Author: nashm

2024 – Revised Telecommuting (Remote Work) Policy and Website

The University of Wisconsin–Green Bay is committed to supporting remote work arrangements as much as possible when it is beneficial for both the employee and the institution. In addition, the University encourages supervisors and employees to think about flexible arrangements that can best support students and the mission of UW-Green Bay.

On August 1, 2024, the Universities of Wisconsin (UW) updated SYS 1228: Telecommuting (Remote Work) to further guide remote work arrangements for UW institutions. To align with the changes in UW policy, UW-Green Bay published a revised Telecommuting (Remote Work) Policy effective August 20, 2024.

Updates to both the UW and UW-Green Bay policies include the following general themes:

    • Replacing the term telecommuting with remote work throughout the policy
    • Updating definitions of remote work, workplace flexibility, and headquarters location
    • Requiring that an employee’s performance be taken into account when determining whether or not they are eligible for a remote work agreement
    • Revising and enhancing language around the duration of remote work arrangements (can be for no longer than a year and must be updated at the start of each fiscal year)
    • Adding a new section around determination of headquarters location and impact on travel reimbursement.

The Office of Human Resources has also updated the UW-Green Bay Telecommuting (Remote Work) website accordingly, which includes helpful information for both supervisors and employees.

As outlined above, one key new requirement is that all employees approved to remote work on a standard and recurring basis (at least once a week) must create a new remote work agreement each fiscal year. With the changes in the UW policy, all remote work arrangements submitted prior to August 1, 2024 are now expired and must be renewed. Therefore, employees requesting to work remotely on a standard and recurring basis (at least once a week) during FY25 must have a new Remote Work Agreement approved no later than September 16, 2024.

Both employees and supervisors are encouraged to carefully review the new requirements for determining headquarters locations as outlined in SYS 1228, Telecommuting (Remote Work) as well as unchanged language around travel reimbursement in SYS 425, Use of Personal Vehicles, Rental Cars, and Fleet for Business Transportation. All supervisors have updated requirements for identifying headquarter location in the remote work agreement. Please review the Manager Tip Sheet and Manager Guidelines for more information. Since this is a new process this year, HR will be auditing remote work agreements to confirm appropriate headquarters locations are identified and reaching out to supervisors for clarification as needed.

Faculty and instructional academic staff (IAS) inherently have flexibility in work arrangements due to their primary job responsibilities of teaching, scholarship, and/or service. Therefore, a remote work agreement is only necessary for faculty and IAS if it is reasonably expected that the employee’s sole worksite is elsewhere (i.e. the hired FA/IAS member is located outside of the state of Wisconsin). Faculty and IAS are responsible for ensuring the Telecommuting Expectations (as outlined in the UW-Green Bay Telecommuting (Remote Work) Policy) are met when they are working at an alternative site.

For more information about working remotely, including instructions for requesting and approving remote work agreements, please see the Telecommuting (Remote Work) website.

If you have questions about the Telecommuting (Remote Work) Policy, Remote Work Agreement, or information on the website, please contact Human Resources at hr@uwgb.edu or (920) 465-2390.

Thank you for your commitment and service to UW-Green Bay!

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Professional Development and Microsoft Copilot Information

We are excited to announce new professional development options aimed at enhancing your knowledge and skills in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence (AI). Understanding AI and its applications is becoming increasingly important, and we want to ensure that our faculty and staff are well-prepared for the future.

AI Literacy and Fundamentals Professional Development Offerings

    • Phase 1: AI Literacy and Fundamentals
      • When: July
      • What: LinkedIn Learning Pathway covering essential AI concepts, benefits, and ethical considerations.
      • Goal: Develop a foundational understanding of AI and its potential to enhance different roles.
    • Phase 2: Applied AI Skills and Techniques
      • When: To be announced (late summer/early Fall 2024)
      • What: Training on integrating AI tools into your daily tasks.
      • Goal: Develop practical AI skills tailored to various job functions across the university.

Phase 1: AI Literacy and Fundamentals

A LinkedIn Learning Path containing a collection of videos introducing AI concepts has been developed for UW-Green Bay faculty and staff. The structure of the learning path gives you the option to complete the training on your own timeline and at your convenience. These videos are designed to be easily digestible and will help you build a solid understanding of AI.

How to Participate

Why Participate?

    • Stay Current: AI is transforming various fields. By understanding AI, you’ll be better equipped to leverage its benefits in your role.
    • Professional Growth: Enhance your skill set and stay competitive in the job market.
    • Future-Proof Your Career: Gain insights into the future of work and how AI can play a role in your professional development.

Participation in this learning path is voluntary, but we highly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. Investing in learning about AI can make a significant difference in your professional growth.

We hope you find this professional development opportunity valuable and engaging. If you have any questions or need assistance accessing LinkedIn Learning, please feel free to reach out to Human Resources at hr@uwgb.edu.

Microsoft Copilot

Did you know that Microsoft Copilot is available to all UW-Green Bay faculty, staff, and students with enhanced data protections when signed in with a UWGB account? Copilot is Microsoft’s generative artificial intelligence (AI) platform and can be used to generate written and visual content based on user prompts.

