General – Page 27 – HR Connect

Panini for One

The Italians have it right when it comes to grown-up grilled sandwiches. You don’t need a Panini maker—you can use a frying pan and a heavy plate to press the sandwich.

Ingredients Panini for One

1 4-inch-square Panini roll
1 slice (1 oz.) low-sodium Swiss cheese
2 oz. cooked pork tenderloin
1/4 cup shredded zucchini
1 Roma tomato, cut into thin slices
1/8 cup thinly sliced red onion
Olive oil spray

Directions

Slice roll and remove some of the interior bread to make for a crisper sandwich.

Put half the cheese on bottom of roll. Layer meat, zucchini, tomato, and onion. Cover with rest of cheese and top of roll.

Heat a sandwich grill. Spray grill plates lightly with olive oil. Bake sandwich until cheese melts and meat is hot, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Makes 1 sandwich

Each sandwich contains about 479 calories, 17 g fat (6 g saturated fat, no trans fat, 66 mg cholesterol), 539 mg sodium, 48 g carbohydrate, 4 g dietary fiber, 4 g sugars, and 31 g protein.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

Treat yourself to tea and book coffee or tea and a good book today. You read emails. You read text messages. You read the news. But have you read a good book lately? Reading for pleasure can be an escape from the stresses of everyday life, help keep your mind sharp, and even make you more likely to empathize with others.

So set aside a half-hour to curl up with a book. Grab a comforting cup of coffee or tea, too. Drinking black, green, or oolong tea can boost the body’s defense against disease, research says. Tea has also been linked to lower risk for heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and allergy symptoms. And coffee has been associated with a lower risk for type 2 diabetes. We’ll toast to that!

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

Lime-Mango Whip

Serves 2

*(Gluten-free)

Each serving contains about 38 calories, less than 1 g protein, 1 g fat (24% calories from fat), 3 mg cholesterol, 7 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, and 5 mg sodium.

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh mango flesh
1 tablespoon reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Directions

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and whip.

Recipe from the StayWell Company, LLC.

Follow these tips to keep your energy level up!

Tips:

Don’t skip meals, especially breakfast.
Get regular exercise.
Eat high-energy foods, including whole-grain breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables.
Avoid fatty foods. Fat takes a long time to digest and makes the body feel sluggish.
Sugar’s OK, but don’t overdo it.
Get a good night’s sleep. Getting even an hour less than you need can result in slower mental functioning.
Drink plenty of fluids. You need to drink the equivalent of a half-gallon of fluid a day.
Coffee and tea will give you a lift — in moderation. Caffeine is a stimulant.

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

WRS Webinars Offered in June

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.

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. We’ll 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.

Tue, Jun 4, 2019 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Mon, Jun 10, 2019 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Thu, Jun 20, 2019 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Fri, Jun 28, 2019 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Newly Retired? What to Expect
The Newly Retired webinar provides basic information for Wisconsin Retirement System members who have recently entered or are soon to enter retirement status. Topics include initial (“estimated”) retirement annuity payments, “finalized” payments and adjustments, post-retirement life and health insurance, and return to work rules under the WRS.

This is a 20-minute webinar with approximately 10 minutes available for questions and answers at the end of the webinar.

Mon, Jun 3, 2019 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Thu, Jun 13, 2019 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Thu, Jun 20, 2019 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Mon, Jun 24, 2019 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Preparing for Your Retirement
Who should attend? Employees who are planning to retire in the next 1 – 10 years.

Learn about your steps to retire with the WRS. Attend this event by live webinar! You will learn about the impact of contributions and investment returns on your account, when you can retire, your WRS annuity options, returning to work after you retire, what happens to your account when you die, health and life insurance and more.

Questions are welcome during and after the event!

Wed, Jun 5, 2019 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Tue, Jun 18, 2019 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Retirement Annuity Options
Choosing a WRS annuity option is one of the most important decisions you will face. This webinar will cover all of the WRS annuity options and help you understand them so that you can make an informed decision. We will also explain the important differences between a beneficiary and a named survivor.

Tue, Jun 4, 2019 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Wed, Jun 12, 2019 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Fri, Jun 21, 2019 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Thu, Jun 27, 2019 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

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

Thu, Jun 6, 2019 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Tue, Jun 11, 2019 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Wed, Jun 19, 2019 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Mon, Jun 24, 2019 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

WRS Benefits: For New and Mid-Career Employees
This one-hour webinar is designed for WRS members who are more than five years from retirement. ETF provides accurate information about WRS benefits early in a member’s career so that they can make sound, strategic decisions over the course of their careers.

