News for Employees
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Thrive@UW-Madison series relaunched
The Thrive@UW-Madison course series exists to help UW-Madison employees contribute to healthy, inclusive and engaging workplaces. These courses provide important tools to help individuals develop the knowledge, skills and abilities to gain a better understanding of themselves, their organization and the UW campus culture. There are no pre-requisites for participation, and Thrive@UW-Madison courses are free and open to all UW-Madison employees. For information or to register, please visit www.talent.wisc.edu. For additional information, please contact Jacob Klett, Program Coordinator for Thrive@UW-Madison, via email at jacob.klett@wisc.edu or by calling 608-890-1872.
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Stave off hackers with strong passwords
Attackers want to gain access to your NetID and password to hack campus systems, such as MyUW, Human Resource System or the campus accounting system; to distribute spam via the UW email system; or to submit fraudulent documents. To prevent that, DoIT says your password should: contain at least eight alphanumeric characters (preferably 12); contain at least three of the following categories — upper-case letters, lower-case letters, numbers and special characters; and NOT contain a common proper name, login ID, email address, initials, your first/middle/last name. Remember to change your passwords at least twice a year.
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What is tax form 1095-C for?
If you were a full-time employee (as defined by the Affordable Care Act) for all or some months of 2016, you will receive a Form 1095-C from UW System, probably by mid-February. Form 1095-C contains information about the UW System health coverage that was offered to you and whether you and your eligible dependents chose to participate. The information reported on Form 1095-C will allow the IRS to determine whether you (or UW System) may have to make a payment for failing to comply with the ACA.
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Campus IT governance groups begin work
Four UW-Madison technology advisory groups have been formed to increase engagement on information technology decision making. The groups, and their charge, stem from the chancellor’s initiative to provide a framework for decision making related to IT priorities and to review the effectiveness of such investments. The groups focus input on technology to support four areas of work: teaching and learning, research, infrastructure, and the services that are also provided by the campus units and divisions. An overview of the structure and charge, as well as details about individual group progress, can be found at it.wisc.edu/it-community/governance/.
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America Saves Week: Set a goal; make a plan
America Saves Week — Feb. 27 to March 4 — is your opportunity to commit or recommit to saving for today and for your retirement. America Saves is a national campaign that encourages individuals and families to assess their savings and take financial action. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is a partner in the America Saves campaign. Look at the UW’s America Saves website for in-person workshops and interactive webinars, videos, handy tips and information on saving and financial wellness. The easiest and most effective way to save is automatically, which can be done through the UW Tax-Sheltered Annuity 403(b) Program.
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New performance management interface
By July 1, the Office of Human Resources plans to launch a new campuswide software program to streamline and track the activities and conversations required by UW-Madison’s performance management policy. The Performance Management and Development Program uses performance management software that was originally developed by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education for use within that area. The Office of Human Resources is making small modifications to provide the flexibility needed for the program to be of greatest use throughout campus. The performance management policy, which launched on July 1, 2015, applies to nearly all academic and university staff, and those who supervise them.
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A reminder: UW policies on employee campaigning
Per UW System policy, political campaign activities by employees are restricted by Board of Regents policy and state law in three ways: (1) employees may not engage in political campaign activities, including solicitation of signatures for petitions, during work time or in their work unit; (2) they may not use university resources to engage in political campaign activities at any time; and (3) they may not solicit contributions or services for a political purpose from other university employees while they are engaged in their official duties.
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Academic Staff district change options
All academic staff are invited to attend informational sessions to learn about proposed changes to Academic Staff Assembly Districts, which would be in two areas — number of districts and the method by which staff are assigned to districts. Informational sessions will be held from: 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Union South; and from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, March 3 at 1345 Health Sciences Learning Center. A vote on this issue is scheduled to take place at the March 13 Academic Staff Assembly meeting. If you have any questions, please contact your ASA representative or send an email to asa_district_changes@lists.wisc.edu.
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Info about health self-insurance proposal
In an effort to provide up-to-date information regarding the proposed self-insured health insurance, the UW–Madison Office of Human Resources (OHR) will be posting questions received and adding answers as they become available. The Group Insurance Board (GIB) voted to move Wisconsin to a self-insured health insurance model for state workers effective Jan. 1, 2018. The proposed change still requires approval by the State Legislature. The Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) has stated that the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee needs to approve self-insurance contracts by May 1, 2017 in order to implement the change by January 2018 as planned. If approved, OHR will hold educational sessions for UW-Madison employees.
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IT tip: Do right by copyright
Did you know that photos are protected by copyright, even if they are posted on the internet? With a few exceptions, it’s illegal for you to reuse a photo taken by another person without permission. The penalties for photographic copyright infringement are severe. To safely find and use photos, try the UW Campus Photo Library, which contains thousands of recent low and hi-res photos depicting the UW-Madison campus and the people there. Or try WikiCommons, a collection of over 36 million freely usable media files.