Rewind: DHR Director Susan Brazeau Talks Ethics

If you missed the Office of Ethics and Compliance’s Ethics Awareness Month Speakers Series featuring Human Resources Director Susan Brazeau on March 7, you can watch the virtual event online. Watch now!

Doing the right thing is everyone’s business. Participate in an upcoming Ethics Awareness Month Fair at the County Operations Center on Thursday, March 16. Find more information on InSite.

For more information, email oec@sdcounty.ca.gov or call 619-531-5174. In addition, you can visit OEC’s InSite page.

Take an Active Break

Our Employee Wellness Program recently launched an employee wellness challenge called “Renew.” While the registration has closed, you can still benefit from these wellness micro-learnings and activities. Check back often for activities to help you create calm, boost happiness, sharpen focus and increase energy.  

Today’s lesson is on active breaks.

Move your body to give your brain an edge.

When you need to refresh and recharge for better focus, shake a leg. Physical activity promotes good circulation and balances neurotransmitters that influence learning, attention, and decision making. Get in the habit of taking active breaks, and you’ll improve your ability to concentrate.

Extended periods of sitting impair circulation and metabolic health, detracting from mental performance. You’ll do your best thinking when you break up sedentary time with movement. Actively stepping away from any task gives your brain a needed rest and change of scenery. A brisk walk works wonders, but it’s not the only option. A few ideas:

• Take several flights of stairs

• Do a couple sets of jumping jacks, push-ups, squats, or lunges

• Stand up and stretch your back, neck, shoulders, arms, chest, hips, and legs

• Use exercise equipment like a stationary bike, elliptical, or rower

• Be active outdoors whenever possible

• Follow along with a fitness video

• Try some yoga poses

• Build strength with dumbbells or resistance bands

• Jog in place or dance for a few minutes.

For more information on Employee Wellness offerings, visit this InSite page.

Read more lessons from Renew.

County Employees Give $110K in Grants

The County Employees’ Charitable Organization (CECO) distributed $110,252 in grants to 68 local nonprofit programs and the Employee Crisis Fund at its annual awards breakfast at the County Operations Center Friday.

Several local not-for-profits, including the Blind Community Center of San Diego, Elder Help of San Diego and Girl Scouts San Diego, received grants. See the full list.

Formed in 1956, CECO distributes 100% of the funds it raises back to the community and has given more than $7 million back to San Diego County.

Help CECO provide greater support to local nonprofits and County employees and retirees in need. Make a one-time or reoccurring donation or encourage another person to support CECO.

There’s three easy ways to give: donate through PayPal, set up a reoccurring donation or through automatic payroll deductions.

Don’t Miss Fireside Chat on Leadership Opportunities

Learn how alternative leadership opportunities can help with your career progression and personal growth. Join an Employee Resource Group Council’s Fireside Chat on Tuesday, March 21 from noon to 1 p.m. on Teams.

These quarterly sessions are moderated conversations with County leadership on the secrets to their career success and are held in partnership with the County’s DHR Equity Diversity and Inclusion team.

This event will feature Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Michael Vu and Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer of Weights and Measures Ha Dang. The Asian Pacific Alliance of County Employee ERG will moderate the chat.

Join in the discussion in one of two ways:

1.       Try out the new option. Register to get an automated calendar link. (Open in Edge.)

2.       Save the following information to join on March 21.
Join on Teams
Or call in (audio only) +1 619-343-2539,,319747103#  Phone Conference ID: 319 747 103#

This session will be recorded.

See the flyer below.

Take Time to Appreciate Nature

Sheriff’s K-9 Argo PoSES Among the Flowers.

Everyone has things to do in the busy work week, but you should always remember to stop, look at and sniff the spring flowers. A beautiful picture to prove it will also be popular among your friends and followers like this one Sheriff’s crime prevention specialist Heather Mitchell took. It is of 4-yr-old K-9 Argo sitting among the flowers off the Mission Road offramp at the Interstate 15 freeway in Fallbrook. He is a Belgian Malinois and Dutch shepherd whose specialty is criminal apprehension and narcotics.

Share your photos! If you see a coworker getting the job done, a beautiful sunset over your office or a wonderful County program being offered—snap a pic and submit it to communications@sdcounty.ca.gov. Be sure to include information about the photo and your name. One image will be posted to InSite every week and may be shared on social media.

See more of Your View photos.

Order Your Home Test Kit to Qualify for the $100 Wellness Incentive

The Employee Wellness Program, in partnership with Kaiser Permanente, are providing biometric home screening test kits for the 2023 Wellness Incentive Program. Biometric home test kits will enable employees to complete a biometric screening in the comfort of their own home with access to online results in days.

Only full-time, permanent County employees are eligible to participate and receive the wellness incentive regardless of healthcare provider.

Employees who wish to complete a biometric screening with their personal care provider are still eligible for the Wellness Incentive Program.

Order your test kit by May 19, 2023.

All Wellness Incentive Program documents must be submitted via the Wellness SharePoint site by June 30, 2023, to qualify for the wellness incentive of $100.

