Over the past two weeks, an increase in employee COVID-19 case counts and employee test positivity rates has been observed. Contact tracing suggests this is mostly due to activities and events in employees’ personal lives, rather than their on-site work. In a message to campus, Jake Baggott, executive director of University Health Services, urged employees to follow all campus safety protocols, avoid gatherings with anyone not in one’s immediate household, and take advantage of no-cost COVID-19 testing on campus. The full message is available online in multiple languages at go.wisc.edu/88h760.

UW–Madison is conducting surveillance testing among employee volunteers to monitor for the prevalence of COVID-19 on campus, compare campus cases to cases in the broader Madison and Dane County community, and limit the spread of disease. The School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) is seeking employees who are willing to volunteer for free COVID-19 testing once a week as part of a research study. Volunteers will collect their own samples using nasal swabs and bring their samples to one of three campus locations for drop-off at their assigned times. UW faculty, staff, post doctoral fellows, and graduate students working on campus are eligible to participate. For details, visit covidresponse.wisc.edu/surveillance-testing.

As Chancellor Blank’s message of October 26 indicated, there will likely be a small number of units on campus where staff layoffs may be needed to meet significant budget shortfalls. A one-hour online session will help UW–Madison employees who are coping with the loss of a job. The free session will explore the stages of loss and help participants prepare for the emotional impact of losing a job. Participants will also learn how to avoid isolation, assess their ability to adapt, and use this challenging time for transformation and growth. Coping with Job Loss will be offered on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 11 a.m. to noon. Register at go.wisc.edu/aj5cwh. Additional sessions are scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2–3 p.m. (go.wisc.edu/317458) and Thursday, Jan. 14, 9–10 a.m. (go.wisc.edu/86k4na). The session is hosted by LifeMatters in partnership with Learning and Talent Development.

The Office of Student Financial Aid is seeking nominations for Student Employee of the Year. The competition is hosted by the National Student Employment Association. Scholarships will be awarded to the top three student employees at UW–Madison. Students must be nominated by their supervisors. The deadline to nominate outstanding student employees is Friday, Nov. 20.