Author: deeringk

Employee Assistance Program & Resources

The Office of Human Resources understands that this time of year can be especially difficult for some individuals, that the current turbulence in our country and the world may cause unease, and that faculty and staff (and their families and friends) may be dealing with a great amount of stress and grief.  Our office is committed to providing resources to both employees and supervisors during this time.

The Office of Human Resources has created a Mental Health Support webpage as a one-stop-shop for the available resources available to employees. Check it out: Mental Health Support – Benefits & Wellness – Human Resources

Please see below for important resources that can be utilized at any time:

Employee Assistance Program

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s Employee Assistance Program is a free, confidential service which can provide support for both personal and work-related concerns. Employees have access to confidential, completely private, 24-hour, 7-days-a-week counseling and online services.

EAP services are provided through Acentra:

Phone: (833) 539-7285

Website: sowi.mylifeexpert.com. (Username: SOWI).  Employees will need to create an account to access the EAP resources online.

Additional information pertaining to the resources available through the EAP may be found on the EAP Services and Resources Flyer.

State Group Health Insurance Program

Employees enrolled in State Group Health Insurance may utilize a number of resources through their health insurance carrier, including services directly by the primary care physician or specialist. Services provided are intended to treat mild to severe symptoms for various health and well-being topics. The cost of services are covered based on the employee’s health insurance plan design. There may be out-of-pocket costs for using services through this program.  Employees should contact their primary care physician or health insurance carrier for additional information.

Well Wisconsin Program

Employees enrolled in State Group Health Insurance are eligible for resources through the Well Wisconsin Program.  Certified WebMD Health Coaches are available for confidential one-on-one conversations to support mild symptoms for various health and well-being topics. Services are employer-paid, there is no cost to employees for using services through this program.  Services are administered by WebMD, the Well Wisconsin Program administrator. Contact WebMD at (800) 821-6591 or access their resources online at webmdhealth.com/wellwisconsin.

 

Mental Health Resources:

Grief Resources:

Monthly Webinars:

Acentra provides live monthly webinars on a wide variety of topics.  December’s webinar – The Connection Between Exercise and Mental Health – is scheduled for Wednesday, December 11, 2024 from 12:30-1:30 p.m., and will explore how to get started on a healthy path towards improved mental health and how to stay motivated to reach your goals.  The monthly webinars are recorded, uploaded to Acentra’s website and available to view at your convenience.

 

Our office is also working to schedule additional webinars over the next couple of months and will be sending out more details as information becomes available. Please feel free to contact Human Resources at (920) 465-2390 or hr@uwgb.edu if you would like additional information or have any questions.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month! Learn more at dol.gov/NDEAM. #NDEAM

The theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month (#NDEAM) is “Access to Good Jobs for All.” Learn more! dol.gov/NDEAM

Good jobs change lives, and all workers—including disabled workers—deserve the opportunity to prepare for, obtain and succeed in them. Reflecting this, “Access to Good Jobs for All” is this year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month (#NDEAM) theme. Learn more at dol.gov/NDEAM

The theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month (#NDEAM) 2024 is “Access to Good Jobs for All.” Learn more in this announcement from Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Taryn M. Williams. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1uTmUw-EYE

How are you observing National Disability Employment Awareness Month? dol.gov/NDEAM #NDEAM

Annual Benefits Enrollment: September 30 – October 25, 2024

The Annual Benefits Enrollment (ABE) period is September 30-October 25. This is your annual opportunity to enroll in or make changes to most of your benefits unless you have a qualifying life event. Changes made during ABE are effective January 1, 2025.

Plan now so you are ready for the enrollment period. Find all of the ABE resources on the ABE web page.

Review
    •  Review your current benefit enrollments at my.wisconsin.edu in the Benefits and Well-Being tile. For help finding current enrollments, see the View Benefit Enroll Confirmation Statement tipsheet by clicking the three dots in the upper right and selecting Help from the drop down.
    • Review the ABE web page (https://www.wisconsin.edu/abe/) for the following resources:
      • ABE 2025 Highlights video
      • Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) Health Benefits Decision Guide
      • Benefit plan comparisons
      • Onsite benefits fairs and virtual benefit session schedules
Decide
    • You may be eligible to enroll in, change, or cancel coverage for the plans listed below. For some plans you can add or remove dependents.
      • State Group Health Insurance
      • Dental Insurance
      • Vision Insurance
      • Individual & Family Life Insurance
      • Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance
      • Accident Insurance
      • Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs): Health Care FSA, Limited Purpose FSA, and Dependent Day Care
      • Health Savings Account (HSA)
    • You must enroll in these plans each year to participate:
      • Flexible Spending Account (FSAs): Health Care FSA, Limited Purpose FSA, and Dependent Day Care
      • Health Savings Account (HSA): Required if you enroll in a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)
      • State Group Health Insurance Opt-Out Incentive
Enroll
    • Beginning September 30, enroll from the Benefits Enrollment tile on my.wisconsin.edu. For help enrolling, see the ABE Self-Enrollment Guide by clicking the three dots in the upper right and selecting Help from the drop down. All enrollments and changes must be submitted by Friday, October 25, 2024, 4:30PM.

