Timeout Newsletter

Browse the Timeout newsletter for information on what’s new in Wellbeing at Monash. Read about the latest Wellbeing and Monash Sport events, services and activities.

For information about latest events, special offers, discounts, and news, subscribe to the newsletter by emailing wellbeing@monash.edu

In the March edition:

• Wellbeing events and news
  
• Monash Sport news and offers
  
• TeamMONASH news
• Employee benefits and discounts

Wellbeing Events and News

Healthy recipes on the menu

Never know what to cook for dinner our make for snacks and want to learn more about how to make healthy and tasty meals and snacks for you and your family?  Well why not have a look at our healthy recipes online.

Each week we will be posting one healthy recipe on the Wellbeing at Monash Facebook page. Simply like our facebook page to keep yourself up-to-date with all our great recipes.  And, if you’ve got a healthy recipe you’d like to share, simply post your healthy recipe on our facebook page.  For the month of March, the post with the most likes will go in the draw to win a $20 Coles Myer Gift voucher, so remember to invite your colleagues to like our page and share your post and you can be a winner too!

If you don’t have facebook, don’t despair, all recipes will also be posted on our Healthy Recipes webpage.

Want to know more about how you can prevent diabetes?

Diabetes is Australia’s fastest growing chronic disease with nearly 1,000,000 Australians currently diagnosed and 280 Australians developing diabetes each day.  The good news is that up to 60% of cases can be prevented.

You can learn how to reduce your chance of developing type 2 diabetes, as well as heart disease and stroke, by attending an information session being held at the Clayton Campus.

Staff from the Occupational Health and Wellbeing team, together with an expert from Diabetes Victoria, will talk about what diabetes is, symptoms and complications of diabetes, risk factors linked to type 2 diabetes and how to prevent  type 2 diabetes.

The session will be held on Tuesday 8th April at 12pm.  Click here to register.

Walk the Block

Thursday, 20th of March is Walk the Block.

Walk the Block is a state wide initiative aimed at encourage people to leave their desks and get on their feet and walking.

To participate in Walk the Block, simply get your colleagues together and register your team.  Maps of the different walks on campus can be found here

As an added incentive, you can win some great prizes by registering your team.  There are three ways to win:

1. By registering for the walk, you are placed into the draw to win one of two weekly $50 Coles Myer vouchers
2. Take a picture whilst walking on the 20th of March and the best photo wins $100 and $500 voucher
3. Map you walk on www.walkingmaps.com.au and the best map wins a $350 Coles Myer voucher

Click here for more information on Walk the Block

Ride 2 Uni, Wednesday 19 March

In order to celebrate the national ‘Ride 2 Uni’ day on Wednesday, March 19, 2014, Monash will be having its own ride-to-Monash celebration. Two events will be held:

• Bike Arrival Station at Clayton campus from 8 – 10am
• Central Common at Caulfield campus from 8 – 10am

There’s no need to register, just swing by on your way to uni with your bike or helmet for some free treats including fruit, muffins, puncture repair kits and water bottles.

Want to get fit at Caulfield or Peninsula?

If you’re at our Caulfield or Peninsula* campuses, why not grab your colleagues and get fit!

The Staff Wellbeing and Activity Program (SWAP)  is currently offering 8 week pilates and yoga programs at both Caulfield and Peninsula campuses. Its a simple process to join, just register and pay, and you could be on your way to getting fit and feeling great.

Remember to check though if  your faculty or department has organised a separate program for your area.

Click here for further information.

* Programs are currently also being organised at the Berwick Campus

Mindfulness for wellbeing, resilience and performance

For staff:

Register to take part in a 3.5 hour Mindfulness Workshop through. The workshop will explore:

1. the science, principles and practice of mindfulness
2. its applications in areas including wellbeing, mental health, and resilience
3. its role in leadership development
4. the capacity of mindfulness to enhance information processing, decision making and performance.

Workshops are available in April, July, September and November. Register online.

For Supervisors:

Supervisors are encouraged to take part in this 3.5 hour program which in addition to the above 4 points, also looks at what you can do as supervisors, to assist in the embedding of the mindfulness practice.

The mindfulness program for supervisors is available online.

Expert nutrition advice at a great price!

Private individual nutrition consultations are now available with an experienced and qualified Accredited Practising Dietitian at highly discounted rates for staff, friends and family of Monash University.  The sessions are run by the Monash Nutrition Clinic is part of the Human Base (Be Active Sleep & Eat) Facility, in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Science at Monash University.

No referral is necessary to see the dietitian, and Medicare rebates only with an Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) Pathway are available for chronic illnesses from your GP), private health insurance and DVA rebates are available.

