Faculty Pension Plan Forum: May 16, 2018
On Wednesday, May 16, the UBC Faculty Pension Plan (FPP) will host its annual Pension Forum. This annual event is a great opportunity for members to hear the latest news about their pension plan and to meet the plan’s trustees, management and staff. There will be a presentation on the plan’s 2017 investment performance and a review of the 2017/18 initiatives. We will also offer a live webcast of the presentation for members who are unable to attend the event in person.
Date: Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (doors open at 10 a.m.)
Location: Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre (Jack Poole Hall, second floor), Vancouver Campus [map]
Visit faculty.pensions.ubc.ca/pensionforum for event details and registration information. Registration is required for attendance in person but not for the webcast.
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
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!
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.
Save the Date: Staff & Faculty Sports Day is May 4
Mark your calendars! Human Resources and UBC Rec invite all faculty, staff and graduate students to participate in Staff & Faculty Sports Day, a free, fun and inclusive event on May 4, 2018, 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Each year, Sports Day brings together teams of employees who can choose physical and/or intellectual challenges in a competitive or just-for-fun format. Registration opens March 15 at http://www.recreation.ubc.ca/sportsday/.
Apply Now for Healthy Workplace Funding
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.
30-Day Online Mindfulness Challenge Starts Feb. 19 – Free for UBC Staff & Faculty
The 30-Day Online Mindfulness Challenge focuses on the core skills of mindfulness through evidence-based online training, teaching mindfulness-in-action for everyday life. Participants have found that the challenge helps reduce stress, while increasing joy and peak performance in all areas of life including leadership, interpersonal communication, conflict management, and decision-making in the workplace.
This year, the 30-Day challenge is free for UBC staff and faculty. The spring session runs Feb. 19 – March 20, 2018.
Register at https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0fhoXZec5qvyb6B.
Get Comfy & Help Kick Off Move UBC (Feb. 1-28)
Next Thursday, Feb. 1, you’re invited to reach for your go-to active wear, lace up your favourite sneakers, and join your comfortably-attired colleagues in kicking off Move UBC.
Move UBC is an annual, month-long initiative that encourages the entire UBC community to find ways to move more. By sitting less and moving more, we can help to improve our mental and physical health. When your colleagues move along with you, you’ll also enjoy social health benefits.
For more info about Active Wear Day (Feb. 1) and Move UBC events (Feb. 1-28), visit www.move.ubc.ca.
QPR Suicide Prevention Training: Feb. 6, 2018
QPR Training is an internationally recognized suicide prevention program designed to help you question, persuade and refer. QPR acts as an emergency mental health intervention that is designed to save lives, much like CPR or other methods of emergency medical intervention. Learn to recognize suicide warning signs, approach someone who may be at risk, persuade the person to seek appropriate health services and connect the person to resources that will help resolve crises.
Our next QPR training session is Feb. 6, 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
At this training, you will learn:
- How to get help for yourself;
- Tools and skills on how to prevent suicide;
- Common causes and warning signs of suicidal behaviour;
- How to Question, Persuade, and Refer someone at risk;
- How to get help for someone in crisis; and
- Familiarity with referral resources both on and off campus.
January is Sexual Assault Awareness Month at UBC
Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) at UBC began in 2009 as a student initiative, and has since grown to include programming for all employees at the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses each January. This month, everyone is encouraged to join the conversation that is happening in the media, in our communities, and around the world. The goal of SAAM is to raise awareness and understanding about sexual assault and what we can do to help prevent it.
Get involved
- Access the SAAM toolkit for newsletter and social media messages, digital signage, email signatures, printable Denim Day stickers and posters.
- For a Vancouver calendar of SAAM events, visit ubc.ca/saam.
- For Okanagan events, visit ok.ubc.ca/saam.html.
Key events you can attend
- Jan. 15: SAAM Keynote, featuring guest speaker Farrah Khan
- Jan. 17: Denim Day, an opportunity to show your support for ending sexual assault on campus and world-wide
- Jan. 25: Parenting Tips, a free session on how to talk to your kids about sexual health, facilitated by certified sexual health educator Miranda Massie
If you are a survivor of sexual assault, or to learn how you can support survivors, please contact:
- UBC’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office
- Counselling services through UBC’s Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP)
Thank you for helping to create an inclusive and respectful culture at UBC.
Suicide Awareness Day (Jan. 31) & QPR Suicide Prevention Training (Feb. 6)
Jan. 31 marks UBC’s eighth annual Suicide Awareness Day. On this day, and year-round, we encourage everyone to reach out for support if you need it and come together to help save lives. To show your support, visit http://thrive.ubc.ca.
QPR Suicide Prevention Training: Feb. 6
QPR Suicide Prevention Training is an internationally recognized suicide prevention program designed to help you question, persuade, and refer. UBC offers free QPR Training for students, staff, and faculty to help them recognize suicide warning signs, approach someone who may be at risk, persuade the person to seek appropriate health services, and connect the person to resources that will help resolve crises.
