General leave

You may wish to take a general leave without pay.

You must apply to your supervisor or department head for a general leave. The length of time you are allowed to take off from work depends on your employee group.

If you wish to take additional maternity, parental, adoption or compassionate care leave beyond what is stipulated under the BC Employment Standards Act, you must request this in writing from your supervisor and any approved additional leave will be considered a general unpaid leave.

If you are applying for Employment Insurance (EI) family caregiving benefits for adults or children through Service Canada, you will need to apply for a general leave.

If your leave is approved, you can choose whether you want to maintain your current UBC benefits or cancel your UBC benefits. If you want to maintain your UBC benefits, you are responsible for paying both the employee and employer portion of the cost.

How do I apply for general leave?

You must apply for a general leave of absence from your department head or manager. Let them know:

• the reasons for your leave,
• when you would like to start your leave, and
• when you intend to return to work.

If you are applying for general leave to care for a family member, you will also need to include a copy of the medical certificate from a doctor or medical practitioner stating that your family member is critically ill or injured and requires the care or support of one or more family members. Save the original for your EI caregiver benefits application. The personal information provided in the medical certificate is collected under section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, RSBC 1996, c. 165 and will be used for the purposes of leave administration.

For Staff appointments, if your request is approved, your department head or manager will update your employment status through Workday.  For Faculty appointments, all leave requests will be routed to Faculty Relations.

What happens to my benefits when I’m on a general leave?

When you are on leave, you can choose to keep your benefits or cancel your benefits. See Benefits Coverage while on a Leave for more information.

How long am I allowed to be on a general leave?

The length of time you are allowed to take depends on your employee group. The table below shows the time you are allowed to be on leave without pay or benefits.

Questions about your benefits while on leave?

• For resources and help visit the Integrated Service Centre.