Appointments to see the dietitian are currently being taken for Thursday afternoons. All nutrition consultations are with a fully qualified and experienced Accredited Practising Dietitian. The clinic also delivers structured and supervised training for student dietitians, and at times, you may be asked if a student could be present during your consultation. This service is offered at a discounted rate to promote community wellness and student education. The cost is $60 for your first assessment and $40 for a review session.  To make an appointment, call 99024298 or email nutrition.dietetics@monash.edu

10 Steps to add more movement to your workday.

1. Walk or bike to work once a week.

2. Don’t park your car in the spot closest to the front door. Instead, find the parking stall farthest away. (Of course, take security into consideration.)

3. Take the stairs, not the elevators

4. Stop emailing! Get up and walk to a colleague’s desk to speak to them.

5. Walk 15 minutes before work. (That’s 7 minutes in one direction, and then turn around.)

6. Walk 15 minutes to find a nice spot like a park or garden to have your lunch.

7. Consider taking the bus or train at least once a week. Walking to and from a bus or train stop could be a nice way to break up the routine and its great for the environment too!

8. Wear your pedometer so that you know how many steps you’re doing a day

9.  Have walk-and-talk meetings.

10. Start a walking club. twice or three times a week, and go for a walk.  If you can’t do it at lunch time, then arrange to meet before or after work

Do you cycle to work or run/walk regularly at lunchtime?

The University Wellbeing KPI aims to achieve 30% participation in wellbeing events and programs.

Staff who regularly participate in a wellbeing related activity during their work day can now log their participation in a database to help contribute to their Faculty/Division Wellbeing KPI.

Regularly is defined as at least once per week, for a minimum of 30 minutes during your work day (Monday to Friday).

Log your participation in the Wellbeing KPI form.

‘Like’ Wellbeing at Monash on Facebook

You can be a WINNER!

From the 12th to 26th March, Wellbeing at Monash is running a promotion and you can win a $20 Coles Myer Gift Voucher.

Want to know how?

1. Like our Facebook Page – Wellbeing at Monash

2. Post your favourite recipes and the post with the most likes will go in the draw to win a Coles Myer Gift Voucher.

There are two vouchers to be won.    So remember invite your colleagues to like our page and share your post and you can be a winner too!  Good Luck!

Congratulations to last month’s winners Paul Ramadge and Anna Scott.

Order a delicious fruit box for your next staff meeting or event

At Monash we encourage staff to make the healthy choice when providing food for staff meetings and events. Why not try a delicious box of fruit at your next meeting and event?

FruitAddicts offers Monash departments an excellent fresh box of fruit, with free delivery to Monash campuses and 10% discount off the following prices –

Box of 30 fruit pieces $24
Box of 45 fruit pieces $34
Box of 60 fruit pieces $44

To order contact Steve at FruitAddicts or phone 1300 438 378 and quote ‘Monash Wellbeing’. Payment can be made via cheque, credit card or monthly invoicing.

You can order these and find many more suggestions in our Health Smart Healthy Catering brochure or the Catering How To Buy Guide.

Do you wear glasses? Monash eye glasses collection

Do you have old eye glasses sitting in your desk draw? Wellbeing @ Monash is now collecting used eye glasses for the Lions Recycle For Sight Program.

Send your unwanted eye glasses via internal mail to Wellbeing @ Monash – OHS, Building 40P, Clayton

Monash Sport news and offers

Live Well with Monash Sport

Become a member with Monash Sport and receive four free weeks FREE off your membership!

Friday 11 April is your final day to get four free weeks of a health and fitness  membership with Monash Sport when you sign up online for a direct debit membership.

Monash staff who sign up via direct debit online for a health and fitness membership  at the Caulfield, Clayton or Peninsula campuses by 11 April 2014 will get their first four weeks of membership for free.

Balance your workload and maintain your health and fitness by becoming a member at Monash Sport. Dedicating as little as three hours per week to your physical health can have real impact on your overall wellbeing, and help you achieve your balance at Monash.

Monash Sport memberships offer:
•    Free health assessment with unlimited reviews
•    Free exercise program design and unlimited reviews
•    Free fitness testing sessions
Free Monash Sport member towel
•    Discounted Monash rates
•    Access to tjhree on-campus health & fitness centres
•    Genuine one-on-one service

If you are a new member, Monash Sport’s qualified fitness instructors will help you carve out a pathway to achieve successful training results. If you have a higher level of fitness and want to achieve an even greater level, our health and fitness instructors will be able to meet your needs as well.

