News for Employees
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Check Your Beneficiary Designations
A beneficiary is someone you designate to receive benefits that are payable upon your death. Naming beneficiaries ensures that your assets are distributed according to your wishes. You may change your beneficiary designations at any time. It is important to review your beneficiary designations regularly, especially when you have experienced a life event such as birth or adoption of a child, marriage, or divorce. To change a beneficiary designation, complete a beneficiary form for each plan in which you are enrolled. Forms can be found on the UW System employee benefits website. Keep a copy of each beneficiary form for your records.
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Collaboration Tools Add Efficiency
Employees can use their NetIDs to access the UW–Madison enterprise accounts for several free collaboration tools, such as Google Drive, Box, and OneDrive. These tools can help faculty and staff work efficiently with other campus users. Some of the benefits of using the UW–Madison accounts include protection of intellectual property, authentication of collaborators using their wisc.edu emails, and unlimited storage for your files and documents for Google and Box (OneDrive has a one-terabyte limit). DoIT offers a comparison of features for these different collaboration tools on their website, as well as free support for users from the DoIT Help Desk.
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Find Wellness Resources at YOU@WISC
UW–Madison has introduced a new online tool, YOU@WISC, that can help employees manage stress, set goals, and promote happiness and well-being. Although much of the content is geared to students, YOU@WISC offers helpful content for anyone who is seeking advice, inspiration and support. Resources include assessments, articles, videos and more on a number of wellness topics. The online tool is available to anyone with a NetID.
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Extension Units to Return to UW–Madison July 1
Several units within UW–Extension (Cooperative Extension, Conference Centers, and Wisconsin Public Broadcasting) are merging with UW–Madison as part of a larger restructuring of the UW System. Returning these institutions to the UW–Madison campus—where Cooperative Extension and public broadcasting were once based—is expected to strengthen existing partnerships and develop new collaborations that will serve all 72 counties in Wisconsin. The campus has established a steering committee and several working groups to ensure a smooth integration of these units. A website has been established to provide updates on their work and the status of the transition.
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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 new program called “Bucky’s Tuition Promise.” The university pledges to cover four years of tuition and segregated fees for any incoming freshman from Wisconsin whose family’s 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 segregated fees. Eligibility is based only on one line from a family’s federal income tax return called adjusted gross income, or AGI. There is no separate application process. The tuition guarantee begins in the fall of 2018. The goal of the program is to ensure that anyone in Wisconsin who is admitted to UW–Madison can afford to attend.
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Celebrate International Women's Day
A celebration of International Women’s Day will be held on Thursday, March 8, 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. at Varsity Hall in Union South. The event will feature keynote speaker Chief Kristen Roman of the UW Police Department. Dr. Nandini Pandey, an assistant professor in Classical and Near Eastern Studies, will provide a poetry reading. Food and refreshments will be served. The event is free and open to the public. University Staff may attend without loss of pay. This event is sponsored by University Staff shared governance through the Office of the Secretary.
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New Benefits Video Library Available Online
UW–Madison employees can learn about their benefits options by visiting the benefits video library on YouTube. The videos are designed for both new and current employees, offering information on health insurance, life insurance, income continuation insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, and flexible spending accounts. More in-depth, recorded presentations are available on Benefits 101, benefits options for Graduate Assistants and Short Term Academic Staff, and Pre-Retirement. Visit the benefits video library at hr.wisc.edu/videos.
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You Can Contribute to a Drug-Free Workplace
All faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to help make UW–Madison a drug-free workplace. You can do this by learning the facts about substance abuse, encouraging others to avoid substance abuse, and knowing where to go for help with a drug or alcohol problem—either for yourself or someone else. Please review the laws and expectations regarding substance abuse, which apply to all members of the UW–Madison community. Complete information can be found at go.wisc.edu/j15c7c.
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WIAA Tournaments Will Impact Campus Parking
The upcoming WIAA state tournaments will impact parking and traffic around the Kohl Center as UW-Madison hosts more than 125,000 visitors for WIAA Individual Wrestling (February 22, 23 and 24) and WIAA Boys Basketball (March 15, 16 and 17). Parking permit holders in Lots 46, 91 and 94 will need to relocate from their assigned lots during the tournaments. Afternoon and night permit holders cannot park in Lots 29, 46, 83, 91 or 94. Permit holders in Lots 29 and 83 may park in their lots, but can use alternate lot options to avoid congestion. Affected permit holders may wish to use alternate transportation options, such as carpooling or taking the bus. Full details are available on the UW Transportation Services website, transportation.wisc.edu.
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Federal Tax Withholding Changes in Effect
Most UW–Madison employees will see a change in their federal income tax withholding on their paychecks as a result of the 2017 Federal Tax Reform bill, which was passed in December 2017. The change was implemented on the February 1, 2018, paycheck for University Staff, who are paid bi-weekly, and for Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees, who are paid monthly. To see your federal withholding amount, log into MyUW and launch the Payroll Information module. You can review recent earnings statements to see how your federal withholding amount has changed.