Breeonne Baxter
Benefits Info Session: Understanding Your Travel Benefits: April 30
Summer is just around the corner and many staff and faculty are preparing for vacation. Join UBC Benefits Specialist, Stephanie Mah, in a one-hour session, Understanding Your Travel Benefits on understanding your travel benefits and ensure that your vacation is as stress-free as possible.
This session will also include a Q & A period and we encourage you to come with questions.
Course Information
Date: April 30, 2018, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: Michael Smith Laboratories, Room 102
Cost: Free
Register online
Staff Professional Development Funding – Updates for New 2018/19 Funding Year
New Funding Year for Staff Professional Development Funds
Professional development funds for staff in the following employee groups became available on April 1 for the 2018/19 funding year. There are no changes to the established individual funding maximums this year.
- BCGEU Okanagan: $1,200 Regular; $600 Auxiliary
- CUPE 116: $1,000
- CUPE 2950: $1,400
- Executive Administrative: $1,500
- Management & Professional (AAPS): $550
- Non-Union Technicians & Research Assistants: $1,000
- Service Unit Directors and Excluded M&P: $1,500
Funding is pro rated in some cases depending on the details of the staff member’s appointment (for example, if they are working part-time). Staff members can confirm their personal eligibility and available funding amount online through the Faculty & Staff Self-Service portal, under the “Staff PD” tab.
New Two-Year Funding Period for Research Associates PD Fund
As of April 1, 2018, the Research Associates Professional Development Fund began accepting expense claims for the two-year funding period April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2020. The individual funding maximum remains at $2,000 for this round.
Questions
Contact the PD Fund team at pd.funds@ubc.ca if you have any questions about these updates. For questions specific to the BCGEU Okanagan PD Fund, please contact Lisa Frost at lisa.frost@ubc.ca.
Conflict Theatre Summer Intensive: Apply by April 30
- Can you remember the last difficult conversation you had?
- What did you think when it started?
- How did you feel when it was over?
- What if you could re-do it?
We all face difficult conversations, but what if you had a better way to handle them? Conflict Theatre is a constructive conflict engagement strategy that can be applied widely across the UBC community. Join a diverse cohort to learn a new approach to conflict and practice new strategies. This year’s summer intensive workshop series uses forum theatre techniques to explore and perform real stories of conflict from our community. Within this intensive, you can expect to:
- Practice conflict engagement in a safe space
- Explore your stories of conflict and build an original play
- Perform your interactive play for your community
Click to read
All UBC employees are eligible and no acting experience is required, but space is limited. Please apply before April 30, 2018, at https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5iiY9MsHJi9qsoB. Contact conflict.theatre@ubc.ca if you need support to attend.
PD Opportunity: Enhance Learning Through Coaching: May 2 & 3
This year, as part of Celebrate Learning Week, we are hosting two sessions on how coaching can help you achieve your goals and desired change as part of your professional development and learning, with Enhance Learning Through Coaching.
In these 1.5-hour sessions, participants will learn what coaching is and how coaching can support learning, identify potential areas for development, observe a coaching conversation, and how to access free coaching through Coaching@UBC.
Course Information
Date: May 2 or May 3, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: TEF III, Room 610
Cost: Free
Register online
Contact pd.workshops@ubc.ca with questions.
PD Opportunity: Thriving in Change: May 16
We have an upcoming half-day workshop on May 16: Thriving in Change.
In this workshop, participants will start by exploring their own attitudes and reactions to change, learn foundational models to broaden their appreciation of the change journey, and gain new tools and strategies for use in an interpersonal and organizational context.
Course Information
Date: May 16, 2018, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: TEF III, Room 610
Cost: $200
Register online.
You may be able to use your professional development funding towards this course. Please visit the PD funding page for your employee group to learn more. Contact pd.workshops@ubc.ca with questions.
