December 2022 The WELLesley Employee

A Monthly Safety and Wellness Newsletter brought to you by The Town of Wellesley Employee Safety  & Wellness Committee 

December Wellness Activity

HOLIDAY STRESS RELIEF! Chair Massages – 2 days, 2 locations! Open to all town and school employees.

 Monday December 12, Town Hall, Great Hall

Tuesday December 13, 888 Worcester St. Suite 160

 Please sign up via this link – first come first served*: CHAIR MASSAGE SIGN UP

*All slots are currently full. Please check back for any cancellations. (If you need to cancel, please delete your name from the sign up)

Give the Gift of Safe Driving This Holiday Season

          That’s the message this holiday season from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. Each year the NHTSA partners with local law enforcement to spread messages about the dangers and consequences of driving drunk or high. 

There’s good news with a 45% decrease in drunk driving deaths since 1982. Unfortunately, more than 10,000 people die each year in motor vehicle crashes caused by a drunk driver. Drunk driving is responsible for about a third of motor vehicle fatalities.

            Few would be surprised to learn that drunk driving is more common during holidays. The week of Independence Day has the most drunk driving deaths. New Year’s Day is the single day with the most deaths; drivers have a 116% greater chance of dying in a crash caused by a drunk driver than on other days. That’s twice the increased likelihood as on Thanksgiving when there is a 56% greater chance.

            While there’s not much we can do while we’re driving to protect ourselves from a drunk driver, there are several things we all can do to keep ourselves safe while celebrating the holidays. 

These suggestions come from miamidade.gov

If traveling on your own, plan for a taxi ride home or to stay the night

If traveling with a group, choose a designated driver before heading out of the night. Make sure the driver understands his/her responsibility for staying sober and looking out for all members of the group.

            If you are hosting a holiday party, consider these tips for keeping your guests safe:

- Upon greeting all guests, find out what their plans are for the evening. Know ahead of time if they will be drinking and how they will be getting home.

- Don’t let guests mix their own drinks. Assign a “bartender” who can keep track of the size and number of drinks consumed.

- Serve plenty of food along with drinks.

- As host, you should be sober and in control of the event. Don’t be afraid to say “no” to someone who has had way too much: “No, you can’t have another drink,” and “No, you can’t have your car keys.”

- About 90 minutes before the party ends, close the “bar” and serve dessert and coffee. This will give guests some time to sober up.

- Coffee will not speed up sobriety. Only time can make a person sober.

Gratitude for Well-Being

COVID-19 Information

Vaccine Info

Updated Quarantine Info

Upcoming Trainings

Click to see MIIA Training Calendar        

Did you know that you have access to recorded trainings on a variety of topics through MIIA? If you don't already have a login, you can register here using your Wellesley email: https://www.emiia.org/join

 MIIA's New E-learning Center provides quality training to meet annual requirements and tracks compliance for organization members at no cost to you. Train anytime, anywhere with our vast online library that includes more than 3,000 diverse courses and videos. For instructions on how to register, click here.

Do you have an event or training that you would like to make available to all employees? Please contact Jen Glover jglover@wellesleyma.gov