News for Employees
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Health Plan Changes for 2018 Announced
Changes to the 2018 State Group Health Insurance Program were approved by the Group Insurance Board on Aug. 30, 2017. Health plans will be providing additional information to all affected employees between now and the Annual Benefits Enrollment period, scheduled for Oct. 2–27, 2017. Beginning in 2018, Unity Health Insurance, Physicians Plus, and Gundersen Health Plan will be offered under the name “Quartz.” Participants in these plans will be enrolled automatically in either Quartz-UW or Quartz-Community. Most UW–Madison employees who participate in one of these plans will see Quartz-UW listed as their health plan in the online Self Service tool available Oct. 2–27. Employees can select a different plan for 2018 coverage during the Annual Benefits Enrollment period.
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New Meal Plan for Faculty and Staff
Beginning Sept. 5, all UW–Madison faculty and staff have the opportunity to join a new meal program, good at any of the six University Housing dining locations across campus. For a $25 annual fee, faculty and staff can get a 20 percent discount on most food items during the academic year. Members of the program must load money onto their Wiscard account and use the Wiscard for purchases to receive the discount. To sign up, visit the Dining Office in the lower level of the Gordon Dining and Event Center.
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Newer Campus IT Professionals Can Request Mentors
The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) at UW–Madison is seeking individuals who would like to have a mentor through the UW–IT Mentoring Program. The program connects newer campus IT professionals with experienced colleagues in peer relationships that enhance skills, knowledge, and experience. New to the program this year is a Match-Up Kickoff Event on Sept. 28, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. at Union South (check Today in the Union for the room). IT professionals who would like to have a mentor are encouraged to complete an online survey by Sept. 10 and mark their calendars for the Sept. 28 Match-Up Kickoff Event. Survey responses will be used to pair each participant with a mentor who will be the best fit.
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Advice for Helping Hurricane Harvey Victims
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team urge you to be cautious of charity scams and do your research before giving to online charities. Charity scams often use fraudulent emails containing links or attachments that could direct you to malware-infected websites. The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) at UW–Madison offers a summary of the FTC’s guidelines for wise giving, including a link to the FTC’s advice for helping Hurricane Harvey victims.
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Registration open for leadership conference
Registration is now open for the 19th Annual Leadership and Management Development Conference, scheduled for Nov. 13, 2017, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. (check in 7–8 a.m.) at Union South. The conference, hosted by the Learning and Talent Development team at the Office of Human Resources, UW–Madison, is designed for leaders, managers, mentors, aspiring leaders, and individuals who wish to be more productive and effective. Faculty, staff, and community members are welcome. CEUs are available. Register by Sept. 13 to receive a discounted rate of $100. After Sept. 13, the registration fee will be $125.
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Help us place your job in the best job family
UW–Madison is completing a two-year review of current job titles and compensation. Plan to attend forums about the Title and Total Compensation Study in September/October. You may attend without loss of pay. The forums are designed to introduce you to the study and gather your input on the job families under development.
The Title and Total Compensation Study will result in relevant and market-informed titles and pay ranges. The results will provide you with clear guidelines to make informed choices about advancing in your career at UW–Madison and provide your managers with better tools to make informed decisions about pay or promotional opportunities.
No employees will lose their jobs and employee base pay will not be reduced as a result of this study. The study results will provide guidance on how to address market issues over time. Your input will help us sustain and grow our outstanding workforce.
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Easy ways to learn of campus job openings
Would you like to stay informed of new job opportunities at UW–Madison? The Jobs at UW website, located at http://jobs.wisc.edu, provides a complete, easy-to-use resource. Subscribe to a job alert, and you will receive an email notification whenever a position is posted that matches your search criteria. You can also follow the Jobs@UW social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter to find job listings in real time (on Facebook, use the “Careers” tab). Or search the hashtag #WorkWithBucky.
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Plan ahead for campus parking on Friday
UW–Madison will host 80,000 fans for the 2017 season-opener home football game with the Utah State Aggies on Friday, Sept. 1. Friday is also the first day of the 2017–18 parking permit year. Please remember to display the ‘17–18 annual permit that day.
Transportation Services and the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics have developed a plan to help alleviate traffic congestion and minimize disruption to our faculty and staff on game day.
Supervisors and managers will work with employees to adjust work schedules, where possible, so that employees may make alternate commuting plans or leave campus by 5 p.m. on Friday.
Staffing of several campus parking lots will begin at noon to ensure parking for employees with annual parking permits. At about 2 p.m., football game patrons may be allowed to park in selected campus lots, based on space availability. Beginning at 5 p.m., most campus lots will be reserved for event parking and annual permit holders must remove their vehicles. Employees who must work after 5 p.m. may relocate to designated lots after 2 p.m. or, if necessary, contact Transportation Services to make temporary parking arrangements or arrange a personalized alternative plan to driving alone. Employees are encouraged to travel to campus by Madison Metro bus, carpool, or biking to work on game day.
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Some streets to be closed during dorm move-in
Numerous campus area streets will be closed to accommodate the more than 7,500 University of Wisconsin–Madison students who will be moving into university residence halls. The big move-in days are Saturday, Aug. 26; Tuesday, Aug. 29; Wednesday, Aug. 30; and Thursday, Aug. 31. Students are welcome to move in anytime after 8 a.m. on their assigned move-in day. Traffic around all residence halls will be extremely busy, and all lots near residence halls will be used for temporary unloading.
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WRS contribution rates to decrease in 2018
The Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) has announced that contributions paid by Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) employees will decrease for most UW–Madison employees effective Jan. 1, 2018. WRS contribution rates are set and adjusted annually. According to ETF, the 2018 rate changes are primarily due to higher favorable WRS Trust Fund investment performance. Contribution rates for UW–Madison employees are determined by WRS employment category. For general employees, the contribution decreases from 2017’s 6.8 percent each from employee and employer, to 6.7 percent from each in 2018.