Author: Christy Nealey

Reimagined space transforms into a Wellness Room for County 911 Dispatchers

Christy Nealey

County 9-1-1 Dispatchers within the Police Division usually experience overwhelming volumes of emotionally charged 911 calls from citizens needing help quickly. In addition, they often give essential first aid assistance over the phone while communicating with first responders who are on the way to the emergency. Even with the best training on controlling emotions when taking a call, this is psychologically draining for Emergency Dispatchers. After a traumatic incident, it is necessary to decompress for a few moments in healthy ways before getting back on the phone lines to do it all over again.

To aid in this and their employee wellness, the Police Division, the Human Resources Department’s Division of Fitness & Wellness (F&W), and the Emergency Management & Workplace Safety (EMWS) Office worked together to create a beneficial solution. The 9-1-1 Dispatchers now have a Wellness Room, or quiet room, to decompress and talk about a stressful call. Furthermore, F&W will continue to collaborate with the Police Division to provide workouts, mobility flows, and yoga stretches for the officers.

 

Many hands came together to make this space a reality. A very special THANK YOU goes out to the Police Divsion, especially the Radio Shop, Officer Milleker, Officer Lehatto, Lieutenant Burroughs, Emergency Management & Workplace Safety Office, Joey Pacelli with F&W, and Dick’s Sporting Goods.

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Steps you can take now to make tax filing easier in 2022

Christy Nealey

A very important part of making your tax filing easier is to make sure you withheld enough tax. If you owed taxes or received a large refund last year, consider adjusting your withholding. Changing your withholding can help you avoid a tax bill or let you keep more money each payday. In addition, life changes – getting married or divorced, welcoming a child, or taking on a second job – may also mean changing withholding. To do this, you will need to submit an updated Form W-4. This may seem overwhelming or confusing, but it doesn’t need to be. Here are some frequently asked questions on the new Form W-4 their answers:

 

Where can I download or update Form W-4?

The form can be downloaded from the IRS website, or you can update your withholding certificate in Oracle; see the below steps:

  1. Employee Direct Access
  2. Salary Related
  3. Federal & State Tax Forms 

You must click the update tab on the bottom right of the page to make changes. Once you’ve completed the necessary steps, submit the form to update the system. 

 

Why was Form W-4 redesigned? 

The new design reduces the form’s complexity and increases the transparency and accuracy of the withholding system. While it uses the same underlying information as the old design, it replaces complicated worksheets with more straightforward questions that make accurate withholding easier for employees.

 

What happened to the withholding allowances? 

Allowances are no longer used for the redesigned Form W-4. This change is meant to increase the form’s transparency, simplicity, and accuracy. In the past, the value of a withholding allowance was tied to the personal exemption amount. Due to changes in law, you currently cannot claim personal exemptions or dependency exemptions.

 

My tax situation is simple. Should I still complete every step?

No. The form is divided into five steps. The only two steps required for all employees are Step 1, where you enter personal information like your name and filing status, and Step 5, where you sign the form. Complete Steps 2 – 4 only if they apply to you. Doing so will make your withholding more accurately match your liability.

 

What happens if I only fill out Step 1 and then sign the form? 

The system will compute your withholding based on your filing status’s standard deduction and tax rates, with no other adjustments.

 

I want a refund when I file my tax return. How should I complete the redesigned Form W-4?

The redesigned Form W-4 makes it easier for you to have your withholding match your tax liability. But if you prefer to have more tax than necessary withheld from each paycheck, you will get that money back as a refund when you file your tax return (keep in mind though you do not earn interest on the amount you overpay). The simplest way to increase your withholding is to enter in Step 4(c) the additional amount you would like your employer to withhold from each paycheck. 

In Oracle:

                    

**Note, even if you don’t have any income tax withheld from your wages, you may get a refund if you are eligible for tax credits such as the Earned Income Credit, the Additional Child Tax Credit, or American Opportunity Credit. **

 

Why do I need to account for multiple jobs (Step 2)? I have never done this before. 

Tax rates increase as income rises, and only one standard deduction can be claimed on each tax return, regardless of the number of jobs. Therefore, if you have more than one job at a time or are married filing jointly and both you and your spouse work, more money should usually be withheld from the combined pay for all the jobs than would be withheld if each job was considered by itself. As a result, you must adjust your withholding to avoid owing additional tax and potential penalties when you file your tax return. This has been true for many years; it did not change with the recent tax law changes. The old Form W-4 accounted for multiple jobs using detailed instructions and worksheets that many employees may have overlooked. Step 2 of the redesigned Form W-4 lists three different options to choose from to make the necessary withholding adjustments. Note that, to be accurate, you should furnish a new Form W-4 for all these jobs.

