News for Employees
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Payroll Deduction Makes Buying from DoIT Tech Store Easy
The DoIT Tech Store’s Payroll Deduction program allows most staff to buy from the DoIT Tech Store with monthly paycheck deductions. This is an interest-free payment option, ideal for holiday shopping. With a down payment of 10 percent at the time of purchase and a $25 fee, staff can spread payments over six or twelve months. Payroll Deduction is for purchases of $400 or more.
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Donate to Partners in Giving by November 30
The Partners in Giving campaign, “45 Years of Making a Difference,” invites you to give back by making financial gifts to local, national, or international charities. Partners in Giving is the state employee workplace fundraising campaign in Dane County. Employees are able to make a donation to the charity or charities of their choice and select how they want to pay for it. Donations can be made by payroll deduction, cash, or check. The campaign runs through November 30, although donations will be accepted through the end of the year. To make a contribution online or learn more, go to giving.wi.gov.
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Financial Fitness Program Ending December 31
The free Financial Fitness Program offered by the Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) will end on December 31, 2018. There is still time to participate. The program is designed to help you take control of your financial future. Start by completing a brief Financial Fitness CheckUp™, which will provide you with a confidential financial fitness score. You will then have access to online tutorials and tools through the Financial Fitness Academy™. The program also includes free consultation with a financial fitness coach, who can provide recommendations, answer questions, and help you develop a financial plan. All employees who are eligible for Wisconsin Retirement System benefits can take advantage of this confidential program. To get started, visit wietf.financialfitness.academy.
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Applications Due Soon for Winter Blend@UW
Applications are due December 14 for the Blend@UW sessions scheduled for January 7–11 and January 14–18, 2019. Applications are also being accepted for the spring break and four summer sessions. Blend@UW helps faculty and instructional staff design blended courses that foster deeper, more active learning for students. Program participants will develop a course map that includes activities, delivery format, technology to be leveraged, and assessment models.
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Review and Update Your Personal Information
All UW–Madison employees are encouraged to review their personal information in MyUW. This includes home and office addresses, phone numbers, legal and preferred name, emergency contact information, and other related personal information. If you do not choose electronic-only distribution of your W-2 and 1095-C tax forms, your mailing address will be used for the annual tax form distribution in January, 2019. The deadline to update your address for tax form distribution is January 11, 2019. To update your information, log in to MyUW at my.wisc.edu and go to the “Personal Information” module.
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Benefits Preferences Survey Invites Employee Feedback
On November 26, UW–Madison will issue a survey to employees that will solicit feedback on what employees value in benefits programs. The survey results will help shape UW–Madison’s benefits offerings in the future. There is no intent to reduce or eliminate benefits. The survey is confidential, with all responses going directly to Mercer, an independent human resources consulting firm. The survey will be open November 26 through December 14 and should take approximately 15–20 minutes to complete. To respond, benefits-eligible employees must use the personalized link emailed to them on November 26 with the subject line “UW Employee Benefits Preference Survey.” Paper surveys are being provided to those employees who lack computer access or would be more comfortable responding to the survey in a language other than English. The benefits preferences survey is part of the Title and Total Compensation Project.
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Wisconsin Students May Be Eligible for Tuition Promise
UW–Madison employees and their families who are concerned about the costs of a university education may benefit from a financial aid program called “Bucky’s Tuition Promise.” The university pledges to cover four years of tuition and fees for any incoming freshman from Wisconsin whose family annual household adjusted gross income is $56,000 or less. Transfer students from Wisconsin meeting the same criteria will receive two years of tuition and fees. Eligibility is based only on one line from the family’s federal income tax return called adjusted gross income, or AGI. Students and families who are interested in applying for admission for the fall of 2019 and receiving financial aid should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by December 1 for priority consideration. For personal assistance, call the Office of Student Financial Aid at 262-3060 or visit them at 333 East Campus Mall, 9th floor, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m.–4 p.m. on Fridays.
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Register for Workshop on Agile and Scrum
An Agile/Scrum workshop will be held on Thursday, Feb. 7, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. in Union South. Agile practices and processes are based on responding to change rather than following a fixed plan. Participants will take part in a working Scrum team in this hands-on workshop. The Scrum framework can be useful for project sponsors, stakeholders, managers, subject matter experts, IT staff, and others. The workshop fee is $175 for those who register by January 10 and $225 thereafter. Participation is limited.
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Late Night Diversity Forum for Employees
A Diversity Forum will be held in Varsity Hall at Union South beginning at 11 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 26 and ending at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 27. This session is intended for UW–Madison employees who work second and third shifts, although all UW–Madison employees are welcome to attend. Attendees will get an update on diversity and inclusion efforts at UW and strategic priorities for the Division of Diversity, Equity and Educational Achievement. Employees can also learn more about campus and community resources at the Resource Fair. UW Police Department Chief Kristen Roman will be the keynote speaker. Employees can attend without loss of pay and pre-registration is not required. Please notify your supervisor if you plan to attend. Interpretation services will be available for those whose preferred language is Spanish, Hmong, Tibetan, Chinese, or Nepalese.
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Winter Parking Rules in Effect Tomorrow
Winter parking rules are in effect on campus from 2–6 a.m. November 15–March 15, regardless of weather conditions. There is no parking on Observatory or Linden Drives, including Lot 26 and Lot 40 street stalls. Parking is restricted in lots 16, 34, 40, 50, 51 and 137. In these lots, park only in rows marked with a “Shoveling Bucky” sign. The university may declare Snow Action Days in the event of major winter weather. During Snow Action Days, no parking is allowed on the top level of university ramps. City of Madison winter parking rules also begin November 15.