Understanding Your Staff Pension Plan: Aug. 22
We have an upcoming Understanding Your Staff Pension Plan information session for members of the Staff Pension Plan. If you or your staff are interested in attending, please register soon as these sessions fill up quickly.
Date: Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Location: Detailed location information will be given upon registration.
Presenter: Debbie Wilson, Director, UBC Staff Pension Plan
Register online
Upcoming Ergonomics Workshops in August
We have three upcoming office ergonomics training sessions – all UBC staff and faculty are invited to attend.
Register for Office Ergo Rep Training: Aug. 21 (1:00 – 4:00 p.m.)
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The Ergonomics program at UBC strives to have an Office Ergonomics Representative for each department. Office Ergo Reps are trained by the Ergonomics Advisor in simple computer workstation set-up, signs and symptoms of injuries from poor ergonomic set-up and control strategies to reduce or prevent symptoms.
At this training, Office Ergo Rep participants will learn:
- Basic ergonomic risk factors
- Proper computer workstation set-up
- How to conduct ergonomic assessment for minor issues as well as a quick screen for new hires
Participants will also be provided with training material to share with their colleague
Register for Sit-Stand Desks & Platforms: Aug. 23 (11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.)
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What To Expect: This workshop will provide participants with important information about different types of sit-stand desks and platforms available on the market. Understanding the pros and cons of each will assist departments, staff and faculty in deciding which option is most suitable.
Product samples will be available for participants to try out in order to get an idea of how the different models impact positioning and workflow.
Workshop participants will also learn proper set-up for sit-stand desks and how frequently to alternate positions. Participants will receive information on UBC’s Sit-Stand Demo Program and process.
This workshop is for managers, purchasing personnel and staff/faculty who are considering getting a sit-stand desk or platform.
Register for Ergo Your Office: 1hr Tutorial: Aug. 23 (9:00 – 10:00 a.m.)
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What To Expect:
Optimize your computer work environment to improve comfort and reduce the risk of injury.
This one-hour tutorial combines a presentation and a practical session giving you hands on experience adjusting typical office equipment.
By the end of the tutorial you will know how to set up your chair, keyboard/mouse and monitor to promote neutral working postures.
CTLT Summer Institute 2018: Aug. 20-24
Interested in teaching, learning or technology? The UBC CTLT Summer Institute features more than 20 free workshops on topics such as open education, student wellbeing, learning analytics, and more. View the full schedule of events and learn more at institute.ctlt.ubc.ca/summer-institute/.
Reminder: Staff Welcome Back BBQ RSVPs due Aug. 14
As a reminder, RSVPs for this year’s Staff Welcome Back BBQ are due Aug. 14, 2018. Learn more at https://ceremonies.ubc.ca/staffbbq/.
Event Details:
Staff Welcome Back BBQ
Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018
11:30 am to 1:30 pm
Flag Pole Plaza [map]
Upcoming Professional Development Workshops: September-October 2018
If you’re planning ahead for your professional development, or want to have some suggestions for professional development opportunities to share with your staff, we have some new workshops coming to UBC’s Vancouver campus this fall:
- Sept. 18: Time Management: Planning, Prioritizing & Productivity (Cost: $300)
- Sept. 24: Building Resilient Teams (Cost: $200)
- Oct. 12: Appreciative Inquiry: A Way to Generate and Nurture Effective Work Environments (Cost: $300)
- Oct. 16: Selection Interviewing: Ensuring Equity (Cost: $25)
- Oct. 24: Practical Project Management (2-Day) (Cost: $550)
- Oct. 29: Thriving in Change (Cost: $200)
These courses are eligible for professional development funding – visit the PD funding page for your employee group to learn more.
Staff Welcome Back BBQ 2018: RSVP by Aug. 14, 2018
Each year, the President’s Office and Human Resources welcomes UBC staff to the new academic year with the Staff Welcome Back BBQ.
Registration is now open for this year’s Staff Welcome Back BBQ (Vancouver campus):
Tuesday, September 11, 2018
11:30 am to 1:30 pm
Flag Pole Plaza [map]
How to Register
Your department has a contact for this event who will register all attendees in your department online. You can find the list of Department Contacts here. Registration closes on Aug. 14. The Ceremonies Office will send tickets for registered attendees to your department in early September. Registration information can be found here.