Secondment Opportunity: 2018 UBC Community United Way Campaign Associates
The UBC United Way Campaign is recruiting for this year’s Campaign Associates – two full-time continuing UBC employees to be seconded for three-and-a-half months, starting in August. Campaign Associates work closely with the United Way of the Lower Mainland and with the UBC Community United Way Campaign coordinators and volunteers to plan and implement a successful campaign, develop leadership, team-building and public speaking skills, and enhance interpersonal skills. They will also earn nine credits from BCIT towards a Certificate in Fundraising Management.
The Campaign Associate posting is available until April 26, Job ID 29467. Please login to Self-Service to submit your application as only current UBC staff will be considered for these roles.
Note: Successful candidates will continue to receive their regular salary and benefits through UBC.
Learn more about the position and its values from various employees that left their workplace to make a difference:
HR Memo: April 1, 2018, General Wage Increase for CUPE 116 , CUPE 2950, and IUOE 882 (March 26, 2018)
On March 26, HR issued a memo regarding the April 1, 2018, General Wage Increase for CUPE 116 , CUPE 2950, and IUOE 882.
Please contact your HR Advisor/Associate if you have questions.
PD Opportunity: Difficult Conversations: Strategies for Dealing with Challenging Situations: June 12, 2018
We have an upcoming workshop on June 12 – Difficult Conversations: Strategies for Dealing with Challenging Situations. This workshop is for anyone who needs to have challenging conversations as part of their work.
Learning Outcomes
- At the end of this seminar, you will be able to know how to identify resistant behaviour in yourself and others;
- have a greater understanding of what the physiological responses to emotional challenges look and feel like;
- be able to identify your personal strategies for managing your own defensiveness as well as others; and
- recognize when to push and when to back off to get your needs met.
Course Information
Date: June 12, 2018, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Location: TEF III, Room 610
Cost: $350
Register online
You may be able to use your professional development funding towards this course. Visit the PD funding page for your employee group to learn more, or contact pd.workshops@ubc.ca with questions.
Healthy Workplace Funding Deadline is April 18, 2018
Do you and your colleagues have a great idea for boosting the health and wellbeing of your team? 2018 applications are now being accepted for the Health Workplace Initiatives Program (HWIP), which provides funding for health-related initiatives such as yoga classes, mental health training and bike share programs.
The deadline for applications is April 18, 2018. Learn more at http://www.hr.ubc.ca/wellbeing-benefits/workplace-health/healthy-workplaces-initiatives-fund/.
Register ASAP for Staff & Faculty Sports Day, May 4, 2018
Registration for UBC’s Staff & Faculty Sports Day is nearly full! Be sure to register ASAP to make sure of your spot in this great team event on May 4, 2018.
Sports Day is a free, fun event for staff and faculty to build teamwork and celebrate the end of the school year by taking part in physical and intellectual challenges with colleagues.
See you at Sports Day!
Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre Opening: April 9, 2018
On April 9 at 10:00 a.m., UBC will mark the formal opening of the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre, on the Vancouver campus. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged (where possible) to attend or watch the live webcast.
Among several other purposes, the centre will provide Indian residential school survivors and their families and communities access to the records gathered by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC). The TRC documented the history and abusive nature of the Indian residential school system that operated in Canada for more than a hundred years.
In addition to the official opening, the April 9 ceremony will also include a statement of apology – on behalf of UBC – for its role in the system that supported the operation of the Indian residential schools. You can learn more about the event and view the webcast at https://ceremonies.ubc.ca/irshdc-opening/.
Also on April 9, at 1:30 p.m., First Nations & Indigenous Studies professor Sheryl Lightfoot will moderate a Facebook Live discussion with Linc Kesler and Santa Ono about the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre and the Statement of Apology for UBC’s involvement in the system that supported the operation of the Indian Residential Schools. The discussion will also be broadcast on CiTR.
Please visit https://ceremonies.ubc.ca/irshdc-opening/ for more information.
Maternity/Parental/Adoptive Leave EI Benefit Changes – Information for Administrators
In the February issue of Benefits FYI, we highlighted the federal government changes to EI benefits for maternity, parental and adoptive leaves that came into effect on Dec. 3, 2017. We also detailed how these benefits work with UBC’s SEB top-up and provided four scenarios to help illustrate the information.
