Our Voices (Fall/Winter 2022)

3: Brenda’s Message

4: COVID-19 Updates

5: HR Tech Corner: Data Portal

6: New Hires

7: GFOA Award

8: HR Kudos

9: Division Highlight: Business Partners

10: Anthem/Talkspace

11. Halloween Contest

12: Dont Fall Behind On Yummy Recipes

14: Veterans Month

16: Gingerbread House Contest

17: Top 4 Right Now: Riverside

18. CAPIO

19: Upcoming Holidays

20: Gift Ideas For Any Occasion

21: Recipes to Keep You Feeling Toasty During the Winter

23: New Year Resolutions

24: New Year Playlist

25: PRAISE ON! MS Teams

26: #Viral - Social Media Metrics

27: HR Survey

Brenda’s Message

Happy New Year HR!

Welcome to 2022, the last two years have required everyone to adapt to the evolving needs of the community and the County. Each of you have helped us ensure that we can create and implement new systems, maintain a high level of service, and utilize our collective talents and skillsets to serve others.

I am confident that our team will enter this year with the same level of energy and purpose, especially as we explore new opportunities to grow our department and become more effective in our service delivery to our partners and stakeholders.

I hope you all had a memorable holiday season and new year; we are thankful for your contributions and look forward to another year.

Thank you,

COVID-19 UPDATES

SCAN HERE

On February 9, 2022, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill 114 (SB 114), which created new Labor Code Sections 248.6 and 248.7. It mandates that public and private employers with 25 or more employees provide up to a total of 80 hours of Supplemental Paid Sick Leave for COVID related absences in addition to paid time off benefits employees receive by law or policy.

The law requires employers to provide up to 40 hours of paid sick leave for certain COVID-19-related reasons (as noted below) and an additional 40 hours, if needed, with proof of a positive COVID-19 test. The law is going into effect on February 19, 2022, applies retroactively to January 1, 2022, and is effective through September 30, 2022.

For more information to the latest employee guidance, visit our website at rc-hr.com/coronavirus, or to view the newest bulletin, scan theQR code above or visit here

https://hrdp.rc-hr.com/

In ths edition of Our Voices, HR would like to highlight some extraordinary individuals. We celebrate our fantastic team members! Here are Kudos!

Congratulations!

“It is exciting to learn that our Communications Team is not only trending on social media platforms, but among their County peers. Congrats to the Communications Team!!!”

- Brenda Diederichs

“That is awesome!!!!! Happy to see the team being recognized for their hard work!!!”

- Brande Hune

Hey there! Do you know which HR divisions recieved Kudos?

Accounting, Administrative, Benefits Team, Business Partners, Business Systems Solutions, Class and Comp, Media & Communications, Disability Access Office, Employee Relations, Employee Benefits & Records, Employee Services, Executive Administrative, Exclusive Care, Labor Relations, Learning & Organizational Development, Occupational Health, Portfolio Recruiting, Pre-Employment & Backgrounds, Public Safety Recruiting, Retirement, Risk Management, Ruhs/ MAPP Recruiting, Safety, TAP/MASS Recruiting and Worker’s Compensation

Business Partners

The inside scoop on the behind-the-scenes of HR Business Partners

Tell us a bit about the work your team does and how it impacts the Human Resources department.

• The HR Business Partners are consultants to County department executives, leaders, and supervisors, but each Business Partner’s role is unique based on the demands of each County department. HRBP’s assist departments in navigating through organizational and HR issues and challenges by drawing upon knowledge and support from other HR divisions. The Business Partners serve as the main point of contact for departments and internal HR divisions when HR-related situations occur and need to be addressed. You can say Business Partners are on the front line, putting out fires and handling difficult and complex situations before they escalate.

What are some complications you and your team had to navigate through because of COVID?

• There is not enough space to list the complications the BP’s faced navigating through COVID. But, through hard work, dedication, and tears, the team assisted in

What are some complications you and your team had to navigate through because of COVID continued: the creation of COVID guides, work plans for telecommuting, the County reopening/ return to work plans, and partnered with departments to ensure consistency and compliance with COVID mandates while meeting County objectives.