After you enroll, you will receive an e-mail within 48 hours with instructions on how to review your benefits elections for 2025. Review your benefits elections and dependents to ensure they are accurate.

For more information, review the ABE web page (https://www.wisconsin.edu/abe/). If you have questions after reviewing the available information, reach out to UW Employee Benefits at serviceoperations@support.wisconsin.edu 

2025 Benefits Highlights

The Annual Benefits Enrollment (ABE) period is September 30 – October 25, 2024. This is your opportunity to enroll in or change your benefits and dependents for the upcoming calendar year. Changes made during ABE are effective January 1, 2025. Below are the highlights for 2025.

State Group Health Insurance
The plan designs (health plan and high deductible health plan), copayments, and coinsurance will remain the same. Employee premiums for all plan designs will increase.

The annual deductibles for the High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) will increase to $1,650 for individual coverage and $3,300 for family coverage to remain compliant with the IRS minimum deductible requirement.

Dean Health Plan Prevea360 West & Mayo Clinic will be renamed Dean Health Plan Medica West & Mayo Clinic starting January 1, 2025. If you are currently enrolled in a plan with Dean Health Plan Prevea360 West & Mayo Clinic, you will automatically be enrolled with Dean Health Plan Medica West & Mayo Clinic with the same plan design and dependents unless you make a change during ABE.

All other health insurance carriers will continue to be offered for 2025.

Uniform and Preventive Dental Insurance Plans
These plans provide coverage for preventive dental services, most basic dental services, and orthodontia services (up to age 19). Employee premiums for Uniform Dental, individual coverage, will increase. Employee premiums for all other dental insurance plans, and coverage levels will remain the same.

Supplemental Dental Insurance Plans
The Select and Select Plus plans provide coverage for major and restorative dental services. The Select Plus plan covers orthodontia services for children and adults. Employee premiums for the supplemental dental insurance plans will remain the same.

Vision Insurance Plan
The vision insurance plan provides coverage for an annual eye exam and materials (contacts and glasses). Employee premiums will remain the same.

Individual & Family Life Insurance
During this enrollment period only, there will be an enhanced enrollment opportunity offered for employee coverage for the Individual & Family Life Insurance Plan. All eligible employees may enroll in employee coverage up to $100,000 or increase employee coverage by up to $100,000 (up to the plan maximum), without proof of good health (evidence of insurability).

A new Accidental Death & Dismemberment benefit equal to your employee, spouse, and child coverage will automatically be included at no additional cost.

The premium rate for spouse coverage will decrease. The premium rate for employee and child coverage will remain the same.

Accident Insurance Plan
This plan provides a lump sum payment to you for specific injuries due to an accident. This plan includes an accidental death & dismemberment component. Employee premiums will remain the same.

Flexible Spending Accounts
Below are the annual contribution maximums for 2025:

    • Healthcare and Limited Purpose Flexible Spending Account (FSA): $3,200 (increase)\
    • Dependent Day Care Account: $2,500 or $5,000 (depending on tax filing status)

The Healthcare and Limited Purpose FSA carryover limit will increase to $640. To be eligible for carryover from 2024 to 2025, you must:

    • Have a minimum balance of $50 in your FSA at the end of the run-out period (March 31, 2025)
      OR
    • Enroll for the 2025 plan year with a minimum contribution amount to your FSA of $50

Carryover does not apply to the Dependent Day Care Account.

Health Savings Account
The below maximum contribution amounts for 2025 include the increased annual employer contribution amounts ($828 for individual coverage and $1,650 for family coverage).

    • Individual: $4,300 (increase)
    • Family: $8,550 (increase)

All remaining funds in your Health Savings Account immediately roll over year to year.

Next Steps
Some universities will host onsite benefits fairs during ABE to help you understand the benefits for 2025. Check the benefits fairs schedule to see if your university will be hosting a benefits fair. Then, mark your calendar to attend!

Watch for emails in September for more information about ABE and actions required.

Source: Universities of Wisconsin Office of Human Resources

New Paid Parental Leave Policy Effective July 1, 2024

The Universities of Wisconsin is implementing a new Paid Parental Leave policy that will provide eligible employees with up to six weeks (240 hours) of paid time off within a 12-month period following a qualifying birth or adoptive event. The new policy is effective July 1, 2024.

The leave time granted under the Paid Parental Leave policy allows the employee time to bond with their new child, adjust to their new family situation, and balance personal obligations that result from a birth or adoptive event.

Policy Overview

Highlights of the Paid Parental Leave policy:

    • Must have completed six months of continuous employment with the Universities of Wisconsin at the time of the qualifying event.
    • Provided up to six weeks of paid time off every 12 months following a qualifying birth or adoptive event. The benefit is prorated for employees working less than 1.0 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE).
    • When an employee experiences multiple qualifying events during the same 12-month period, the employee is eligible for up to a total of six weeks of paid parental leave.
    • A completed Paid Parental Leave Request Form must be submitted at least 30 calendar days in advance of the paid parental leave start date.
    • Paid Parental Leave will run concurrently with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave Act (WFMLA) in cases where an eligible employee is also eligible for FMLA or WFMLA leave.

