Student hours limit at 20 hours per week June 25 to July 8

As a reminder, the student employee hours limit reduces to 20 hours per week from June 25, 2017 through July 8, 2017.  The hours limit goes back to 40 hours per week from July 9th until August 19th.  The hours limit is in place to make sure we are in compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Please review the 2017 Student Bi-Weekly Payroll Schedule at: http://www.uwgb.edu/UWGBCMS/media/hr/files/StudentBiWeeklyPayrollSchedule2017.pdf

If you have any questions about this, please contact Human Resources at payrollandbenefits@uwgb.edu or ext. 2390.

Sick Leave Fact Sheet

Sick leave is an important fringe benefit available to employees. Most employees earn and, depending on usage, will accumulate hours of unused sick leave while they are employed.  If eligible, upon retirement, layoff, death or with more than 20 years of adjusted continuous service, you can use your unused sick leave credits to pay post-termination state group health insurance premiums for you, your spouse or domestic partner and/or dependents.

Sick leave can be used for the following reasons:

  • A medical, dental, vision appointment for you or an immediate family member
  • Employee’s own illness or injury
  • For temporary care of an immediate family member with an illness or injury
  • After the death of a family member (restricted to three days after death and an additional four days for travel)

To review the complete sick leave policy, please see: https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/download/policies/ops/bn3.pdf

Employees have the right to use other accrued leave (personal holiday, floating legal holiday or vacation) in lieu of sick leave in order to preserve sick leave balances.

Sick Leave Credits Program

ETF Fact Sheet: http://etf.wi.gov/publications/et8929.pdf

ETF Sick Leave Conversion Credit Program Brochure: http://etf.wi.gov/publications/et4132.pdf

There are two sick leave credit programs for State of Wisconsin employees:

  • Accumulated Sick Leave Conversion Credit (ASLCC) Program: allows employees to convert sick leave balances to pay for state health insurance at retirement, as well as in other situations such as death, layoff or termination with 20 years of service. Under this program, accumulated sick leave is multiplied by the employee’s highest basic pay rate in a qualifying position and converted to credits to pay for State Group Health Insurance in retirement (or in the other instances listed above).
  • Supplemental Health Insurance Conversion Credit (SHICC) Program: allows employees who have at least 15 years of continuous state service to earn sick leave credits in addition to those provided by the ASLCC program. Eligible employees earn up to 52 supplemental credits/year for years 1-24 of service and up to 104 supplemental credits/year for years 25 and beyond. The number of supplemental credits provided may not exceed the actual number of sick leave credit hours an employee has accumulated.

Sick Leave Credits Example

A state employee retires with 28 full years of adjusted continuous service, with a sick leave balance of 2,150 hours and had a highest base rate of pay of $22.50/hour.

                  ASLCC (2,150 x $22.50) = $48,375

                  SHICC (24 years x 52 hours) = 1,248 hours

                              (4 years x 104 hours) = 416 hours

                                                                   1,664 SHICC hours

                  SHICC (1,664 x $22.50) = $37,440

                  Total ($48,375 + $37,440) = $85,815

 

Please contact Human Resources at (920) 465-2390 or payrollandbenefits@uwgb.edu with any questions regarding sick leave benefits.  The Sick Leave Fact Sheet may also be found here.

State Group Life Insurance Definition of ‘Dependent’ Changed Effective May 1, 2017

The Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) announced changes to the definition of ‘dependent’ for the State Group Life Insurance program. The changes were effective May 1, 2017 and broaden the definition of ‘dependent’ to expand coverage. Changes include:

  • Removal of the requirement that the dependent be unmarried.
  • Removal of the requirement that the dependent be more than 14 days old.
  • Changed the upper age limit for being considered a dependent from the end of the calendar year in which the dependent attains age 25 to attainment of age 26.
  • Removal of the requirement that the employee be responsible for at least 50% of support and maintenance for the dependent.

In summary, a dependent can be covered until they attain age 26 regardless of their marital, educational or financial status.  The definition of ‘dependent’ can be found in Wis. Admin. Code § ETF 10.01(2)(a).

