UW–Madison recognizes that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, employees may not be able to use all of their personal holiday hours or vacation carryover balances by the deadlines set by other campus policies. The deadlines to use personal holiday hours or vacation carryover have been extended. Employees who are paid hourly now have until December 31, 2021, to use vacation carryover that was earned in calendar year 2019 and personal holiday time that was earned in calendar year 2020. Employees who are paid monthly now have until June 30, 2021, to use vacation carryover that was earned in fiscal year 2019 and personal holiday time that was earned in fiscal year 2020. This information is provided in the UW–Madison COVID-19 Pandemic Leave Policy. For additional information related to COVID-19 furlough and leave, visit hr.wisc.edu/furlough.

Ballots for the University Staff Congressional election have been mailed to employees who are in districts with at least one candidate for district representative. A postage-paid return envelope is included with the ballots. The deadline to receive ballots at the Office of the Secretary is Friday, June 5, at 11 a.m., when votes will be tabulated. Ballots may also be returned by campus mail, although due to delays, using campus mail is not recommended. Employees who are currently working in Bascom Hall are welcome to place completed ballots under the door of Office 271. Statements from the candidates for the 7th Congress are available online at ous.wisc.edu.

Learning and Talent Development is continuing to add more instructor-led courses and other virtual learning resources to its Virtual Learning web page. Virtual learning provides an opportunity to connect with others, learn new skills, and engage in meaningful discussions. A number of live courses are offered, with advance registration required. There are also links to TED Talks, useful LinkedIn Learning courses, and other online resources. All virtual learning opportunities are available at no cost to UW–Madison employees. Visit hr.wisc.edu/virtual-learning for details.

The IT Professionals Conference will take place virtually on June 4–5, 2020. The free conference will feature both live and recorded sessions. Advance registration is requested.