Wellness

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Wellness

The Montgomery College wellness program offers several types of benefits. They include fitness opportunities on campus, off-campus gym memberships, weight management and a faculty assistance program.

The on-campus wellness programs are free; you just need to register by logging on to MC Learns and choosing Personal Development. Your spouse can also join the wellness program, but children may not.

Registration is available before each semester and gives you access to on-campus fitness centers as well as fitness classes. Once a year you need to sign a waiver and return it to India Hunter, Wellness Coordinator.

You can learn more about individual classes through the wellness class descriptions. Schedules are available for each campus:

Germantown (PDF, )
Rockville (PDF, )
Takoma Park/Silver Spring (PDF, )

To help you meet your fitness goals, the College will grant staff up to 1½ hours per week to participate in wellness activities. There are some rules that go with this benefit:

You must complete a Staff Request for Wellness Activities Form and have it approved by your supervisor. You then keep the form; it does not need to be sent to the Wellness Coordinator
The time you take as wellness leave cannot exceed the time you personally contribute. For instance, you can use your lunch hour and break time for fitness, but need a half hour of wellness time to get to and from the activity.

If you find a wellness trainer you like, you are allowed to hire them as your personal trainer. However, the training will be outside the College, and you will be responsible for setting the terms and paying the individual. Campus facilities can not be used for personal training.

The College offers and Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides funds for gym memberships outside the college.

There are some guidelines and policies you should be aware of:

EAP funds up to $35 may be used to pay the monthly membership fee to a monthly, multi-faceted, off-site fitness facility.
Studio classes or recreation programs are not eligible. For example yoga studios and personal trainers are not eligible.
You must attend at least 10 times per calendar month on ten separate days in order to be reimbursed for your membership.
You pay the gym, then apply for reimbursement. In order for you to be reimbursed under EAP, you need to have the fitness center provide you with a computer generated record of attendance, which specifies the dates you used the facility. We can’t accept hand-written records.
Here’s the EAP form for reimbursement. When you have all of the information, including proof you paid the gym, send it to India Hunter in HRSTM, Central Services Building. Her phone number is 240-567-9145, if you have questions. We can’t accept emailed requests for reimbursement.

Lifetime Fitness has an offer for MC employees you may want to consider.

A tip: Make sure there is enough money in the EAP account to cover your gym membership. You can contact India Hunter to determine if the college fund still has money available, and, if so, how much is still available to you.

To help you plan, you should know EAP funds are allocated on a fiscal year basis, not on the calendar year. EAP funds are available until exhausted, whether you have reached your personal EAP maximum allotment or not.

Weight Watchers at Work

Congratulations on making a commitment to your health and well-being! The college wants to help you succeed, so you can use Employee Assistance Program (EAP) funds to be reimbursed for your participation in Weight Watchers at Work.

There are some policies you should know about to get the most out of the program:

To be reimbursed under EAP, you must attend at least nine of the 12 Weight Watchers meetings offered on campus in a single session. If you can't make it to a meeting on your usual campus, you can attend a meeting on another campus.
Your attendance each week must be recorded in your “Membership Book” which must be stamped by the Weight Watcher’s Leader when you attend the meeting on campus.
When you’re ready to apply for reimbursement, you’ll need:

An EAP form signed by your supervisor.
Proof of attendance at 3 sessions per month in your Weight Watchers membership book. You can block out the part that records your weight; we just need proof of attendance.
Proof of payment. You have three options here:

You can provide a “canceled check (front and back) and a copy of the attached “Weight Watchers At Work Member Log” with Payment Type circled and signed by your Weight Watchers Leader, OR
A credit card statement indicating payment made to Weight Watchers and a copy of the “Weight Watchers At Work Member Log” with Payment Type circled and signed by your Weight Watchers Leader, OR
If you pay your weekly fee by cash, a copy of the “Weight Watchers At Work Member Log” with Payment Type circled and signed by your Weight Watchers Leader.

Send all of the documents to India Hunter in the Human Resources and Strategic Talent Management office.

Good Luck with the Program. Let’s get healthy and reach our goal weight together.

Balancing the demands of work and personal life can be challenging. That’s why the College provides the Faculty/Staff Assistance Program (FSAP), a confidential service. Help is provided through ComPsych, which provides comprehensive services to support you in meeting your personal, family, and work challenges.

Provided as a free benefit, the FSAP is staffed by experienced, Masters-level professionals. You can visit their website for further information, but here is a quick summary of the kinds of things FSAP can help with:

Stress
Feelings of sadness or anxiety
Marital concerns
Family pressures (children, teens, older relatives, etc.)
Relationship issues
Financial difficulties
Bereavement
Alcohol and/or drug problems

All information regarding your participation in the program is confidential except as governed by state and federal laws. Some laws require reporting in circumstances such as: if your condition makes you a threat to yourself or others; or there is suspected child, elder, or spousal abuse.

To use the free and confidential service, simply call ComPsych at any time. A team of professionals is available to answer your call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The number to call is 1-844-236-2668. If you are hearing impaired, the number is 1-800-697-0353.

When you contact ComPsych, please use Company ID: MCC

Forms

Next Generation Wellness Enrollment Forms
EAP Form (PDF, )
Staff Request for Time Off for Wellness Activities (PDF, )

Resources

EAP Checklist (PDF, )

Smoking Cessation

Web Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I join the wellness program?

Learn how to register online

Online registration must be completed, even if you completed manual paperwork. Registration is available before each semester. Once a year the employee must sign a waiver and return it to India Hunter, Wellness Coordinator. Please register by campus, Wellness registration will cover classes and fitness center access. If you utilize more than one campus, please register for each.

To register:
   •   Log into MC Learns: (MYMC, Training and Professional Development, MC Learns)
   •   Schedule of Classes & Events > Personal Development > Wellness for particular campus
   •   Keep Staff/Faculty Request form signed by your supervisor for your records

Can my spouse and children join the wellness program?

Yes and no.

Upon completing the registration/waiver form, your spouse may participate in the Wellness Program. Children may not participate in the Wellness Program

I hear the College allows time for wellness activities. How does that work?

MC allows up o 1 1/2 hours a week for wellness activities.

Staff are encouraged to participate in wellness activities a minimum of three days a week. A maximum of 1-1/2 hours of duty time per week can be approved for these activities. You must complete a Staff Request for Wellness Activities Form that must be approved by your supervisor in order to utilize “release time” for wellness activities.

Staff who wish to request time to participate in wellness activities must match non-duty time with duty time. No more than one-half of the total wellness time may be released time; employees may use as much of their non-duty time as practical. Time for wellness activities must not exceed one hour at a time including time needed to get to and from the activity and time to change clothes.

Can I hire one of the wellness staff as my own personal trainer?

Yes, as long as you meet certain conditions.

Yes, you can hire one of the wellness staff as your own personal trainer outside the college campus. You will be responsible for the terms and payment of this individual and you enter into this agreement at your own risk. Please note, campus facilities may not be used for your training.