Our next QPR training will be Feb. 6, 2018, 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. Register for this course.
12th Annual Walkabout Challenge Begins Jan. 22
Jan. 22 marks the beginning of the 12th annual Walkabout challenge, a partnership between the Faculty of Education, UBC Rec, and Human Resources.
Walkabout is an annual nine-week health and wellbeing challenge promoting regular exercise in social settings. Everyone at UBC is welcome to join a team or register as an individual ($10/person).
Learn more about the challenge at http://walkabout.educ.ubc.ca.
Travelling Health Fair 2018: Feb. 13-23
Feb. 13-23, 2018, is the annual Travelling Health Fair for UBC staff and faculty. This free mobile health clinic offers one-on-one health assessments and consultations. Visit our registration catalog to register for a heart health screening.
Can’t make one of our events? Check out the Virtual Health Fair online health assessments.
Reminder: Search Inside Yourself Training Program: Jan. 15-16, 2018
In support of UBC’s commitment to workplace health and wellbeing, we are offering a unique professional development opportunity to UBC staff and faculty at the Vancouver campus.
Developed at Google and founded in neuroscience, Search Inside Yourself (SIY) is a unique training program that uses emotional intelligence and mindfulness to optimize performance, build leadership skills and increase wellbeing.
Program Details
- Two-day in-person cohort-based training taught by SIY-certified instructors (Jan. 15-16, 2018, at the Vancouver campus)
- Four weeks of follow-up exercises, content and cohort conversations via email (approx. mid-January to mid-February)
- One-hour debrief session via webinar to integrate learning, answer questions and provide direction going forward (approx. late February)
Registration Information
- Cost: $50 per person (eligible for PD funding)
- Registration deadline: Jan. 5, 2018
- Register online
For more information, including program benefits and what’s included in the program, visit the Search Inside Yourself webpage.
Search Inside Yourself Training Program (starting January 2018)
In support of UBC’s commitment to workplace health and wellbeing, HR is offering a unique professional development opportunity to UBC faculty and staff at the Vancouver campus.
Developed at Google and founded in neuroscience, Search Inside Yourself (SIY) is a unique training program that uses emotional intelligence and mindfulness to optimize performance, build leadership skills and increase wellbeing. The SIY program consists of:
- Two-day in-person cohort-based training taught by SIY-certified instructors (Jan. 15-16, 2018, at the Vancouver campus)
- Four weeks of follow-up exercises, content and cohort conversations via email (approx. mid-January to mid-February)
- One-hour debrief session via webinar to integrate learning, answer questions and provide direction going forward (approx. late February)
Cost: $50 per person (eligible for PD funding). Registration deadline: Jan. 5, 2018.
Spots are limited and are filled on a first come, first served basis. Register now!
For more information, including program benefits and what’s included in the cost of the program, visit the Search Inside Yourself webpage.
QPR Suicide Prevention Training: Dec. 11, 2017
QPR Training is an internationally recognized suicide prevention program designed to help you question, persuade and refer. QPR acts as an emergency mental health intervention that is designed to save lives, much like CPR or other methods of emergency medical intervention. Learn to recognize suicide warning signs, approach someone who may be at risk, persuade the person to seek appropriate health services and connect the person to resources that will help resolve crises. Suicide is preventable
Our next QPR training session is Dec. 11, 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
At this training, you will learn:
- How to get help for yourself;
- Tools and skills on how to prevent suicide;
- Common causes and warning signs of suicidal behaviour;
- How to Question, Persuade, and Refer someone at risk;
- How to get help for someone in crisis; and
- Familiarity with referral resources both on and off campus.
Reminder: Special Mental Health Funding Available: Apply by This Friday!
The Healthy Workplace Initiatives Program (HWIP) provides funding support for UBC departments and units that promote wellbeing in the workplace. In October, additional funds were secured and are currently available for a special one-time round of HWIP funding specific to mental health initiatives.
Your department or unit can apply for up to a maximum of $3,000. Funds received should support training that provides key information and tools for understanding mental health issues, increasing mental health literacy, reducing stigma or building individual resilience skills.
If you are interested in bringing mental health training or education programs to your department or unit, please apply by Dec. 1, 2017 – this Friday! For more information, visit the HWIP webpage.
Special Mental Health Funding Available: Apply by Dec. 1
In October, additional Healthy Workplace Initiatives Program (HWIP) funds were secured for a special, one-time disbursement to promote positive mental health and wellbeing. The funds can be used to support training that provides key information and tools for understanding mental health issues, increasing mental health literacy, reducing stigma or building individual resilience skills.
If you know of a UBC department or unit that would benefit from HWIP funding, please encourage them to apply by Dec. 1, 2017. For more info, visit the HWIP webpage.