2017 Summer Leave Report

As we begin the summer pay periods, please remember that leave-eligible, faculty and instructional academic staff employees will be required to submit a “summer leave report” if working any summer service or summer session appointments.

Similar to last summer, there will be no online entry for the summer session/service leave reports. Click here to find one summer leave report that you will use to keep track of all leave taken during your employment over the entire summer.

Specific notes regarding this process:

  • In the top section, fill in your name and employee ID.
  • Record absences for any leave taken while you are under contract during the summer (including work performed that was paid via a lump sum payment).
  • If you do not use any leave time for a given month, enter zero in the “Total Hours” row.
  • Print and sign the summer leave report.
  • Request an approval signature from your summer department chair/supervisor (if working multiple appointments, you may need to request more than one signature).
  • Any sick leave used during the summer will be charged to your primary appointment.
  • This leave report is due to Human Resources by September 2, 2017 regardless of whether or not leave is used.

Please contact payrollandbenefits@uwgb.edu with any questions.

Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) Webinars Offered in June

ETF

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 sessions.

Annuity Options: This webinar will help to increase your understanding of the WRS annuity options available to you at retirement. ETF will also explain the difference between a beneficiary and a named survivor.

  • Fri, June 2, 2017 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • Wed, June 14, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
  • Thurs, June 22, 2017 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • Wed, June 28, 2017 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

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. ETF will 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.

  • Fri, June 2, 2017 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • Wed, June 7, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
  • Fri, June 9, 2017 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
  • Thurs, June 22, 2017 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Understanding Your Annual WRS Statement of Benefits: Join ETF as they review key things you can find out about your WRS benefits, simply just by reading and understanding your WRS annual Statement of Benefits. Some topics ETF will review include:

  • How much you and your employer have contributed to your WRS pension
  • Your vesting status and years of service
  • Your beneficiary designation – what happens to your account if you die before taking a benefit

Tip: Have your statement in hand while attending this webinar.

  • Tues, June 6, 2017 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • Mon, June 19, 2017 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

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

  • Thurs, June 8, 2017 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • Mon, June 12, 2017 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • Mon, June 19, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
  • Tues, June 27, 2017 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

WRS Benefits For New and Mid-Career Employees: This one-hour webinar is for employees who are five years – or more – from retirement. The information presented will help you make sound, strategic decisions over the course of your career. Topics include vesting, 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.

  • Wed, June 7, 2017 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • Thurs, June 15, 2017 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
  • Wed, June 21, 2017 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
  • Thurs, June 29, 2017 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.

 

New Legal Holiday Timesheet Process for University Staff

Due to a change with the recent HRS system upgrade in February, the system will now automatically enter and approve an absence request for 8 hours of legal holiday on the observed legal holiday for University Staff Ongoing employees who are in a 100% position.

  • If you are a University Staff Ongoing 100% FTE employee:
    • If you don’t work on the observed legal holiday and want to use 8 hours of legal holiday for that day, there is nothing you need to do.
    • If you don’t want to use 8 hours of legal holiday for that day, please contact payrollandbenefits@uwgb.edu (ex. you work a longer day later that week, so only want to use 6 hours of legal holiday)
  • Any University Staff Ongoing employees who are less than 100% FTE (part-time), will not have legal holidays automatically entered, so you will need to enter absence requests manually.  Emails with instructions were sent out to impacted employees.
  • Public Safety and Power Plant employees will not have legal holidays automatically entered.
  • This year there are two floating legal holidays (Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve), so University Staff Ongoing employees can enter legal holiday absence requests anytime in 2017 to use up these hours.  These floating legal holiday hours will not be automatically loaded.
  • Please note that legal holiday hours expire at the end of the calendar year (12/31/17) for University Staff Ongoing employees, and the legal holiday balance combines both observed and floating legal holiday hours.
  • There are nine legal holidays per year, and here is a list of the legal holidays: http://www.uwgb.edu/human-resources/payroll/legal-holidays/

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

End of Fiscal Year Leave Usage

This is a reminder to all Non-Instructional Academic Staff & Limited Employees:  As we are nearing the end of the 2016-2017 Fiscal Year, you should be reviewing your vacation and personal holiday leave balances.  You can locate your balances on your last earnings statement or the My UW System Portal.  Please read the information below to avoid losing leave hours not used by 6/30/2017.

