Author: Jolene Truckenbrod

Employee Resources

Uncertainty about the future and financial concerns can affect an employee’s personal well-being and cause stress in your life.  The Office of Human Resources and the Counseling and Health Center have developed an Employee Resource webpage at http://www.uwgb.edu/hr/employees/resources.html that provides web links to information about:

* UW-Green Bay Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

* State Group Life Health Insurance Plan contacts and procedures for seeking non-urgent care for mental and behavioral health issues

* A Brown County community resource guide that includes information about topics such as counseling, domestic abuse, and support groups

* Brown County United Way 211 (phone number that connects people with community services)

You can also access this webpage by going to the Human Resources home page, and click on “Employee Resources” under the “Employee Quick Links” section.  Please contact Human Resources at x2390 or the Counseling and Health Center at x2380 if you have questions or need additional information.

ETF Effective Interest Rates Announced

NOTICE TO EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATING IN THE WISCONSIN RETIREMENT SYSTEM

Please see the following release from the Department of Employee Trust Funds regarding the interest rates applied to the WRS accounts for active members and eligible inactive members:   http://www.etf.wi.gov/news/ht_20110211.htm

Please e-mail benefits@uwgb.edu or call 465-2390 if you have any questions.

TSA Fee Increase

Please click on the following link to view the new TSA Investor newsletter: http://www.wisconsin.edu/hr/benefits/retsav/tsaspring11.pdf.  This newsletter is being made available earlier than usual to announce an increase in the TSA fee.

In this newsletter, you will find articles regarding the following topics:

* TSA fee increase

* TSA program services the University provides

* New low-cost TIAA-CREF mutual fund share classes for UW employees

* Fidelity funds with K (institutional) share classes

The TSA fee is being increased from $9.00 to $15.00. The last fee increase was in 1999. At that time, the $6.50 fee from 1995 was increased to $9.00. We have been able to hold the fee to $9.00 for the past 12 years, but inflation and increased costs have necessitated the increase.  If you have already paid the $9.00 fee, you will only be charged the difference of $6.00.

Please e-mail benefits@uwgb.edu or call 465-2390 if you have any questions.

HRS and How It Will Impact You

To find out more about HRS (the new Human Resource System) and how it will impact you, please mark your calendar to attend one of the following presentations in the 1965 Room in the University Union:

* Thursday, February 10th from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

* Friday, February 18th from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

* Monday, February 21st from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

* Thursday, March 3rd from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

You can also view the power point presentation online at http://www.uwgb.edu/hr/documents/hrs.pptx.

Please e-mail hr@uwgb.edu or call 465-2390 if you have any questions.

WRS News

The Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) and the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB) have joined together to create a new joint publication, WRS News.  WRS News replaces ETF’s former publication, Trust Fund News and SWIB’s former publication, The SWIB Report.

The first issue of WRS News, January, 2011, is available for you at http://etf.wi.gov/publications/WRS%20News/wrs_news201101.pdf

WRS News will provide members of the Wisconsin Retirement System with news and information on the direct relationship between the management and investment of WRS assets and your WRS benefits.

The newsletter is divided into two sections:  ETF’s Benefits section will provide updates and information about WRS retirement benefits.

SWIB’s Investment section will include news about the investment performance of WRS assets, how WRS assets are invested, federal and state laws that impact investments, and other related topics.

WRS News will be published in January, May and September.  The newsletter will be available on the MY UW SYSTEM portal, http://my.wisconsin.edu for employees system-wide, and on the MY UW-Madison portal, http://my.wisc.edu, on the Work Record tab, for UW-Madison employees.  You will not receive direct email notification when each new issue is published.  Please check the portal for the most recent issue.

Please e-mail benefits@uwgb.edu or call 465-2390 if you have any questions.

2011 Tax Update

There have been some notable changes regarding taxes for 2011.  The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 that became law on December 17, 2010 enacted a two percentage point payroll tax cut for employees, reducing their Social Security tax withholding rate from 6.2% to 4.2% of wages paid.

