Disability & Medical Leave Resources for Employees

This guide is a resource for you if you are experiencing difficulties at work related to a disability or chronic medical condition.

File: Disability-Medical-Leave-Resources-Guide-for-Employees-1.pdf

This guide is a resource for you if you are experiencing difficulties at work related to a disability or chronic medical condition. For example, you may:

  • have a serious health condition and need medical leave
  • be returning to work with restrictions following a workplace injury or medical leave
  • have a disability that limits your ability to perform parts of your job

FP&M Employee Handbook

The varieties of jobs within FP&M require a talented and diverse workforce. To be successful, we depend on all our employees to excel at customer service and to work collaboratively with other FP&M employees, faculty, staff, students, and the campus community. All employees are encouraged to be open to new ideas, learn from each other, and treat co-workers and customers with dignity and respect. We believe that a positive and enjoyable workplace is vital to the success of our employees, our organization, and the University.

File: FPM-Employee-Handbook.pdf

August TTC forums for employees

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icon: chat bubbles overlappingEmployees will have updated job titles and new position descriptions as part of the Title and Total Compensation (TTC) Project on November 7, 2021.  Attend an employee forum to understand how this change will impact you in one of several sessions held on August 10 and 11, 2021.  See event options:

Daytime Session – English/ASL  |  August 10, 2021, 10:00 – 11:00 AM

Daytime Session – Multilingual / Webex  |  August 10, 2021,  1:30 – 2:30 PM

Late-Night Session  |  August 11, 2021, 11:00 pm –  12:00 am

Get the word out

Supervisors and employees: please help get the word out and encourage employees and coworkers to attend by posting these flyers in common areas or using as direct handouts.. Flyers are available in:

Translations are also posted on the events page of the TTC Project website.

Go To Event Page

Protective Footwear Reimbursement Policy

To ensure proper protective footwear in the workplace, FP&M will provide a reimbursement of up to $135 per pair of protective footwear each fiscal year (July 1 - June 30) to each employee working in an area where their approved PPE Assessment has been completed and protective footwear is recommended based on the probability/likelihood of encountering a hazard. -- Updated March 22, 2024

File: FPM-Protective-Footwear-Policy-3.24-signed.pdf

Benefits and Payroll reminders (June 2021)

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two curved arrows pointing toward each otherAnnual banked leave conversion eligibility and deadline for entry

Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited employees with a 12-month appointment are eligible to bank unused vacation and vacation carryover into their Paid Leave Bank (formerly known as ALRA) if they have completed 10+ years continuous service or 120 months in service by June 30, 2021.

Eligibility

An employee is first eligible to bank up to 40 hours of vacation at the start of the fiscal year following 10 years of service and is allowed to bank up to 80 hours of vacation at the start of the 26th fiscal year of employment.

Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited employees with a 12-month appointment are eligible to bank unused leave.

Timeline for Leave Conversion

Banked leave conversion entries for fiscal year 2020-2021 should be entered by September 30, 2021. Hours elected to be banked will first be deducted from vacation carryover balances that will expire on October 7th or the vacation balance on June 30th.

For questions please contact payroll@fpm.wisc.edu or review the Vacation Policy.


Vacation carryover deadline (University Staff)

University Staff have until the end of the calendar year (12/31/21) to use their vacation carryover.

Vacation carryover deadline extended (Academic Staff)

For Academic Staff, the vacation carryover deadline was extended to October 9th. Learn more about the extension here.


New bi-weekly payroll schedule

Academic Staff will move to a bi-weekly payroll schedule starting on July 18th. Check out the 2021 payroll schedule here.


Questions?

Please contact payroll@fpm.wisc.edu with any questions.

Blue Collar Multi-Shift Transfer Form

This form must be completed in order to be considered for a blue collar multi-shift transfer within your division. Divisional HR representatives for a specific vacancy no later than 4:30 pm on the deadline date listed on the Vacancy Notice form.

File: BCMS-Transfer-application-Form_update-10.02.20-1.pdf

This form must be completed in order to be considered for a blue collar multi-shift transfer within your division. Divisional HR representatives for a specific vacancy no later than 4:30 pm on the deadline date listed on the Vacancy Notice form.

ELT Meeting Highlights: 4/14

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notepad iconThe FP&M Extended Leadership Team (ELT) met on April 14, 2021.

Meeting highlights included an update on FP&M’s Engagement, Inclusion, and Diversity (EID) Plan, preparing for a “New Normal” as more in-person activities resume on campus, and efforts to support campus space needs as a part of UW–Madison’s post-pandemic plan.


