More than a dozen expectant employees attended the shower, which provided timely info on relevant benefits and services (photo by Dillon Adams).
By Amanda Holst, Public Affairs Assistant
Managing work-life balance is a huge part of what Human Resources does for SJSU employees, so when brainstorming how best to provide info on benefits and services to expectant faculty and staff, Associate Vice President of Human Resources Maria Elena De Guevara and her team came up with the perfect idea.
“There are a lot of forms to fill out and a lot of information,” De Guevara said. “We thought how fun it would be to create a campus baby shower for our expectant parents.”
Well U, an employee wellness program launched by Human Resources last summer, hosted its first Spartan Baby Shower Nov. 10 on the fifth floor of Clark Hall. Well U focuses on the overall wellness of SJSU employees, hosting health-minded events including the Poker Walk and Staff Olympics. De Guevara said it is just as important for Human Resources to share in the life changes facing expectant faculty and staff.
“Part of being well is feeling that your employer is supportive of you as an individual or new parent,” De Guevera said. “We want to create a sense of community with all the new parents.”
More than a dozen expectant parents attended the shower, which focused on providing “accurate, timely and helpful information,” said Director of Human Resources Administrative Services Joan Torne.
Human resources benefits representatives, the Employee Assistant Program (EAP), and Kaiser Permanente gave presentations. In addition, the Spartan Bookstore donated Gold Points for raffle prizes and provided party favors. Games and cake rounded out this congratulatory event.
The New Parents Support Group, formerly the New Mommy Group was at the shower to offer support to expectant parents. HR administrative and data specialist Julie Inouye Wong found the New Mommy Group to be useful when she was a new parent.
“When you are a working parent, you have different emotions about sending your child to childcare,” Wong said. “It is nice to have people to be in the same boat.”
According to Wong, Human Resources plans to host a baby shower every semester as a way to show employees that they are valued.
“We want to make sure that we have a healthy, happy workforce,” Wong said.