Topics covered at each presentation include vesting requirements, various 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.

Thu, Jun 6, 2019 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Wed, Jun 12, 2019 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Tue, Jun 18, 2019 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Wed, Jun 26, 2019 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.

Life Events and your Benefits

This article explains what qualifying life events are and the timeframe to make changes to your benefit plans if/when a qualifying life event occurs.

Will you experience a marriage, birth/adoption of a child or another qualifying life event in 2019?

A qualifying life event is a change in your personal situation. This could be a family change like a marriage, birth/adoption of a child, divorce, loss of other coverage or an employment change like a leave of absence or retirement.

Events like these may allow you to make changes to your benefit plans mid-year such as adding a dependent, enrolling in a plan you do not currently have, or cancelling coverage in a plan. If you are not sure if your event is considered a qualifying life event, review the Life Event webpage or visit ALEX, your personalized benefits counselor to help make this determination.

If you have a qualifying life event, when should you make changes to your benefit plans?

Mid-year life event changes are time-sensitive and typically need to be made within 30 days from the date of the qualifying life event. It is important to complete and submit the necessary paperwork to your human resources office in a timely manner.

What if you miss the 30-day window to make changes to your benefits mid-year?

If you miss the opportunity to make changes to your benefit plans mid-year, your next opportunity to make a change will be during the Annual Benefits Enrollment period. This period is held each Fall for coverage effective January 1 of the next calendar year.

You may also have another opportunity to make changes to your benefit plans mid-year if you experience a second or subsequent life event mid–year. For example, an employee gets married in January and does not make any benefits changes, then has an August employment change. The employee would have another 30-day window to make changes due to the August employment change.

Are you able to update your beneficiaries if you experience a qualifying life event?

Yes! Updating your beneficiary information does not require a qualifying life event. You may update your beneficiaries at any time throughout the year. Some of the plans that have beneficiaries are the life insurance plans, the health savings account and the retirement plans. Review the Beneficiary webpage for additional beneficiary information.

Reminder: You typically have just 30 days from the date of the qualifying life event to make changes to your benefit plans. Complete your research now so you know what to expect once your qualifying live event occurs.

Source: UW System Human Resources

Transition from Rave to GB Alert

As of July 1, 2019, the branch campuses will no longer receive emergency notification from Rave, the emergency notification system of the former UW Colleges. All branch campus employees were automatically subscribed to Rave. Employees of Marinette, Manitowoc and Sheboygan campus, to ensure you continue to receive emergency notifications, including wide-spread cancelled classes, drill information and safety communication during credible, on-going threats, you need to sign-up for GB Alert. You will not automatically be signed up. Rave alerts will continue to be sent through July 1, 2019. If you are already a GB Alert subscriber that spends time at other campuses, you may sign-up for additional lists to receive emergency notification customized to you.

New users and Marinette, Manitowoc and Sheboygan Campus, follow sign-up instructions. You will sign in with your UW-Green Bay single sign-on credentials. You must indicate at least one list.

Green Bay Campus, you may edit or view your GB Alert account by logging in.

Questions may also be directed to publicsafety@uwgb.edu.

Employee Assistance Program Transitions to FEI

Effective July 1, 2019, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) vendor will be changing to FEI. The EAP program is a free, confidential service to you, your dependents, and anyone living in your household. Most of the features of the program will remain the same as they are today with some additional features and benefits.

Beginning July 1, 2019, you, or a member of your household, may contact FEI for services by calling (866) 274-4723 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).

Some of the EAP services FEI provides are regarding:

Emotional Situations: relationships, parenting, grieving
Work/Life Challenges: child care, elder care, adoption
Legal and Financial Circumstances: managing expenses or debt, preparation of simple wills, child custody or child support

Additional access to FEI is available through their website. Visit https://www.feieap.com (Username: SOWI) to obtain educational information, useful links, help locating child and elder care providers, and self-assessments.

The program’s counseling services are available at no cost to you and/or your household members. Professional counselors are available both via phone and in-person in our local area. You can receive up to 6 sessions, per issue, per year. If additional counseling or services are recommended, the counselor will assist you with accessing providers covered by your health insurance plan.