EID Action Plan and Implementation Plan

Margaret Tennessen & Dar Ward – EID Committee Co-chairs

Dar Ward attended as a guest to kick off the ELT meeting with an update on Engagement, Inclusion, and Diversity (EID) Plan progress and updates. The plan has two components to address FP&M needs based on the 2020 employee EID Survey.

Illustration: Words on stylized gray, white, and red background textures, "EID" (Engagement Inclusion and Diversity)

The EID 2020 Survey Action Plan has four main priorities:

  1. Build capacity and skills for leadership, managers and supervisors to be effective in their roles and to be accessible and accountable to employees
  2. Provide professional development and training opportunities for employees to build their skills and grow in their roles
  3. Employees are aware of promotional opportunities and are recognized for their work
  4. Policies are widely known, are accessible, and are applied equitably to employees

The 2020-2021 EID Implementation Plan has been updated with plan activities to continue implementing in 2021:

    • Cultural awareness (communications and onboarding content)
    • AVC listening Q&A sessions
    • Track/report demographics, recruitment for diverse pools
    • Hard copy postings for groups that prefer
    • Understand causes of exclusion, set goals—related to national trends
    • Translation guidelines and prioritization
    • Training portal / filter tool
    • Recognition training (managers and supervisors) and needs assessment
    • Engagement, Inclusion, & Diversity (EID) competencies & expectations for managers
    • Unconscious bias/racial justice training for managers/supervisor/leadership
    • Professional development

Discussion

ELT team members met in smaller groups for EID breakout sessions, with four goals in mind: 1) connect & reflect 2) share collective wisdom, 3) be inspired to dedicate time and take action within teams, and 4) begin the process (this work is ongoing). Consider:

    • What do you do as a leader to educate yourself on EID issues?
    • How do we as leaders build competence and confidence in addressing Engagement, Inclusion, and Diversity?
    • We all have a lot on our plates but it’s important to note how EID work is not separate from our other work
    • The Change Curve Tool: a Project Team is generally first to adapt to changes, followed by Leaders, then Staff

Preparing for a “New Normal” on campus

Rob Cramer, Margaret Tennessen, Sue Fritts

Health & Safety

Infection rates continue to rise in the counties surrounding us.

    • New health & safety protocols are being developed, but current protocols remain in place at this time
    • Some changes to campus guidance will begin 5/10

Remote Work

    • A UW-Madison telecommuting policy was in place already last year (implemented in an emergency for campus)
    • Campus has been working on an updated policy and asked for feedback from campus partners
    • The campus HR community has been invited to comment on the draft remote work policy and proposed workflow process
    • FP&M is working through details for how this policy would be applied in our division
    • The details must be considered and are important

Data Collection Exercise to Support FP&M Space Planning

Brent Lloyd

Brent Lloyd introduced a work modalities and programmatic space needs exercise that supports the work explained in Rob Cramer’s 4/15 message to FP&M employees. This exercise will help to address FP&M and other campus space needs as a part of the university’s plan to look at work modalities post-pandemic.

    • Each division is making plans to establish a new normal of on-campus work for a phased return of employees working remotely.
    • Leadership is in early-stage discussions on what this new normal will look like for FP&M.
    • FP&M will use results to determine what work is best suited to be performed on campus, partially remote, or fully remote.
    • FP&M leadership will strive to allocate space consistently and equitably, while also meeting the operational needs of the university.

“This is really our opportunity to review what has worked, what hasn’t worked.”
-Brent Lloyd


What is the ELT?

The Extended Leadership Team (ELT) at FP&M includes FP&M directors and their direct reports.

Employee Furlough Updates

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As campus announced earlier this month, furlough has been reduced by 1 day.

Please take steps to assure that you do not over-use furlough. See Take Action below.

If you do not know your furlough balance, please ask your supervisor or email payroll@fpm.wisc.edu.

Be sure to take furlough days by June 30, 2021 and enter furlough for approval no later than June 16, 2021.


Take Actionicon: magnifying glass

With the new requirement, we realize that you may have future furlough time already planned or entered in your timesheet that would exceed the new furlough limits!

Please take action so that you do not over-use furlough time.

Check your furlough balance:

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  • Review your furlough balance with your supervisor.
  • If you do not know your furlough balance, please email payroll@fpm.wisc.edu.
  • See the updated furlough chart for Round Two furlough if you need.

Once you know your furlough balance, choose what best fits your situation from the three scenarios below :

  1. I have Future Dated, Unprocessed, or Overused Furlough time.
  2. I have overused my furlough time (it has already been processed).
  3. I still have a remaining furlough balance to use, even after the reduction.

