UBC offers opportunities for its staff and faculty to take time away from work to improve their professional qualifications, embark on a course of study or go on a sabbatical.
These types of leaves may be fully or partially paid, and only some employee groups are eligible to take these leaves. You must apply to your supervisor or department head for a leave. The length of time you are allowed to take depends on your employee group.
If you are approved for an unpaid leave, 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.
If you are approved for a paid leave, your current UBC benefits will continue as normal. If you are on a partially paid leave, your current benefits will continue as normal provided you continue to meet the eligibility rules for benefits.
How do I apply for a leave?
You must apply for a 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. After discussing your leave with your department head or manager, you or your department head or manager can submit your leave request through Workday.
For Workday resources and help visit the Integrated Service Centre.
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.
What types of leave can I take?
The type of study leave that you can take depends on your employee group.
| UBC Employee Group | Guidelines for the Type of Study Leave |
| Academic Executive | You may take an unpaid leave for improving your basic qualifications, such as to pursue a PhD. |
| Administrative Executive | You are eligible for a professional development leave to maintain your currency in your area of expertise or to gain knowledge or professional competency. This may be paid, partially paid or unpaid, and at the discretion of your Supervisor.
You are eligible for a partially paid study leave if you have completed four years of continuous service and you wish to pursue a course of study that will directly benefit you in your position. Your planned studies must go beyond simply meeting the basic qualifications of the position. If approved, you are eligible for 50% of your salary for three months, plus one month for each year of full-time employment up to a maximum of one year. |
| BCGEU Vancouver (Child Care) | You are eligible for a paid professional development leave of up to four days per year to observe other daycare centres, or preschool programs, or to attend seminars, workshops, training sessions or conferences that will be of benefit to your professional development. |
| BCGEU Okanagan | You may be requested to take a paid educational leave to attend a course connected to your employment.
You are eligible for a paid development leave to maintain or improve your knowledge and skills related to your responsibilities or to your career development at UBC. |
| CUPE 116 | You are eligible to take one UBC course per year during working hours, provided your department head approves your request for time off and you make arrangements to make up the lost time. If you are an hourly paid employee, you must complete 12 months of accumulated service and should be scheduled to work 20 hours or more per week. This benefit does not apply to permanent staff of the UBC Aquatics Centre. |
| CUPE 2278 | Not eligible. |
| CUPE 2950 | You are eligible to take one UBC course per year during working hours, provided your department head approves your request for time off and you make arrangements to make up the lost time. |
| Executive Administrative | Not eligible. |
| Faculty | You may take an unpaid leave for improving your basic qualifications, such as to pursue a PhD. Please refer to your Collective Agreement for details.
You are eligible to apply for a partially paid study leave of up to 12 months to pursue a course of study or research that will directly benefit both you and UBC. You must have completed at least four full-time years of service in an appropriate rank before you can apply. Please refer to Part 3 of the Collective Agreement for details on study leaves. The application form is found online. Administrative Leave: The years of service for determining eligibility for administrative leave are exclusive of years of service for determining eligibility for study leave. Illness During Study Leave: Please contact Faculty Relations for assistance. Leave Requests During a Retirement Option: Please be aware that restrictions on study leaves apply when a tenured faculty member is entering a “Retirement Option”, per the Letter of Understanding Re: Retirement Options. Leave Requests in a Tenure Decision Year: UBC Policy Number 36 provides for further conditions on leave requests in a tenure decision year. Reduced Appointments: If you are on a reduced appointment, please review the Agreement on Reduced Appointments for how your salary and qualifying periods are impacted. Research Grants as Part Payment During Study Leave: You may wish to designate a portion of your study leave salary as a research grant as provided for in Policy LR3 – Grants During Leave (formerly Policy #37). Contact the Office of Research Services for assistance. |
| Farm Workers | Not eligible. |
| IUOE 115 | You are eligible for an unpaid professional development leave for training in areas directly relevant/applicable to the duties of the employee’s current position or next immediate position.You are eligible to take one UBC course per year during working hours, provided your department head approves your request for time off and you make arrangements to make up the lost time. |
| Lecturers | Please refer to Article 3, Professional Development Leave for Lecturers in the Collective Agreement and the Professional Development Leave for Lecturers Form. |
| Management and Professional | You are eligible for a professional development leave to maintain your currency in your area of expertise or to gain knowledge or professional competency. This may be paid, partially paid or unpaid, and at the discretion of your supervisor.
You are eligible for a partially paid study leave if you have completed four years of continuous service and you wish to pursue a course of study that will directly benefit you in your position. Your planned studies must go beyond simply meeting the basic qualifications of the position. If approved, you are eligible for 50% of your salary for three months, plus one month for each year of full-time employment up to a maximum of one year. See the HR Study Leave Form for M&P staff. |
| Non-Union Technicians and Research Assistants | Not eligible. |
| Postdoctoral Fellows (Award Recipients) | Not eligible. |
| Post-doctoral Fellows (Employees) | Not eligible. |