Author: Jolene Truckenbrod

Group Fitness Schedule for Winter Break

Give your body a healthy re-start in 2021 by participating in virtual fitness classes through UREC!  These classes are free to employees, and held virtually weekdays via Microsoft TEAMS.  Try the 15 minute Quick Core class on Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons, take 30 minutes of your lunch break for yoga or Zumba©, or end your day with a 30 minute “Sculpt” full-body workout.  Please see the full schedule and instructions below.

Want to workout at a different day or time?  Check out the UREC website – under Fitness you will find lots of videos including Bodyweight Strength classes, Yoga classes, and Tabata workouts, so you can exercise whenever you have time.

Employee Assistance Program Vendor Change January 1, 2021

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) vendor for UW System will change on January 1, 2021 from FEI to Kepro.

The EAP services provided by Kepro will remain confidential and continue to address personal and/or work-related concerns. Some of the specific concerns you may use the EAP for include:

    • mental health
    • substance abuse
    • grief and loss
    • legal and financial issues

The EAP will continue to provide you and your household family members up to six sessions per person per issue per year.

How to Contact Kepro:

    • Phone: 833-539-7285 or 877-334-0489 (TTY)
    • Website: https://sowi.mylifeexpert.com (code SOWI); to access the online resources, you will need to set-up a username and password

If you are currently receiving services through FEI, you may continue to do so through December 31, 2020. After January 1, 2021 you should contact Kepro to continue EAP services with your current provider (if they are in the Kepro network) or a new provider.

Note: FEI recently sent their network providers a communication making them aware of this change. The communication included information for them to become a Kepro provider.

For more information, visit the UW-Green Bay EAP webpage.

Source: UW System

TIAA virtual meetings available in January & February

Meet with a financial consultant at the University of Wisconsin System in a Virtual Counseling Session

No matter where you are in life – just getting started or planning for retirement – a session with a TIAA Financial Consultant can help you create a plan for your goals.  And, it’s at no additional cost as part of your retirement plan. You’ll get answers to these questions and more:

  • Am I invested in the right mix of investments to meet my goals?
  • Am I saving enough to create the retirement income I need?
  • How do I take income from my retirement account once I stop working?

TIAA will be available these dates and times for a virtual one-on-one session.

  • Wednesday, January 13 at 9 am – 12 pm
  • Wednesday, January 20 at 9 am – 4 pm
  • Thursday, January 21 at 9 am – 4 pm
  • Tuesday, January 26 at 9 am – 4 pm
  • Wednesday, February 3 at 9 am – 4 pm
  • Tuesday, February 9 at 9 am – 4 pm
  • Wednesday, February 10 at 9 am – 4 pm
  • Tuesday, February 23 at 9 am to 4 pm

RSVP today, as space is limited.  Register for sessions at www.TIAA.org/schedulenow or by calling 800-732-8353, weekdays, 8 am to 8 pm (ET). We look forward to working with you.

Click here to register for a virtual consultation with TIAA 

This material is for informational or educational purposes only and does not constitute fiduciary investment advice under ERISA, a securities recommendation under all securities laws, or an insurance product recommendation under state insurance laws or regulations. This material does not take into account any specific objectives or circumstances of any particular investor, or suggest any specific course of action. Investment decisions should be made based on the investor’s own objectives and circumstances.

Investment, insurance and annuity products are not FDIC insured, are not bank guaranteed, are not bank deposits, are not insured by any federal government agency, are not a condition to any banking service or activity, and may lose value.

The TIAA group of companies does not offer tax advice. See your tax advisor regarding your particular situation.

TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, Member FINRA, distributes securities products. Annuity contracts and certificates are issued by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) and College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF), New York, NY. Each is solely responsible for its own financial condition and contractual obligations. 

Academic Advisor

This position promotes and supports the philosophy and mission of the Academic Advising and Retention Office, Enrollment Services Division and university-wide initiatives related to the student learning experience and academic success. Advise current students on academic programs and requirements relevant to their academic and career development. This position reports to the Director of Academic Advising.

For further information and position responsibilities, please see the full position announcement.

To ensure consideration, please apply by Sunday, January 3, 2021.

Fall Food Challenge Winners

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Fall Food Challenge!  Almost 30 fall recipes were submitted.

Melissa Betke put together an eCookbook of all the recipes, which you can view by clicking here.