Unlike other commercial AI products, Copilot provides additional data protection and enhanced privacy when accessing it while being signed in with your UWGB account. Even so, you should not enter sensitive or confidential information into Microsoft Copilot.

Please see the Microsoft Copilot – Signing into Copilot with your UWGB account knowledge guide for more information.

Faculty & Instructional Staff

CATL has additional resources for faculty and instructional staff in the AI space.  Please reach out to someone in CATL or visit their excellent blog to find out more on the subject.

Welcome Jorge Aguilar!

The Office of Human Resources is delighted to announce that Jorge Aguilar has been appointed into the position of Associate HR Director for Talent Management effective Tuesday May 28, 2024. Jorge will lead a team of HR Talent Partners to provide administrators, supervisors, faculty, and staff consistent and strategic HR support and services relevant to the entire career lifecycle. Specifically, Jorge will be responsible for strategic oversight over HR Functions such as coaching/employee relations, performance management, onboarding, offboarding, recruitment, learning & development, FMLA, position description development, and employee engagement. In addition, Jorge will serve as an institutional contact for complex employee relations matters, and will provide guidance, support and expertise to supervisors and employees regarding employee relations processes.

Jorge has a degree in Economics and Business Administration from UW-Eau Claire. He is certified as a Senior Certified Professional (SCP) through SHRM and a Senior Professional of Human Resources (SPHR) through HRCI. Jorge brings extensive human resources leadership experience from his previous work with Sheridan, World Council of Credit Unions, Access Community Health Centers, Outlook Group Corp., Kimberly-Clark, and Procter & Gamble. We are thrilled that he has joined our HR team!

The Office of Human Resources is currently engaged in a planned staffing transition to develop a true HR Talent Partner model across UW-Green Bay.  This model will:

    • Align roles within the HR Office with the functionality of Workday (which will be implemented in July, 2025);
    • Integrate HR more naturally within college/divisions across UW-Green Bay to provide talent support and collaboration; and
    • Ensure that HR can best serve as an impactful partner with employees, managers, and leadership, guiding employees throughout their careers and meeting the needs of UW-Green Bay in areas such as business analytics and talent strategy.

We expect to fully implement the model later in the summer, and are looking forward to providing more information to the institutional community in the coming months!

Welcome George Petrie!

The Office of Human Resources is delighted to announce that George Petrie has been appointed into the position of HR Talent Partner effective Monday, May 13, 2024. George’s role will serve as a trusted advisor and facilitator to an assigned group of colleges and departments to provide consultative and transactional HR support and services relevant to the entire career lifecycle. George has a degree in Organizational Communication/Human Resources from UW-Eau Claire, and brings extensive human resources experience from his previous work with Schneider National, St. Norbert College, Renco Machine Company, and Professional Plating. We are thrilled that he has joined our HR team!

The Office of Human Resources is currently engaged in a planned staffing transition to develop a true HR Talent Partner model across UW-Green Bay.  This model will:

    • Align roles within the HR Office with the functionality of Workday (which will be implemented in July, 2025);
    • Integrate HR more naturally within college/divisions across UW-Green Bay to provide talent support and collaboration; and
    • Ensure that HR can best serve as an impactful partner with employees, managers, and leadership, guiding employees throughout their careers and meeting the needs of UW-Green Bay in areas such as business analytics and talent strategy.

We expect to fully implement the model later in the summer, and are looking forward to providing more information to the institutional community in the coming months!

Management Consultation Services through EAP

Through the UW Employee Assistance Program (Acentra), managers and supervisors have access to unlimited telephonic management consultative services. By calling the toll-free number (1-833-539-7285), you can connect directly with a member of the Management Services Team, composed of seasoned clinicians, highly knowledgeable regarding personnel issues.

Managers and supervisors can receive advice and guidance regarding issues such as:

    • Enhancing team dynamics
    • Fostering employee morale and engagement
    • Maintaining a positive, productive work environment
    • Addressing challenging personalities
    • Recovering after a critical event
    • Documentation of employee work performance issues
    • Addressing problematic behavior
    • How to talk with an employee about work performance
    • And many other topics

Management Consultation Services is not a replacement for UW-Green Bay support structures (i.e. HR staff, ombuds, etc.), UW-Green Bay or UW System policy/process, or formalized reporting processes. It is intended to provide an additional external resource to help with individual leadership coaching during difficult personnel situations. For additional resources for supervisors, check out the Supervisor Toolkit, and please contact HR at (920) 465-2390 or hr@uwgb.edu with any questions.

Farewell to Megan Noltner

The Office of Human Resources wishes the very best to Megan Noltner, who will be leaving UW-Green Bay on February 21st. Megan initially joined the HR Office at UW-Green Bay in August of 2017 in a temporary role as Payroll and Benefits Specialist, and then was hired into an ongoing role in June of 2018 as a Human Resources Specialist. Since that time, Megan has been a key leader within the HR Office in the areas of employee relations, policy, compliance, performance management, and Title IX. We will greatly miss her deep expertise, strong communication skills, and ability to build bridges across the campus community. Megan will be transitioning to an HR Generalist position with the Village of Ashwaubenon. We wish Megan the best in her new position and hope she will keep in touch with her many colleagues and friends across the campus community!

