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Sick Leave
Maternity, Parental and Adoption Leave
General Leave
Leave in Special Circumstances
Leave to Take Political Office
Leave for Improving Basic Qualifications
Study Leave/Sabbatical
Leave at the request of the University
Jury Duty or Court Witness Leave
Compassionate Care Leave
Note: These are brief descriptions of the leaves available. For the full text of the provisions for Leaves of Absence (other than Sick Leave, Leave to Take Political Office, Jury or Court Witness Duty Leave, and Compassionate Care Leave) for eligible members of the Faculty Association, please consult the Collective Agreement between the University of British Columbia and the Faculty Association. Information about other leaves is provided below.
For the purposes of leaves administration, “Faculty member” includes both members and non-members of the Faculty Association, Librarians and Program Directors in Continuing Studies.
Faculty members 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:
Sessional Lecturers with appointments less than 50% or less than four months
Sessional Lecturers holding less than a 50% appointment or less than four months will receive incidental sick leave up to a maximum of five days per four-month term. Casual absences in which the class/es are covered by another Faculty Member or where a class can be rescheduled will not be considered sick leave.
For all other Faculty Members
Faculty members may take leave with pay due to illness or injury, according to the provisions of UBC Policy #62 – Leave Due to Illness of Member of Faculty. Sick leave with pay may be approved up to a maximum of six months. If the faculty member has been approved for a paid medical leave, their current benefits will continue uninterrupted and the cost-sharing of benefits will be the same as if they were actively at work. If further leave is required, the faculty member can also apply for long term disability either on a full-time or part-time basis.
If the faculty member has not been approved for sick leave with pay and has not satisfied the six month qualifying period for income replacement plan benefits, they should apply for an unpaid medical leave of absence and learn about their options to maintain benefits during their unpaid leave.
Faculty members who are pre-normal retirement may also be eligible for long-term disability, on either a full-time or part-time basis.
Other resources:
Birth mothers are entitled to up to 17 weeks of unpaid maternity leave (refer to Collective Agreement for details). 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 up to 35 weeks of unpaid parental leave in addition to the maternity leave following the birth of a child (refer to Collective Agreement for details). 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 two-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 (refer to Collective Agreement for details). 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.
Faculty members may have up to two years leave of absence without pay and benefits for personal reasons, upon written application (refer to Collective Agreement for details). Please note that Sessional Lecturers without continuing status are excluded from this leave provision.
Applications for a leave of absence without salary are available online. Requests for leave are subject to the approval of your Department and Faculty (or equivalent office).
Up to four months leave of absence with full salary and benefits may be granted. Please contact Faculty Relations for further details.
The University will grant a leave to take political office to a faculty member who stands for election to public office, provided this does not create serious difficulties for the faculty member’s colleagues or students. (UBC Policy #50)
Faculty members may take unpaid leave of absence to improve his or her basic qualifications, such as to pursue a PhD (refer to Collective Agreement for details).
A partially paid sabbatical may be granted if a faculty member wishes to pursue a course of study or research that will directly benefit them and the University. The faculty member must have completed at least four full-time years of service in an appropriate rank (see Collective Agreement for details). Up to 12 months of sabbatical may be approved. Application forms are available online.
| Study Leaves | ||
| Years of Service | Leave Duration | Salary Percentage |
| 4 | 12 months | 60% |
| 4 | 6 months | 75% |
| 4 | 8 months | 75% |
| 6 | 12 months | 80% |
| 6 | 6 months | 90% |
Paid leave may be granted if a full-time faculty member is requested by the University to take a leave of absence to carry on special studies or research (refer to Collective Agreement for details).
Faculty members 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.
