New Employee Onboarding Timeline (UW Health Network)

Your NetID is your digital login for many UW services, such as your email and time and absence reporting, and will be used for several other tasks during your onboarding process.

If you do not already have a UW NetID

You will need to activate your NetID using the activation key in the email from your HR Operations Coordinator.

If you already have a UW NetID from a previous appointment or academic enrollment

You will need to modify your NetID to ensure that you have access to all of the appropriate services for your new appointment. After logging in with your NetID, click the "Activate Services" button.

If you need assistance with your NetID, contact the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) Help Desk.

Your employment at UW-Madison is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be facilitated by UW-Madison contracted third party vendor HireRight. You will receive a separate email from HireRight with instructions to provide information and consent through HireRight's secure background check website. You will need to log in to provide additional information and consent to the check.

If you have lived outside of the United States within the past seven (7) years, please notify your HR Operations Coordinator as soon as possible to ensure that the appropriate international background check can be ordered.

All employees of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health are required to complete an online training regarding the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) before working with protected health information or within 5 days of starting their employment, whichever is sooner. You will be able to complete the training 24 hours after activating your NetID. The course is estimated to take you approximately 20-25 minutes to complete.

You will be required to complete an updated HIPAA training every year while you are an SMPH employee.

Due to your in-person contact with UW Health patients or UW research participants, you are required to complete the UW Health Safety and Infection Prevention (SIP) online training.

Due to your contact with UW Health patients or UW research participants, you will need to be cleared for TB-relevant work by UW Occupational Medicine. Please visit the Compliance page for detailed instructions to get TB-relevant work clearance.

Per federal law, UW is required to verify the identity and work eligibility of all of its employees. Like the background check, UW has partnered with HireRight to complete I-9s online. You will receive a separate email containing instructions for completing Section 1 of your I-9 through HireRight’s secure website. You must complete Section 1 on or before your start date.

Book an appointment to have an SMPH HR Operations employee verify your documents confirming the information in your I-9 as required by federal law.

• Your appointment must be within 3 business days of your start date.
• If you can't find an appointment time that works for you, contact your HR Operations Coordinator.
• Use the Keyword found in the welcome email that your HR Operations Coordinator sent to you.
• If you are not currently in possession of your documents, contact your HR Business Partner immediately as not having the proper documents could cause a delay in your employment.

UW-Madison offers many commuter solutions to accommodate the needs of a busy campus. Visit the UW-Madison Transportation Services New Employees page to learn about your options for commuting and parking. Parking can be limited and there may be a waiting period for the lot most convenient to your workplace, so we suggest you create a plan as soon as possible.

To apply for a parking permit, complete the steps found on the UW–Madison SMPH: Parking & Transportation website.

The UW-Madison Office of Human Resources hosts regular New Employee Orientation (NEO) sessions for all new UW-Madison employees. This session provides helpful information and resources available throughout the entire UW-Madison campus. We encourage you to register for a UW-Madison New Employee Orientation (NEO) session.

Attend the I-9 Section 2 appointment you scheduled earlier. Be sure to bring your documents confirming the information in your I-9. If you cannot make your scheduled appointment, contact your HR Operations Coordinator immediately to create an alternative plan.

Note: you will not be able to complete this task before your start date.

UW-Madison requires all employees to set up paycheck direct deposit to avoid lost or stolen paper checks and to make payment as easy as possible. You can find instructions and additional information for setting up your direct deposit on the Office of Human Resources - Direct Deposit website. Please submit your direct deposit information through MyUW as described on the OHR Direct Deposit website rather than using paper forms.

You may already see account information with a routing number of 071004200. This is the information for a U.S. Bank Focus Pay Card, which UW-Madison will send to your home address and deposit your paycheck onto if you do not enter your own account information.

As a paid UW-Madison employee, you must complete forms to remove the appropriate withholding taxes from your paycheck.

Within your first three days, you must complete federal Form W-4. If you are a WI resident, you must also complete WI Form WT-4. You may complete both forms online by going to MyUW and clicking on the "Update W4" button within the Payroll Information tile.