Megan’s last day at UW-Green Bay will be Wednesday, February 21st and will be in the office that day if you would like to stop by to say farewell. We extend our sincere thanks to Megan for her dedicated years of service to UW-Green Bay. She will be missed!

After February 21st, if there are questions related to employee relations or performance management, please contact Melissa Nash (nashm@uwgb.edu) or Beverly Majewski (majewskb@uwgb.edu). For other topics which you previously would have emailed Megan, please contact hr@uwgb.edu and your query will be routed to the appropriate team member for response.

Farewell to Jolene Truckenbrod

With mixed emotions, we announce the upcoming departure of Jolene Truckenbrod, HR Coordinator. Jolene joined the HR Office at UW-Green Bay in February of 2007. During her tenure at UW-Green Bay, she has served in a number of roles, most recently working with HR Systems and payroll/benefits. Jolene will be transitioning to a Benefits Specialist position with the Universities of Wisconsin Benefits Counseling Team, providing benefits support to faculty and staff across the UW. With warm regards, we wish Jolene great success in her new position and look forward to working with her in her upcoming role at UW!

Jolene’s last day at UW-Green Bay will be Friday, January 26th, and she will be in the office both January 25th and 26th if faculty/staff would like to stop by to say farewell. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Jolene for her years of service, and honor her dedication to cheerfully and compassionately enhancing the employee experience for faculty & staff at UW-Green Bay!

After January 26th, if you have questions for which you previously would have emailed Jolene, please contact hr@uwgb.edu and your query will be routed to the appropriate team member for response.

Welcome new HR Team Members!

We are delighted to welcome two new team members that have recently joined the Office of Human Resources & Workforce Diversity:

    • Abi Gollata started on May 22, 2023 as an HR Coordinator for Recruitment & ATP Support (18-month project appt). Abi’s role is responsible for coordinating full-scope recruitments for select departments, data entry in HRS/Workday, facilitation of training/process identification for select Workday modules, and directed project support (including records management) for the Workday transition. Abi came to HR after 2.5 years as an Application Review Specialist in Admissions at UW-Green Bay. Abi has a degree in Psychology from UW-Oshkosh with a Certificate in Social Equity and Diversity, and brings extensive recruiting experience from her previous work as an HR Specialist at Schneider National.
    • Stella DeMeuse started on July 5, 2023 as an HR Coordinator for Compliance & Office Support. Stella’s role includes coordination of HR compliance activities, serving as the I-9 coordinator, providing general administrative support for records management and recruitment, and serving as primary office support. Stella is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas with a Bachelors in HR Management, brings a wealth of records management and customer service experience, and has had the opportunity to work in the HR field through relevant local internships.

We are so excited to have Abi and Stella join our team!

Updated Titling & Compensation Websites

The Human Resources website has been updated to provide comprehensive information related to titling and compensation in a format that is simpler for employees to navigate. Please see below for the structure of the two revised websites:

    • Titling – includes the following topic areas:
      • Employee Categories
      • Titling Guidelines
      • Business Titles
      • Title Review Process
      • Titling FAQs
    • Compensation – includes the following topic areas:
      • Position & Budget Control
      • Annual Compensation Analysis
      • Compensation Adjustments (including pay plan)
      • Compensation Resources & FAQs

With these updates, the former UW-Green Bay Title & Total Compensation Project website was discontinued, and applicable information has been incorporated within the above sites. There were no changes in titling/compensation policy or process as part of the website updates.

If you have questions related to information on the revised Titling or Compensation websites, please contact Human Resources at hr@uwgb.edu.

Inclement Weather Policy Information

With inclement weather in the forecast for later this week, we wanted to take the opportunity to remind the University community about the Inclement Weather / Emergency Conditions Policy. The Chancellor has the authority to cancel classes, close all or part of the institution to the public, or completely close all or part of an institution to the public and employees based on emergency or unsafe conditions caused by weather.

Consistent with SYS 1235: Inclement Weather/Emergency Conditions, when the institution is not closed, employees are expected to report to work unless paid leave or other working arrangement is approved by the employee’s supervisor. Employees are expected to notify their supervisors if they cannot report to work or will report late.

In the event of an institutional closure, most employees will be directed not to work. Employees at work when the institution is closed will be given the option of remaining at work or leaving their worksite, operational needs permitting. This applies to all employees except essential employees whose continued presence is required to maintain critical operations.

Contingent upon approval from their supervisor, employees have three options if they are unable to make it to work due to inclement weather (including during an institutional closure):

    • Utilize available paid leave, including vacation, accrued compensatory time, available holidays, or leave without pay to cover the absence.
    • Make up the missed time by working extra hours on other days within the same week. Supervisors may require the employee to make up lost time during the same workweek of the absence if required for the operation of the work unit.
    • Alternative work arrangements (i.e. remote work, flexible work schedule) may be acceptable based upon the employee’s job functions.

The University policy recognizes that driving conditions can vary across the region, and employees should use their own judgment about whether they can safely travel to campus.