HR Connect

General

Title & Total Compensation Project Update – June 2019

The University of Wisconsin (UW) is embarking on a complete redesign of its current classification and compensation structure. The goal of the Title & Total Compensation Project will be to develop new systems that will enable institutions to continue to attract and retain the best talent.

For Title & Total Compensation Project background information related to job titles, job descriptions, compensation, and benefits, please see this handout.

Managers and Division Leaders – would you like a poster for your area about Title & Total Compensation Project? Please print off this poster and showcase within your department!

Recent UW System Updates:

Updated job titles & standard job descriptions are on track to be posted online by the end of the calendar year 2019. The TTC project team will work over the summer to provide a proposed match for each employee to an updated job title. This step will allow employees to discuss their specific job title and standard job description with managers. Employees and managers can anticipate fall training in preparation for employee-manager conversations in winter 2019-2020. The fall training will offer instructions on where to find the updated titles and job descriptions, the new job title structure, and the next steps. This work sequence will allow for more productive and informed employee-manager conversations.
Thank you for participating in the Employee Benefits Preferences Survey. We were pleased that forty-seven percent (18,634) of UW benefits-eligible employees took the survey to help the UW assess employee priorities, needs, and wants related to benefits. Our project partner, Mercer Consulting, is developing a summary of the survey with a comparative analysis of benefits other employers with similar workforces are offering. We anticipate that this summary will be made available to employees in fall 2019. The TTC project team will develop benefits enhancement recommendations that will be shared with employees, based on Mercer’s analyses, by the end of the calendar year 2019.

In the Queue:

Review and Revision of DRAFT Titles and Standard Job Descriptions, estimated completion: June 2019 (Q2)
Summary of Results for the Employee Benefits Preferences Survey & Benefits Value Analysis, estimated completion: September 2019 (Q3)
Proposed Titles and Standard Job Descriptions Posted Online, estimated completion: December 2019 (Q3)
Titles and Standard Job Descriptions Implementation, estimated completion: March 2020 (Q1)

For up-to-date information about the Title & Total Compensation Project, please see the UW System Title & Total Compensation Project Website. Answers to frequently asked questions can be found on the UW System FAQ page.

UW-Green Bay Updates:

UW-Green Bay HR has started conversations with University Staff and Academic Staff governance groups related to a potential appeals process for title determinations.
UW-Green Bay has an institutional T&TC project team, whose goal is to engage with subject matter experts and stakeholders. Feedback and information about T&TC flows to and from the project team. A listing of members of the UW-Green Bay institutional T&TC project team can be found here.
The Office of Human Resources and Workforce Diversity keeps employees informed on project updates through their weekly HR Connect newsletter and HR Connect Blog as well as presenting T&TC updates at monthly governance meetings.
The next T&TC open forums will likely be scheduled in late summer or early fall. Please watch the HR Connect newsletter and HR Connect Blog for updates.

Barley Pilaf

This is a lovely side dish for chicken or fish.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes cut into strips
- (if you use tomatoes that come in oil, add them first to the pan and omit the tablespoon of olive oil)
4 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 cups cooked barley
2 tbsp. parsley

Directions

Heat oil in large frying panSauté onions until translucent and add tomatoes, spinach, and almonds.
- Stir in barley.
- When spinach is wilted and barley is hot, sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Each serving contains about 219 calories, 8 g fat (less than 1 g saturated fat, no trans fat, and no cholesterol), 102 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 7 g dietary fiber, 2 g sugars, and 6 g protein.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

Crunchy Chicken Salad

Ingredients

2 cups chunked cooked chicken
½ cup celery
¼ cup green pepper
¼ onion
½ cucumber
1 small diced apple (leave the peel on)
½ cup grapes
¼ cup yogurt, plain

Directions

Use leftover cooked chicken, or cook enough chicken to make 2 cups of chicken pieces.
Chop the celery and green pepper. Peel and chop ¼ of an onion. Peel and chop half of a cucumber.
Chop the apple into pieces. It’s OK to leave the peel on the apple. Cut the grapes in half.
Put all the ingredients in a large bowl. Stir together.
Serve on lettuce, crackers, or bread.

Makes 5 servings

Each serving is about ¾ cup each and provides: 140 calories, 4.5 g fat, 65 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 17 g protein.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

Eat Spinach for a Better Night Sleep

If you toss and turn at night or struggle with a sleep disorder like insomnia, you could have a magnesium deficiency. But even if you sleep like a baby, it’s a smart idea to eat foods high in this mineral. Every organ in the body needs magnesium. It contributes to energy production, helps regulate levels of nutrients in your body, and affects sensors in the brain that promote sleep.

Luckily, you can find magnesium in lots of foods, but many Americans don’t get enough. For maximum magnesium, look to spinach, other leafy greens, almonds, pinto beans, nuts, and legumes. It’s simple to incorporate them into your diet, too. Try cooking up some spinach with olive oil and pine nuts as a savory side dish, or make a spinach salad that includes chickpeas and almond slivers. Research a new recipe today to try out! You knew that spinach makes you strong—now you know it may also help you sleep.

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

Panini for One

The Italians have it right when it comes to grown-up grilled sandwiches. You don’t need a Panini maker—you can use a frying pan and a heavy plate to press the sandwich.