There has been a change to the Federal Tax Withholding Tables for 2011.  IRS Notice 1036 provides a summary of the recent tax law changes and includes the 2011 percentage method income tax withholding tables.  State of Wisconsin income tax rates will remain the same for 2011.  Employees are encouraged to review their federal income tax withholding every year;  any major life changes may prompt you to submit a new W-4 Form to change your tax withholding.

For further information, please see the HR, Payroll and Benefits News section in the My UW System Portal.  If you have questions e-mail benefits@uwgb.edu or call 465-2390.

Rehired Annuitant Information

NOTICE TO ALL SUPERVISORS AND EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATING IN THE WISCONSIN RETIREMENT SYSTEM

As a reminder, for those employees considering retirement and supervisors considering rehiring recently retired employees, please review the Q&A found in the link below.  There are several rules and statutes governing rehired annuitants that must be followed to minimize jeopardizing the recently retired employee’s benefits.

http://www.uwsa.edu/hr/benefits/lifevent/rehired.htm?__utma=1.1454196849.1269866245.1292428108.1292865477.42&__utmb=1.2.10.1292865477&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1289846704.35.11.utmcsr=uwgb.edu|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/hr/benefits/&__utmv=-&__utmk=33985825

Please e-mail benefits@uwgb.edu or call 465-2390 if you have any questions.

WRS Investment Returns Are Up

The State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB) just released the WRS investment returns through November 30th.  The Core Fund is up 7.6% and the Variable Fund is up 8.0%.  You can visit SWIB’s website for more information:  http://www.swib.state.wi.us/.

In addition, the UW System Administration has updated documents that outline how market conditions affect your WRS benefits:  http://www.uwsa.edu/hr/benefits/retsav/wrsdownturn.html.   For employees still considering on whether to retire at the end of 2010 or beginning of 2011, you can review the Retiree Q&A for information for help:  http://www.uwsa.edu/hr/benefits/retsav/downturnretireeQA.pdf.

Please e-mail benefits@uwgb.edu or call 465-2390 if you have any questions.

Floating Holidays (for Unclassified)

Use of Floating Legal Holidays – December 25, 2010 and January 1, 2011

All employees eligible to earn and use legal holidays should note that Christmas Day, Saturday December 25, 2010, and New Year’s Day, Saturday, January 1, 2011, are floating legal holidays since these holidays fall on a regularly scheduled day off (a Saturday) for most employees.

Unclassified Employees

For unclassified employees (those paid monthly), floating holiday time can be used anytime during the fiscal year in which it is granted (July 1 – June 30), but MUST be used by the end of the fiscal year. For example, the December 25, 2010 floating holiday must be used by June 30, 2011.

The January 1, 2011 floating legal holiday must be used by June 30, 2011.

Unused floating holiday time is lost after June 30.

Floating holiday time is allocated to the employee during the pay period in which the holiday falls and will appear on the next leave statement.  When floating holiday time is used before the holiday occurs, the balance will appear as a negative number on the statement and in the leave accounting system.

Please e-mail benefits@uwgb.edu or call 465-2390 if you have any questions.

WRS Small Group Sessions

NOTICE TO ALL EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATING IN THE WISCONSIN RETIREMENT SYSTEM

The Department of Employee Trust Funds is pleased to formally announce that they have expanded their outreach and education.   Please see the EFT flyer to read the requirements for who is eligible to attend these group sessions and how to schedule an appointment.

You can find locations and dates around the state at their interactive website http://www.etf.wi.gov/members/presentation_map.html.   With the exception of the one public presentation per district, please note that for all other dates and times participants must call and schedule an appointment and there is limited availability.    In order to be eligible the participant must:

* Have a CURRENT retirement estimate and packet

* Plan to retire in the next 12 months

Included will be a step by step explanation of:

* Your retirement estimate

* Your Annuity options

* The application process

Call 608-266-5717 or toll free at (877) 533-5020, ext. 65717 to schedule an appointment.

Please e-mail benefits@uwgb.edu or call 465-2390 if you have any questions.