News for Employees
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Dec. 31 Deadline for University Staff to Request Leave Conversion
Eligible University Staff employees have an annual opportunity to bank set amounts of unused vacation or vacation carryover hours and/or elect to receive a cash payout. All banking or payout requests must be submitted no later than Dec. 31, 2021. Employees cannot bank or receive a cash payout for personal and legal holidays. Employees can review their leave balances and submit their vacation leave banking request in MyUW. To check leave balances, go to MyUW > Time and Absence > Timesheet > Absence Balances. Conversion Eligibility will be displayed between the Posted leave balances and the Projected leave balances. Employees who need assistance should speak with their supervisor or local human resources contact.
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Pre-Select UW 403(b) Investments by Dec. 10
The UW 403(b) Supplemental Retirement Program (SRP), formerly the Tax-Sheltered Annuity 403(b) Program, is implementing changes and enhancements to the program. The new recordkeepers for the UW 403(b) Supplemental Retirement Program (UW 403(b) SRP) are TIAA and Fidelity. Employees who have an existing account with TIAA or Fidelity through UW System (opened prior to Oct. 22, 2021) are able to pre-select their 2022 investments if they act by Dec. 10, 2021. Employees who elect TIAA or Fidelity between Oct. 23 and Dec. 10 will be able to pre-select investments once they receive notification from their new recordkeeper that an account has been established. The core investment line up, counseling sessions, presentations, and additional information can be found on the UW 403(b) Program Enhancements website.
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Shop the 2021 Holiday Gift Guide
The 2021 Holiday Gift Guide offers gift ideas produced or inspired by UW–Madison. Gifts include Badger gear and sports tickets, arts-related items, foods, and Wisconsin-related publications, including a poster, a wall calendar, and holiday cards. Find the Gift Guide at umark.wisc.edu/gift-guide.
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Guidance for a Safe Thanksgiving Recess and Mask Policy Update
Last week, in a campuswide email, the Office of the Chancellor provided travel guidance for the Thanksgiving recess. Precautions include getting your COVID-19 vaccine if you have not yet done so, avoiding gatherings if you are sick or develop symptoms of COVID-19, and wearing a mask when traveling. Regardless of your vaccination status, get tested if you are have symptoms of COVID-19 or have a close contact with someone who has COVID-19.
UW–Madison’s requirement that masks be worn in indoor spaces is being extended to Jan. 15, 2022. The extension to mid-January will help reduce health concerns during a time when many members of the campus community are traveling and when COVID-19 cases are rising again in other parts of our state and region. This also provides time for employees and students with children ages 5 to 11 to have their children vaccinated. For additional details and updates, visit covidresponse.wisc.edu.
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Some Campus Parking Restrictions Waived on Friday
Transportation Services will waive some campus parking restrictions this Friday to accommodate bus riders unable to easily travel to campus during Metro’s reduced holiday service. Most surface parking lots will not require a permit for unsigned permit parking stalls. Campus bus routes will operate on a recess schedule on Friday, Nov. 26, and Saturday, Nov. 27. For details, visit transportation.wisc.edu.
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Lab Managers Will Meet to Share Ideas and Resources
The Lab Management Community of Practice will meet on Thursday, Dec. 2 from 11 a.m.–noon at Union South. This free group is for anyone who is in a lab management role on the UW–Madison campus, including those in research labs, core labs, and instructional labs. The Lab CoP is welcoming new and returning members with an in-person kick-off event. Registration is requested.
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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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University Staff Must Use Floating Legal Holiday by Dec. 31
Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, is a floating legal holiday for eligible employees. University Staff employees must use this floating legal holiday by December 31, 2021. For University Staff employees, a floating legal holiday must be used by the end of the calendar year in which it was earned. If it is not used, it is lost and cannot be carried over into the new calendar year. Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited appointees who are eligible for the Dec. 25, 2021, floating legal holiday must use it by the end of the fiscal year (June 30, 2022). A floating legal holiday occurs when a legal holiday falls on a Saturday.
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University Staff Must Use Specific Leave Balances by Dec. 31
The deadline for University Staff employees to use vacation carryover balances and personal holiday hours is Dec. 31, 2021. If this leave is not used by Dec. 31, 2021, it will be lost. This includes carried-over vacation hours that were granted in calendar year 2019 and 2020. The deadline to use vacation carryover balances that would have typically expired on Dec. 31, 2020, was extended until Dec. 31, 2021. This was first announced in March 2021 and was implemented in response to concerns about the challenges presented by the original deadline in light of the pandemic. Leave balances can be found under “Time and Absence” in MyUW. Employees who wish to verify their leave balances and the corresponding deadlines should contact the human resources department in their school, college, or division.
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UW–Madison Responds to Federal Vaccination Mandate
To comply with a broad federal order, all UW–Madison employees, including student hourlies, must provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19, or receive a medical or religious accommodation, by Jan. 4. Currently, 95% of employees and students are fully vaccinated. Employees who have not yet provided proof of vaccination will be contacted by email.