Monash University staff rates are available to all current Monash University staff, and require a staff authentication. Please note that online memberships are only available for Direct Debit memberships.

Find out more on the Monash Sport intranet.

Get Active Week at Monash Sport

Monash Sport will look after your health and wellbeing during our Get Active Week with FREE activities, classes and events.  Get Active Week will run during week 6 at Clayton (7 – 11 April!).

With events being held every day during the week, Get Active Week is here to help all Monash University staff and students get moving and get motivated – get involved today!

The events happening daily differ from campus to campus.  Look out for when we open our Health and Fitness facilities and Doug Ellis Pool for FREE entry.  There will also be numerous chances to participate in FREE play – tennis, badminton, squash and more!  There are also many FREE group fitness classes to try, ranging from Zumba toTHT to Swim Fit – there is something for everyone to enjoy during Get Active Week.

Check out what is happening Clayton.

Exercise tip of the month – compound exercises

Compound exercises are multi joint exercises that work more than one muscle group at a time.

There are a number of benefits of including compound movements in your program including increased calorie expenditure, increased joint stability and improved sports conditioning. As well this compound exercises can also have a cardiovascular benefit by keeping the heart rate elevated for longer periods of time compared to other types of resistance training such as isolation exercises.

There are a number of different compound exercises that can benefit beginners all the way through to advanced levels of fitness. Some exercise examples for beginners may include dumbbell squats, chest press and assisted chin ups. While for advanced levels of fitness exercises such as bench press, kettelbell swings and dead lifts are all good forms of compound exercises.

For more information on the benefits of compound exercises please see a health and fitness instructor.

Why am I Hungrier in the Winter?

In the cooler Autumn and Winter months when the temperature drops, your body temperature can drop also which can stimulate your appetite and hunger.

Thermogenisis is a term to describe food’s overall warming effect on the body. Somewhere between 30 to 60 minutes after you eat, your body will generate about 10 percent more heat than when you have an empty stomach.

This increased metabolism stems primarily from energy released during digestion. In short eating not only provides fuel but also increases heat production (warmth).

Eat up, exercise and keep warm.

TeamMONASH news

Participate in the annual Mother’s Day Classic event!

The annual event is being held Sunday, 11 May 2014 – get involved by registering to compete or putting your hand up to volunteer!

The Mother’s Day Classic is the biggest community fundraising event for breast cancer in Australia. With over 80,000 people participating nationally, this walk/run event gives people the chance to make a real difference to the lives of those diagnosed with breast cancer.

Participants who are a part of TeamMONASH™ can select to compete in either the 4km run or 4km walk, or the 8km run or 8km walk.

Be a part of a great day and a great cause and wear the TeamMONASH blue!

For enquiries about TeamMONASH™ or this event, please contact: participants@monash.edu or +61 3 9905 8823

Employee benefits and discounts

Monash staff have access to a great range of employee benefits and discounts including accommodation, travel, travel insurance, airport parking and car hire and plenty more. Read more information in the range of employee benefits and staff discounts

Medibank joins Monash employee benefits program

Medibank has partnered with Monash University to create a special corporate arrangement on health cover for you as a part of the Monash employee benefits program.  Here are some of the benefits you can look forward to when you join Medibank Corporate hospital and extras:

• An ongoing 8.3% discount – that’s like getting one month of cover free each year*
• Discount applies to new and existing Medibank members but is based on premiums of equivalent and eligible Medibank retail covers and applies for the life of your corporate cover.
• Tailored packages for every stage of life
• No hospital excess for kids on family memberships+
• 100% back on optical items at optical retailers, up to your annual limits#
• Medibank hospital cover includes access to a range of health support services, including a 24/7 health advice line.

As a part of the launch programme, If you don’t already have Medibank health cover, simply get a quote for Medibank Corporate hospital and extras cover between 1 and 31 March 2014 and we’ll enter you in the draw to be one of 12 winners of a $400 Coles gift card to spend on fresh fruit and vegetables.

Plus join Medibank Corporate hospital and extras cover between 1 and 31 March 2014 and on top of your ongoing 8.3% discount you can get a $100 Coles gift card for Single memberships and a $200 Coles gift card for couple/family memberships3, a special offer for Monash Uni Employees.

Get a quote or join by booking a face to face cover review by clicking here or by calling 131 680.  Don’t forget to mention this offer when you get a quote.