 

If you are still unsure of the proper amount for your withholding, use the Tax Withholding Estimator to help you determine the right amount of tax to have withheld from your paycheck. This tool on IRS.gov will help determine if you need to adjust your withholding and submit a new Form W-4.

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/tax-withholding-estimator

 

For questions or additional information, please visit the IRS website.

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/faqs-on-the-2020-form-w-4 

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Recap: Monument Avenue 10K with Team Henrico

Christy Nealey

On Saturday, April 23, County Employees from General Government and Schools rolled out of bed early to participate in the Monument Avenue 10K. This year’s theme, “Back and Better,” highlighted the long-awaited return of Richmond’s premiere block party to Monument Avenue after a 2-year hiatus. Ninety-five employees, who took advantage of the Team Henrico registration discount, laced up their running shoes and hit the pavement (and at times the historic cobblestones) for a great race.

 

Enjoy the Team Henrico slideshow with pictures of your co-workers and the Spirit Team mighty in their efforts to cheer on all 10K participants!

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Volunteering: Improve Your Well-being AND That of the Ones You Serve

Christy Nealey

Volunteers support meaningful work at no cost to those being served. There are noticeable gains on the receiving end, and it usually makes a volunteer feel good on the giving side. Moreso, science shows that volunteering has additional value for the charitable side.

There are mental benefits from doing good, like confidence when you know you are making a difference. There are unexpected physical benefits, as well. Here are just five of the many ways that volunteering is proven to be advantageous for your health1:

  • Decreases risks of depression and anxiety
  • Releases endorphins, which make you feel happier
  • Improves activity levels and overall physical health
  • Reduces stress through a renewed sense of purpose
  • Lowers blood pressure

The combined effect of these health benefits shows that volunteering strengthens your overall well-being. So maybe it’s not surprising to note that volunteering can also extend your life. “Researchers say that people over 50 years old who volunteer for about two hours weekly have a considerably lower risk of death.” 2

Do good. Live longer. It sounds great, but it takes time, and time is a resource that we often lack. So here’s the irony—studies3 also show that your time feels meaningful when you share your time with others. In response, you feel like you have more time and more time to give.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Please consider sharing your time with Henrico CASA to help improve the well-being of local children who have experienced abuse and neglect. Last year, Henrico CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates, Inc.) served 385 children and teens whose families were in crisis. Judges in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court-appointed volunteer CASAs for each of these children. CASAs spoke up for these children, working with County employees in court and the community, promoting the children’s well-being, and establishing a network of supportive connections.

Connecting with Henrico CASA is yet another way for Henrico employees to work to better our community. Advocates are everyday people who leverage the many services our county offers to work towards ensuring every child has a safe, healthy, and loving home. To learn more about volunteering with CASA, visit www.HenricoCASA.org.

[1] SummaHealth

2 StudyFinds

3 Stanford.edu

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Advocating for the Aging Community in Henrico

Christy Nealey

The Henrico County Advocate for the Aging was established in 2017 to assist in fulfilling the needs of Henrico County’s aging population. In July 2021, the Advocate for the Aging position was moved from the Department of Human Resources to the Division of Fire to make the role more accessible for the community. Since then, the office has continued to serve older adults by providing information and referral services, developing programs and community events, and serving as the subject matter expert on aging-related issues within the Henrico County Government.

The new Advocate for the Aging, Emily Atkinson, MPH, CHES, was hired that same month and quickly got to work serving the residents of Henrico County. In this position, Emily has helped over 300 residents through information and referral services and aided over 600 residents through programming and community events. When residents call Emily, she quickly gets to work deciphering which resource or services would be the best fit for their particular situation. She knows that not all cases are identical, and each individual who calls receives unique and tailored advice.

The Advocate for the Aging office has attempted to strengthen community programming through purposeful and targeted program development that genuinely meets the needs and wants of the senior population in Henrico County. Since July 2021, programs have included:  a “Navigating Senior Services” Library Tour, a Senior Safety Day, a Falls Prevention Fall Festival, a Caregiver Lunch and Learn Series, a Holiday Party, a Winter Emergency Preparedness Day, an Intergenerational Valentine’s Day Party, a Healthy Heart Seminar, and the Annual Senior and Caregiver Expo.

