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The University of British Columbia
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- The University of British Columbia
- UBC Human Resources
A Postdoctoral Fellow is a trainee where the individual is awarded a competitive fellowship from an external granting agency, which may or may not be paid through UBC, or receives financial support from a sponsoring agency. Trainees do not have an employment relationship with UBC. They independently work under the mentorship of a supervising faculty member at UBC.
The amount of a fellowship will vary depending on the award and funding source.
Postdoctoral Fellows who receive fellowship earnings administered by UBC will receive a paycheque on the 15th and the last day of every month. Upon hire and arrival, a Direct Deposit Form must be completed. To view or print pay stubs, utilize the Self-Service payroll module using the Campus Wide Login. Paychecks will be directly deposited twice a month, on the 15th (or the nearest working day before the 15th) and the last working day of the month.
Postdoctoral Fellows who receive financial support from other sources not administered by UBC will have an appointment with UBC but will not receive paycheques from UBC.
While at UBC, any earnings received are considered Canadian income, unless otherwise indicated by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) in writing prior to arrival.
Please note that by law deductions are taken from the salary for Canada Income Tax (as a trainee Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Employment Insurance (EI) will not be deducted). A T4A slip will be issued by Payroll, which will be used to file your taxes. Please ensure that your forwarding address is up to date in the event you leave UBC prior to this time. Contact a financial advisor or the Canada Revenue Agency for tax and financial information.
If there are any questions about paying income tax in Canada, please refer to CRA’s information for non-residents or contact the International Tax Services Office:
***Collect calls are accepted***
Check the CRA website for a self-directed online course on Learning About Taxes. According to the site, this online course has been developed to help explain the fundamentals of the Canadian tax system and how to file a tax return.
Postdoctoral Fellows who are trainees are eligible for health benefits if they meet the eligibility requirements. Please refer to the benefits section on the main Postdoctoral Fellows page for detailed information on Medical and Health & Welfare benefits and eligibility requirements.
Postdoctoral Fellows who are trainees receive Worker’s Compensation coverage but not other Statutory Benefits, such as Employment Insurance and Canada Pension Plan. However, these Postdoctoral Fellows are eligible for all statutory holidays.
i) Vacation
UBC encourages Postdoctoral Fellows who are trainees to take scheduled time off for personal reasons up to 2 weeks per year unless otherwise agreed to with the supervising faculty member. Please note that the external granting agency or sponsoring agency may have guidelines or requirements regarding vacations and leaves. If a supervising faculty member has any concerns regarding attendance, they should seek advice from Faculty Relations.
ii) Leaves
Postdoctoral Fellows as trainees are eligible for the following types of leaves:
Postdoctoral Fellows as trainees who receive funding directly through an external agency should check the sick leave guidelines of the external granting agency. If the external granting agency does not provide for paid medical leave, they will be placed on unpaid leave.
Postdoctoral Fellows who are trainees set their own hours and days of work, provided that sufficient progress in research is made. Postdoctoral Fellows are advised to consult with their supervising faculty member regarding hours and days of work so both parties are aware of expectations.UBC encourages Postdoctoral Fellows who are trainees to take scheduled time off for personal reasons up to 2 weeks per year unless otherwise agreed to with the supervising faculty member. Please note that the external granting agency or sponsoring agency may have guidelines or requirements regarding vacations and leaves. If a supervising faculty member has any concerns regarding attendance, they should seek advice from Faculty Relations.
If an appointment will not be renewed, supervising faculty members should give reasonable (normally 3 months) notice to a Postdoctoral Fellow. The appointment will end as per the letter of appointment.
Supervising faculty members should contact Faculty Relations in advance of a termination of appointment at any other time than the original end date.