Staff who miss the registration deadline can still register on the day of the event at the onsite registration table, with a valid UBCCard. Note: food cannot be guaranteed for day-of registrants.
Eligibility
This event is open to UBC employees with “staff” appointments only. This does not include faculty appointments, post-doctoral, student appointments, work-study and co-op positions.
Learn more at https://ceremonies.ubc.ca/staffbbq/.
Pride Week at UBC 2018
Each August, communities across Vancouver come together to kick off the annual Vancouver Pride Week. At UBC, you are invited to join in the celebrations, and show your support for creating positive space across UBC.
Two UBC events you can attend:
- UBC’s annual Pride Convergence: July 30, 4:00-6:30 p.m.
- UBC Pride: Aug. 1, 4:00-8:00 p.m.
Visit https://equity.ubc.ca/celebratepride/ to learn more and register.
One-hour tutorial: Ergonomics for the Office: July 19
Do you or your employees need help in up a computer work space? We invite you to join UBC’s ergonomics team for a one-hour tutorial that combines a presentation and a practical session with hands-on experience adjusting typical office equipment. By the end of the tutorial you will know how to set up your chair, keyboard/mouse and monitor to promote neutral working postures.
This session is free and open to all UBC staff and faculty.
Ergo Your Office Tutorial
July 19, 2018, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Tech Enterprise Facilities III, Room 604, 6190 Agronomy Road [map]
Register for this session
Can’t make the session?
UBC Ergonomics has an online Office Ergonomics assessment that you can take at any time, with visuals to assist you in setting up your office equipment to fit you. Visit http://www.hr.ubc.ca/wellbeing-benefits/workplace-health/ergonomics/office-ergonomics/ to get started.
Four spaces left in Navigating Today’s Communication Challenges: July 24
We have four spaces left in our July 24, 2018, session on Navigating Today’s Communication Challenges. Register ASAP to sharpen your communication skills.
About this workshop
Have you ever wondered why your communication efforts click with some people and not with others? Or how others perceive you when you interact with them? Whether working with other people in your department, on a team, or just having a social conversation over lunch, it is quickly evident that some relationships are more productive than others.
As the need to work collectively increases, good discussion skills, effective listening and positive modeling are essential. In this insightful workshop you will learn to assess the communication needs of others and see how you can make simple adjustments in order to communicate more effectively. It will help you develop methods of communicating that will build on your strengths and the strengths of others.
This session is designed for anyone that wants to proactively improve and fine tune their interpersonal and communication skills at work.
Course Information
July 24, 2018, 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Tech Enterprise Facilities III, Room 610, 6190 Agronomy Road [map]
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.
Reminder: Community Leadership Program 2018-19 Information Sessions: July 23
If you or anyone on your team might be interested in an experiential leadership opportunity for emerging leaders to enhance their leadership skills and give back to community organizations, we invite you to attend out UBC Community Leadership Program information session on July 23 at 12:00 p.m.
Staff from all employee groups, as well as graduate students, are welcome to apply for this program. There is no cost to participants.
Session information
UBC Community Leadership Program Information Sessions
July 23, 2018, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Tech Enterprise Facilities III, Room 610, 6190 Agronomy Road [map]
RSVP through our program catalog
Visit clp.ubc.ca for more information and to learn about the impact of last year’s program. If you can’t attend one of the information sessions and have questions about the program, please email Stephanie Thorpe, Workplace Learning Facilitator.
Community Leadership Program 2018-19 Information Sessions: July 12 & 23
CLP 2017 Reading Week Kick-Off (Photo credit: Justin Lee)
Do you know someone on your team who might be interested in an experiential leadership opportunity?
The UBC Community Leadership Program is an opportunity for emerging leaders to explore what leadership means to them by enhancing leadership skills, partnering with UBC student leaders, and giving back to community organizations.
Staff from all employee groups, as well as graduate students, are welcome to apply for this program. There is no cost to participants.