Summary of Key Points
- In addition to the two parental EI benefits options (standard and extended), note that employees may be off for a longer period of time if they select the extended parental EI benefits.
- Any additional leave taken beyond what is stipulated in the BC Employment Standards Act will be considered general unpaid leave and the employee is responsible for the full cost of the benefits and pension they wish to continue.
- There are no changes to how top-up is calculated for maternity leave for birth mothers.
- With the exception of BCGEU Okanagan, birth parents with staff appointments (mothers and fathers) are not eligible for top-up during parental leave. As such, during the parental leave they will receive standard or extended parental EI benefits only.
- BCGEU Okanagan birth parents (mothers and fathers) are eligible for top-up during parental leave; however, the top-up calculation is under development with the introduction of the extended EI parental benefit. More information will be available soon.
- Birth parents with faculty appointments (mothers and fathers) are eligible for top-up during parental leave, and if the extended EI parental benefits is chosen, the top-up will be calculated based on the standard option. This includes Academic Executives and Postdoctoral Fellows (employees).
For HR Administrators
If you have staff who will be taking maternity, parental or adoptive leave, we encourage you to consider how you will fill your department’s staffing requirements during the employee’s leave. If you have any questions on how to fill leave replacement positions over the new extended parental leave periods, please contact your HR Advisor.
When using ePAF (for a staff leave) or paper form (for a faculty leave) to notify Payroll of a leave, make sure you correctly code the leave for Payroll purposes. For example, if you have an employee who fits key point #2 above, please code the additional leave beyond 52 weeks for birth mothers, and 37 weeks for birth fathers and adopting parents as general unpaid (personal) leave.
More information
Family Caregiver EI Benefits – Information for Administrators
In the February issue of Benefits FYI, we detailed the federal government’s new EI family caregiver benefits, which help families care for a critically ill/injured family member or person that considers you a family member. The new benefits were introduced on Dec. 3, 2017, and are offered in addition to EI compassionate care benefits.
Summary of Key Points
- The EI family caregiver benefit for children and adults are offered in addition to compassionate care EI benefits. An employee may apply for family caregiver benefits to care for a critically ill/injured family member or person who considers them a family member, whereas compassionate care benefits apply if the employee is caring for a terminally ill family member or person who considers them a family member (must be significant risk of death within 26 weeks).
- If the family member in question is an adult, EI benefits will cover up to 15 weeks.
- If the family member in question is a child, EI benefits will cover up to 35 weeks.
- The BC Employment Standards Act currently provides eight weeks of job-protected leave for compassionate care, but does not include family caregiver leave. If an employee applies for family caregiving EI benefits, they will need to apply for a general unpaid leave and they will be responsible for paying the full cost of the benefits and pension they choose to maintain.
For HR Administrators
If you have an employee where the above scenarios or situations apply, please ensure that you correctly code the leave for Payroll purposes.
For example, if you have an employee applying for family caregiving EI benefits, please use the code Leave of Absence, Family Caregiver Leave (LOA/FAM) if you are using ePAF (for a staff leave) or paper form (for a faculty leave). A new code was created to ensure a Record of Employment would be generated and sent to Service Canada.
If the employee is applying for a compassionate care leave, please continue to use Leave of Absence, Compassionate Leave (LOA/COM) for the first eight weeks of leave and general unpaid (personal) leave for any additional leave.
If you have any questions or concerns about backfilling staff positions, please speak with your HR Associate or Advisor.
More Information
- Benefits FYI Article: Help for Family Caregivers (February 2018)
- Vacations & Leaves
Stat Holiday Alert: Good Friday (March 30, 2018) and Easter Monday (April 2, 2018)
This year, the Easter weekend statutory holidays will be March 30, 2018 (Good Friday), and April 2, 2018 (Easter Monday).
If you have questions about calculating stat holiday pay for your employees, see our Calculating Statutory Holiday Pay guide.
See the full list of UBC Statutory Holidays.
Registration for Managing@UBC Program (2018/19 Cohort) Closes April 1
Are you a new manager? Do you have new managers in your unit? Register for the Managing@UBC 2018/19 cohort year by April 1.