Those currently receiving counseling sessions: Since the EAP is a confidential program, your employer does not know what services, if any, are being used by an employee. If you are one of the employees currently receiving counseling sessions, your sessions will end on June 30, 2019. Our current EAP administrator will send each of the counselors currently working with employees a letter regarding the transition to FEI to help communicate the change; however, you may also want to talk to your current counselor to find out if they are an affiliate of FEI.

If the counselor is already a FEI affiliate you may begin scheduling your sessions to occur on/after July 1^st with the same counselor.
If the counselor is not yet part of FEI’s network, the counselor may work with FEI to become an affiliate so you may continue your sessions with the same counselor on/after July 1^st. If your counselor does not become an affiliate of FEI or you wish to see a different counselor, you should call the FEI phone number above for additional assistance.

Privacy is strictly protected within legal limits. Information about your contact with FEI will not be released without your prior consent except in cases of imminent threat of harm or when abuse of a child or vulnerable adult may be occurring.

You may not need assistance now, but if you or a household member needs help in the future, FEI is available. While we expect the transition to FEI to go smoothly, employees will continue to see improvements in processes or resources for the next few months as FEI begins to serve our employees.

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

Office Hours & Institutional Closure – July 5, 2019

Due to the 4th of July legal holiday falling on Thursday, July 4, 2019 and consistent with HR 14-17-3 “Office Hours and Institutional Closure Policy”, the Chancellor has authorized the closure of applicable offices on Friday, July 5, 2019 for all UW-Green Bay Campuses. Area leaders will have the discretion to determine essential and non-essential functions and subsequent individual office closures for the day. Areas which are identified as essential functions under the policy will be required to be staffed on July 5. The provision of essential services on the Branch Campuses will be covered by the Green Bay Campus Offices (e.g. GBOSS will function as the office for all Branch Campuses).

Offices that close are asked to post notice on the departmental website and display a notice of office closure a week in advance, including notice of when normal business hours will resume.

Employees may choose to work on July 5. Any employee who elects to not work on Friday, July 5 must take applicable paid leave for this date, as this institutional closure does not represent an additional holiday.

Title & Total Compensation Project Update – May, 2019

The University of Wisconsin (UW) is embarking on a complete redesign of its current classification and compensation structure. The goal of the Title & Total Compensation Project will be to develop new systems that will enable institutions to continue to attract and retain the best talent.

Recent UW System Updates:

UW System job titles and descriptions are being modernized. The goal is to have all UW System titles and job descriptions represent the work commonly done across the system. A new standardized job description format is being implemented that is concise, consistent, and aligns with the Job Framework. While this standardized job description format is simpler, it does not change daily tasks as currently assigned. Some titles used today may not change. New titles are being created for instances where (1) current job titles do not accurately describe the work being performed or (2) current titles do not match those in the market for comparable work.
Training is being developed for Fall 2019 to engage human resources staff, managers, and employees in conversations about the transition to the new, modernized and market-informed Job Framework. As a result of this transition, all UW System positions will be mapped to a Job Family, Job Sub-Family, and Standard Job Title and Description.

In the Queue:

Review and Revision of DRAFT Standard Job Descriptions, estimated completion: June 2019 (Q2)
Summary of Results for the Employee Benefits Preferences Survey, estimated completion: September 2019 (Q3)
Benefits Valuation Analysis, estimated completion: September 2019 (Q3)
Revised DRAFT Standard Job Descriptions, estimated completion: September 2019 (Q3)

For up-to-date information about the Title & Total Compensation Project, please see the UW System Title & Total Compensation Project website. Answers to frequently asked questions can be found on the UW System FAQ page.

UW-Green Bay Updates:

UW-Green Bay HR has reached out to leaders in the Library and Athletics to identify subject matter experts from those UWGB departments who will be a part of SJD revision teams. The Athletics team is currently working in collaboration with Madison/UW System, and the Library team has not yet begun their work
UW-Green Bay HR has started conversations with University Staff and Academic Staff governance groups related to a potential appeals process for title determinations.
UW-Green Bay has an institutional T&TC project team, whose goal is to engage with subject matter experts and stakeholders. Feedback and information about T&TC flows to and from the project team. A listing of members of the UW-Green Bay institutional T&TC project team can be found here.
The Office of Human Resources and Workforce Diversity keeps employees informed on project updates through their weekly HR Connect newsletter and HR Connect blog as well as presenting T&TC updates at monthly governance meetings.
The next T&TC open forums will likely be scheduled in late summer or early fall. Please watch the HR Connect newsletter and HR Connect blog for updates.

Category: General