Development and Updates
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Employee Book Club
“Hooked on Books,” the City of Atlanta’s book club is co-sponsored by the Mayor’s Office and the Department of Human Resources.
In addition to self-guided book discussions, the Club has also hosted several authors including Renowned Author Pearl Cleage, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Award-Winning Actress Victoria Rowell and The Honorable Marvin Arrington, Sr. Each of these authors gave the group behind-the-scene insights into their book’s development and gave live readings of select passages. Discussions were held at noon on the second floor of City Hall. Upcoming book selections and Book Club dates will be forthcoming.
Performance Management
The City completed a successful transition to a new system of performance evaluation. The first evaluation under the new system occurred in 2005, following a year of revising the performance measures based on department goals and strategies. Training on the system continues for new supervisors and refresher training is ongoing for current supervisors or any employee who desires more information about the evaluation process.
DHR also consults with departments and assists in the implementation of the system, including the writing of performance standards, advisement on procedures and resolving employee appeals.
Health and Wellness
The Department of Human Resources manages a comprehensive health and wellness program for the City’s active and retired employees and their families:
Employee Fitness Center- This free, state of the art fitness center is located in City Hall. The facility has universal weight equipment machines, aerobic equipment, a walking track and locker room facilities with showers.
Employee Health Center- Staffed by a full-time Nurse Practitioner and Medical Technician, this facility offers free preventative and minor medical services and a variety of health related educational materials. The health center’s medical staff focuses on health screenings - blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels. This initiative is designed to facilitate early disease detection so that employees and their physicians can get a head start in addressing critical issues and make lifestyle changes as necessary. Preventive and educational visits to field operations worksites and treatment of high cost medical conditions (i.e. diabetes, hypertension and asthma) will be key initiative for 2011.
Lunch and Learn Series - DHR, in partnership with contracted health insurance vendors and community providers, sponsors a monthly lunch and learn series for employees. Monthly topics focus primarily on key health issues identified by the American Medical Association and the National Institutes of Health. Health insurance vendors provide nutritious lunches and while employee discuss various medical concerns with leading medical professionals. Such topic include: breast cancer, cardiovascular health, HIV/AIDS awareness, blindness prevention, diabetes prevention and management, nutritious foods and healthy cooking, fitness training, and dental care.
American Red Cross Blood Drive - DHR sponsors four blood drives annually through the American Red Cross. The department has received awards from the American Red Cross for its effort in making the City one of the leading minority blood drive donation sites in the country.
Health Fairs - DHR holds an annual comprehensive health fair and supports all City departments that offer annual health fairs for departmental personnel. Services provided include health screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose levels as well as vision screenings and associated examinations. DHR also sponsors Annual Men’s Health Fairs. The idea of health fair for men is to empower men to be pro-active in caring for their health as well as their family’s health.
Women’s History Month Celebrations - During the annual celebration of Women’s History Month each March, DHR sponsors health fairs and screenings that focus on the health of women. This event is one of the largest Women History Month celebrations in the country and features more than 25 health vendors and services.
Disease Management - DHR partners with contracted insurance vendors to manage chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, coronary artery disease (including circulatory restrictions and strokes), musculoskeletal disorders (including lower back pain) and digestive disorders (the top five chronic diseases prevalent in our population). The department is working to reach not only active employees but also partnering with other agencies to reach out to retired employees. At the same time, DHR is educating employees to help them be more aware of these illnesses and the health disparities leading to earlier and more frequent prevalence of these diseases.
Employees Weight Management Program - This program was enrolls more than 600 employees every year. It promotes a proactive approach to health preservation that employees can readily see.
Atlanta Aerobic Boot Camp - This program is appropriately named and is conducted onsite. It is instructed by an ex-Marine who is also a City employee. A significant portion of the City’s employee population became aware of the role that physical activity plays in creating a healthy profile. Soon after inception, the Boot Camp received so much fanfare that it was featured in the Atlanta Journal Constitution and on National morning news.
Police/Fire Compression Analysis Reports
The following data analysis was done in support of the Equity/Compression Resolution in Public Safety Agencies: Ordinance ID: 13-O-0619. The purpose of this analysis is to address issues regarding pay inequities as it relates to Supervisor and Direct Reports as well as Sworn Employees within the same job title.
This analysis is ongoing and will be updated regularly. Please check back for further updates.