Workplace Health & Safety

Seven Simple Fitness Tips for the New Year

Exercise is good for you, and its benefits range from preventing illness to reducing weight to making you feel better about yourself. Here are seven suggestions for starting and sticking with an effective health and fitness plan.

1. Start small. One of the reasons it's difficult to stick to New Year's resolutions is because we generally bite off more than we can chew. When you are trying to exercise every day, and cut out sweets, and eat more vegetables, and drink more water ... it can become daunting. Try choosing one goal to work on for the month of January, and allow yourself to concentrate on that goal. Then choose a different goal for February. This is more realistic and makes it easier to be successful. Remember, you have 12 months to work toward your goal; you don't have to achieve everything in 12 days.

2. Get a coach. A qualified personal fitness trainer will not only get you on a realistic fitness program, he or she also can ensure you don't get hurt and you reach your goals. If money is tight, you don't have to see a personal trainer every day or even every week. You can hire a personal trainer to simply check in with you every few weeks. This makes it more affordable, and also ensures that your workout routine stays interesting and gets results. To find a qualified and experienced trainer near you, go to the Personal Trainer Locator found on www.IDEAfit.com.

3. Bend, reach, play, push, pull, squat. One of the best ways to help control your weight is to make sure you include more activity during the day. Try getting in and our of your chair (chair squats) 10 times every time the phone rings, or take all your phone calls while pacing your office (instead of sitting down), or set your watch alarm to remind you to do a set of toe touches every 30 minutes. Taking the stairs (instead of the elevator) or wrestling with your kinds (or dog) burns more calories than you might imagine. It all adds up. The people who have the easiest time managing their weight often are not the most avid exercisers, but simply the most active during the day.

4. Sleep. Most people don't get enough sleep each night, which makes it much more difficult to keep active during the day. A good night's sleep can do wonders to help keep you energized and on your toes. It also will help give you the energy you need at night to take that 10-minute walk after dinner that always seems so difficult to do when you're sleepy.

5. Find a partner and take a class. Research has shown that people who have a friend or partner to work out with often are more likely to stick to their fitness programs. So, find a partner whom you enjoy spending time with, and sign up for a dance class, yoga class or weight-training class. Not only will you enjoy the company, you will get into a routine with other people with similar goals. Classes can make exercise fun and help make a workout seem shorter than it really is. Remember, classes don't necessarily have to be gym workouts. Some of the best classes cal be found at your local recreation or community center or church.

6. Don't buy into the "magic pill." The first three months of the year will be full of images and promises of fast weight-loss pills, programs and workouts. Don't buy into it. Lifelong weight control and successful exercise are not about producing instant results, but rather incorporating healthy habits over time. Be patient with yourself, and remember there is no quick fix to health and fitness. It is a lifestyle that must be realistic for you if you want to stick to it forever.

7. Drink water. Water will help keep you feeling energized, help control your appetite and do wonders for your skin and body before, during and after you work out. Try filling a big bottle with water in the morning, and carry it with you throughout the day. Do your best to finish the entire bottle before you go to bed, and keep track of how much water you drink each day. The more water your drink, the more you will want to drink.

Source: Vitality on Demand

Policy Spotlight

The Administrative/Staff Handbook can be found here or on the "V" drive at: V:\PUBLIC\HR\HANDBOOK

Whistleblower Policy

Purpose:

California Lutheran University is committed to the highest standards of financial and professional conduct.  This policy is designed to enable all of the University’s faculty, staff and administration to report concerns about possible financial misconduct or violations of laws with reassurance that they will be protected from retaliation for acting in good faith.  Reports of financial misconduct would address such issues as accounting discrepancies, fraud or questionable accounting and internal controls, accounting misrepresentations, auditing matters, accounting omissions, misappropriation of grant funds, kickbacks, theft of college assets or use of such assets for personal benefit,  falsification of time records and other illegal or unethical business practices.

Policy:

All reports of suspected financial misconduct by California Lutheran University employees or Regents shall be made confidentially and directly to the Chair of the Audit Committee of the Board of Regents through the University’s Campus Conduct Hotline at (866) 943-5787.  The Chair of the Audit Committee shall oversee the receipt, retention and resolution of such reports and will work with the Administration and outside advisors to ensure that these reports receive the appropriate attention. Any employee ultimately found to have engaged in financial misconduct or other illegal activity is subject to disciplinary action by the University, which may include dismissal as well as prosecution by appropriate law enforcement authorities.

The protection of employees who submit reports of suspected financial or other misconduct is an important part of this policy, as is maintenance of the confidentiality, objectivity and independence necessary to resolve complaints appropriately. The Chair of the Audit Committee and the Administration share responsibility for maintaining these features of the policy, although, depending on the nature of the discipline or the actions of law enforcement agencies, this confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.

It is a violation of this policy to knowingly make fraudulent allegations of financial

misconduct with the intent to cause harm to another individual. Those making such

allegations are also subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Procedure:

Since confidentiality is an important part of this policy, the University has contracted with an outside reporting service called the Campus Conduct Hotline which is managed by EIIA (Educational and Institutional Insurance Administrators, Inc.) to facilitate the transmission of reports of financial misconduct or other illegal activity to the Chair of the Audit Committee of the Board of Regents.  Reports may be made by accessing the website ( www.CampusConduct.com)  or by calling the toll-free number (866) 943-5787. Both methods are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Upon submission, the reporting party is provided with a confidential access number and is asked to generate a

personal password that provides access to the status of the report and/or to the Chair of the Audit Committee. The report should contain as much detailed information about the incident(s) as possible in order to facilitate an efficient and thorough investigation. This detail should include, at a minimum, the names of the parties involved, the location of the incident(s) and the nature of the possible financial or illegal misconduct. Once a report is made, it is important for the reporting party to check the status of the report periodically, because if the respondent requires additional information, a message will be posted on the EIIA Campus Hotline message board for follow-up by the reporting party. If the additional information is not provided, the investigation may be deemed inconclusive and, therefore, result in no action.

Audit Committee Reports:

The University’s EIIA Campus Hotline shall prepare periodic summaries of complaints received by categories of complaints, including accounting, internal accounting controls, auditing matters, or other illegal activity for review by the Audit Committee. As appropriate, reports regarding the status of specific complaints may be reported on a more frequent basis. The Audit Committee shall evaluate annually the effectiveness of these guidelines and recommend and adopt changes as necessary.

Questions:

Any questions regarding this policy should be directed to the Vice President for Administration and Finance or the Director of Human Resources.