Program year: Fiscal Year 2026
The Universities of Wisconsin will be implementing general wage increases for eligible employees of UW-Madison. The pay plan includes a three percent pay increase effective June 29, 2025, as well as a two percent increase planned for July 2026.
Eligible employees will receive back pay dated to June 29, 2025, provided as a lump sum, as well as a three percent increase to base pay beginning on Aug. 10. Eligible employees with 12-month appointments and hourly employees should expect to see their back pay and rate increase on their pay slip for Sept. 4, 2025. Eligible employees with 9-month appointments will see updated base pay rates on their Sept. 4, 2025 pay slip.
The 3% pay plan increase amount will be calculated based on the eligible employee’s UW base salary as of August, 10, 2025. Base salary does not include additional allowances such as Temporary Work Allowances (TWA).
The School of Medicine and Public Health is reviewing eligibility and preparing to process the 3% pay increase for eligible employees.
Eligible employees will receive a memo from the Universities of Wisconsin in Workday confirming their receipt of the pay plan increase. Employees should review and acknowledge the letter in Workday.
While the pay plan exercise is intended to be available to most employees at the UW, there are eligibility criteria that eligible employees must meet in order to receive the pay increase.
Employee Eligibility
Eligible Positions
SMPH employees who hold these types of positions will be eligible for and receive the pay plan increase if they meet the common performance and compliance-based program eligibility requirements.
The pay plan applies to all appointment types below, assuming the appointment started on or before 08/10/2025:
- Academic Staff
- University Staff – Ongoing and Project, not Temporary
- Faculty
- Limited
- Research Interns
- Academic Staff Hourly
- Post-retirement rehires
- Includes employees in probationary or evaluation period and/or employees on a Leave of Absence
- Includes new hires and transfers that occurred between the effective date of June 29 and the implementation date of Aug. 10
Eligibility Criteria
Some basic, campus-wide performance and compliance-based program eligibility requirements that SMPH employees must meet to receive the pay plan increase:
- Supervisors must be current on their mid-point employee performance evaluations originally due in February 2025.
- Employees who received a rating of “Not Meeting Expectations” on their performance evaluation are not eligible for the pay plan increase.
- Employees who have not completed required campus and SMPH compliance training courses are not eligible for the pay plan increase.
Faculty whose compensation is established annually via the department compensation plan who meet all other eligibility criteria will receive the 3% pay plan pay increase to their UW pay. However, their UWMF clinical salary will be reduced by the same amount as the increase to the UW base salary. The pay plan increase will not result in a change in total compensation for these faculty members for Fiscal Year 2026.
Questions that you have may be sent to the SMPH Compensation Team via the SMPH Compensation Inbox: smphcompensation@med.wisc.edu
Timeline
June 29, 2025: Pay adjustments effective
Effective date of the pay plan increase for 12-month appointments.
Aug. 10, 2025: 12-Month Pay Plan Implementation Date
Eligible employees in 12-month appointments will receive 3% base pay increase as a result of the pay plan.
Aug. 18, 2025: 9-Month Pay Plan Implementation Date
Eligible employees in 9-month appointments will receive 3% base pay increase as a result of the pay plan.
Sept. 4, 2025: Pay adjustments paid
Eligible employees should expect to see their pay plan increase in their earnings statement for Sep. 4, 2025. Eligible employees in 12-month appointments will also see back pay dated to June 29, (or start date of appointment if start date is later than June 29) paid as a lump sum.