Your employment at UW-Madison is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, which will be facilitated by UW-Madison's 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 Generalist - Lisa Wesley at lawesley@wisc.edu - as soon as possible to ensure that the appropriate international background check can be ordered. 

Your NetID is your digital login for many UW services, such as your email, 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 12-digit activation key in an email from Lisa Wesley (lawesley@wisc.edu) in HR. 

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 DoIT Help Desk.

You will need a smartphone, tablet, or token to use for MFA Duo. If using a smartphone or tablet, you'll be asked to download the free Duo Mobile application during the registration process.

1. Log in with your NetID and password to the Multi-Factor Authentication Portal and click the appropriate button for the device you wish to register. Then, follow the prompts to register your device.

Follow the directions to set up your device. 

MFA Duo - First-Time Setup for Smartphone or Tablets

MFA Duo - First-Time Setup for Token/Fobs

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.

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.

Watch for an email from HireRight to complete this process.

Make sure to bring at least two forms of acceptable, original, unexpired documents in physical form to your in-person HR Orientation. View this list of acceptable documents for more details.

• Your presentation of these documents must be within three (3) business days of your start date
• Documents must be original copies (no pictures or photocopies of documents may be used)
• If you are not currently in possession of your documents, contact HR 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.

Visit the UW-Madison COVID-19 Response page for current COVID-19 guidance to ensure the health and safety of yourself and all other employees.

Be sure to bring your documents confirming the information in your I-9. If you cannot make it to your meeting, contact HR (Lisa Wesley at  lawesley@wisc.edu) immediately to create an alternative plan.

• Your meeting must be within three (3) business days of your start date
• Copies of documents must be original copies (pictures/photos or photocopies of documents cannot be used)

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 HR (Lisa Wesley at lawesley@wisc.edu). Note that your Payroll & Benefits Specialist is not authorized to provide tax advice; they can only help you access and submit the form.

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.

All new hires will sign the orientation documents during their HR Orientation with Lisa Wesley. 

Orientation Documents:

• Conflict of Interest Letter - Davidson 
• Conflict of Interest Letter - Dolski 
• Confidentiality Policy 
• Intellectual Property Agreement 
• Employee Acknowledgment  

*Employees who will be signing virtually should use the button that looks like a quill to enter their signature and sign the documents.

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 two options to choose from: 

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 Retierment 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 benefit programs until the following open enrollment period. 

Graudate Assistants, Fellows, Scholars, Short-Term Academic Staff, Lecturers, and Employees in Training (EIT)

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

You MUST successfully complete both the CITI-HS and HIPAA training BEFORE working with human subjects in the labs, and before you can be listed on an IRB protocol.

Required Trainings include: 

• CITI-HS (Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative - Human Subjects)
• HIPAA
• Preventing Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence at UW-Madison
• Mandated Reporter 
• Cybersecurity Awareness

To view more specific information on the required trainings, please visit the Mandatory Training KB page.

Ask your supervisor if you will need to complete the additional training.

• MRI Safety - Needed if you will be working with the MRI scanner. See detailed instructions below.
• Biosafety and Bloodborne-Pathogens - Needed if you are working with data for which a biosafety protocol applies/working with bloodborne pathogens.

Ask your supervisor if there are any other study-specific trainings that you should take.

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

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.

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.

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 Lisa Wesley in HR. 

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)

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

• During your 1st Year / 6 months- Performance Evaluations through PMDP with your direct supervisor:
  • 30-day Conversation (completed once, within the first month)
  • Mid Probation Conversation (completed once, halfway through probation)
  • Summary Probation Evaluation (completed once, near the end of probation)
• Following Years 
  • Midpoint Conversation (completed yearly, midway through the year)
  • Summary Evaluation (completed yearly on anniversary date)