We had a random drawing for each week of the challenge, and here are the winners:

  • October 25 – 31 (Winter Squash recipe): Roshelle Amundson
  • November 1 – 7 (Root Vegetable recipe): Barb Tomashek-Ditter
  • November 8 – 14 (Cole Crop recipe): Denise Baeten
  • November 15 – 21 (The Trusty Spud recipe): Crystal Williams
  • November 22 – 28 (Thanksgiving Dish Makeover recipe): Laura Nolan

We also had a final drawing of all the entries, and Teri Ternes was picked.  Each participant will receive a UWGB cutting board, and the above winners will receive a kitchen/cooking item as well!  The participation incentives were paid for with wellness grant funds from the Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF).

Thank you to Wellness Committee members Sherry Warren and Melissa Betke for their work on this challenge!

WRS Webinars Offered in December

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.

Additional Contributions

Looking to increase your WRS retirement? Learn how Additional Contributions can increase your WRS retirement benefit. By the end of this presentation, you will be able to:

  • Define additional contributions
  • Identify how additional contributions increase your retirement fund
  • Arrange to make additional contributions to your WRS account(s)
  • Find and use ETF resources to calculate your additional contribution amount

Thu, Dec 3, 2020 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM CDT
Mon, Dec 7, 2020 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM CDT
Thu, Dec 17, 2020 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM CDT

To register, go to:  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/3755139383379232013

Annuity Options

When you get your retirement estimate, you’ll see that there are many options for receiving your retirement benefit. You can choose to receive the payment for your life or extend it beyond your life to your loved ones. The choice is yours. We’ll discuss how each option impacts the size of your payment and affects your loved ones. By the end of this presentation, you will be able to:

  • Define and explain annuity, annuitant, beneficiary  and named survivor
  • Compare the different annuity options
  • Find resources with more information
  • Identify the next steps for you to choose an annuity option

Tue, Dec 1, 2020 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM CDT
Tue, Dec 8, 2020 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM CDT
Mon, Dec 14, 2020 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM CDT

To register, go to:  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/5363461012024929549

Choosing When to Retire

Did you know that when you retire can change how much money you get in retirement? We’ll discuss how retiring throughout the year can change your retirement benefit. We’ll also answer one of the most common questions we receive: “Should I retire in December or January?”

Fri, Dec 4, 2020 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM CDT
Tue, Dec 8, 2020 11:30 AM – 12:00 PM CDT
Wed, Dec 16, 2020 6:00 PM – 6:30 PM CDT

To register, go to:  https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/5582854262877562894

Preparing for Your Retirement

Planning to retire in the next 1-10 years? Then this webinar is for you. We’ll discuss:

  • The money you and your employer have put towards your retirement account.
  • How your retirement account grows through investments.
  • When you can retire.
  • Options for receiving your retirement benefit.
  • Rules you must follow if you return to work after retiring.
  • What happens to your account after you die.
  • Changes to your health and life insurance in retirement.

Mon, Dec 14, 2020 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM CDT

To register, go to:  https://register.gotowebinar.com/rt/2062561071726664450

Cauliflower Stuffing and Roasted Vegetables Recipes

Cauliflower Stuffing
from Crystal Williams

Ingredients:

  • 1 large head cauliflower cut into small flowerets
  • 2 Tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 lb Italian sausage, crumbled
  • 1 Tbsp ghee
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 c. celery, sliced
  • 3 cups mushrooms (optional; I used 1/2 this much)
  • 1/4 c. pecans, roughly chopped (toast 5 minutes)
  • 1/2 tsp. dried sage
  • 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp. thyme salt pepper

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Drizzle cauliflower with avocado oil, season with salt and pepper and roast for 15-20 minutes.
  3. In a large skillet, add the ghee and cook sausage.
  4. Remove from pan with slotted spoon to separate dish.
  5. Add onions to pan and cook for 5-10 minutes until lightly caramelized.
  6. Add celery and cook to soften, then add garlic, cook a minute more. (Add more ghee if needed)
  7. Add herbs, add the sausage and roasted cauliflower to the pan. Toss together to heat through.
  8. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl and serve.

Makes 8 servings.

Note from Crystal: I thought it tasted pretty good but it didn’t sing the praises of my daughter making the original recipe. With the leftovers, I made it into soup.

