Category: Payroll & Benefits

Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) Webinars Offered in January

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.

5 Basic Steps to Your Retirement: Consider this webinar your quick reference guide to starting the retirement process within the next 12 months. ETF will review: choosing a termination date, how to request a retirement estimate – and how to read and understand it. ETF will also cover how to schedule a retirement appointment and – drum roll here — how to submit the retirement application.

  • Wed, Jan 18, 2017 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
  • Fri, Jan 20, 2017 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • Thu, Jan 26, 2017 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • Tue, Jan 31, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Returning to Work After Retirement: Whether retired or planning to retire, do you need information about what happens if you decide to work again? This webinar is for you. 2013 Act 20, which was effective July 2, 2013, made some important changes to laws that affect retired WRS members planning to return to work. This webinar covers the old law as well as the changes provided by Act 20.

  • Thu, Jan 12, 2017 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • Tue, Jan 17, 2017 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
  • Thu, Jan 19, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

WRS Benefits for New and Mid-Career Employees: This one-hour webinar is for employees who are five years – or more – from retirement. The information presented will help you make sound, strategic decisions over the course of your career. Topics include vesting, 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.

  • Wed, Jan 11, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
  • Thu, Jan 12, 2017 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
  • Mon, Jan 23, 2017 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
  • Wed, Jan 25, 2017 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

WRS Annuity Adjustments and Effective Rates:  Do WRS accounts receive an investment return? Do investment returns affect how much a retiree will initially receive when they begin their pension? Do those retired in the WRS receive adjustments to their monthly pension amount over the years? This webinar will cover the process of how account effective rates and annuity adjustments are calculated, starting with the investment return reported by the State of Wisconsin Investment Board. Also covered during the webinar will be explanations of both the Core and Variable Trust Funds and the calculations specific to each fund for effective rates and annual adjustments. At the end of this webinar, it is hoped that you will have a better grasp on how State of Wisconsin Investment Board investment returns affect your WRS pension.

  • Thu, Jan 19, 2017 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
  • Tue, Jan 24, 2017 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
  • Fri, Jan 27, 2017 12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
  • Tue, Jan 31, 2017 11:00 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.

WRS Employee and Employer Contribution Rates: This webinar will review how employer and employee contributions help keep the WRS fully funded. We will discuss how the contribution rates are calculated, why they change annually, where those dollars go and the contribution rate changes for 2017.

  • Fri, Jan 13, 2017 12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

 

Register for a webinar

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

Student Hours Reminder

As a reminder, UW-Green Bay student employees can work up to 40 hours per week between December 25, 2016 and January 7, 2017, and then must reduce their working schedules down to 25 hours per week starting January 8, 2017 to make sure we are in compliance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Please review the 2017 Student Bi-Weekly Payroll Schedule at: http://www.uwgb.edu/hr/documents/StudentBiWeeklyPayrollSchedule2017.pdf

If you have any questions about this, please contact Human Resources at hr@uwgb.edu or ext. 2390.

2017 Insurance Premiums and WRS Contribution Rates

Benefit changes made during the Annual Benefits Enrollment period and premiums for 2017 coverage will be reflected on the pay check dated December 22, 2016 for University Staff (paid bi-weekly) and January 3, 2017 for Faculty/Academic Staff/Limited Appointees (FA/AS/LI) (paid monthly).

HOW TO CHECK YOUR 2017 BENEFIT ENROLLMENTS

Your Benefits Summary is available online. Log in to the MyUW portal and click on the “View Benefits Summary Detail” link in the Benefit Information module to see your Benefits Summary. On the Benefits Summary page, enter “01/01/2017” in the date field above the summary and click “Go” to see your 2017 elections.

2017 PLAN CARDS

  • Health insurance plan cards are typically sent by health plan providers to participants by the end of December. The 2017 plan cards are effective January 1, 2017, and you will need to present your card at appointments that occur after January 1, 2017.
  • Navitus pharmacy cards (prescription drug coverage) for 2017 will only be sent to newly enrolled employees. If participants were covered in 2016, they will not be receiving a new card.

