Referral Priority is a service provided by the Office of Human Resources (OHR) to help support eligible employees find new employment after layoff and in some cases, nonrenewal. Employees enrolled in Referral Priority (RP) receive expedited consideration of their job application and are eligible to bypass the full recruitment process.
This information guide will help you understand:
- Who is Eligible for Referral Priority
- How to Enroll in Referral Priority Services
- How to Apply for New Jobs
- Additional Resources
Referral Priority Eligibility
You will receive a letter from your employing unit that informs you of a layoff or nonrenewal. Referral Priority Services are available to:
- Exempt University Staff who are laid off due to lack of funds or organizational change/shortage of work
- Academic Staff who are laid off
- Long-term* Academic Staff who are nonrenewed due to funding loss or budget/program redirection
*For purposes of nonrenewal, long-term Academic Staff are defined as employees who have six or more years of Academic Staff service at UW-Madison within the prior seven years. Contact your department or division HR representative if you have questions about your years of service.
Step 1: Enroll in Referral Priority Services
- Your notification letter informs you if you are being laid off or nonrenewed. If you have questions about your layoff or nonrenewal, contact your department or division HR representative.
- To request enrollment in RP services, you must email rp@ohr.wisc.edu and include your layoff or nonrenewal notice.
- The Referral Priority Services Team in OHR will review your request and complete your enrollment, notifying you of the decision.
Enrollment Periods
- Employees who have been laid off and elect to receive RP services may receive them for three years from their termination date due to layoff.
- Long-term nonrenewed employees who elect to receive RP services may receive them from the date of the written notification of nonrenewal and until six months after the end date of the appointment.
Maintaining Referral Priority Status
Referral Priority may end when an RP candidate:
- Accepts an alternative appointment that is not temporary
- Fails to accept an appropriate alternative appointment
- Resigns
- Fails to notify the Office of Human Resources of changes of address or employment status
Step 2: Apply for jobs as a Referral Priority candidate
Referral Priority candidates will submit a job application as any other candidate would. Please use the following guides to apply as either an internal candidate if you are still working at UW-Madison, or as an external candidate if your layoff or nonrenewal date has passed. After you apply, you must follow the additional steps to ensure the hiring unit is aware of your RP status.
- If you are currently a UW-Madison employee, follow the steps to apply here: https://hr.wisc.edu/hr-guides/for-employees/apply-for-jobs-at-uw-madison-as-an-internal-employee/
- If you are no longer working at UW-Madison, but are in referral priority status, follow the steps to apply here: https://hr.wisc.edu/hr-guides/for-hr-professionals/apply-for-jobs-at-uw-madison-as-an-external-employee/
Step 3: Contact Referral Priority
After you have submitted your job application, you must forward your application confirmation to rp@ohr.wisc.edu. We will contact the hiring unit on your behalf to ensure you receive expedited consideration for the position.
Step 4: Confirmation
OHR will email you to confirm we received your application and have contacted the hiring unit on your behalf. The hiring unit will follow up via Workday with next steps.
Resources
- Employee Assistance Office (EAO): Campus-based counseling and support services for work-related and/or personal concerns available to all employees. For more information, please visit http://eao.wisc.edu or contact EAO at 608-263-2987.
- LifeMatters: Affiliate Employee Assistance Program offers counseling and support to employees and their families. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To speak with a counselor, call 1-800-634-6433.
- Employee Career Counseling: Career counseling is a personalized guidance service available to all UW–Madison employees that helps individuals explore, plan, and manage their career paths to achieve professional success and satisfaction.
- Madison Writing Assistance: Madison Writing Assistance provides thoughtful, responsive readers for all kinds of writing, including cover letters and resumé's around the city and online:
- Title and Standard Job Description Library: Explains titles, salaries and information for all jobs at UW-Madison.
- Salary Ranges
Questions?
- Questions about Referral Priority Services: Contact rp@ohr.wisc.edu.
- Questions about the job: Contact person listed in job posting.