SCENARIOS


1) I have Future Dated, Unprocessed, or Overused Furlough time. icon: pencil point

With the new requirement, there are bound to be some employees who have future furlough time already entered in the timesheet that would exceed the new furlough limits.

You have two options:

  • Modify schedule and update Timesheets,
    or
  • Keep the absence and swap for another available leave type

2) I have overused my furlough time (it has already been processed).

FP&M has worked with campus to develop a solution to this issue. No action is needed on your part.

If you have over-used furlough time and the furlough has already been processed, the solution depends on your employee type:

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  • For University Staff non-exempt:
    • Smoothing deductions will be discontinued early.
    • No reimbursement is needed.
    • No action is needed on your part.
  • For Academic Staff employees / Bi-weekly hourly exempt employees / and Crafts Workers:
    • Any deductions in excess of the new furlough requirement will be reimbursed to you.
    • You will receive a one-time reimbursement. The reimbursement is targeted to occur on the June 3rd paycheck (University Staff) and on the June 1st paycheck (Academic Staff).
    • Any reimbursements owed will be processed as one-time, lump sums.
    • No action is needed on your part.

3) I still have a remaining furlough balance to use, even after the reduction.icon: calendar with number "30" in large lettering filling up face of calendar page

Please note that employees must still take any remaining furlough by June 30, 2021.

Academic Staff: you must enter your furlough early so that your supervisor has time to approve it by June 16.

University Staff Exempt and Crafts Workers: you must enter your furlough by the biweekly payroll deadlines.


Additional Resources

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Update on employee furlough program, Chancellor announcement 4/16; with translations 

Furlough Chart (find how much furlough time you are required to take)

Supervisors: how to approve furlough

How to log furlough time – University Staff

How to log furlough time – Academic Staff

Tax information for employees who received unemployment payments during 2020

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Form 1099-G

If you received unemployment payments during 2020, you need form 1099-G from the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) when filing your taxes. The form will not be mailed. You may access it from the DWD website:

  • Go to: my.unemployment.wisconsin.gov
  • Log on using your username and password
  • Go to the “Unemployment Services” menu to access your 1099-G tax form

For more information visit: https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/uiben/1099.htm

Payroll & Benefits Deductions Update

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As a result of the UW System’s Split Benefits Project and Single Payroll Project, payroll and benefit deduction changes will occur for FP&M employees this year.

The changes will impact University Staff in April and Academic Staff in July. Learn more about how you can prepare for these changes.


University Staff

Split Benefit Deductions Change Coming in April

Benefit Deduction (University Staff)

Beginning in April 2021, UW System employees who are paid biweekly will have most benefits deductions divided evenly over the first two biweekly paychecks of each month.

What University Staff Need to Know

Most deductions for benefits such as health, dental, vision, and life insurance will be split evenly over the first two biweekly pay periods of each month

In months when there are three pay periods, benefits deductions will not be taken from that pay period (except for Wisconsin Retirement System, Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and Wisconsin Deferred Compensation 457 contributions)

When This Change Will Occur

Benefits deductions will be split evenly over two paychecks each month starting with your April 22, 2021 paycheck

What You Need to Do

If you have automatic payments set up (for example, mortgage, car loan, utilities, etc.):

  • Review your monthly budget and prepare for split benefits deductions.
  • Adjust your automatic payments as needed to match your new biweekly paycheck amounts.

Visit the Split Benefits Deductions webpage for the following resources:

  • FAQs
  • Online Personal Budget Planning Seminar
  • Online Town Hall Meeting
  • Paycheck Schedule
  • Paycheck Estimator

Email questions to benefits@fpm.wisc.edu


Academic Staff

Payroll Schedule Change Coming in July

Single Payroll

In July 2021, the UW System will move all employees who are currently paid monthly to a biweekly payroll schedule. In addition, most benefits deductions will be divided evenly between the biweekly paychecks.

How this Change Benefits You

  • Biweekly payroll is more frequent
  • You will receive your pay on the same day each pay period (Thursday)
  • Most benefits deductions will be split evenly over two checks

What Academic Staff Need to Know

On July 30, 2021, you will receive a partial monthly paycheck for days worked between July 1-July 17.

Starting August 12, 2021, you will begin receiving biweekly paychecks every other Thursday (except on Legal Holidays).

Most deductions for benefits such as health, dental, vision, and life insurance will be split evenly over the first two biweekly pay periods of each month starting with your August 26, 2021 paycheck.

In months when there are three pay periods, benefits deductions will not be taken from that pay period with the exception of Wisconsin Retirement System, Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and Wisconsin Deferred Compensation 457 contributions.