Managing@UBC helps managers learn leadership and managerial skills, and will help you respond to issues and questions you have as a manager. By participating in this self-directed year-long program, you will understand your strengths as a manager, learn how to engage your employees, enhance your ability to take a coach approach, and be connected to a community of UBC leaders.
Learn more and register at http://www.hr.ubc.ca/managing-at-ubc/register/.
PD Opportunity: Focus on Feedback: A Leadership Advantage – April 16
We have an upcoming half-day workshop on April 16 – Focus on Feedback: A Leadership Advantage. More and more, in today’s complex organizations, leaders are being asked to give feedback for improvement and positive feedback to individuals and teams, as part of their daily leadership practice.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate the five skills of giving feedback for improvement constructively
- Describe how to effectively give feedback to direct reports, peers and senior leaders
- Outline how positive feedback contributes to an appreciative team culture
- Demonstrate the art of receiving feedback gracefully
- Commit to an action plan to create a feedback-rich culture in your team
Course Information
Date: April 16 , 2018, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: TEF III, Room 610
Cost: $200
Register online.
You may be able to use your professional development funding towards this course. Note that PD funding for staff employee groups will refresh on April 1, 2018. Please visit the PD funding page for your employee group to learn more. Contact pd.workshops@ubc.ca with questions.
Two Free Noon-Time Health & Wellbeing Workshops Next Week
We have two health & wellbeing noon-time workshops coming up next week:
Welcoming Change into Your Life: March 26, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Change is a natural part of life. While some changes can affect the very structure of your life, other changes can have subtle impacts on your day-to-day activities. Sometimes you may be aware that a change is imminent but are uncertain about what it will involve and how it will affect your life. Situations like these can create ambiguity, worry, or a sense of loss and sadness.
This session will address the emotional reactions that participants may experience when confronted with change, taking into account their personality and strength, and provide coping skills to enable them to manage change more effectively.
Debunking Diet Series – Part 2: The Superfood Showdown: March 27, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
In the story of the superhero, villains play a role too. Let’s define what makes a food a superhero and uncover misconceptions around villainous foods. Learn how to evaluate a superfood’s claim to fame. You will leave with three dietary suggestions to nourish yourself and to improve your nutritional health.
See all health & wellbeing workshops at http://www.hr.ubc.ca/wellbeing-benefits/events-and-workshops/.
Mindfulness@Work Six-Week Program Begins April 5, 2018 (at DHCC/VGH)
Mindfulness@Work is an in-person educational program modelling off Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). MBSR is an evidence-based training that reduces stress, cultivates physical & mental health and promotes wellbeing. Mindfulness is a basic human quality, a way of learning how to pay wise attention to whatever is happening in your life in the moment. The practice of mindfulness reduces reactivity and promotes greater connection inwardly and outwardly.
Mindfulness@Work specifically focuses on integrating the practice of mindfulness in the workplace to promote effectiveness, teamwork, and communication.
Participating in Mindfulness@Work requires an ongoing commitment to your wellbeing. You will be asked to:
- attend all classes, including the one-day weekend retreat, and
- to practice daily home assignments for 15-30 minutes a day.
Spring 2018 – DHCC/VGH
Sessions: Thursdays, April 5, 12, 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 2018, 9:00 – 10:15 a.m.
Mandatory Retreat: Saturday, April 28 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Cost: $100 registration fee (eligible for PD funding – contact Melissa Lafrance with questions on using PD funding)
Visit our Mindfulness@Work page for more information and to register.
Daylight Saving Time Begins March 11, 2018
Daylight Saving Time begins on March 11, 2018 – clocks move forward one hour on Sunday morning. Please share this with your staff so they can plan a safe commute on Monday.
UBC named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers in 2018
UBC has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers in 2018. These awards recognize Canadian companies that stand out through their efforts to create inclusive and respectful workplaces. Learn more about this recognition and the reasons UBC was selected at http://www.hr.ubc.ca/blog/2018/03/ubc-named-one-of-canadas-best-diversity-employers-in-2018/.