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Sick Leave
Maternity, Adoption and Parental Leave
General Leave
Leave in Special Circumstances
Leave to Take Political Office
Leave for Improving Basic Qualifications
Administrative Leave
Leave at the request of the University
Jury Duty or Court Witness Leave
Compassionate Care Leave
Academic Executives are entitled to an unpaid medical leave with supporting documentation from the treating physician(s).
Paid medical leaves may be available as set out below:
Academic Executives may take leave with pay due to illness or injury, according to the provisions of UBC Policy #62. Sick leave with pay may be approved up to a maximum of six months. If you have been approved for a paid medical leave, please note that your current benefits will continue uninterrupted and the cost-sharing of benefits will be the same as if you were actively at work.
Academic Executives who are pre-normal retirement may also be eligible for long-term disability, on either a full-time or part-time basis.
If you have not been approved for sick leave with pay and have not satisfied the six-month qualifying period for income replacement plan benefits, you should apply for an unpaid medical leave of absence (see above) and learn about your options to maintain benefits during your unpaid leave.
Other resources:
Birth mothers are entitled to up to 17 weeks of unpaid maternity leave. Further unpaid maternity leave of up to six consecutive weeks may be granted where the birth mother is unable to return to work for reasons related to the birth or the termination of the pregnancy, as certified by a medical practitioner.
Birth mothers may be eligible for Employment Insurance (EI benefits) from Human Resources Development Canada during their unpaid maternity leave. For the purposes of EI maternity benefits, up to 15 weeks of EI benefits may be claimed by the birth mother after a two-week waiting period is served. The mother can start collecting maternity benefits either up to eight weeks before she is expected to give birth or at the week she gives birth. Maternity benefits can be collected within 17 weeks of the actual or expected week of birth, whichever is later.
If eligible, UBC’s Supplemental Employment Benefits (SEB) Program pays the difference between the EI benefit received from Human Resources Development Canada and 95% of salary. SEB benefits are payable for a maximum of 17 weeks (the two-week EI waiting period where it pays 95% of salary, plus 15 weeks of topping up EI to 95%).
For more information, please refer to the step-by-step guide on Preparing for a Maternity, Parental and Adoption Leave.
Birth mothers are entitled to up to 35 weeks of unpaid parental leave in addition to maternity leave following the birth of a child. The maximum length of unpaid leave for a birth mother is 52 weeks (17 weeks maternity + 35 weeks parental). If a birth mother does not take unpaid maternity leave, she is entitled to 37 weeks of unpaid parental leave. Birth fathers are entitled to up to 37 weeks of unpaid parental leave. Further unpaid parental leave up of to five additional weeks may be granted where the child is certified by a medical practitioner to be suffering from a physical, psychological or emotional condition.
Birth mothers and birth fathers may be eligible for Employment Insurance (EI benefits) from Human Resources Development Canada during their unpaid parental leave. For the purposes of EI parental benefits, up to 35 weeks of EI benefits may be claimed by the birth mother, birth father, or shared between the birth mother and birth father. If EI parental benefits are claimed by the birth mother or shared between the birth mother and birth father, the 2-week waiting period is not required if previously satisfied by the birth mother (when claiming EI maternity benefits). Birth fathers claiming all EI parental benefits must serve a two-week waiting period.
If you are eligible, UBC’s Supplemental Benefits (SEB) Program pays the difference between the EI benefit received from Human Resources Development Canada and 95% of salary for the length of time specified below:
If EI parental benefits are claimed by the birth mother only: SEB benefits are payable for a maximum of 10 weeks (10 weeks of topping up EI to 95% of salary).
If EI parental benefits are shared between the birth mother/father: SEB benefits are payable for a maximum of 10 weeks (10 weeks of topping up EI to 95% of salary).
If EI parental benefits are claimed by the birth father only: SEB benefits are payable for a maximum of 12 weeks (the two-week EI benefits waiting period where it pays 95% of salary, plus topping up EI to 95%).
For more information, please refer to the step-by-step guide on Preparing for a Maternity, Parental and Adoption Leave.
Adopting parents are entitled to up to 37 weeks of unpaid adoption leave. Further unpaid adoption leave up of to five additional weeks may be granted where the child is certified by a medical practitioner to be suffering from a physical, psychological or emotional condition.
Adopting parents may be eligible for Employment Insurance (EI benefits) from Human Resources Development Canada during their unpaid adoption leave. For the purposes of EI adoption benefits, up to 35 weeks of EI benefits may be claimed by the adopting parent or shared between adopting parents after a two-week waiting period is served.
If eligible, UBC’s Supplemental Employment Benefits (SEB) Program pays the difference between the EI benefit you receive from Human Resources Development Canada and 95% of salary for the length of time specified below:
If EI parental benefits are claimed by one adoptive parent only: SEB benefits are payable for a maximum of 12 weeks (the two-week EI benefits waiting period where it pays 95% of salary, plus 10 weeks of topping up EI to 95%)
If EI parental benefits are shared between adopting parents: SEB benefits are payable for a maximum of 10 weeks (10 weeks of topping up EI to 95% of salary).
SEB benefits may be extended by five additional weeks in the case of a child who is six months or older at the adoption and who has a physical, psychological or emotional condition that requires longer parental care.
For more information, please refer to the step-by-step guide on Preparing for a Maternity, Parental and Adoption Leave.
Academic Executives may have up to two years leave of absence without pay and benefits for personal reasons, upon written application.
Up to four months leave of absence with full salary and benefits may be granted.
The University will grant a leave to take political office to an Academic Executive who stands for election to public office, provided this does not create serious difficulties for the Academic Executive’s colleagues or students. (UBC Policy #50)
Academic Executives may take unpaid leave of absence to improve his or her basic qualifications, such as to pursue a PhD.
Paid administrative leave may be granted in accordance with UBC Policy #21.
Paid leave may be granted if a full-time Academic Executive is requested by the University to take a leave of absence to carry on special studies or research.
Academic Executives who have been called for jury selection are asked to contact Faculty Relations for assistance. General information on jury duty can be found online at the Employment Standards Branch and Court Services, Ministry of Attorney General.
Compassionate Care Leave Employment Insurance Benefits were introduced in January 2004 by the Canadian Government. On April 27, 2006, the BC Government amended the Employment Standards Act to provide for an entitlement to job-protected leave for Compassionate Care. Therefore, there are two parts to compassionate care leave as described below, the unpaid portion that is an entitlement under the BC Employment Standards Act and the Employment Insurance (EI) benefits that is subject to certain eligibility requirements as determined by HRSDC.
Compassionate Care Leave provides up eight weeks of unpaid leave for an employee to care or support a family member* if a medical practitioner issues a certificate stating that the family member has a serious medical condition with a significant risk of death within 26 weeks.
*A definition of “family member” as per Employment Standards may be found in Section 52 of the BC Employment Standards Act.
The Compassionate Care Benefit is a type of Employment Insurance (EI) benefit from Human Resources and Social Development Canada. Up to six weeks of EI Compassionate Care benefits may be available to those on Compassionate Care leave, after a two-week waiting period is served. A definition of “family member” for EI purposes may be found by clicking here.
If you wish to take additional leave after the expiry of your Compassionate Care leave, please refer to General Leave.
