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Inside This Issue
1 Mastercare Goal
1 Message from the CEO
2 Employee Requirements
2 News from HR
3 Training - Mananging...
4 Training - Mananging...
4 Laughter is the best Medicine
5 Announcements |
Company's goal for the upcoming year 2009
Year 2008 will soon end and placing qualified homecare or healthcare workers to meet the needs of the client is Mastercare's first priority, with ideal candidates who are ready, willing and able to assist with any requirements of the position to be filled. Mastercare's goal is to bring the highest level of quality service to care recipients, clinics, medical organizations and government institutions. Mastercare understand that service is always number one and that providing that right candidate with the client brings the highest degree of wellness, peace of mind and enjoyment for living is the key to success.
To all Mastercare employees, let's make this happen by providing quality service care to our clients. We appreciate all your hard work and dedication to the company. |
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CEO is expecting more workers to participate in our 401K... |
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Our CEO wants everyone to participate in our 401 K plan. The company will match a percentage amount in every dollar that employee contribute. Our CEO will announce the percentage amount by the end of this year. |
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If you are an employee
who has completed 1,000 hours of service in a 12month period and are older than 21years old, you are eligible to participate in the plan. |
Employee Retirement Trust:
• Deposits are NOT Taxed to Employee
• Funds can be directed by Trustee or Plan Participants
• Trust Fund Income is Tax Deferred
• Trust is Protected from Employer and Employee Creditors
Benefits are distributed upon Retirement; Termination; Death; & Disability.
Eligibility: If you are an employee who has completed 1,000 hours of service in a 12 month period and are older than 21 years old, you are eligible to participate in the plan.
Entry Date: Once eligible you may begin contributing on the next enrollment date of January 1st and July 1st. |
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Your Contributions: You may defer between 1% and 100% of your compensation on a pre-tax basis up to a maximum of $15,500.00. Any employee 50 years of age or older can contribute an additional $5,500.00. |
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Please ask for an enrollment package or call the office directly for more details. Enrollment starts January 1st. |
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December 2008 Issue Vol. 005 |
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mastercare
Homecare & Healthcare
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Photo Identification:
We would like all Mastercare Employees to have current photo identification. Please find time to visit our office so we can create a photo identification tag for you.
Qualification Renewal:
All employees who are currently working with Mastercare clients on a regular basis will have the benefits of renewing their CPR/First Aid certification for "FREE". Qualified employees please inform Mastercare one (1) month prior to the expiration date of your CPR/First Aid certification, this way we can schedule the training accordingly. If you desire to renew your CPR/First Aid on your own, Mastercare will reimburse you as soon as you submit the original receipt and the copy of your certification.
Please inform us when you update your Blood Borne Pathogens, TB clearance and your license. If you move or there are changes in your emergency contact numbers please inform us of these as well. Mastercare would like to keep your employee files updated with the latest information.
Timesheets/Timecards:
Oahu -must be received in our office no later than 5pm every MONDAY. Kauai-must be received in our office no later than 12noon every MONDAY. Maui-must be received in our office no later than 12noon every MONDAY. |
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If you desire to renew your CPR/First Aid on your own, Mastercare will reimburse you as soon as you submit the original receipt and the copy of your certification. |
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The payroll office would like to thank those of you who have been submitting their hours on time and remind those who are late that timesheets are due every Monday by 5 pm. Mastercare will no longer be able to accommodate those who submit late timesheets which means you will have to wait until the next pay period to receive payment for hours submitted past the deadline. |
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News from Human Resources |
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Referral AWARDS: (Forms are available in the office)
1. To refer a potential employee, please complete the Employee Referral form and return it, along with a copy of the prospective candidate's resume, application, or both, to the Human Resource department.
2. You are eligible for a referral award only when you refer external candidates.
3. If the candidate you refer is hired, you will receive a referral award of $75.00 (RN); $50.00 (LPN) & $30.00 (C.N.A./PA/HHA) after the new employee has worked 21 working days for Mastercare.
4. Only one referral award can be given per candidate. If a candidate is referred by more than one employee, the first referral received will be the one rewarded if the candidate is hired.
Client Referral:
Effective December 2008, if you refer a client, you will receive a referral award of $100.00 per client, after the client has been serviced for 21 working days. |
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December 2008 Issue Vol. 005 |
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Introduction
Stress is an occupational hazard faced by caregivers like you. It's what happens when you give... and give... and give of yourself, without giving back to yourself. Research has shown that of the 12 most stressful jobs, eight are related directly to work in hospitals, nursing homes and medical clinics. To become a healthcare professional you learned complex skills like administering medications or starting an IV. This handbook is designed to help you learn techniques that will enable you to handle the special stresses you face.
