Benefits & Wellness

New Faculty & Staff: Benefit Orientations

Benefits vary according to your appointment type and benefits package you are eligible for.  Refer to your appointment letter to confirm your appointment type or review the Employee Categories webpage.  Most benefits require enrollment within 30 days of the date of employment or a qualifying life event.  Visit the Universities of Wisconsin Benefits Overview webpage for benefits quick guides, summaries, and instructions for how to enroll. 

Benefit Orientation Sessions

The Universities of Wisconsin Administration Benefits Counseling team offers orientations several times each month.  Please review their website to see and enroll in an upcoming session.

All Benefits at a Glance

Health Insurance

Universities of Wisconsin offer comprehensive medical and prescription drug coverage to eligible employees and their family members through the State Group Health Insurance program. This program is administered by the Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF) and offers different plan designs. The plan designs differ in monthly premiums, cost-sharing and whether there is out-of-network coverage. All plan designs include pharmacy benefits (no additional cost) and may be elected with or without Uniform Dental (minimal additional cost).

Dental & Vision Insurance

The Uniform Dental Insurance is available to you if you enroll in State Group Health Insurance. The Preventive Dental Insurance plan is available to you if you waive State Group Health Insurance or select the Health Opt-Out Incentive.  Both the Uniform Dental and Preventive Dental plans cover diagnostic, preventive and basic dental services. Supplemental Dental Insurance plans are available (regardless of whether you enroll in State Group Health Insurance) to cover major and restorative (such as fillings) dental services.  Vision Insurance provides coverage for materials (contacts and/or glasses).

Life Insurance

The Universities of Wisconsin offer life insurance plans that are designed to help protect you and your family against financial hardship in the event of your death.

AD&D and Accident Insurance

The Universities of Wisconsin offer two supplemental insurance plans that are designed to help protect you and your family in the event of accidental death or injury from an accident.  Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance provides benefits if you die as the result of an accident or suffer a permanent impairment such as paralysis, loss of limb(s), eyesight, hearing or speech. Accident Insurance provides a cash benefit if you experience an injury or die as a result of a covered accident. You may enroll in one or more of the offered plans if you are eligible.

Disability and Income Continuation

The Universities of Wisconsin offer disability insurance plans that are designed to help protect you and your family against income loss if an illness or disability keeps you off the job.

Spending & Savings Accounts

Universities of Wisconsin employees may contribute to Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and/or a Health Savings Account (HSA).

Retirement Plans

Several programs are available through your Universities of Wisconsin employment to help you meet your financial needs in retirement.

Leave Benefits

The Universities of Wisconsin recognize that it is important for employees to have time away from work. Leave benefits are a valuable asset to UW System employees by providing both financial compensation and accommodating family, professional and personal needs.

Other Benefits

The Universities of Wisconsin provide additional benefit programs to eligible employees outside of the traditional insurance benefits.

Life Events & How to Change Benefits

If you have changes in your employment status or family structure, review all of your benefits. Use the Universities of Wisconsin Life Events Resources to navigate employment and family changes which may impact your benefits.

When you gain a family member (e.g. marriage, birth, adoption, etc.), you can typically add the new family member to your benefit plans within 30 days of adding the individual to your family. You may also have the chance to enroll in or change your benefits at this time.

If you lose a family member (e.g. divorce, death, child meets certain age limits), you must take action to remove the person from your benefits.  This does not occur automatically.

Benefit Premiums

Benefit premium amounts can be found on the Universities of Wisconsin Administration website.

Planning to Retire or Resign?

If you are retiring or resiging, it is important that you share your retirement or resignation letter to your supervisor and copy the Office of Human Resources (hr@uwgb.edu) prior to your departure.  The sooner our office knows, the more we are able to ensure your payroll and benefits are processed correctly.

• Retirement Resource

• Benefit Impacts upon Resignation/Termination

Questions about benefit impacts when retiring or resigining?

• Insurance and Sick Leave Impacts: UW Benefits Counseling Team at benefits@uwss.wisconsin.edu or (888) 298-0141 (leave message)
• Payroll Impacts: UW Payroll Team at payroll@uwss.wisconsin.edu