University of Wisconsin–Madison

Employee Choice

When an employee moves from a University Staff (US) position to an Academic Staff (AS) or Limited Appointee (LI) job title by means other than recruitment, that employee is given the choice between maintaining their US classification or moving to the AS or LI classification associated with the job title through Employee Choice. It is required for the divisional Human Resources team to consult with the employee before the process is initiated in Workday as this decision has impact on the employee’s benefits.

This change in classification can be made at any point during the employee’s time in the position and cannot be reversed. The Employee Choice change will be made effective according to the policy outlined in the Employee Choice Processing Dates document.

Processing in Workday

Moving an Employee for US to AS/LI
Step 1: Meet with Employee

Set up a meeting with the employee who is eligible for Employee Choice to discuss the changes that will take place if they move from US to AS/LI.

Some potential changes may include:

  • Income Continuation Insurance
  • Vacation
  • Sick Leave
Step 2: Complete Documentation

Send the employee the Transfer via Employee Choice form. This document provides comparison between appointment information and benefits between the University Staff and Academic Staff/Limited Appointee appointment. Completed forms will serve as the employee’s formal agreement to the terms of the Employee Choice transition.

Step 3: Update existing position via Job Requisition

Follow the process outlined in Create and Process Recruitment Waiver Job Requisitions including the following items:

  • Create Job Requisition for existing position
  • Use the reason "Create Job Requisition > Recruitment Waiver > Employee Choice".
  • Select the Effective Date according to the Employee Choice Processing Dates guidelines.
  • Upload the Transfer via Employee Choice as an attachment using the document category 'Pay Supporting Documents'.
  • Add your CCoE Additional Approver in the business process according to the instructions provided in the CCoE Approvals in Workday HR Guide.

Step 4: Process Job Change in Workday

Follow the process outlined in Change in Responsibilities and Title – Promotion, Lateral, or Demotion including the following items:

  • Change Job - Lateral Move/Transfer 
  • Select the Effective Date according to the Employee Choice Processing Dates guidelines.
  • Remove the “Legacy Governance” and “Legacy Absence & Benefits Override” Additional Job Classifications from the initiation screen of the Change Job Business Process. This ensures the employee is assigned the same UW Employee Category as the SJD Job Category.

  • In the Change Organization Assignments step of the business process, remove any options in the “Legacy” category. This removes and finance overrides from the position.

  • Ensure no compensation is provided with this change

Resources

Updated: Aug. 04, 2026
Source URL: https://hr.wisc.edu/hr-guides/for-hr-professionals/employee-choice/

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