 

Roasted Vegetables with Acorn Squash
from Sara Chaloupka

Ingredients:
  • Variety of vegetables – we used red cabbage, Brussel sprouts, carrots, bell pepper, and acorn squash (peeled)
  • Olive oil
  • Favorite spices and seasonings
Instructions:
  1. Cut up all produce into bite size pieces.
  2. Drizzles spices with oil and seasonings.
  3. Roast in oven.
Note from Sara: I roast vegetables often, but never thought to roast squash until this week. I did not see this ‘Fall Food Challenge’ until today, so unfortunately I did not get a picture of it. I can tell you that it was delicious though!

Savory Butternut Turkey Bacon Soup and Baked Squash Recipes

Savory Butternut Turkey Bacon Soup
from Roshelle Amundson

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs of butternut squash
  • 2 large cloves of garlic- roasted or raw
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 6-8 strips bacon or turkey bacon (vegetarian option to use smoked gouda for bacon-y flavor)
  • 1/3 c Half & Half or milk for reduced cal/fat (I use almond milk)
  • 3-4 c chicken broth (or veggie)
  • Onion-optional
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Roast whole or halved squash at 375 for 45 to 50 minutes.
  2. The skins will peel right off. (This is all so much easier than trying to cut and cube the gourd to boil it)!
  3. Saute garlic in butter (add onion if elected), add broth and softened, de-seeded squash.
  4. Use immersion blender or mash by hand until pureed consistency; allow to simmer.
  5. Prepare bacon to preference. Slice and add to soup.
  6. Continue to simmer.

** At this ratio the soup has a fluid but thicker consistency like split pea soup; easy to modify with increased squash or broth. Add half-and-half or milk slowly stirring in and allowing to simmer. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve & enjoy!

Note from Roshelle: This recipe can be made vegetarian/vegan/diary-free by swapping out broth selection, cream for almond milk, smoked gouda (bacon flavor) for turkey bacon, etc. as applicable. Using almond milk or skim over cream thins out the soup for those who don’t like a split-pea thick texture and reduces fat. I have served this to many people, including campus potlucks, and it is always a hit–particularly with those whom are craving savory over sweet butternut-based soup. It’s a fall favorite!

Baked Squash
from Olivia Raasch

Ingredients:

  • 1 Acorn Squash
  • 2 Tbsp Butter
  • 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar

Directions:

  1. First, fill a pan with an inch of water. (Make sure throughout baking that water remains in the bottom of the pan.)
  2. Then cut the squash in half and clean out the seeds.
  3. Place both halves (cut side down) in the inch of water.
  4. Put the pan in the oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until the squash is soft to touch.
  5. Take the squash out, flip over so they look like bowls, and place 1Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp brown sugar in the center of each half.
  6. Place back in oven and bake for 5 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven and enjoy!

Reminder to University Staff: Review and Bank Leave Balances

*The following information is specific to employees in the “University Staff” employment classification, and does not apply to employees in the “Academic Staff”, “Faculty” or “Limited” employment classifications.*

Eligible University Staff employees have an annual opportunity to bank and/or request a pay out of their unused vacation. All banking or pay out requests must be submitted by December 31, 2020. Personal and Legal Holidays are not eligible to be banked or paid out.

To be eligible to bank or request a cash payout of unused vacation, you must meet the years of service requirement. Review UW System Administrative Policy 1210 (formerly BN 1) Vacation, Paid Leave Banks, and Vacation Cash Payouts for details on banking or cashing out vacation. All requests to bank or receive vacation cash payout must be received by December 31, 2020.

You may review your leave balances and submit your banking request online via Self Service:

  1. Log into the MyUW portal.
  2. Go to the “Time and Absence” module.
  3. Click on Timesheet.
  4. Click on Absence Balances tab on left side of screen or in the tab below timesheet section. Conversion Eligibility will be displayed between the Posted leave balances and the Projected leave balances.
  5. Follow instructions for converting vacation to banked leave: Banked Leave Tipsheet.  (Note: Entry can only be completed between the dates of 12/1/20-12/31/20.) 
  6. Review Vacation Carryover, Personal Holiday and Legal Holiday balances. Legal holiday must be used by 12/31 or it will be lost.

As a reminder, In October, an interim policy was released for University Staff employees which allows unused vacation from calendar year 2019 (January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019) to be carried over for one additional year. Additionally, unused personal holiday from calendar year 2020 (January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020) may be carried forward. All Vacation and Personal Holiday hours carried over under this temporary extension must be used by December 31, 2021.  Please note that unlike Vacation and Personal Holiday hours, Legal Holiday hours will expire on 12/31/20.

For more detailed information on vacation, paid leave banks, and vacation cash payouts, review:

Source: UW System Human Resources