News for Employees
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Event Celebrates Shared Governance
A reception to celebrate shared governance on campus will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 3–4:30 p.m., in the Great Hall at Memorial Union. All UW–Madison faculty, academic staff, and university staff are welcome to attend. This event marks the significant role of shared governance in decisions regarding academics, research, campus climate, diversity, human resources, and more. Attendees will learn about the roles and responsibilities of shared governance and opportunities to get involved. Refreshments will be served.
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Vendor Change Announced for FSA and HSA Accounts
Connect Your Care (CYC) will be the new third-party administrator for the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) beginning January 1, 2020. Specific accounts affected include Health Care FSA, Limited Purpose Health Care FSA, Dependent Day Care Account, Health Savings Account, and any existing Parking & Transit Accounts with remaining balances. TASC will no longer be the third-party administrator after December 31, 2019. The last day to submit FSA expenses for the 2019 plan year to TASC will be March 31, 2020. Employees may roll over their HSA balances from TASC to CYC between September 30 and December 31, 2019. UW–Madison employees with active accounts have already received direct communications about this change. Employees who wish to enroll or re-enroll in an FSA or HSA account should do so during Annual Benefits Enrollment, September 30–October 25, 2019.
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Wellness Symposium Cultivates Well-Being at Work
Registration is now open for the UW–Madison Wellness Symposium, scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 23, 8 a.m.–2:30 p.m. at Union South. The symposium offers breakout sessions and other resources to support UW–Madison employees in being their best selves at work. The keynote speaker will be Stacey Flowers, a popular TEDx Talk speaker and entrepreneur. Flowers will speak about the power of happiness to create new opportunities, cultivate more energy, manage stress, and build confidence and connection. Details on breakout sessions will be available soon at hr.wisc.edu/wellness-symposium. The cost to attend is $35, including lunch, for UW faculty and staff. Registration is due October 11.
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Academic Staff Professional Grants Available
Applications are now being accepted for the Fall 2019 Academic Staff Professional Development Grant program. The program is offered to academic staff members who meet the eligibility requirements and hold at least a 50 percent appointment. Grants are for activities beginning between January 1, 2020, and June 30, 2020. Informational sessions on “Writing a Successful Professional Development Grant” will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 24, noon–1 p.m. at Union South and on Wednesday, Oct. 2, noon-1 p.m. at the Health Sciences Learning Center, room 1345. The deadline to apply is October 25, 2019. Please contact Jake Smith at 263-2985 or pdrc@soas.wisc.edu with any questions.
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Save the Date for Employee Benefits and Resource Fair
All UW–Madison employees are encouraged to attend the Employee Benefits and Resource Fair on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. at Union South. The event is designed to help employees prepare for the Annual Benefits Enrollment period, which is September 30–October 25, 2019. At the fair, you can attend a benefits seminar, meet with benefits representatives, and get help enrolling in benefits. The fair will also feature information about campus resources and sessions on personal finance and retirement topics. For more information about Annual Benefits Enrollment, go to hr.wisc.edu/benefits/2020.
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EAO Expands Services to Provide Statewide, 24/7 Support
UW–Madison’s Employee Assistance Office (EAO) provides employees and their dependent household members with free, confidential assistance with personal and work-related concerns. EAO is now partnering with LifeMatters to provide support statewide and at all hours of the day or night. LifeMatters counselors are available anytime by phone or text messaging. Appointments can be scheduled to meet in person or by video conferencing. LifeMatters also provides legal and financial resources and will locate experts to assist with adoption, child or elder care resources, travel planning, and more. All services are free, voluntary and confidential. Visit the website at mylifematters.com and sign in with the password “Bucky1.” Call 800-634-6433 to speak with a LifeMatters counselor. For details, go to hr.wisc.edu/employee-assistance-office.
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Employee Flu Shots on Campus
University Health Services is offering employee flu shot clinics at various locations on campus in September and October. No appointment is needed. Bring your health insurance card. Many healthcare plans allow for direct processing of payments by your health insurance provider. Otherwise, there will be a $35 fee for the shot (payable by cash, check, Visa or MasterCard). The employee flu shot clinics are not open to spouses, partners, or children of employees.
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Campus Bus Forums Scheduled
All UW–Madison employees, students, and community members are invited to attend informational forums about proposed changes to the campus bus service (Routes 80, 81, 82 and 84) for the 2020–21 year. Open sessions will be held September 16, 18 and 23. After the sessions, presentation materials will be available on the Transportation Services website. A public feedback period will be available. For more information, go to transportation.wisc.edu/busforums2019.
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New Policy Will Create More Gender-Inclusive Restrooms on Campus
UW–Madison will create more gender-inclusive restrooms under a newly adopted policy. Gender-inclusive restrooms are defined as single-stall, locking restrooms. The Gender Inclusive Restroom Facilities Policy requires a minimum number of such facilities to be provided in new and renovated buildings. The policy also states that students, faculty, staff, visitors and guests may use the restroom, locker room or changing facility in which they feel safest and most comfortable. Currently the university has approximately 145 single-stall, locking restrooms that can be located using an online campus map. The university expects to add additional facilities over the next several years. The policy was developed by the Gender Inclusive Restroom Facilities Task Force, a shared governance group formed in 2017.
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Deadline to Earn Well Wisconsin Incentive Approaching
Employers, retirees and their spouses currently enrolled in the State Group Health Insurance plan are eligible for an annual $150 wellness incentive. The deadline to complete all required activities and submit them to StayWell is October 11, 2019. In order to earn the incentive, you must complete a health screening, the StayWell health assessment, and one Well Wisconsin well-being activity. On-site health screenings are available. To learn more, visit wellwisconsin.staywell.com and create or sign in to your account. You may also call the StayWell HelpLine at 800-821-6591.