The Advocate for the Aging Office has also revamped the Henrico Ambassador Program for Seniors (HAPS) by transitioning the program from an annual event into a club for seniors that meets monthly. The new HAPS program serves as an opportunity for older Henrico residents to become ambassadors for their communities. These ambassadors attend monthly meetings, learn about available resources in the Henrico community, distribute information on resources and services to other community members, and give feedback on aging services in Henrico County. HAPS meetings occur the third Wednesday of each month from 10 am – 11 am and rotate between each area library every month to make attendance accessible across the county.

Next month, the Advocate for the Aging Office will have a Brain Health and You! Conference for older adults and their caregivers on April 19, 2022, at the Deep Run Recreation Center from 10 am – 1 pm. There will be educational presentations in the morning, and then the event will transition into a vendor fair with resources for seniors related to dementia prevention and dementia care. Presenters will include individuals from the Alzheimer’s Association and Virginia Commonwealth University. VCU Gerontology will also be offering brain health screenings at the event to see if individuals are at-risk for cognitive decline.

 

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Reasons Why You Should Participate in The County’s Employee Fitness and Wellness Programs

Christy Nealey

We see on television, social media, newspapers, and magazines the importance of creating habits to achieve fitness and wellness goals. The results of one person’s efforts often leave us in awe. Do you ever wonder, “can I do this too”? With consistency and the help of like-minded folks, results are possible for everyone!

Challenging yourself is good so check out our Fitness and Wellness programs on our SharePoint site. Here are a few snapshots of some of the great people and activities Fitness and Wellness offers:

Being competitive with others and yourself is healthy. Creating goals and challenging your body and mind are positive tasks. When you commit to a fitness program, you commit to making a goal and achieving it. By participating in an at-work fitness challenge, you receive guidance and coaching similar to having a personal trainer. You receive help setting up a routine to workout, eat healthily, lose weight, get more sleep, and find work/life balance. By placing your health at the top of your priority list, you develop healthy lifestyle habits. When you form new habits, you feel better and enjoy additional positive rewards like feeling stronger, fitting into smaller clothing sizes, and having more energy.

You’ll have a support group.

With all programs and services offered through the Fitness & Wellness Division, you have access to a community that is making changes alongside you. The camaraderie you experience helps you stay motivated by knowing you are not alone. Knowing you can do it with a support group enables you to keep on track and encourages your growth and learning while sticking to a new healthy lifestyle routine.

Results happen.

If you stick to the new challenge and commit to change, results will happen. Whatever your goal is, you can reach it if you challenge yourself. So don’t hesitate anymore; you can do this!

Find a Fitness & Wellness challenge that works for you and join in today!

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2022 Public Safety Games- Save the Dates

Christy Nealey

In 2012, the County began a friendly, fitness competition between the Henrico Police Division, Henrico Division of Fire, and the Henrico Sheriff’s Office and commenced for the first time as the ‘Public Safety Games’ (PSG) hosted by the Fitness & Wellness (F&W) Division of the Department of Human Resources. Since its inception, five successful PSGs have transpired, along with steady growth in popularity, competitiveness, and enthusiasm. Currently, the Division of Fire has three wins, the Sheriff’s Office has one win, and Police Division has one win. 

The battle for the throne of the “Fittest Public Safety Division” of the year has become an excellent way to compel our Public Safety members to improve individual fitness performance. The overall aim of the competition has been to provide different, fun, yet challenging events to test the athletes’ endurance, work capacity, and strength, culminating in the Final Obstacle Course Event. 

2022 is the 6th Anniversary of the Public Safety Games and this year’s Battle for the Throne of “Fittest Public Safety Division” will be the most thrilling of all. New this year, the Public Safety Division with the most accumulated points throughout all events will be declared the winner. Therefore, participation is more crucial than ever before. This year’s competitions will kick off on Friday, May 6, as an all-employee “civilian day” with fun and social challenges. Employees who choose to participate can gain one point toward the division they of their choice. The main competitions will ensue in the weeks following: The Endurance Event, The Work Capacity Event, The Relative Strength Event, and then the Final Team Obstacle Course held on Friday, June 3. Individual competitors can participate in one or more of their chosen events, and each event will recognize its winner. Team competitors will partake as a pair in all events, with only the top teams from each division invited to the Final Obstacle Course. The accumulated total points from each competition (all individual, team, and mini) will determine who is the Fittest Public Safety Division of the year. Anyone of any age and fitness level has an opportunity to contribute to their division’s point totals!