Join us at one of our upcoming information sessions to learn more:
UBC Community Leadership Program Information Sessions
July 12 or July 23, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Tech Enterprise Facilities III, Room 610
RSVP through our program catalog
Visit clp.ubc.ca for more information and to learn about the impact of last year’s program. If you can’t attend one of the information sessions and have questions about the program, please email Stephanie Thorpe, Workplace Learning Facilitator.
For Managers/Supervisors: Preview “The Working Mind”: June 20, 2018
Human Resources will be holding a preview of the new training Working Mind session for UBC managers/supervisors on June 20 (9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.). All members of the distributed HR community of practice in Vancouver are invited to attend for free.
About the Working Mind
The Working Mind is a Mental Health Commission of Canada, evidence-based workplace training program aimed at increasing mental health literacy for both supervisors/managers and employees. In advance of rolling out this program to the campus community, UBC managers and supervisors are invited to see how it aligns with UBC’s employment policies and procedures.
The session on June 20 is the the manager/supervisor version, and will include information related to duty to enquire, accommodations, return to work, along with the other program elements.
To register, please email Miranda Massie, UBC Health Promotions Coordinator.
Read more about the program goals and objectives under the cut.
Professional Development Opportunity: Navigating Today’s Communication Challenges: July 24, 2018
Have you ever wondered why your communication efforts click with some people and not with others? Or how others perceive you when you interact with them? Whether working with other people in your department, on a team, or just having a social conversation over lunch, it is quickly evident that some relationships are more productive than others.
As the need to work collectively increases, good discussion skills, effective listening and positive modeling are essential. In this insightful workshop you will learn to assess the communication needs of others and see how you can make simple adjustments in order to communicate more effectively. It will help you develop methods of communicating that will build on your strengths and the strengths of others.
This session is designed for anyone that wants to proactively improve and fine tune their interpersonal and communication skills at work.
Learning Outcomes
- Determine the key attributes of the most effective communicators;
- Identify four distinct communication styles;
- Practice a few simple steps to improving your listening skills;
- Assess their preferred communication style and the pro¿s and con¿s;
- Quickly recognize the communication preferences of others;
- Give and receive positive and corrective feedback;
- Identify the most common communication challenges;
- Determine how to make discussions more effective; and
- State how body language can be used as an effective communication tool
Course Information
Date: July 24, 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.
Next Office Ergo Rep Training: June 19, 2018
The Ergonomics program at UBC strives to have an Office Ergonomics Representative for each department. Office Ergo Reps are trained by the Ergonomics Advisor in simple computer workstation set-up, signs and symptoms of injuries from poor ergonomic set-up and control strategies to reduce or prevent symptoms.
At this training, Office Ergo Rep participants will learn:
- Basic ergonomic risk factors
- Proper computer workstation set-up
- How to conduct ergonomic assessment for minor issues as well as a quick screen for new hires
Participants will also be provided with training material to share with their colleagues
Course Information
Office Ergo Rep Training
June 19, 2018, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Cost: Free
Tech Enterprise Facilities III, Room 610 [map]
Register online
Questions? Please contact our Ergonomics Advisor.
Summer Wellbeing Opportunity: Learn to Meditate, July 5, 10 & 18, 2018
UBC Health Promotions is bringing back the three-part Learn to Meditate course this summer. These sessions, designed for the working environment, are for those both new and experienced in the world of mindfulness meditation. Participants will learn to cultivate personal resilience, discover techniques to reduce and manage stress and gain confidence to practice meditation and mindfulness.
Course information
Learn to Meditate
July 5, 10& 18, 2018, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Cost: $35
Room 610, TEF III, 6190 Agronomy Road [map]
Register online
Positive Space Workshops: July 19 & Aug. 15, 2018
Explore how you can positively impact the climate for sexual and gender diversity at UBC and make our learning, working, and living communities more inclusive to all.
Positive Space workshops cover current language, issues, resources, and best practices in an interactive and experiential learning environment. Participants will gain relevant knowledge and skills to use in their academic, work, and campus life so that they can help make UBC more welcoming to lesbian, gay, bisexual, two-spirit, trans and queer students, staff, faculty, alumni, and allies.