Personal Holiday:

  • Personal Holiday hours not used by 6/30/17 will be dropped as of 7/1/17.  They do not carry over to the next fiscal year.

Vacation:

  • Vacation Carryover hours from the 2015-2016 fiscal year that have not been used by 6/30/17 will be dropped as of 7/1/17.
  • If you are eligible for Annual Leave Reserve Account (ALRA), you may bank vacation (up to your eligible maximum hours) first from the 2015-2016 Vacation Carryover as of 6/30/17 and then from your 2016-2017 Vacation Allocation.
  • A communication regarding ALRA will be sent to employees in July.
  • All remaining 2016-2017 Vacation Allocation hours as of 6/30/17 will automatically be carried over into the 2017-2018 Fiscal Year on 7/1/17 as Vacation Carryover.

Legal Holiday:

  • Memorial Day is the last legal holiday in the 2016-2017 fiscal year.  Your balance on your most recent earnings statement should be 8 hours.
  • Floating legal holiday hours not used by 6/30/17 will be dropped as of 7/1/17.

Please contact Payroll at payrollandbenefits@uwgb.edu if you have any questions.

Student Hours Reminder

As a reminder, UW-Green Bay student employees can work up to 40 hours per week starting May 14, 2017.  The hours limit changes to 20 hours per week from June 25th to July 8th, and then goes back to 40 hours per week from July 9th until August 19th, to make sure we are in compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Please review the 2017 Student Bi-Weekly Payroll Schedule at: http://www.uwgb.edu/UWGBCMS/media/hr/files/StudentBiWeeklyPayrollSchedule2017.pdf

If you have any questions about this, please contact Human Resources at payrollandbenefits@uwgb.edu or ext. 2390.

Inflation Options and Cash Benefit Long-Term Care Insurance Available to UW Employees, Annuitants and Family Members

Each year, long term insurance plans authorized by the Department of Employee Trust Funds may send out one piece of advertisement to employees and annuitants. The HealthChoice notice is shown below.

In addition to offering long term care insurance, HealthChoice also provides CareOptions services to all State, University of Wisconsin and UW Hospitals & Clinics Employees, Annuitants and their family members at no charge and with no insurance purchase required. To use this service, simply click on the button in the email to request an information packet.  HealthChoice will then send you a confirmation email that will contain a CareOptions access code. The CareOptions Program can assist you and your family members with issues related to wellness, illness, disability or aging. The CareOptions service can help you create Living Wills (advance directives for health care), conduct health care provider searches, medical information research and long-term care planning.

HealthChoice Notification about Long Term Care Insurance Plans

The MutualCare Custom Solution®, underwritten by Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company, is a long-term care insurance policy available to UW employees, annuitants and their family members (spouse, domestic partner, parents and in-laws are all eligible to apply). In 2015, the Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) authorized the release of lower-cost inflation protection options for the MutualCare Custom Solution ®.

Each year, many Americans lose income, savings and assets because of long-term care expenses. Long-term care insurance is designed to help protect against the high costs of long-term care services if you or a family member can no longer perform activities of daily living without the need for assistance. For many, long-term care insurance is an important part of planning for long-term financial security.

The MutualCare Custom Solution® policy offers additional built-in benefits that include:

  • Cash benefit can be used to pay for services to support your plan of care. You simply receive the full monthly cash benefit you select to pay for anything at all including family travel expenses, lost income, housekeeping services or other out-of-pocket expenses. There’s no need to collect or submit bills.
  • Cash benefits paid on the first day of need with no waiting period allowing you to receive care in the environment you’re most comfortable in with the choice of who can be your caregiver, including spouse/partner, family members or friends. The immediate cash benefit also gives you total control of how you’re spending your benefit dollars.
  • Lower cost inflation options that give you more flexibility in policy benefit choices.

