool off, and seek medical attention if symptoms worsen or last longer than one hour.

Cooling measures that may be effective include the following:

• Cool, nonalcoholic beverages, as directed by your physician
• Rest
• Cool shower, bath, or sponge bath
• An air-conditioned environment
• Lightweight clothing

Heat Cramps
Heat cramps usually affect people who sweat a lot during strenuous activity. This sweating depletes the body's salt and moisture. The low salt level in the muscles causes painful cramps. Heat cramps may also be a symptom of heat exhaustion.

Recognizing Heat Cramps
Heat cramps are muscle pains or spasms — usually in the abdomen, arms, or legs — that may occur in association with strenuous activity. If you have heart problems or are on a low-sodium diet, get medical attention for heat cramps.

If medical attention is not necessary, take these steps:

• Stop all activity, and sit quietly in a cool place
• Drink clear juice or a sports beverage
• Do not return to strenuous activity for a few hours after the cramps subside because further exertion may lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke
• Seek medical attention for heat cramps if they do not subside in one hour

Sunburn
Sunburn should be avoided because it damages the skin. Although the discomfort is usually minor and healing often occurs in about a week, a severe sunburn may require medical attention.

Remember these tips when treating sunburn:

• Avoid repeated sun exposure
• Apply cold compresses or immerse the sunburned area in cool water
• Apply moisturizing lotion to affected areas
• Do not use salve, butter, or ointment
• Do not break blisters

This information is courtesy of the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Please visit their web site for additional information.

The university’s policy for heat stress can be found on Environmental Health & Safety’s web site.

Payroll deadline schedule for Fellowships

Fellowship appointments are processed by the HR Academic Personnel Office.  In an effort to ensure that all Fellowships are paid on a timely basis, a payroll deadline schedule has been established to indicate the dates the Fellowship appointments are due to the Academic Personnel Office.  This payroll deadline schedule is located at: www.aa.ufl.edu/aa/aapers/2006-2007/fellowship_payroll_schedule2006-2007.pdf

Questions?  Please contact Janet Malphurs, Academic Personnel Office, at 392-1251 or e-mail at jmmalph@ufl.edu