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Training Opportunities

New Employee Orientation

Starting in January 2026, HR will begin hosting New Employee Orientation on Tuesday instead of Wednesday. New Employee Orientation is available twice a month, both in-person and online. Please contact Kenzie Filchak by email at mwest22@uis.edu for more information. 

Student Employment Training

Student Employment is in the process of eliminating paper checklists. As we begin to implement an electronic student employment checklist workflow, we are training departments that will be hiring soon. This is an in-person interactive training that will require you to bring your laptop and last approximately 45 minutes. Please contact Student Employment by email at studentemployment@uis.edu to schedule a training session. 

Employee Development Series: Workers' Compensation

We are excited to announce that the first session of the 2026 Employee Development Series will be Workers' Compensation presented by Courtney Montgomery from System Office. This session will take place on January 27, 2026, from 9:00-10:00am. This will be open for all employees to attend and will serve as an overview of workers' compensation policy, the benefits it includes, and the process by which system office administers those benefits. Additional information covered will be how to properly complete the First Report of Injury, best practices for employee injuries, and how departments can reduce their claim costs. This session will have a hybrid format for participants to join either online or in person. The location for in person attendance is to be announced at a later date. Please use this link to join the session virtually.

Reminders

Employment Verifications

Need to verify your employment? The Employment Verification System (EVS) provides immediate access to your employment information. EVS can be used for outside vendors, such as banks, rental agencies, or any entity you have authorized to verify your employment. Outside of the online EVS, all employment verifications, including Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) forms, should be directed to HR. Supervisors are not authorized to provide factual employment details and should forward such requests by email to uishr@uis.edu. Supervisors are welcome to provide subjective professional references for employees, if requested.

Gift Days, Holidays, and Attendance Reporting

As a reminder, President Killeen is granting benefit-eligible employees three gift days on December 24, 30, and 31, 2025, to compliment the FY 2026 Holiday Schedule. On these Gift Days, employees who are normally scheduled to work will be excused with full pay at the employee’s regular rate of pay. Employees who have been determined to be essential, and work in services of a continuing nature, are required to work their regular schedule during these Gift Days. Essential staff will be paid at their regular rate and will be given time off with pay equivalent to their hours worked at another time on or before 6/30/2026. Employees represented by a collective bargaining agreement will be compensated in accordance with the terms and conditions in their agreement. Supervisors or unit heads shall advise each employee of the schedule to be followed.

Timekeeping for Gift Days and Holidays

Employees are not required to report Gift Days or Holidays in their respective timekeeping systems. AVSL, CS VSL, and the Faculty Leave Reporting System already account for these days automatically. Employees who are on an approved continuous block of time Family Medical Leave (FMLA), VESSA Leave, and/or Parental Leave are required to count Gift Days and Holidays toward their total benefit allotment hours. Gift Days and Holidays do not extend FMLA, VESSA, or Parental Leave benefits beyond their maximum allotment of hours for their 12-month approval period. However, employees are not required to use accrued benefit time (Sick, Vacation, Floating Holiday, etc.) in conjunction with their FMLA or VESSA Leave on these Gift Days and Holidays to remain in paid status.

Questions regarding Gift Days, Holidays, and attendance reporting may be directed to UIS Human Resources email at uishr@uis.edu. Employees on an approved leave of absence should reach out to Heather Moore by email at hkimb2@uis.edu with any questions about their leave status throughout the holiday season.

Additional Information for Civil Service Staff:

Upcoming Events

Campus Holiday Party

All faculty and staff are invited to a Holiday Party from 4:00-6:00pm on December 18, 2025, at the Student Union. There will be music, drinks, and appetizers to celebrate the season! Release time will be in effect for this event. Please fill out this form if you plan to attend.

Save the Date

  • 12/10/2025- New Employee Orientation
  • 12/18/2025 Campus Holiday Party
  • 12/24/2025-01/01/2026 Holiday Break and Gift Days
  • 01/19/2026- Holiday: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • 01/20/2026- New Employee Orientation (virtual)
  • 01/27/2026- Employee Development Series: Workers' Compensation

© 2025 UIS Human Resources

HR homepage | ph. 217-206-6652 | fax 217-206-7145 | uishr@uis.edu