More event details are coming soon on the Fitness and Wellness SharePoint site.

If you are interested in participating in any of the events, including the All-Employee Kick-Off Event, individual events, team events, or mini-events, please email us at [email protected].

Don’t forget to check out our video overview of the 5th Anniversary Public Safety Games Final Event in 2019 on YouTube!

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Daylight Saving Time and Sleep Hygiene

Christy Nealey

Daylight saving time (DST) begins again on Sunday, March 13, 2022, when most Americans will spring forward an hour at 2 a.m. local time. Clocks won’t be moved back until Nov. 6, when daylight saving time ends for the year. These fall and spring time changes continue a long tradition started by Benjamin Franklin to conserve energy in 1784. By moving clocks forward, people could take advantage of the extra evening daylight rather than wasting energy on lighting. Even so, DST didn’t officially begin until more than a century later when. Germany established it in May 1916, as a way to conserve fuel during World War I. The rest of Europe came onboard shortly thereafter and in 1918, the United States adopted daylight saving time. A year later it was abolished and then eventually reinstated giving states the choice as to whether they wanted to participate and when they wanted to change their clocks. This led to a lot of confusion and in 1966 Congress passed the Uniform Time Act. This Act still allowed states the choice to participate in daylight saving time, but set a consistent national protocol for DST. Then, in 2007, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 went into effect, expanding the length of daylight saving time to the present timing: DST begins the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

 

Whether or not the practice actually shrinks energy bills seems to vary from state to state and remains up for debate today. What seems more certain, however, is that the subtle time shift can take a noticeable toll on the human body. Some researchers have found there are more car accidents and work injuries when daylight saving time begins due to decreased sleep and alertness. Others have linked the changes in circadian rhythm to increases in the number of heart attacks and headache clusters. The bottom line is that getting consistent and good sleep is vital to good health. Here are some tips to avoid the grogginess as the time-change approaches:

  • A few days before Daylight Saving kicks in, hit the sack a little earlier each night. Even 15 minutes earlier for three days can make a difference.
  • Also, set your alarm clock for 15 minutes earlier successively for each of the three days before DST.
  • Make sure to set your clock one hour forward before going to bed Saturday night, not Sunday morning. Sleeping in on Sunday will only cause problems down the line. Experts say to wake up at your normal time.

Even after you sync up with DST, here are some guidelines for a good night’s sleep every night:

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Use your retirement account to make life less “taxing”

Christy Nealey

Every spring, Americans engage in the annual ritual of preparing their income tax returns for the previous year. Over the course of a lifetime, the average American will pay $339,1731 in income taxes. So, as you prepare your own tax return, you might be interested in a way to potentially lower the amount you pay — one that’s completely legal and could increase your future retirement income.

 

The advantages of “tax-advantaged” saving

Your employer-sponsored retirement plan offers you a “tax-advantaged” way to save for the future. Here’s what that means. With the pretax contributions your account offers, the money you put into your account comes out of your paycheck before your taxes are calculated and deducted, which may lower the amount of income taxes you pay with each paycheck. Also, any earnings your investments generate are tax deferred. In other words, the amount you would have paid income taxes on each year and any generated earnings gets reinvested in your chosen investment options and may generate additional growth. The future withdrawals you will make in retirement are then subject to taxation. With Roth contributions, you pay taxes on the amount you initially contribute, but future eligible withdrawals aren’t taxed — and that includes any earnings your investments may have generated.

 

Keep in mind that the IRS limits2 how much you can contribute to your account each year. But by increasing your contribution amount to that limit, you can potentially increase your future retirement income and benefit from tax-advantaged saving.

 

Why not take action now to make future income tax filings a little less painful? Log in to your account today and consider raising your contribution amount.

 

1 USA Today, “IRS tax season 2021: How much will you pay in taxes over a lifetime?” usatoday.com/story/money/2021/04/01/irs-tax-season-2021-how-much-do-you-pay-taxes-over-lifetime/7016671002/.

2 IRS, “Retirement Topics – Contributions,” irs.gov/retirement-plans/plan-participant-employee/retirement-topics-contributions.

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