Ingredients Panini for One

1 4-inch-square Panini roll
1 slice (1 oz.) low-sodium Swiss cheese
2 oz. cooked pork tenderloin
1/4 cup shredded zucchini
1 Roma tomato, cut into thin slices
1/8 cup thinly sliced red onion
Olive oil spray

Directions

Slice roll and remove some of the interior bread to make for a crisper sandwich.

Put half the cheese on bottom of roll. Layer meat, zucchini, tomato, and onion. Cover with rest of cheese and top of roll.

Heat a sandwich grill. Spray grill plates lightly with olive oil. Bake sandwich until cheese melts and meat is hot, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Makes 1 sandwich

Each sandwich contains about 479 calories, 17 g fat (6 g saturated fat, no trans fat, 66 mg cholesterol), 539 mg sodium, 48 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugars, and 31 g protein.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

Treat Yourself Today!

Treat yourself to tea and book coffee or tea and a good book today. You read emails. You read text messages. You read the news. But have you read a good book lately? Reading for pleasure can be an escape from the stresses of everyday life, help keep your mind sharp, and even make you more likely to empathize with others.

So set aside a half-hour to curl up with a book. Grab a comforting cup of coffee or tea, too. Drinking black, green, or oolong tea can boost the body’s defense against disease, research says. Tea has also been linked to lower risk for heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and allergy symptoms. And coffee has been associated with a lower risk for type 2 diabetes. We’ll toast to that!

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

Lime-Mango Whip

Serves 2

*(Gluten-free)

Each serving contains about 38 calories, less than 1 g protein, 1 g fat (24% calories from fat), 3 mg cholesterol, 7 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, and 5 mg sodium.

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh mango flesh
1 tablespoon reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Directions

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and whip.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

Follow these tips to keep your energy level up!

Tips:

Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast.
Get regular exercise.
Eat high-energy foods, including whole-grain breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables.
Avoid fatty foods. Fat takes a long time to digest and makes the body feel sluggish.
Sugar’s OK, but don’t overdo it.
Get a good night’s sleep. Getting even an hour less than you need can result in slower mental functioning.
Drink plenty of fluids. You need to drink the equivalent of a half-gallon of fluid a day.
Coffee and tea will give you a lift — in moderation. Caffeine is a stimulant.

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

WRS Webinars Offered in June

ETF is offering a series of 30-minute, live, interactive webinars designed to increase your understanding of Wisconsin Retirement System benefits. Individuals can also ask questions at the end of these sessions. Visit ETF’s webinar page to learn more about any of the following sessions.

Buying Service
If you are eligible to purchase service, doing so would increase your retirement or disability benefit. Find out how by viewing this webinar. We’ll cover the types of service you may be able to buy, how and when you can buy service, and much more. Eligible types of service include service earned during prior WRS covered employment and forfeited through a separation benefit and some types of service earned with other government employers.

Tue, Jun 4, 2019 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Mon, Jun 10, 2019 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Thu, Jun 20, 2019 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Fri, Jun 28, 2019 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Newly Retired? What to Expect
The Newly Retired webinar provides basic information for Wisconsin Retirement System members who have recently entered or are soon to enter retirement status. Topics include initial (“estimated”) retirement annuity payments, “finalized” payments and adjustments, post-retirement life and health insurance, and return to work rules under the WRS.

This is a 20-minute webinar with approximately 10 minutes available for questions and answers at the end of the webinar.

Mon, Jun 3, 2019 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Thu, Jun 13, 2019 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Thu, Jun 20, 2019 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Mon, Jun 24, 2019 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Preparing for Your Retirement
Who should attend? Employees who are planning to retire in the next 1 – 10 years.

Learn about your steps to retire with the WRS. Attend this event by live webinar! You will learn about the impact of contributions and investment returns on your account, when you can retire, your WRS annuity options, returning to work after you retire, what happens to your account when you die, health and life insurance and more.

Questions are welcome during and after the event!

Wed, Jun 5, 2019 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Tue, Jun 18, 2019 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Retirement Annuity Options
Choosing a WRS annuity option is one of the most important decisions you will face. This webinar will cover all of the WRS annuity options and help you understand them so that you can make an informed decision. We will also explain the important differences between a beneficiary and a named survivor.

Tue, Jun 4, 2019 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Wed, Jun 12, 2019 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Fri, Jun 21, 2019 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Thu, Jun 27, 2019 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Variable Fund
In this webinar we will discuss the Variable Fund – what it is, how it differs from the Core Fund, and the effect participation in this fund may have on your retirement benefit calculations. We will also discuss how to elect to participate in the Variable Fund, how to cancel Variable participation, and the impact the timing of these decisions may have on your Wisconsin Retirement System benefits.

Thu, Jun 6, 2019 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Tue, Jun 11, 2019 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Wed, Jun 19, 2019 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Mon, Jun 24, 2019 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

WRS Benefits: For New and Mid-Career Employees
This one-hour webinar is designed for WRS members who are more than five years from retirement. ETF provides accurate information about WRS benefits early in a member’s career so that they can make sound, strategic decisions over the course of their careers.

Topics covered at each presentation include vesting requirements, various ways to enhance a WRS retirement benefit, purchasing service, military service credit, the Core and Variable Trust Funds, contribution rates, the importance of a beneficiary form and how to complete one, and how “life event” changes affect retirement benefits.

Thu, Jun 6, 2019 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Wed, Jun 12, 2019 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Tue, Jun 18, 2019 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Wed, Jun 26, 2019 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Register for a webinar

Please contact Human Resources at (920) 465-2390 or payrollandbenefits@uwgb.edu with any questions.