News for Employees
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Full Showcase 2024 lineup announced
Showcase, sponsored by the Office of Strategic Consulting, is a free annual event for faculty and staff designed to celebrate and strengthen a culture of innovation and continuous improvement at UW–Madison. The event will be held Thursday, April 18, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Union South. Keynote speaker Provost Charles Isbell will share his perspectives in a fireside chat. Showcase also features eight one-hour breakout sessions, a lunch buffet, a poster exhibition, and poster flash talks. The deadline to submit a poster proposal has been extended to this Friday, March 15. Posters can be used to showcase an improvement, innovation, or successful practice to share with others. Registration to attend Showcase is limited; register by April 1 to ensure your place.
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Leaves of absence for voting and serving as an election official
With election season upon us, UW–Madison employees are encouraged to review the university’s policy regarding Leave for Voting or Serving as an Election Official. Employees who cannot vote outside of working hours may vote during their scheduled work hours and must provide their supervisor with a written absence request prior to election day. Employees can arrange a flexible schedule with their supervisor that will allow them to vote or, depending on their eligibility, receive leave with pay or take leave without pay.
To serve as an election official, employees should notify their supervisor as soon as possible (notice required seven days prior to election day) and submit the UW–Madison Employee Request to Serve as an Election Official form. Employees will be granted time off work for the entire 24-hour period of each election day. All sick-leave eligible faculty, academic staff, limited appointees, or university staff are entitled to leave with pay to serve as an election official. Employees who are not sick-leave eligible may take leave without pay.
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Nominations open for FP&M Recognition Awards
Each year, Facilities Planning & Management (FP&M) recognizes employees whose work adds value to UW‒Madison. Nominations are now being accepted for the FP&M 2024 Employee Recognition Awards. FP&M staff work behind the scenes keeping campus running day and night. They are responsible for the planning, maintenance, operations, safety, and sustainability of all 939 acres of campus. Any member of the campus community can nominate an FP&M employee or team for an award. Complete the nomination form online or print and submit a form in any of six languages. The nomination deadline is March 15. Learn more at go.wisc.edu/nominate-fpm.
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UW–Madison moves up in annual ranking of employers
UW–Madison ranked in the top 600 among “America’s Best Large Employers” for 2024 in a survey by Forbes. UW–Madison came in at No. 113 on the list of employers with more than 5,000 employees. In 2023, the university ranked No. 196 in the same survey. Twelve private and public sector employers with headquarters in the state of Wisconsin were recognized in the 2024 rankings, with UW–Madison ranking third. The ranking is based on a survey of about 170,000 workers at American companies and institutions with 1,000 or more employees.
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Women and Leadership Symposium call for proposals
The Women and Leadership Symposium, scheduled for June 18, 8:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. at Union South, brings together engaged professionals for networking, professional development, and sharing of best practices. Symposium organizers are inviting proposals from dynamic speakers who would like to share their knowledge and talents with attendees. Suggested topics for breakout sessions include building influence, well-being, engagement, inclusion and diversity, relationship building and communication, career management, and personal development and workplace skills. Session proposals are due April 1. Registration for the event is open through June 3.
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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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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. Find instructions for installing WhatsApp at cls.wisc.edu/whatsapp.
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New resources preview changes coming with Workday
As part of the Administrative Transformation Program (ATP), UW‒Madison will be transitioning to Workday, a cloud-based software platform that will streamline and simplify administrative processes. A new video series provides an overview of what will change when Workday goes live in July 2025. This month’s video, What’s Changing with Security Roles, previews how employees will get access to information in Workday to do their jobs and manage their personal employment information. New resources will be added monthly leading up to the start of Workday training in March 2025. Learn more and access posted videos at any time with your UW login.
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IT Professionals Conference invites speaker proposals
Proposals are invited from speakers who would like to share their ideas with colleagues from across campus at the UW–Madison IT Professionals Conference. This year’s conference will be hybrid, with both in-person and virtual sessions on May 30 and virtual sessions only on May 31. Conference organizers are looking for presentations about creative solutions to technical problems, innovative new tools or processes, and valuable lessons learned from a project or experience. Proposals are due by 5 p.m. on March 29.
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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.