Stress: Not So Bad After All
Stress is any action or situation that places special physical or psychological demands on you.
Job stresses you may face include:
• Dealing with patients who are at their physical and emotional worst.
• Working in an environment where emergencies and crises are commonplace.
• Knowing that lives may depend on your actions.
• Working in a field that provides care around the clock.
But here's the catch — all this stress is not necessarily had. Stress itself is neutral. It's how you react to it that counts.
WHEN STRESS HURTS
Your body responds to stress by preparing you for extraordinary physical action. Here are some of the things that happen when you are faced with a stressor:
• Electrochemical messengers race to various parts of your body, mobilizing it for action.
• Your heart beats faster, energized by a shot of adrenaline.
• Your breathing quickens and becomes more shallow
• Your liver frees stored nutrients and extra blood carries them to your muscles and brain, raising your blood pressure.
• Your pupils dilate.
• Your muscles tense.
On a limited basis, this state of red alert can help you respond to a special challenge. But if it becomes |
chronic and you don't have sufficient time to relax or recoup, your health can begin to break down.
STRESSCHECK
These warning signs indicate that you may be over-stressed:
• You feel overwhelmed — like you'll never catch up, no matter how hard you try
• You're always tired, drained, depressed, disillusioned and irritable.
• You create a psychological gulf between yourself and your patients. And you depersonalize them by referring to them as conditions like 'the coronary in 310."
• You don't feel good about yourself. And you feel powerless to change your situation.
• You can't seem to shake recurring colds, headaches or GI problems.
• You are drinking more coffee, smoking more cigarettes, or taking drugs and alcohol to cope.
If you've experienced any of these warning signs — or even if you haven't — you may need to make yourself more stressproof
Stressproof Yourself
You can resist the harmful effects of stress. Stressproof yourself with attitude, diet, exercise and by eliminating harmful habits.
THINK POSITIVELY
When you deal with people's problems all day, it's easy to focus on negatives. And yet, a positive attitude can be like an invisible force field against the ravages of stress.
• Each day take a moment to focus on the pleasant and rewarding aspects of your job.
• When something goes wrong, try to figure out why. Ask yourself what can you do differently next time?
• Keep your emotional tank full by scheduling time for off-the-job relaxation and having fun.
• For a pressure valve on the job, develop relationships with your colleagues to help you vent feelings and solve problems. But remember that griping only magnifies stress.
• Praise is contagious. If you're feeling unappreciated, chances are your co-workers are too. Try encouraging others. |
• Get on the laugh track. Laughter lifts your spirit while dissolving tension. But avoid ridicule and hurtful humor.
EAT RIGHT
Stress increases your body's need for nutritious, easy-to-digest food — just when you're most apt to skip meals or raid the vending machine. These simple guidelines call help you eat right:
• Eat three balanced meals a day and select a wide variety of foods.
• Like an athlete in competition, you will benefit from the stamina a diet high in complex carbohydrates provides. Cereals, grains, beans, fruits and vegetables are good fuel for your body and often contain protein, vitamins and minerals.
• Try to eat the freshest, least processed foods available.
• Got the munchies? Trash those fat-laden snack foods. Instead, try air-popped popcorn, miniature shredded wheat cereal, plain rice cakes, raw vegetables or apples.
• Beware of 'yo-yo" dieting. Rapid weight loss diets are often followed by bingeing — and stressful feelings of guilt and failure. A gradual, nutritious weight loss diet plus exercise is the best.
EXERCISE
When it comes to battling stress, exercise delivers a one-two punch. First, fitness is a stressproofer, giving you reserved energy and strength to draw on in times of extra stress. Second, vigorous physical activity is also a great stressbuster, dissolving muscle tension and giving a general sense of well-being, Aerobic exercises like walking, jogging, running and swimming are the best de-stressors.
Substance Abuse
You may use drugs routinely on patients' pain and suffering and help them recover. So it's only natural that when you are feeling stressed, you might try to medicate yourself with gallons of coffee, countless cigarettes, drugs or alcohol. At first, these chemicals create the powerful illusion that they are helping you cope with stress. In the long run, they can create more stress than you bargained for. Here are some examples. |
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December 2008 Issue Vol. 005 |
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STRESSBUSTER #6:
Accept What You Can't Change If you feel frustrated because you can't cure a patient who is chronically ill or dying:
• Focus on what you can do to improve the patient's life in specific ways.