What does a typical workday look like for a business partner? (Walk us through what you do as a business partner)

• No one day is the same, and nothing ever goes as planned or expected. If you can picture a hurricane getting ready to sweep the nation, that is what a typical workday looks like for BPs. BP’s must be able to “Dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge” (Patches O’Houlihan, Dodgeball 2004).

If you and your team could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

• If the Business Partners could have a superpower, it would be the ability to clone ourselves. Why – because we’re pulled in a million different directions, and if we had a clone, the clone could assist with some of the issues we face daily.

All employees and their household members will have access to Anthem EAP services

Anthem EAP offers increased access to provider locations near you.

Whether you’re struggling to find child care, plan for retirement, financial or legal assistance, or cope with addiction, Anthem EAP can help.

24/7, 365 days a year - Unlimited access to telephonic guidance, consultation, referral and support services.

Up to 6 counseling sessions face-to-face, by phone, or virtually via LiveHealth Online, per incident - at no cost to you.

myStrength app - stress, anxiety, sleep management self-help tool.

Access Talkspace online at talkspace.com/CountyofRiverside and enter RIVCO

Get the support you need at (833) 954-1067

Access EAP online at AnthemEAP.com and enter PRISM

All employees and dependents 13+ will have access to Talkspace resources. Talkspace is message-based therapy conducted through a proprietary app. Message a dedicated therapist, as often as you wish, anytime, 5 days a week with same-day response.

■ Convenient, Stigma Free, No Appointments

■ Quick Match with your Licensed Therapist, 1:1 Relationship

■ Start Same Day, Anytime, Anywhere

■ Text, Audio, Video Messages

■ Unlimited Messaging Therapy,

Halloween Contest

BOO! Were you scared? If not, that’s okay, because these costumes will have you jumping right out of your skin! Mwhahahaha! This past year, we had some wickedly amazing Halloween costumes. Let’s give a round of applause to our winner and our horror-able mentions.

Kori Siliezar as Regan from The Exorcist

Monika Kirkland Sumpter as Lucy from I Love Lucy

Edgar Padilla as an Area 51 Escaped Alien

Tammy Nester as Ted from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

Rosie Morse as Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas

Jacquelyn Beedles as Mrs. Super Pregnant

Lacy Estes as Mrs. Potato Head

CC Sandefur as Lola/Medical Staff at Reichland Asylum

Desiree Andrade as Day of the Dead Bride

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Delicious, 2021!

STEPS:

So, I hear you are looking for some fall festive recipes. Well, you’ve come to the right place.

VEGAN PUMPKIN PIE

– recipe from Jessica in the Kitchen on YouTube, click here to watch the video and follow along.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• Large Bowl

• Whisk or electric mixer

• Sugar

• Cinnamon

• Salt

• Ginger

• Cloves

• Libby’s pumpkin puree

• Pie crust

1. Mix all of the pie ingredients and whisk together until cornstarch is completely whisked out.

2. Set batter covered under a towel for an hour to allow ingredients to blend together.

3. Pour batter into pie crust and bake for 60 minutes in the oven (on whatever shelf is farthest away from heat).

4. Remove from oven and let pie cool completely before serving.

Banana Nut Bread

- recipe from Divas Can Cook on YouTube, click here to watch the video and follow along.

Use bananas that have brown spots or are turning black - don’t worry! Bananas are sweetest when over ripe. Try adding cranberries for a pleasant zing!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• 1 ½ cup of ripe bananas

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon of baking powder

• ½ a teaspoon of salt

• 1 ½ teaspoon of cinnamon

• ½ cup of white sugar

• ½ cup of brown sugar

• 1 stick of butter

• 2 eggs

• 1 ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

• ½ cup of condensed milk

• Chopped walnuts

STEPS:

1. Peel the bananas and smash them until they are the consistency of oatmeal

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and chopped walnuts.

3. In a larger bowl, mix together the softened butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Next, mix in the mashed bananas. Then, mix in the beaten eggs, vanilla extract, and evaporated milk. Finally, stir (do not mix, we want the consistency to be lumpy and a little thick) in the dry ingredients.

4. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven for about an hour or until knife is inserted near center and comes out clean.

Top Tip!

This year, the Communications team virtually attended the CAPIO Conference. Topics this year were far different from the usual. With the conference being all about communications, we saw how other county communicators faced such unique challenges due to the pandemic.