Medibank will be available at Clayton and Caulfield Campuses as follows:

Clayton Campus: 19th, 20th, 24th and 25th March from 9am to 4pm  in the foyer of the campus centre, ground floor Building 10, Clayton Campus

Caulfield Campus: 24th and 25th March from 9am to 4pm (24th Kiosk and 25th Appointments) in the foyer of H Building at Caulfield opposite H125 and 126

Note: Waiting periods apply including 12 months for pre-existing conditions. Waiting periods do not apply if the member has already served those for the same level of cover with another fund.
* Discount based on premiums of equivalent and eligible Medibank retail covers and applies for the life of your corporate cover. Over 12 months, the 8.3% discount is worth approximately 1 month of equivalent retail cover.
+ With Corporate hospital cover. Other out-of-pocket expenses may apply.
# With Corporate extras and package cover excluding For Everyday Starter package

Join the Travel club

Introducing Travel Club, the newest addition to Monash University Employee Benefit’s Program.

Travel Club is a private leisure club which gives you access to amazing holiday deals and discounts to destinations all over the world. Backed by the global Flight Centre Travel Group, Travel Club offers Monash University staff access to the best deals together with a dedicated, highly experienced consultant.

As a member of Travel Club you will have access to specially negotiated holidays, products and services tailor-made for you.

And, as a bonus, all Monash University staff who register will receive a $50 gift voucher upfront, and one every year after that, to put toward their next holiday*. With Travel Club’s “Price Promise” you can be sure you’re getting the very best price, Travel club will beat any available quote you find*, that’s how committed they are to ensuring you have the best value experience every time you travel.

So register today and start planning your next trip.

*Terms and Conditions apply.

Up to 50% off Peppers and Mantra Resorts

Staff have access to the exclusive Departure Lounge with discounted rates at selected Peppers, Mantra and BreakFree properties throughout Australia, Bali and New Zealand.

Download the March specials here . See the flyer for travel dates and specials.

To book visit Departure Lounge and enter the password: monashstaff Rates are best when searching for 3 night+ stays.

Bank Benefits

As a Monash employee you can now access a range of banking and financial benefits including competitive rates on home lending and other NAB financial products, discounted movie tickets, computers, travel, shopping and much more from a range of top brands.

Benefits include:

For more information about the NAB@work program visit the Monash eployee benefits and discounts webpage

10% off Rydges, Art Series and QT Hotels & Resorts

Enter the Monash Corporate ID at 40 Rydges, Art Series and QT Hotels & Resorts in Australia, New Zealand and the UK and receive:

• 10% off all your accommodation bookings
• Best rates online guaranteed

To start saving:

1. Visit any of the hotel websites and select your preferred location and stay dates
2. Enter the Monash Corporate ID: PC102298 in the text box and save 10% off the best rates

BUPA health insurance staff discount

Bupa provides staff access to the Monash Corporate Health Insurance Plan, with:

• A suite of health cover options not available to the general public
• Competitive premiums
• No GAP optical packages
  • No GAP physio and dental for kids
  • Switching from another fund is easy

• A single room or your money back # conditions apply
• Your premiums paid through direct debit/credit card*

For pricing and detailed information:

Visit the BUPA Corporate webpage:

• Username: monashuni
• Password: healthplan

Or see Cover for Corporate (pdf 3Mb), for more information about benefits see the Corporate Benefits Guide (pdf 388kb).

Special offer March 2014: Take out hospital and extras cover under your Monash University corporate health plan and choose from a New Balance, Bupa Optical or Trek/Bontrager voucher.  Conditions apply.

For pricing and detailed information see staff benefits and discounts.

Travelling soon? Discounted Virgin and Qantas lounge access

Sign up for a discounted airport lounge membership for Qantas and Virgin and enjoy the benefits!

Qantas Club memberships offer heavily discounted rates that can be salary sacrificed; pricing: $316 (one year) or $560.89 (two years) plus $230.00 joining fee.

Virgin Australia lounge corporate memberships offer a special price of $200 per year with a $100 joining fee.

Visit Airport Lounge discounts for more information.

Other discounts available to staff

• Andrew’s Airport Parking – 20% discount for staff, 15% for family
• Avis car hire – reduced excess and 3rd day of weekend rentals free
• Aussie Farmers Direct – first order discount
• Blink Optical – 20% off sunglasses and lenses
• BMW & Mini Corporate Program – complimentary scheduled servicing for 4 years / 60,000km, use of a BMW during scheduled servicing, xorporate pricing, reduced dealer delivery charges
• Convenient Kitchen home delivery meals
• Dell – up to 15% discount
• Lite n’ Easy – 7 day meal pack discount
• Magazine subscriptions – 10% off
• Monash Commuter Club, 10% discount on Myki
• Parkville Carlton Football Club Cafe
• Travel insurance – special rates for staff

Visit employee benefits and discounts for staff for more information

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