What You Need to Do

Visit the Single Payroll webpage to view the following resources:

  • FAQs
  • Online Personal Budget Planning Seminars
  • Online Town Hall Meetings
  • Paycheck Schedule
  • Paycheck Estimator

Email questions to payroll@fpm.wisc.edu

Pay Plan Updates

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Pay Plan Effective Dates:
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  • University Staff (Bi-Weekly Pay Cycle): January 3, 2021 (January B)
  • Academic & Limited Staff (Monthly Pay Cycle): January 1, 2021

Eligible Employees – employees in pay status as of:

  •  University Staff: November 22, 2020
  •  Academic & Limited Staff: December 1, 2020
  • All Academic Staff, Faculty, Limited and University Staff
    •  Includes employees in probationary or evaluation period, or on LOA
    • Does not include employees in non-eligible categories.

Not Eligible – Automatic:

  • Student hourly employees (SH)
  • Temporary Employees (CL)
  • Represented Crafts Workers/Trades
  • Employees not meeting expectations on their last performance evaluation
  • Employees who have not completed required sexual harassment prevention training
  • Supervisors who are not current on their employee performance evaluations

Living Wage Increase

  • City of Madison Living Wage increase to $13.86
  • UW–Madison increase effective date: 1/3/2021
  • 2% Pay Plan increase will be applied after Living Wage Increase

General Wage Adjustment –Craftworkers

  • Trades Council has asked for maximum allowable increase, 1.81%
  • To date, their request HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED. Request still needs to go in front of Chancellor, Board of Regents and State Government for approval.
  • Once FP&M HR receives an update (go / no go) on Trades increase, we will share with FP&M Management.

$15/Hour Minimum—Implementation

  • UW-Madison will implement a $15/Hour minimum for:
    • University Staff (Permanent & Fixed-Term Finite)
    • Academic Staff (FP&M does not have any AS employees impacted)
  • Student Hourly minimum remains $10.00 and Temporary Employee minimum remains City of Madison Living
  • Wage Effective Date: January 17, 2021
  • FP&M HR working with Finance Team to identify compression issues and establish new starting minimums. More to come on this topic.

Single Payroll Project Update

  • UW System-wide initiative to standardize System payroll by moving all employees to the current biweekly payroll cycle.
  • Project will split most benefit deductions evenly over the biweekly paychecks making benefit premiums more predictable and manageable for employees.
  • Implementation date changed from January 2021 to July 18, 2021.
  • The July 2021 implementation date provides additional time for communication, employee education, and preparation to help ease the transition to the new pay schedule and occurs in a month with three biweekly pay periods.

Employee Development Begins with Conversations

At FP&M, career development resources have always been in demand. Now is the time to make the most of your semi-annual Performance Management & Development Program (PMDP) conversation with your supervisor.

By getting creative with our online training approach in a time when in-person training is not as accessible, we hope to assist your development planning options as an FP&M employee.

New Year’s Resolution?

This January, make it a new year’s resolution to collaborate with your supervisor during your Midpoint Conversation and use the resources below to plan your development opportunities beyond the classroom.

It may have been awhile since you’ve looked at the Inside FP&M Performance Management web page. Resources and new learning opportunities are available. See what’s new! Go to web page.


PMDP Overview for New Employees

This 15-minute course reviews the PMDP process from probation to annual cycle.  Register
Includes descriptions of milestones, topics to be covered, and resources.

PMDP Annual Cycle Refresher

Take the 10-minute refresher course on the annual PMDP cycle for employees. Take Course
Review your milestones, topics to cover, and other resources.


Career Corner

Check out these resources for self-assessment, setting career goals, and planning career conversations with your supervisor:


Criteria for Success

At FP&M we believe everyone contributes to our success by building skills in 7 key areas.  These Criteria for Success are used in annual performance reviews, but they are so much more! 

These characteristics support every job at FP&M. In this section, we will be highlighting training and learning opportunities for different categories each month. There is also a great list on Inside FP&M Course Calendar Tool.


Communicating & Working Relationships
  • Influencing Teams from Within
    This online module provides participants with knowledge and strategies needed to make work teams more successful.
    See Sessions and Register
  • Giving and Receiving Constructive Feedback
    This workshop is designed to help all employees of UW – Madison learn how to provide quality and effective feedback any time that the message is due.

