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.

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.

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.

The Office of Strategic Consulting will be hosting the 22nd annual Showcase event on Tuesday, March 8, 2022, at Union South. This free, day-long event brings together campus colleagues to share best practices, learn from each other’s successes, and connect. Proposals are now being accepted for 50- and 75-minute breakout sessions on topics related to organizational effectiveness. Presenters have the option of offering their session in person or via livestream. Suggested topics and evaluation criteria are available on the Showcase 2022 website. Proposals should be submitted by Tuesday, Dec. 7.