The Group Insurance Board (GIB) voted to move Wisconsin to a self-insured health insurance model for state workers effective Jan. 1, 2018. The GIB projects this move to save $60 million over the next two years while providing the same level of benefits to employees and retaining access to 98 percent of our current medical providers. Instead of the state paying health insurance companies a fixed amount for employee health insurance, the Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF)  would maintain funds in a reserve to pay individual health care claims. Gov. Scott Walker’s 2017-2019 proposed budget incorporates the anticipated savings. The proposed change still requires approval by the State Legislature.

UW-Madison is committed to providing a welcoming environment that enables all students, faculty and staff to thrive. The latest campus climate progress report shares important updates on campus initiatives toward that goal. For instance, Chancellor Blank has asked all units across campus to engage in discussion and training on issues of inclusion and diversity. She will ask deans and other campus leaders to report back on what their units have done and challenge campus leaders to think about next steps the following year. In addition, a ceremony Feb. 28 will mark the opening of the Black Cultural Center in the Red Gym. For updates on all the initiatives, read the full report at campusclimate.wisc.edu/initiatives.

Employees will not have access to their online timesheets, earnings statements and related documents and services during a UW Human Resources System (HRS) outage that will occur in late February. The outage is due to an HRS System technical upgrade and is scheduled to begin at noon on Wednesday, Feb. 22, and continue until the morning of Monday, Feb. 27.