Employee Eligibility

For specific employee eligibility requirements, review the applicable policy documents listed below.

Resources

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

FY 2025 Pay Plan Information

Last year, JCOER approved a 2023-2025 pay plan for UW System employees, which provides a base rate increase to all eligible employees of 4% in FY24 and 2% in FY25. At this time, the Office of Human Resources is taking measures to prepare for the second 2% pay plan increase for eligible employees, which will be effective on June 30, 2024, for 12-month employees and August 26, 2024, for 9-month employees.

UW System has recently revised language for SYS 1278, UW System Pay Plan Distribution Framework for University Workforce to build more consistent methodology across institutions for determining eligibility. This aligns pay plan rules more closely with the how other state agencies define eligibility.  As a result, the UW-Green Bay Compensation and Pay Plan Policy has also been updated to align with UW System policy.

    • Included in the recent policy changes is the elimination that employees must be in an eligible position at least three months prior to the pay plan effective date. Moving forward, eligible employees in pay status on implementation date will be eligible to receive pay plan.

Eligible employees for the proposed FY 2025 pay plan include faculty, academic staff, limited, university staff, and university staff project appointments in ongoing positions with a budgeted FTE of 50% or greater. Pursuant to the UW-Green Bay Compensation and Pay Plan Policy, SYS 1278: UW System Pay Plan Distribution Framework, and other publicized guidelines, the following list represents employees who would be ineligible for pay plan:

    1. Employees paid from provisional, non-budgeted salary lines, including all temporary appointments and positions less than 50% FTE.
    2. Employees represented by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Respective pay increases for pay plan will be negotiated separately through the CBA.
    3. Employees currently under a performance improvement plan (PIP).
    4. Employees with performance which does not meet the institutional standard of performance in their most recent performance evaluation (or as documented by the supervisor if a new employee and an evaluation has not yet been required).
    5. Employees who have not completed required campus compliance trainings. Required trainings include:
        1. Sexual Harassment (Title IX) (Required every three years)
        2. Information Security Awareness (Required annually)
        3. Mandated Reporter (One-time training required at time of hire)
        4. Injury and Illness Prevention (EDU) (One-time training required at time of hire)
        5. FERPA Basics (One-time training required at time of hire)
        6. Tools for an Ethical Workplace (One-time training required at time of hire)
        7. Campus Security Authority Training (required annually for employees designated as Campus Security Authority (CSA) only)
    6. Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited employees without a current Outside Activities Report (OAR) on file
    7. Supervisors who do not have completed, up-to-date evaluations on file and OAR forms approved for all of their direct reports. The performance evaluation periods to assess for FY25 pay plan are as follows:
        1. University Staff: 1/1/2023 – 12/31/2023 (and probationary evaluations as applicable) – these annual evaluations were due in late March 2024
        2. Non-Instructional Academic Staff / Limited:  1/1/2023 – 12/31/2023 (and 6-month evaluations as applicable) – these annual evaluations were due in late March 2024
        3. Faculty / Instructional Academic Staff: 2022-2023 Academic Year (these annual evaluations were due in early spring, 2024)

In order to be eligible for the FY25 pay plan, required trainings, OAR forms, and performance evaluations must be completed by the following deadlines:

Direct emails from UW-Shared Services and UWGB HR have been sent to employees over the past few months.  UWGB HR will continue to send out targeted emails throughout May to those with outstanding items due no later than May 31, 2024. Pay plan spreadsheets will be sent to Dean/Division Leaders the week of May 20th.

If you have questions about the FY 2025 pay plan, please feel free to contact Human Resources at hr@uwgb.edu or (920) 465-2390.

2023 Outside Activities Reports (OARs) – Access for online completion begins April 1, 2024

Each year, all faculty, academic staff, and limited appointees with appointments of half-­time or more are responsible for reporting Outside Activities (according to Board of Regent and UW System guidelines, UWS Chapter 8.025, and the Wisconsin Administrative Code).

Additionally, we ask University Staff to read the Code of Conduct (RPD 20-22) and all employees to read the policy on Employee Relationships with Educational Loan Lenders RPD 13-4.

Similar to past years, requests and notices will come to employees from UW-Shared Services (serviceoperations@uwss.wisconsin.edu), and eligible employees will submit their OAR form online through their My UW Portal.

On April 1, all employees required to submit an Outside Activity Report (OAR) received a message from UW System with instructions to complete the OAR. The OAR will need to be completed by the employee and approved by the supervisor. Following the initial notice, employees will receive reminders throughout the month.

Please see below for additional information:

For more information about OARs (including helpful videos), please see the UW System Conflicts of Interest and Outside Activities website.

The Code of Conduct and Employee Relationships with Educational Loan Lenders policies will also be delivered to your mailboxes from uwsytemhr@uwss.wisconsin.edu during the month of April with a reminder to familiarize yourself with these policies.

If you have questions while using the process or need technical support, please contact serviceoperations@uwss.wisconsin.edu.

Resources relevant to this message include: