You might need to take time off from work to recover from an injury or illness.
As described below, you will continue to be paid your salary and receive uninterrupted benefits based on your employee group, whether you work full time or part time, and how long you are away from work.
What do I do if I’m sick?
When you’re sick, you should contact your supervisor right away to let them know that you’re too ill to be at work that day. You or your supervisor will record the sick day through Workday and reduce your sick leave bank accordingly. If possible, let your supervisor know when you plan to next be at work and keep them updated if this should change. For prolonged absences, you may be asked to provide a doctor’s note.
For Workday resources and help visit the Integrated Service Centre.
How many sick days am I eligible for each year?
The number of sick days you can take each year depends on your UBC employee group.
| UBC Employee Group | Allowed paid sick leave |
| Academic Executive | You can take sick leave with pay because of illness or injury as outlined in Policy HR4 – Sick Leave (formerly Policy #62). Sick leave with pay may be approved for up to a maximum of six months. For a paid medical leave, apply to your department in writing, including a doctor’s certification of the illness, the start date of the leave, a prognosis of your expected return date and any accommodation that may be required if requesting a partial medical leave. Your department will then notify Faculty Relations that you are going on paid medical leave. |
| Administrative Executive | You can take sick leave with pay because of illness or injury and the number of days depends on whether you have completed your probationary period. If you are a full-time employee and you have completed your probationary period, you are eligible for a paid leave of absence of up to six months for each illness or injury. If you are still in your probationary period, you accumulate sick leave at 1.25 days per month worked. If you work part time, your sick leave is pro-rated based on your percentage of employment. |
| BCGEU Vancouver (Child Care) | You can take sick leave with pay because illness or injury up to the number of days in your sick leave bank. If you are a full-time employee, you accumulate sick leave at 1.25 days per month worked, to a maximum of 120 days. If you are a part-time employee, your sick leave is pro-rated based on your percentage of employment. |
| BCGEU Okanagan | You can take sick leave with pay because of illness or injury, up to the number of days in your sick leave bank. If you are a full-time employee, you accumulate sick leave at 1.25 days per month worked, to a maximum of 152 days. If you are a part-time employee, your sick leave is pro-rated based on your percentage of employment. |
| CUPE 116 | You can take sick leave with pay because of illness or injury up to the number of days in your sick leave bank. If you are a full-time regular employee working 37.5 hours per week, you accumulate sick leave at 9.375 hours per month worked, to a maximum of 1140 hours. If you are a full-time regular employee working 35 hours per week, you accumulate sick leave at 8.75 hours per month worked, to a maximum of 1064 hours. If you are a part-time employee, your sick leave is pro-rated based on your percentage of employment. |
| CUPE 2278 | You can take sick leave with pay because of illness or injury and the number of days depends on whether you have completed your probationary period. If you are a full-time employee and you have completed your probationary period, you can take a sick leave of up to six months. If you are still in your probationary period, you accumulate sick leave at 1.25 days per month worked and may use up to the number of days in your sick leave bank. If you are a part-time employee, your sick leave is pro-rated based on your percentage of employment. |
| CUPE 2950 | You can take sick leave with pay because of illness or injury, up to the number of days in your sick leave bank. If you are a full-time employee, you accumulate sick leave at 1.25 days per month worked, to a maximum of 152 days. If you are a part-time employee, your sick leave is pro-rated based on your percentage of employment. |
| Executive Administrative | You can take a sick leave with pay because of illness or injury, up to the number of days in your sick leave bank. If you are a full-time employee, you accumulate sick leave at 1.25 days per month worked, to a maximum of 152 days. If you are a part-time employee, your sick leave is pro-rated based on your percentage of employment. |
| Faculty – Faculty, Librarians and Program Directors | You can take a sick leave with pay because of illness or injury according to the provisions of Policy HR4 – Sick Leave (formerly Policy #62) – Leave Due to Illness of Member of Faculty. Your sick leave with pay may be approved up to a maximum of six months. For a paid medical leave, apply to your department in writing, including a doctor’s certification of the illness, the start date of the leave, a prognosis of your expected return date and any accommodation that may be required if requesting a partial medical leave. Your department will then notify Faculty Relations that you are going on paid medical leave. |
| Faculty – Sessional Faculty Members | If your appointment is at least 50% and at least four months long, you can take a sick leave with pay because of illness or injury according to the provisions of Policy HR4 – Sick Leave (formerly Policy #62) – Leave Due to Illness of Member of Faculty. Your sick leave with pay may be approved up to a maximum of six months as long as you have a current active appointment. If your appointment is less than 50% or less than four months long, you will receive incidental sick leave of up to a maximum of five days per four-month term. Casual absences in which the class/es are covered by another Faculty Member or where a class can be rescheduled will not be considered sick leave. |
| Farm Workers | You can take a sick leave with pay because of illness or injury up to the number of days in your sick leave bank. If you are a full-time employee, you accumulate sick leave at 1.25 days per month worked, to a maximum of 152 days. If you are a part-time employee, your sick leave is pro-rated based on your percentage of employment. |
| IUOE 115 | You can take a sick leave with pay because of illness or injury up to the number of days in your sick leave bank. If you are a full-time employee, you accumulate sick leave at 1.25 days per month worked, to a maximum of 152 days. If you are a part-time employee, your sick leave is pro-rated based on your percentage of employment. |
| Management & Professional | You can take sick leave with pay because of illness or injury and the number of days depends on whether you have completed your probationary period. If you are a full-time employee and have completed your probationary period, you are eligible for a leave of absence with pay for six months for each distinct illness or injury. If you are still in your probationary period, you accumulate sick leave at 1.25 days per month worked. If you are a part-time employee, your sick leave is pro-rated based on your percentage of employment. In any event, the maximum allowable sick leave with pay in any 12 month period is 6 months. An employee may ask that any extenuating or mitigating factors be considered by the University for an extension of sick leave under exceptional circumstances if you have used a full 6 months of paid sick leave during a 12 month period. In circumstances where more than 24 months have passed since you have incurred 6 months of paid sick leave for an illness or injury and there is a recurrence of a similar illness or injury, you are entitled to a further 6 months of paid sick leave. This entitlement is only available if your application for long-term disability benefits is denied and may only be utilized once. |
| Non-Union Technicians and Research Assistants | You can take a sick leave with pay because of illness or injury up to the number of days in your sick leave bank. If you are a full-time employee, you accumulate sick leave at 1.25 days per month worked, to a maximum of 152 days. If you are a part-time employee, your sick leave is pro-rated based on your percentage of employment. |
| Postdoctoral Fellows (Award Recipients and Employees) | You are eligible for paid sick leave benefits up to a maximum of six months. The first month of continuous sick leave is paid for by your grant or contract, or failing that, from other sources. The next five months of your continuous sick leave will be paid by the Extraordinary Expense Fund (where a grant or contract pays your salary for the next five months). Once you return to work or after six months, whichever occurs first, the grantholder can seek reimbursement through the Extraordinary Expense Fund (Policy FM7 – Contract Employees Fund (formerly Policy #86)). |
What if I use up all my sick days?
You are allowed a certain number of sick days each year, and some employee groups are allowed to build up their sick days into a sick leave bank that can be accumulated and used up to the specified maximum. If you use up your allowed number of sick days or your sick leave bank, you should:
- apply for an unpaid medical leave of absence if you have not yet met the qualifying period (this is also called the elimination period) for receiving long-term disability benefits, or
- apply for long-term disability benefits if you think you will be unable to return to work after the six-month qualifying period for receiving long-term disability benefits.
When you are on an unpaid medical leave, your benefits may be affected. Learn about your Benefits coverage while on a leave.
Can I use my sick days to care for a dependent who is ill?
It depends on your employee group. The list below shows the employee groups who can use their sick days to care for a dependent, and the number of days allowed. The sick day(s) used to care for a dependent will be deducted from your personal sick leave bank.
- Administrative Executive: You can take up to five days of accumulated sick leave time to care for a dependent. An eligible dependent is your child, spouse/partner or parent.
- BCGEU Vancouver (Child Care): You can take up to five paid sick days to care for a dependent. An eligible dependent is your child, spouse/partner or parent.
- BCGEU Okanagan: You can use up to 10 paid sick days to care for a dependent if you have at least 12 days in your sick leave bank for personal use. An eligible dependent is your child, spouse/partner, parent, guardian, sibling, grandchild, grandparent or any other person who lives with you as a member of your family.
- CUPE 116: You can take up to five paid sick days to care for a dependent, if you have at least 12 days in your sick leave bank for personal use. An eligible dependent is your child, foster child, spouse/partner or parent related to you by blood, marriage or adoption or, as a partner, is living in a marriage-like relationship with you.
- CUPE 2278: You can take up to five days of your sick leave to look after a dependent who shares a residence with you.
- CUPE 2950: You can take up to five paid sick days to care for a dependent if you have at least 12 days in your sick leave bank for personal use. An eligible dependent is your child, foster child, spouse/partner or parent related to you by blood, marriage or adoption or, as a partner, is living in a marriage-like relationship with you.
- Executive Administrative: You can use up to five paid sick days to care for a dependent. An eligible dependent is your child, spouse/partner or parent.
- Farm workers: You can take up to five paid sick days to care for a dependent who shares a residence with you, if you have at least 12 days in your sick leave bank for personal use.
- IUOE 115: You can take up to five paid sick days to care for a dependent who shares a residence with you, if you have at least 12 days in your sick leave bank for personal use.
- Management & Professional: You can use up to five days of your sick leave time to care for a dependent. An eligible dependent is your child, spouse/partner or parent.
- Non-union technicians and research assistants: You can take up to five paid sick days to care for a dependent who shares a residence with you if you have at least 12 days in your sick leave bank for personal use.
Am I eligible for paid time off for a medical or dental appointment?
It depends on your employee group. As outlined below, some employee groups can take a certain amount of paid time off for medical or dental appointments.
- BCGEU Vancouver (Child Care): You may use your paid sick leave days for medical or dental appointments.
- BCGEU Okanagan: You can take up to two hours for a medical or dental appointment for yourself or up to 15 hours a year as paid time off for appointments for you and your dependent children. Any time beyond this will be deducted from your sick leave bank.
- CUPE 116: You can take up to 3.75 hours per month if you work a 37.5 hour work week and up to 3.5 hours per month if you work a 35 hour work week for medical or dental appointments as paid time off. Any time beyond this will be deducted from your sick leave bank.
- CUPE 2950: You can take up to 3.5 hours per month for medical or dental appointments as paid time off. If you exceed 3.5 hours, then the average usage over the previous twelve months will be calculated and if you have not averaged 3.5 hours, additional time for appointments is available up to the maximum potential of 42 hours. Any time beyond this will be deducted from your sick leave bank.
- Executive Administrative: You can take up to 0.5 days per month for medical or dental appointments as paid time off. Any time beyond this will be deducted from your sick leave bank.
- Farm workers: You can take up to 0.5 days per month for medical or dental appointments as paid time off. Any time beyond this will be deducted from your sick leave bank.
- IUOE 115: You can take up to 0.5 days per month for medical or dental appointments as paid time off. Any time beyond this will be deducted from your sick leave bank.
- Non-union technicians and research assistants: You can take up to 0.5 days per month for medical or dental appointments as paid time off. Any time beyond this will be deducted from your sick leave bank.
How are my sick days calculated if I am on an unpaid maternity and/or parental leave?
Applies to Staff only:
- BCGEU Vancouver (Child Care) and IUOE 115: No accrual of sick days during maternity and parental leave.
- BCGEU Okanagan: Full accrual of sick days for the first month of leave, and for the remaining maternity and parental leave, sick days are pro-rated based only on the top-up portion of payments.
- CUPE 116: Full accrual of sick days during maternity leave. There is no accrual of sick days during parental leave.
- CUPE 2950: Full accrual of sick days for the first month of leave, and for the remaining maternity leave, sick days are pro-rated based only on the top-up portion of payments. There is no accrual of sick days during parental leave.
- Management & Professional: Six months of sick time per illness or injury.
- Other staff members: Sick days are pro-rated based on the top-up portion of payments during maternity leave only. There is no accrual of sick days during parental leave.
How are my sick days calculated if I am on an unpaid adoption leave?
Applies to Staff only:
- BCGEU Okanagan: Full accrual of sick days for the first month of leave, and for the remaining adoption leave, sick days are pro-rated based only on the top-up portion of payments.
- Executive Administrative: Sick days are pro-rated based on the top-up portion of payments during adoption leave.
- Management & Professional: Six months of sick time per illness or injury.
- Other staff members: No accrual of sick days during adoption leave.