If you have any questions, contact your Payroll & Benefits Specialist. Note that your Payroll & Benefits Specialist is not authorized to provide tax advice; they can only help you access and submit the form.

Academic Staff and University Staff

Check with your Supervisor to see when you are attending Benefits 101. It is strongly recommended that you attend a session; there are three options to choose from:

Register for SMPH Benefits 101

Register for OHR Benefits 101

Watch OHR Benefits 101 video recording

For more resources about benefits, please visit the Payroll & Benefits section of the Benefits For Employees Covered By The Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) page. Some benefits, such as health insurance, have a limited eligibility period during which you can enroll. If you do not enroll during this time, you will be unable to enroll in those benefits programs until the following open enrollment period.

Graduate Assistants, Fellows, Scholars, Short-Term Academic Staff, Lecturers and Employees-in-Training

For resources about your benefit options, visit the Benefit Plans for Appointees not covered by the Wisconsin Retirement System page for detailed information.

Please visit the Personal Information MyUW app and click on the "Update My Personal Information" link. Here you will be able to update information such as addresses, contact information, and emergency contacts. You will also need to submit some self-identification information that UW-Madison is required to collect, including ethnic group, veteran status, and disability status.

Please review the information in all sections on this page to ensure it is accurate.

Your Wiscard is your campus photo ID and some campus services depend on you getting your Wiscard. For the most up-to-date information about Wiscard office hours and requirements, visit the Wiscard website.

You are required to wear your Wiscard or UW Health badge at all times, per SMPH Facilities policy.

Contact your supervisor if you require a UW Health badge or specific building access needs.

You will need to read and abide by the Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources policy.

Although your appointment must use your legal name, you are able to indicate a first name to appear alongside or instead of a legal name on many campus systems, referred to as a name in use. Use the Name In Use app in MyUW to set your name in use.

SMPH is deeply committed to building community in an environment that optimizes learning, supports diversity and inclusion, and maintains a culture of respect for everyone. To ensure that the entire SMPH community holds the same expectations for these values, all appointees are required to complete a brief online training. The training is expected to take less than 10 minutes to complete.

If you will be working remotely, you must submit a Remote Work Agreement (RWA). You can access the request form beginning on your start date.

Submit an RWA request

1. Go to your Personal Details page.
2. Select the Remote Work Agreement option from the left menu.
3. Read the information on the Remote Work Landing Page.
4. Select the Add a Remote Work Agreement option from the left menu to initiate a new request.

Remote work resources

• Employee Checklist for Completing a Remote Work Agreement (Office of Human Resources) - provides information, guidance, and potential action steps to help you prepare for successful completion of your Remote Work Agreement
• Remote Work: Guidance and Resources for Employees website (Office of Human Resources)
• SMPH Remote Work Guide website

Please contact your supervisor if you have questions about remote work.

You have 30 calendar days after your date of hire to enroll in New Hire Benefits. We will not accept late applications. 

If the 'Enroll Now' button does not appear in your MyUW; Benefits Information tile, you must complete digital forms by your 30 calendar day deadline, and electronically submit them to the SMPH Payroll & Benefits Team.

You will need to complete an online training on how to recognize, prevent, and respond to sexual assault and sexual violence in the workplace. Information about reporting options and campus and community resources to support individuals who have experienced sexual harassment or sexual violence are also provided. The course is estimated to take you approximately 60 minutes to complete.

This is a requirement every 4 years.

Cybersecurity Awareness Training is mandatory per UWSA Policy 1032 for all employees (including undergraduate and graduate student employees), as well as retirees and those in unpaid positions who access UW–Madison information technology resources. This training must be completed annually. It is also available for all students.

There are two training options available (visual or text). You only need to complete ONE course.

You have been identified as a Title IX Responsible Employee under the UW-Madison Policy on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence. Title IX Responsible Employees have a duty to report to the Title IX Coordinator any information they receive that suggests a violation of the UW-Madison Policy on Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence has occurred or is occurring. Because of this designation, you are required to complete the Title IX Responsible Employee Training within thirty (30) days after starting your job.

This is an annual requirement.