News for Employees
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UWPD Offers WiscGuardian Mobile Safety App
The UW–Madison Police Department (UWPD) invites all faculty, staff, and students to download WiscGuardian, a free mobile safety app that turns any mobile phone into a personal safety device. WiscGuardian is personalized for the UW–Madison campus. The app allows you to invite friends and family to join your network as your “Guardians.” A Guardian is someone you can ask to walk with you virtually on or off campus. Guardians will have access to your phone location on a map. The app also allows for easy communication with the UWPD Dispatch Center in a non-emergency situation, as well as communication with 9-1-1 in an emergency.
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Free Parking in Surface Lots Day after Thanksgiving
Some campus parking restrictions will be relaxed on Friday, Nov. 29, making it easier for employees who take the bus to travel to campus. The City of Madison’s Metro Transit will be offering a modified service schedule on November 29. Surface parking lots on campus will be treated as if the day were a UW legal holiday. No UW permit will be required to park in the surface lots. Parking ramps and garages will operate on a typical weekday schedule, and will require a valid UW parking permit or pulling a ticket and paying upon exit. For details, visit the Transportation Services website at transportation.wisc.edu.
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University Staff Must Use Personal Holiday and Vacation Carryover Hours by December 31
For University Staff, all personal holiday hours from calendar year 2019 and vacation carryover hours from calendar year 2018 expire on December 31. You will need to use those hours by the end of the year on December 31, 2019, or you will lose them. Employees who are eligible may elect to bank set amounts of vacation carryover and/or elect to receive a cash payout. If you have used sick leave in calendar year 2019, you may be able to change the type of leave you had used and instead use personal holiday or vacation carryover hours. This would prevent the loss of personal holiday or vacation carryover hours and restore sick leave to your balance. Any requests to swap one type of leave for another must be received before December 31, 2019. If you need assistance, please speak with your supervisor or your local human resources contact.
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Blend@UW Offers Course Design Sessions
Instructors can now apply for a one-week Blend@UW course design session in January. Blend@UW helps instructors design blended and technology-enabled courses that foster deeper, more active learning for students. Participants include instructors at all stages of their teaching careers. Sessions will be held January 6–10 and January 13–17, 2020. Applications are due December 13 for the January sessions.
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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 familiarize yourself with the laws and expectations regarding substance abuse, which apply to all members of the UW–Madison campus community. Visit go.wisc.edu/j15c7c for more information.
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UW to Increase Minimum Wage to $15 Per Hour
UW–Madison will increase the minimum wage for the university’s hourly employees to $15 per hour, effective in the spring of 2020. The higher minimum wage strengthens UW–Madison’s commitment to paying a fair wage for all employees. It will also enable the university to compete more effectively in tight labor markets. The increase in the minimum wage will primarily affect workers in custodial, animal care and food-service positions. It will not affect temporary or student employees. The timing of the increase will align with the rollout of the Title and Total Compensation (TTC) Project. In this redesign of title and compensation structures, UW positions are being compared to similar positions at other public and private sector employers in order to create a market-based pay structure.
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UW–Madison Launches Standard Job Description Library
UW–Madison has launched the Title & Standard Job Description (SJD) Library, featuring new market-matched job titles and job descriptions. The library will continue to evolve as changes are made based on feedback from employees and managers, as well as updated market information. The library and other resources are available on the TTC Project website. Visit go.wisc.edu/ttcproject.
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Event Celebrates Native American Culture
There will be a celebration of Native American Culture and Heritage on Thursday, Nov. 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Union South. Hot food and beverages will be served. All UW–Madison employees are welcome to attend and may do so with no loss in pay. Advance registration is not required. This event, which is sponsored by the Campus Workers Collective, is free and open to the public.
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Policy and Procedures for Drone Use on Campus
UW–Madison has a policy related to the use of unmanned aircraft systems, also known as aerial drones. Due to safety and privacy concerns, flying for recreational or hobbyist uses is not permitted on UW–Madison premises. In addition, UW–Madison adheres to Federal Aviation Association (FAA) guidelines and prohibits certain uses without waivers, such as flights over people, flights at night, and more. Faculty, staff, students, contractors, and affiliates wishing to use drones for UW–related education, research, and non-academic purposes must receive approval in advance. Pilot and flight applications should be submitted in ARROW, a research oversight platform, for review and approval.
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TTC Project Forums to Be Held Next Week
Informational updates on the Title and Total Compensation (TTC) Project will be held at various times and locations during the week of November 11. In addition, a live online forum will be offered on Wednesday, Nov. 20. The November Forums will provide an update on manager and employee engagement, and introduce the UW job library and new standard job descriptions. There will be time for questions and answers. All UW–Madison employees are encouraged to attend a November Forum in person or online. A recorded session will be available on the TTC Project website following the events. For forum details and to learn more, visit go.wisc.edu/ttcproject.