Learn more on how to qualify for the 2023 Wellness Incentive Program.

Take a Walk with LGBTQ&A ERG

Join the LGBTQ&A Employee Resource Group for a guided nature walk at San Elijo Lagoon Ecological Reserve on April 15 at 9 a.m.

The fun event is open to ERG members, other employees, family and friends.

Meet at the San Elijo Lagoon Nature Center parking lot at 2710 Manchester Ave., Cardiff-by-the-Sea.

See the event and park brochure below.

Cultivate Curiosity

Our Employee Wellness Program recently launched an employee wellness challenge called “Renew.” While the registration has closed, you can still benefit from these wellness micro-learnings and activities. Check back often for activities to help you create calm, boost happiness, sharpen focus and increase energy.  

Today’s lesson is on cultivating curiosity.

Stoke your drive to learn something new.

People are naturally curious — hardwired to seek out experiences and learn new things, from infants to adults. Paying attention to and amplifying this trait can be beneficial, with positive impacts on relationships, career, and overall well-being. Studies reveal what we feel intuitively: that people who show curiosity by asking questions and genuinely listening are more likable and have closer relationships.

Try these tips to cultivate your own curiosity:

• Talk to a stranger — challenge yourself to strike up a conversation with someone you don’t know; offer a compliment or inquire about their day and where they’re headed

• Ask questions — use open-ended ones, especially; find out something new about a colleague, family member, or long-time friend

• Read widely — indulge your interest in topics you’ve always wondered about; spend a few hours just browsing the library, bookstore, or magazine rack with no predefined goal in mind

• Diversify your to-dos — jot down activities that pique your interest; they can be anything from looking up an historic event to watercolor painting

• Scramble your routine — do something new; you can even simply walk a different route or try a new recipe to cajole your curiosity.

For more information on Employee Wellness offerings, visit this InSite page.

Read more lessons from Renew.

And the Employee Engagement Survey Says …

The County’s biennial employee engagement survey results are out, and they show areas where the County is doing well and areas for improvement.

The results went before the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 28. The survey was conducted in September 2022 by an independent consultant, CPS HR Consulting, and will serve as a benchmark for future surveys, which will guide our efforts around employee engagement now and in the years to come.

More than 6,600 employees answered the questionnaire, and the overall results show 37% were “fully engaged,” 47% “somewhat engaged” and 16% “not engaged.”

The two highest scoring questions included employees who said they had a least one person at work who they could rely on for guidance and support, and that they knew what was expected of them on the job. Both those questions ranked above 89%. Survey analysis also showed that the County’s Diversity & Inclusion efforts scored well and positively influenced employee engagement.

Among the lowest scoring questions, only 45.1% felt they knew enough about the work of other County departments to make a decision to move to another department. While slightly higher, only 50% agreed that “it is safe to challenge the way things are done” and 59% agreed that “ideas from employees are valued,” suggesting that employee involvement is essential to engagement. There are also opportunities to improve in the area of training and development that will help employees succeed in their careers.

Each Department received their engagement results and will be working with employees to address key areas for improvement.

Employees will have many chances to give their input on the survey results. The first Countywide opportunity will come at our D&I Executive Council Townhall Session on Ethics & Engagement, scheduled for March 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  The consultant will explain the survey results and ask for suggestions and input on how to improve engagement. Additionally, each department will determine methodologies for soliciting feedback on improving operational performance. This feedback will be incorporated into action plans to make improvements at both the County-wide and departmental levels.

“Let’s Get Ethical, Ethical!”

The County of San Diego Office of Ethics and Compliance (OEC) is holding a series of activities highlighting ethics and compliance activities throughout March in honor of Ethics Awareness Month.

This week, Human Resources Director Susan Brazeau will discuss the importance of ethics from noon to 12:30 p.m. on March 7. This virtual event will be held on Zoom.

Do you like games? The OEC Team has a few fun ways for employees to learn the Code of Ethics:

• Know the Code Scavenger Hunt can be played online or printed.

• Ethics Awareness Month quiz can be played online or printed.

• OEC Ethics Bingo

• Ethics Awareness Month Word Search

• Camp Ethics Origami Fortune-Teller

You can submit the completed Scavenger Hunt to OEC by email or drop off at the Ethics Fair on March 16, 11:30am-1:00pm, at COC to be entered in an opportunity drawing. Online participants are automatically entered.

Interested in ways to champion ethics in the workplace? Consider the below:

• Recommitting to the Code of Ethics. Our code of ethics is the foundation of our County culture.

• Sharing your favorite Know the Code micro-learning (posted on InSite and LMS).

• Requesting that OEC conduct an on-site ethics training or speak at an upcoming department meeting.

• Checking out the "Ethics In-a-Box” training resources for managers/supervisors.

If you ever have a question about what is ethical, don’t wait to get answers. Employees can always turn to their supervisor or manager first if they have a concern. Check out the OEC webpage on InSite for information about Ethics Awareness Month, as well as, upcoming Ethics & Compliance training, resources including monthly “Know the Code” articles and micro-training videos.