Daily News

Posted on Oct. 21: Working toward a healthy workplace

Being more active, eating healthier, and getting more quality sleep may sound like a common sense recipe for feeling better, but too often the stresses of daily life and work can cloud those good intentions. Now, an employee health and workplace wellness group spearheaded by Employee Work-Life Support Services has set out to encourage wellness and healthy lifestyles for McMaster's 5,000 employees. The Workplace Wellness Group includes representatives from various departments throughout the University. "We strive to provide a healthy and safe work environment," says Wanda McKenna, manager of Employee Work-Life Support Services. "There are a number of services available that we invite employees to take advantage of." McMaster and other large companies across Canada are putting more attention on employee wellness, on and off the job. Throughout the year the University offers regular sessions and workshops toward health promotion techniques ranging from healthy food choices to yoga. Emotional well-being is also addressed, with Employee Health Services offering workshops tackling issues such as caring for aging parents.

Posted on Oct. 20: Mysteries of life, lasers focus of lectures by two distinguished scientists

Two distinguished scientists are at McMaster this week to share their knowledge of the universe and lasers. Sir Martin Rees, one of the most distinguished astrophysicists of our time, will talk about Life in Our Universe and Others, today (Monday, Oct. 20) at 8 p.m. in Togo Salmon Hall, Room 120. His talk will examine such questions as: Is there life -- even intelligence -- beyond the Earth? How can we best look for it? What is life's long-term future, here on Earth and perhaps far beyond? Could there even be other big bangs? Rees is a professor of astronomy and cosmology at the University of Cambridge and Astronomer Royal of the United Kingdom. From 1973 until 1991, he was the Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy at Cambridge. He served for 10 years as director of Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy and was president of the Royal Astronomical Society (1992-94). Nobel prize winner and renowned physicist Bill Phillips will give a talk on campus on Tuesday, Oct. 21 entitled Almost Absolute Zero: The Story of Laser Cooling and Trapping. The talk takes place at 7:30 p.m. in University Hall, Convocation Hall. Phillips' lecture is an updated version of the Nobel lecture he gave in Stockholm in 1997 when he shared the Nobel Prize for Physics "for development of methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light." His talk is aimed at a general audience of non-scientists, but discusses some of the newest and most exciting developments in physics.

Posted on Oct. 20: Human Resources explores new payroll system

Beginning today, Human Resources and Financial Services will join in conducting a pre-contract study with DLGL to assess their integrated HRIS/payroll system. This study is the final stage in the selection process for a vendor to work with the University to implement a contemporary HRIS/payroll system. The intent of the project is to improve efficiency and effectiveness of process, maintain accurate and current employee information, ensure consistent application of business rules and policies, ensure data security and integrity and provide user-friendly self-service facilities for managers and employees. Recognizing the promise made in Refining Directions to creativity, innovation and excellence, senior administrators are committed to support and encourage this project. Karen Belaire, vice-president, administration says, "The University's mission embraces creativity, innovation and excellence. We must be able to access and use current, accurate Human Resource and payroll information to meet our strategic goals and be able to measure our success. This project can be seen as one more step in becoming the 'Employer of Choice'".