Upcoming dates:
- July 19, 2018, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
- Aug. 15, 2018, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Sign up for free on the UBC Equity & Inclusion Office website.
Rehearsing Conflict Summer Intensive Performance: June 21, 2018
UBC staff and faculty are invited to watch Rehearsing Conflict’s free workshop performance on Thursday, June 21, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the Dorothy Somerset Studio (6361 University Blvd). Please RSVP online.
Rehearsing Conflict is theatre with a mission: supporting constructive conflict engagement on UBC campus. To do this, we use forum theatre techniques to explore and perform real stories of conflict from our community to find new solutions, challenge assumptions, and build understanding. In this theatre performance put on by participants in the Summer Intensive workshop, audience members are welcome to watch and can volunteer to join us on stage and take part in the conversation. Everyone is welcome.
Rehearsing Conflict is produced by the Conflict Theatre@UBC program.
Reminder: Staff Pension Plan Fair, June 21, 2018
This year’s UBC Staff Pension Fair takes place on Thursday, June 21, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The fair will be held at the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre. This is a drop-in event; no RSVP is required.
The Pension Fair is a great opportunity for members to learn more about their pension plan and increase their pension knowledge. We are also pleased to have the following groups in attendance:
- UBC Retirement and Survivor Benefits
- UBC Employee and Family Assistance Program
- UBC Investment Management Trust (IMANT) Inc.
- CARP (Canadian Association for Retired Persons)
Visit the SPP Pension Fair event page for more details.
Attend the Staff Pension Plan Fair on June 21
The UBC Staff Pension Fair takes place on Thursday, June 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The fair will be held at the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre. This is a drop-in event; no RSVP is required.
The Pension Fair is a great opportunity for members to learn more about their pension plan and increase their pension knowledge. We are also pleased to have the following groups in attendance:
- UBC Retirement and Survivor Benefits
- UBC Employee and Family Assistance Program
- UBC Investment Management Trust (IMANT) Inc.
- CARP (Canadian Association for Retired Persons)
Visit the SPP Pension Fair event website for more details.
New HR Training Opportunity: Preview “The Working Mind” Session on June 20
Miranda Massie (Health Promotions) is holding a preview of her new training session, “The Working Mind”, on June 20 and invites anyone in HR who is interested to attend. The session will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at TEF III (Room 610) and only 25 spaces are available. Please email her by May 31 to save your spot.
About the new training
The Working Mind is a Mental Health Commission of Canada, evidence-based workplace training program aimed at increasing mental health literacy for both supervisors/managers and employees. In advance of rolling out this program to the campus community, all HR staff are invited to preview the training to ensure that it aligns with current UBC policies and procedures.
The manager/supervisor version of the training includes information related to duty to enquire, accommodations, return to work, along with the other program elements.
Please note: Miranda will be presenting the manager/supervisor version on June 20, but all HR staff are welcome to attend. Read on for more info about the program, including details about the employee and manager/supervisor course content.
To register, please email Miranda Massie.
Program goals:
• To reduce stigma and negative attitudes towards those struggling with poor mental health
• To provide learners with a broad understanding of mental health and wellness
• Help participants maintain mental health and improve resilience
• To promote mental health and wellness in the workplace
• To provide managers with the confidence, tools and resources to manage and support employees who may be experiencing mental health problems or illness
Objectives
To give employees/managers the practical knowledge of mental health and mental illness so they can:
• Use the mental health continuum to recognize changes in their mental health and that of others
• Be prepared to use skills to improve their coping and resiliency
• Reduce both public and self-stigma
• Be willing to be a part of a supportive workplace
The employee version includes:
• A focus on dispelling the myths of mental health problems and mental illnesses, aiming to reduce associated stigma
• An overview of the Mental Health Continuum Model
• Self-assessment of one’s own mental health along the continuum
• Strategies one can apply at each point along the continuum
The managers’ version includes additional course content, such as:
• Workplace accommodations and return to work
• How to observe changes in employees along the continuum
• Appropriate actions to take
• How to communicate with employees about mental health illness in a workplace context
Questions? Ask Miranda Massie.