Employee reimbursement account (ERA) AND HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNT (HSA)

If you enrolled in either the ERA or HSA programs for 2017, the first deduction for 2017 elections will be on the January 3, 2017 pay check for FA/AS/LI, and the January 5, 2017 pay check for University Staff.  New TASC cards will be sent to all new participants. This card should be used for all expenses in 2017. 

Current ERA participants (those who participated in 2016 and have elected to continue participation in 2017) will not receive a new TASC card.  Current participants should continue to use the TASC card that they have which will be loaded with their 2017 elected amount.

WISCONSIN RETIREMENT SYSTEM (WRS) CONTRIBUTIONS

The Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) employee contribution rate for 2017 will increase from 6.6% to 6.80% for all employees. This increase will occur on the January 3, 2017 pay check for FA/AS/LI, and the January 5, 2017 pay check for University Staff.

Source: UW Service Center

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

Deadlines for Employee Reimbursement Account and Health Savings Account

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If you have a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA), please read the following information.

  • Expense Deadline –  For the 2016 benefit period, you must incur all eligible expenses by December 31, 2016.
    • Health Care FSA allows for up to $500 to carry over to the following plan year
    • Dependent Day Care FSA does not allow any carry over, funds must be used within plan year
  • Reimbursement Request Deadline – Reimbursement requests for the 2016 benefit period must be submitted to TASC no later than March 31, 2017.
  • Substantiation Deadline – All TASC Card transactions must be substantiated by December 31, 2016. Examples of acceptable documentation include an itemized statement, detailed receipt, or an Explanation of Benefits (EOB). Expenses not substantiated by the deadline will be ineligible and repayment will be required. Wages may be garnished for repayment.

To access your TASC Online account, visit the TASC Landing Page. For assistance, please call TASC Customer Care at 1-844-768-3947. 

TASC Card & New Participant Materials

If you are a current TASC participant, you can continue to use your unexpired TASC Card for the 2017 benefit period. If you newly enrolled during the recent It’s Your Choice open enrollment period, your card and new participant materials should arrive by the end of December.

TASC Benefits Mobile App

Save time and paperwork with the TASC Benefits Mobile App.

  • Access account(s) 24/7
  • Available balances always up to date
  • Submit reimbursement requests or substantiate your claim(s)
  • View charts summarizing account(s) and elections

To download the TASC Benefits Mobile App, visit the iOS App Store or the Google Play (for Android users) and search for “eflex Benefits”.

Please contact us at payrollandbenefits@uwgb.edu or (920) 465-2390 if you have any questions.

Reminder: Update Your Address by January 6, 2017, for W-2 Tax Form Distribution

Make sure your current address is up-to-date for the 2016 W-2 Tax Form distribution. In late January 2017 your W-2 Form will be sent via U.S. mail to your home address in the MyUW portal.

To ensure your W-2 Form is sent to your preferred address, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to the MyUW portal.
  2. Review your current home address in the ‘Personal Information’ module.  If this is not your preferred address for W-2 Form distribution, update your mailing and/or home address.
  3. To update your address, click on the ‘Update my Personal Information’ link in the ‘Personal Information’ module. For additional instructions on updating your address, visit: https://uwservice.wisconsin.edu/help/personal-information.php
  4. Update your address by the January 6, 2017 deadline.

In addition to the hard copy W-2 Form that you will receive, an online copy of your W-2 Form will be available in the MyUW portal in the ‘Payroll Information’ module, ‘Tax Statements’ tab in late January.

Changing your address in the portal for W-2 distribution may not change your address for all of the benefit plans in which you are currently enrolled. For instructions on how to change your address for all of your benefits, visit: Change Your Name or Address.

If you have questions, contact Human Resources at (920) 465-2390 or hr@uwgb.edu.

Monthly Pay Date for December Earnings is January 3, 2017

For UW employees who are paid on the 1st of each month, the monthly pay date for December, 2016 earnings is Tuesday, January 3, 2017. January 3 is the pay date because January 1 (New Year’s Day) is on a Sunday and Monday, January 2 is a Federal Reserve holiday.