Attendees heard from Fred Cook, the USC Center for Public Relations director and among others our very own Brooke Federico, who took home the 2021 Frank Potter Cowan Crisis Communications Leader Award for exceptional leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speakers including Brooke Federico could not speak enough about how social media played such a huge role in this pandemic. “All of our old tactics on what to do in case of a pandemic went out the window. We now have social media and our plans have to change”, said speaker Justin Bruce.

How social media made a positive impact:

• Release doctor updates

• Testing Site Announcements

• Positive Result Charts

• Was instant, news-less approval processes on social media

• Masks are Medicine giveaway events were a success

View official article here.

Martin

George

Memorial Day

Columbus

Veterans'

Thanksgiving Day

Christmas Day

New

Recipes to Keep You Feeling Toasty During the Winter

Winter in SoCal is a bit odd; you never know if it’s going to be rain or sunshine. So in this segment, we have three recipes here that are suited for those gloomy, rainy days or those sunny, eighty-degrees weather type of days!

REFRESHING EGGNOG

– recipe from Cheysingh on TikTok

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• 6 egg yolks

• 1 cup of white granulated sugar

• 1 pint of heavy cream

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla

• 2 cups of whole milk

• Cinnamon powder

• Hand mixer

• Two medium bowls

STEPS:

1. First, you are going to pour in the pint of heavy cream and mix until you have a thick creamy consistency.

2. In another bowl, you will pour in 6 egg yolks and a cup of granulated sugar. Then beat this until light and fluffy. Add in the 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the bowl of mixed egg and sugar. Then, pour in the 2 cups of whole milk. Mix again until everything has blended.

3. The final step is to pour in the heavy cream. Mix everything with a spatula so you don’t overmix the eggnog.

4. Now all you must do is let the eggnog chill for a few hours and then it will ready to be served. I always recommend sprinkling a dash of cinnamon on top of the eggnog, it really enhances the flavor.

More Recipes to Keep You Feeling Toasty During the Winter

FRENCH HOT CHOCOLATE

- recipe from MisterMezskitchen on TikTok

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• 2 cups of whole milk

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• Splash of vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon of high-quality cocoa powder

• 1 tablespoon of granulated white sugar

• A pinch of salt

• ½ cup of chopped chocolate

• marshmallows

STEPS:

1. First, you are going to bring your pan to a medium high heat, then you are going to pour in your 2 cups of whole milk with 2 cinnamon sticks and a splash of your favorite vanilla extract. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for at least 10 minutes.

2. Next, you will add in 1 tablespoon of high-quality cocoa, and mix. Then, strain into a large bowl. After you have strained, you will bring the mix back into the pan so you can add in 1 tablespoon of granulated white sugar and a pinch of salt.

3. Now, chop your favorite chocolate (you can never go wrong with Ghirardelli). You will add those chopped chocolate pieces into the pan and mix until it dissolves.

4. This is the best part, now you may finally serve the hot cocoa into a mug and add as many marshmallows as your heart desires! Bon appétit!

Praise On!

HOW TO ON MICROSOFT TEAMS

Now that all (or most) of you are on Microsoft Teams here in HR, we’d love to share this cool new feature that we can all now use. The Teams Praise App. Yes, its super easy and is found in your chat tab on Teams.

Science agrees: People are happier and more productive when they get recognition for their efforts. Send acclaim to your employees & coworkers with Praise. Deliver in a chat, or for wider recognition, send it in a channel conversation. Revel in the good vibes.

Below the space where you write a new message or reply, select Praise or choose Messaging extensions to find it.

Choose a badge.

Add the name of the people that you want to praise and an optional description.

Select Preview.

Once it’s ready to go, select Send.

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LIKES

Facebook: 15.6k

TikTok: 27.4k

LinkedIn: 19.3k

Instagram: 3.6k

Twitter: 2.8k

SOCIAL MEDIA METRICS #Viral

Recently, HR has gone viral again! Are you following us yet? Check out some of our most popular videos below.

HR Survey

Happy with Our Voices? Let us know how you feel. Fill out a short survey to help us improve our services, it will only take five minutes, we promise. Your input will be used to ensure that we continue to meet your needs.

1. What do you like about the current newsletter?

2. Which information is the most relevant to you?

3. How often would you like to get updates?