• Find ways to make the patient more comfortable ease his or her anxieties and help him or her relate to family and friends.
STRESSBUSTER #7: Downshifting
When work is piled high and stress levels soar, it's tempting to work right through breaks and lunch. -
• You may need a break now more than ever. Put your feet up and rest, talk with a co-worker or stretch your muscles and walk around the building. You'll return to work refreshed, with increased productivity
• If you absolutely cannot take a break, at least decelerate by moving on to a completely different type of task. If you've been lifting patients, slow down with paperwork. This gives different parts of your brain and body a workout, allowing other parts to rest.
• Be careful. Sometimes you need to hit the brakes! What you gain from working around the clock is often outweighed by increased errors and poor judgment toward the end of the workday.
Review
Keeping on-the-job stress at bay is a constant challenge. A recent survey by a U.S. insurance company revealed that one third of those polled considered quitting their jobs because of stress. The same survey showed that the number of workers who consider their jobs as "stressful" has more than doubled in the last five years.
To help you manage on-the-job stress don't forget:
• Think positively — even when you have to deal with other people's problems all day, try to keep a positive attitude.
• Eat right — avoid snack foods, and eat three balanced meals a day that include foods from the four major food groups.
• Exercise — it doesn't have to be in the form of a specific sport, just a brisk walk at lunch can do wonders. |
• Vacation — try to take short weekend trips throughout the year. Make lists — Write "to-do" lists for daily tasks, and keep your longer term goals specific.
• Set priorities — When you feel buried with your regular duties, learn to say "no." Don't burn yourself out by volunteering for additional tasks.
• Strike a balance— counteract stress at work with off-the job activities that provide an emotional recharge.
• Unwind — take a few minutes to relax before driving home, so you can leave on-the-job pressures at work.
• Take breaks — give yourself a break when possible, stretch your legs or recharge with a healthy snack.
Summary
No question about it, caring for people can be demanding, hectic and emotionally challenging. But it also can be uniquely rewarding — if you know how to manage stress. One thing is certain: you've got to take care of Number One, before you can take care of others. It takes effort, but with the right attitude, diet, exercise, rest and an arsenal of coping mechanisms, job stresses can become your ally inspiring you to greater accomplishments professionally and personally. |
Laughter is the best Medicine... |
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A woman walked into a Veterinary Hospital and lays her duck on the counter. The Veterinarian takes a quick look at the duck and says: I'm sorry to tell you this but your duck is dead. The woman screams "What do you mean my duck is dead!!! You didn't even look at it. You didn't check it for a pulse or examine it in any way. How can you say that my duck is dead?"
Very well says the Vet and he pressed a black button on the wall and in comes a Black Labrador Retriever. He goes over to the duck on the counter and he sniffs it and paws it briefly and he shakes his head and walks out.
Then the Vet pressed a white button and beautiful fluffy white cat hops up on the counter and she checks the duck over from top to bottom, sniffing and pawing it gently. She also shakes her head and walks out.
The Vet then hands the woman a bill for $150.00. "That's a lot of money just to tell me that my duck is dead." "Well, said the Vet if you had taken my word for it the bill would have been $50.00, but you insisted on a Lab report and a Cat scan.
By: Paula Harrington-Hill, RN |
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December 2008 Issue Vol. 005 |
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FRANCHISING NATIONWIDE :
Franchising??? This is one of Mastercare exciting project! YES, we will venture the business of franchising nationwide.
There's something gratifying about helping hard-working, qualified people find employment that makes best use of their talents and skills. It's also satisfying to help businesses find the capable people they need. |
As a Mastercare franchisee, you can contribute to the economic health of your community. Transform your business into a key part of your community's fabric—the one people come to when they need a job for themselves, their kids, relatives, or friends. Be the one businesses come to for staffing solutions.
You'll also be ensuring your own financial future. In today's chaotic business world, human resource |
management requirements change almost daily. But, as a Mastercare franchisee, you'll be there with solutions.
When you consider temporary staffing firms' impressive record of success— along with all the tax benefits that come with being in business for yourself—we think you'll agree that Mastercare is one of the most effective and enjoyable strategies for building equity and wealth. |
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December 2008 Issue Vol. 005 |
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December 2008 Issue Vol. 005 |
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