    • Whether feedback is formal or informal, provided to employees, peers or someone else, there are ways that it can be structured to be effective and lasting
      See sessions and Register

Engagement, Inclusion, and Diversity
  • Bystander Prevention: Stepping in with Care & Confidence
    Learn skills that build confidence to identify, intervene and interrupt behaviors that negatively impact the workplace. 
    See Sessions and Register   
    • Examine options for effectively intervening and improving negative situations through the 4D’s of Stepping In framework…and more.
  • EQ Skills & Strategies: Perspective Taking
    PERSPECTIVES. We each have our own. And there is great value in pausing, checking assumptions, and looking through the lens of others.
    What happens when you share your story and I share mine? Learn the value of perspective-giving and perspective-taking as strategies that drive inclusive relationships, leadership, and teams.
    See Sessions and Register

Leave Carryover & Conversion (University Staff)

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Leave Carryover

If an employee is unable to use either their personal holiday hours or vacation carryover balance during the COVID-19 pandemic, the employee will not lose those balances when they would typically expire: December 31, 2020 (for University Staff), or June 30, 2020 (for Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointments).

Instead, the employee’s personal holiday hours and/or vacation carryover balance will remain available until December 31, 2021 (for University Staff), or available until June 30, 2021 (for Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointments).

Annual Banked Leave Conversion for University Staff

The University Staff Annual Leave Conversion is an opportunity to make a choice to bank unused vacation carryover or unused current year vacation. This needs to be completed by submitting the appropriate form no later than December 4, 2020. Read on to learn about your options, eligibility, and how to complete the Banked Leave Conversion form.


Options

University staff employees can choose to convert banked leave via one of these options:

  1. Bank unused vacation carryover and/or current year vacation in a banked leave account
  2. Receive cash
  3. A combination of both #1 and #2.  (Formally known as the Sabbatical processing)

The options available depend on your eligibility.


Eligibility

University Staff* are eligible for different leave conversion options based upon their annual leave earning rate.

  • Annual leave earning rate of 160, 176, or 184 hours may elect to convert not more than 40 hours.
  • Annual leave earning rate of 200 hours may elect to convert not more than 80 hours of which not more than 40 hours may be paid in cash.
  • Annual leave earning rate of 216 hours may elect to convert not more than 120 hours of which not more than 40 may be paid in cash.
  • Employees with less than the 160 hour rate may elect to receive not more than 40 hours if they have accumulated at least 520 hours of sick leave by the time the eligibility file is created.  This is a permanent eligibility.  Once met, employees will retain this threshold.

*Crafts Workers are not eligible to bank leave*

For more information, consult the Vacation HR policy.


Complete Banked Leave Conversion Form

After you know your leave conversion eligibility it is time to complete the annual Banked Leave Conversion Form.  The banked leave conversion forms are available online at MyUW (my.wisc.edu) >  Time and Absence  >  Leave Reports. 

  1. Complete the banked leave conversion form.
  2. Sign the form.
  3. Send the form to payroll@fpm.wisc.edu or deliver to Rebecca Rohde’s mailbox at 30 N Mills Street, 3rd floor by 12/04/20.

Questions?

University Staff employees who have questions can watch this short (7 minute) video about the 3 main components of the Annual Leave Conversion Option Form and how to complete it correctly.

The video works best in Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Firefox (the video may not work in Internet Explorer).

Annual Benefits Enrollment Ends 10/23/20

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September 28–October 23, 2020 Calendar icon

This year the enrollment period is September 28-October 23, 2020, ending at 4:30pm 10/23. Remember to enroll or make changes to your 2021 benefits by 4:30 pm, Friday, October 23, 2020. (This is only needed if you want to make changes or enroll in benefits.)

How to Complete Benefits Enrollment

1) Log into the MyUW portal at my.wisc.edu "Benefits Information" tile with umbrella icon
2) Go to the Benefit Information tile
3) Click on the Enroll link

Or,  see the email you received from UWSystemhr@uwsa.edu to learn more and follow the instructions to enroll.


Annual Benefits Enrollment is the only time you can make changes to certain benefits without having an eligible life event (for example, marriage, birth, or divorce) or qualifying employment change during the year.

  • Changes made during this period will be effective January 1, 2021.
  • Certain benefits offered to UW–Madison employees require re-enrollment each year.

Benefits Enrollment Checklist

Please use the benefits enrollment checklist to help you prepare, guide, and act.

What Changes are Allowed?

See what changes are allowed during Annual Benefits Enrollment (ABE).

Annual Benefits Enrollment website (OHR), calendar of events

See the UW-Madison Office of Human Resources’ Annual Benefits Enrollment website for additional  information and online pre-recorded enrollment events, “Benefits 2021: What You Need to Know”.

Watch one of the enrollment events if you need additional guidance in navigating your benefits enrollment.