News for Employees
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Campus information available via text messages
UW–Madison employees can sign up to receive important campus information sent directly to their smartphones or other mobile devices. Any UW‒Madison employee is welcome to join a WhatsApp group. WhatsApp Campus Information Groups are available in six languages: English, Spanish, Hmong, Tibetan, Chinese, and Nepali. Subscribers receive about 5–6 messages per month, including campus updates, event announcements, and information about resources for UW employees. These are not chat rooms and employees cannot respond to messages they receive.
Employees who have little or no access to computers at work, need language support, or work away from their desk may find WhatsApp Campus Information Groups helpful. Learn how to install WhatsApp at cls.wisc.edu/whatsapp.
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Parking permit updates from Transportation Services
The deadline to accept Round 1 parking permit offers is July 30. Applications for Round 2 are also due July 30. Round 2 offers will be emailed July 31‒August 1. Employee bus passes and afternoon, night, motorcycle, and moped permits will be available to purchase starting August 1. Visit transportation.wisc.edu for details.
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Well-being webinars on preparing for retirement and more
The Universities of Wisconsin is offering a series of webinars to all employees on topics that can enhance physical, emotional, and financial well-being. On-demand webinars, which can be viewed at any time, are available on retirement topics, including an introduction to the UW 403(b) Supplemental Retirement Program and a three-part retirement series presented by the Department of Employee Trust Funds, Social Security Administration, and Wisconsin Deferred Compensation Program. Live, virtual webinars are offered on a variety of topics, including retirement planning, self-care, caregiving, and more. New webinars are added as they become available. A complete list of webinars with registration links is available on the Employee Well-Being Webinars web page.
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New video previews employee learning in Workday
As part of the Administrative Transformation Program (ATP), UW‒Madison will transition to Workday, a cloud-based software platform that will streamline and simplify administrative processes. Employees will use Workday Learning to locate, enroll in, and track progress for professional development courses and required trainings. Employees will also have a comprehensive transcript to reference throughout their career at UW–Madison. A 2.5-minute video, What’s Changing with Workday Learning, provides a preview of this learning management tool. The What’s Changing videos are not intended as training; employee training will begin in spring 2025. Learn more and access previous What’s Changing with Workday videos with your UW login.
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Help make UW–Madison a drug-free workplace
All faculty and staff are encouraged to contribute to a drug-free workplace. You can do this by learning the facts about substance abuse, encouraging others to avoid substance abuse, and knowing where you or others can go for help with a drug or alcohol problem. The laws and expectations regarding substance abuse apply to all members of the UW–Madison campus community. You can review this information and find resources for drug and alcohol abuse prevention at go.wisc.edu/j15c7c.
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Leave to serve as an election official
As this is an election year, employees are encouraged to review the UW–Madison policy regarding serving as an election official and taking time off to vote. All sick-leave eligible faculty, academic staff, limited appointees, or university staff are entitled to leave with pay to serve as an election official during work hours on a public, special, primary, or general election day. Employees who are not sick-leave eligible are entitled to leave without pay to serve as an election official. The employee must provide their supervisor at least seven days’ notice of application for leave to serve as an election official. The employee must submit the UW–Madison Employee Request to Serve as an Election Official form along with verification from the municipal clerk of their appointment as an election official. All employees are encouraged to make such requests as soon as they know they will serve. The policy also provides information about leaves of absence for voting in the unlikely event that employees cannot vote outside of working hours. Review the Leaves of Absence for Voting and Serving as an Election Official policy at policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-5059.
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Campus communities of practice offer sustained learning
Communities of practice (CoPs) are peer-organized learning communities that bring together people from across an organization to teach one another, share resources, and find inspiration in their connections and creativity. CoPs provide a cost-effective way to share information, solve problems collectively, innovate, and train new staff. Dozens of CoPs are active at UW–Madison, including groups with interests in communication and project management; education and outreach; human resources; leadership; research; technology; and workplace culture. Find a CoP or learn how to start a new community of practice online.
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Review your beneficiary designations
Naming a beneficiary allows you to transfer your financial interests after you have passed away. If you do not recall who you have listed as your beneficiary, or if you have experienced a life event such as a marriage, divorce, or birth of a child, review and submit updated beneficiary designations. If you do not have a beneficiary designation on file, benefits will be paid in the order of Statutory Standard Sequence per Wisconsin state law. Review the Universities of Wisconsin Employee Benefits Beneficiary Information web page for a list of benefits plans that have benefits payable to beneficiaries and for information on how to designate a beneficiary for each benefit plan. To see which benefit plans you are enrolled in, go to MyUW at my.wisc.edu, click on the Benefit Information tile, and then go to the Summary tab.
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Increased email security helps spot imposter emails
Beginning Aug. 5, 2024, UW–Madison will be taking additional steps to protect the campus community from fake emails that pretend to be from trusted sources. All incoming emails will be checked for authenticity. If an email is deemed suspicious because it fails the authentication check, it will be sent to your junk folder instead of your inbox. Learn why this matters and what you should do.
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Parking permit updates from Transportation Services
Round 1 offers for 2024‒25 parking permits will be emailed July 10–11. Round 2 applications will be open July 10–30 for those who did not apply in Round 1. Visit transportation.wisc.edu for details.