When a pay date falls on a weekend or Federal Reserve holiday, the pay date is usually the previous business day. An exception to this is the monthly pay date that falls on New Year’s Day, January 1.

To avoid tax-related issues, the January 1 pay date for December earnings is paid in the new calendar year and must be the first “official banking business day” following the New Year’s holiday. The “official banking business day” is defined as a calendar day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a Federal Reserve holiday.

Source: UW Service Center

My UW System transitioning to local domain My UWGB

As you may have noticed, the UW System portal has undergone changes over the past couple months, including a locally branded UWGB login and domain.  The employee portal used for HR, Payroll and Benefit News, Time and Absence, Payroll and Benefit Information along with other resources will be transitioned from the my.wisconsin.edu domain to a local my.uwgb.edu.  What does this mean for you? The login “button” and branding of this page will be changing to the recognizable UWGB Phoenix colors and theme, nothing more. 

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Reminder: Health Plan Wellness Incentives Are Taxable

The State of Wisconsin extended a number of financial incentives to employees through the Well Wisconsin employee wellness program. If you are covered under the State of Wisconsin Group Health Insurance program, you are eligible for a financial incentive to complete biometric testing and health risk assessment. Depending on your health plan, you may also be eligible for financial reimbursements for wellness related expenses such as gym memberships, fitness classes, the cost to participate in Community Support Agriculture (CSA) programs and rewards for participating in health or wellness programs or challenges. You can learn more information about the benefits available to you by accessing wellwisconsin.wi.gov.

Per guidance from the federal government and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), these benefits are classified as taxable fringe benefits. This means that any financial incentive you receive from the program is taxable income for state and federal tax purposes.

What this means for you:

  • Throughout 2016 financial incentives will be reported by your employer as a taxable wage and will be subject to applicable withholdings and taxes. You will see withholdings for all incentives issued in the current calendar year reflected on your December pay stub. This will include incentives issued to your eligible family members.
  • Withholding will include 7.65% for Social Security and Medicare and may include withholding for federal and state taxes, depending on the number of exemptions you claimed on your W-4.
  • Federal regulations requires the payroll center to receive financial data regarding incentives issued to employees and their covered family members. Your health information is protected by federal privacy regulations and is not shared with your employer.
  • These taxable fringe amounts will be processed with the code: XHW (Tax Fr – Health/Wellness) earnings code.

Even with the federal government’s tax regulations, eligible employees are able to receive substantial financial rewards for using the wellness incentives offered by the State of Wisconsin and participating health plans. Benefits available through the Well Wisconsin program are also available to any dependent over the age of 18 who is covered by your State of Wisconsin insurance plan.

Please contact Human Resources at payrollandbenefits@uwgb.edu or ext. 2390 if you have any questions.

Important Year End Leave Information for University Staff

As we near the end of the 2016 calendar year, University Staff employees are reminded to review their leave balances.

Vacation Carry Over
Normally, vacation time must be used within the calendar year during which it is earned.  Employees may carry over any unused earned vacation into the following calendar year.  Any vacation carried over from the previous calendar year must be used by December 31 of the following calendar year.

The Human Resources System (HRS) will automatically take any vacation absences entered first from carry over balances before taking from the current year’s allocations.

Compensatory Time
Compensatory time is able to be carried into the following calendar year if approved by the immediate supervisor.  If carried over, unused compensatory time must be used by April 30th of the following year or it will be paid out on the pay period that includes May 1st.

Personal and Legal Holidays
Personal and Legal holiday hours may not be carried into 2017 and if not used by December 31, 2016 will be forfeited.

Annual Leave Conversion Option (Banked Leave or Sabbatical)
Forms for all employees eligible for the Annual Leave Conversion Option are now available on the My UW System Portal, under the Time and Absence section, Leave Reports tab.  All completed forms must be submitted to Human Resources no later than Friday, December 2, 2016.

Please contact the Payroll & Benefits office at 920-465-2390 or payrollandbenefits@uwgb.edu if you have any questions.