To receive an information packet regarding your long-term care Insurance options simply click here. You may also call HealthChoice toll-free at 1-800-833-5823 or in the Madison area at 833-5823. Email at info@healthchoice.com. Direct information link; click or paste in your web browser’s address line: http://www.healthchoice.com/request.php

Long-term care insurance is underwritten by Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company, 3300 Mutual of Omaha Plaza, Omaha, NE, 68175 1-800-775-6000. Policy form: ICC13-LTC13. This policy has exclusions, limitations and reductions and terms under which the policy may be continued in force or discontinued. Benefits may be provided by a combination of the policy and riders and are subject to underwriting. Premiums will vary depending on the benefits selected. Premium rates may be subject to change. A medical exam may be required for coverage. Not endorsed by or connected with Medicare, Social Security or any other governmental agency. The individual coverage provided contains options only available for State of Wisconsin employees and annuitants. An insurance agent/producer may contact you. Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company is solely responsible for all insurance and business decisions.

HealthChoice provides CareOptions services at no charge to UW employees, annuitants and their family members:

HealthChoicealso provides CareOptions services to UW employees, annuitants and their family members at no charge and with no insurance purchase required. To use this service, simply click here to request an information packet– the information and confirmation email you receive will contain your CareOptions access code.

The CareOptions program can assist you or family members with issues related to wellness, illness, disability or aging. As an additional convenience, the CareOptions service can help you and your family members create Living Wills (advance directives for health care) as well as allow you to conduct health care provider searches, medical information research and long-term care planning, 24 hours a day.

To contact HealthChoice, email at info@healthchoice.com.  Visit the website at www.healthchoice.com. Call (800) 833-5823 or Fax (608) 833-7540.

This insurance plan has been authorized by the Group Insurance Board for the purpose of offering long-term care insurance to eligible State of Wisconsin employees and retirees under authority granted by Wis. Stats. § 40.55. The criteria the Board uses includes, but is not limited to: documentation of financial stability, demonstration of a reasonable ratio of claims paid to the premium level, authority to conduct business in the State of Wisconsin, agreeing to conditions for the rate-making process and other administrative conditions. ETF staff and the Board’s actuary review proposals for participation prior to Board approval. However, the Board does not require competitive bids nor a benefit comparison with similar products from other vendors. This insurance has exceptions, limitations and reductions. 

Source: UW Service Center

Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) Webinars Offered in May

ETF

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 sessions.

Additional Contributions: Find out how making additional contributions to your WRS account can potentially increase your retirement. This webinar also provides examples of how contributions grow over time with interest, how to pay additional contributions (payroll deduction or direct pay), etc.

  • Wed, May 3, 2017 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • Mon, May 15, 2017 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
  • Wed, May 24, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
  • Wed, May 31, 2017 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Returing to Work After Retirement: Whether retired or planning to retire, do you need information about what happens if you decide to work again? This webinar is for you. 2013 Act 20, which was effective July 2, 2013, made some important changes to laws that affect retired WRS members planning to return to work. This webinar covers the old law as well as the changes provided by Act 20.

  • Wed, May 10, 2017 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • Thu, May 18, 2017 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • Tue, May 23, 2017 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • Thu, May 25, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Understanding Your Annual WRS Statement of Benefits: Join ETF as they review key things you can find out about your WRS benefits, simply just by reading and understanding your WRS annual Statement of Benefits. Some topics we will review include:

  • How much you and your employer have contributed to your WRS pension
  • Your vesting status and years of service
  • Your beneficiary designation – what happens to your account if you die before taking a benefit

Tip: Have your statement in hand while attending this webinar.

  • Tue, May 2, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
  • Tue, May 16, 2017 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • Thu, May 18, 2017 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • Mon, May 22, 2017 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

WRS Annuity Adjustments and Effective Rates:  Do WRS accounts receive an investment return? Do investment returns affect how much a retiree will initially receive when they begin their pension? Do those retired in the WRS receive adjustments to their monthly pension amount over the years? This webinar will cover the process of how account effective rates and annuity adjustments are calculated, starting with the investment return reported by the State of Wisconsin Investment Board. Also covered during the webinar will be explanations of both the Core and Variable Trust Funds and the calculations specific to each fund for effective rates and annual adjustments. At the end of this webinar, it is hoped that you will have a better grasp on how State of Wisconsin Investment Board investment returns affect your WRS pension.

  • Tue, May 9, 2017 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • Tue, May 16, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
  • Thu, May 25, 2017 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Register for a Webinar

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