When you are on a leave, you can choose to keep your benefits or cancel your benefits.
These benefits include Extended Health, Dental, Employee and Family Assistance Program, Basic Group Life, Optional Life/AD&D, and the Income Replacement Plan/Disability Benefit Plan. You can also choose to continue making contributions to your UBC Staff or Faculty Pension Plan.
Once your leave has been processed in Workday, you will receive a Benefits Task in your Workday inbox to make your elections for On Leave benefit plans. You are responsible for paying the full cost (employee plus employer share) for any benefits you choose to continue while on a leave not covered by the BC Employment Standards Act. Once you submit your benefit elections, a Benefits Partner from Payroll will check that your benefits elections are correct and notify you of the monthly cost and next steps.
For short-term unpaid leaves that are five days or less, the process to continue and reinstate your benefits is different. If you are on an unpaid leave that is five consecutive days or less, your benefits will automatically continue and the pro-rated cost of the benefits will be charged on your paycheque when you return. If you do not want to continue your benefits, you will receive a notification to do this in Workday. If you discontinue any of your benefits while on a short-term unpaid leave, you will have to re-enroll in Workday for some of the benefits. Please see Reinstating your benefits upon return to work section below.
Keeping your benefits and maintaining your pension
For compassionate care, maternity, parental or adoption leaves
If you wish to keep some or all of your benefits, UBC will continue to pay the employer portion of your benefit premiums and you are responsible for paying the employee portion of the premiums that are normally deducted from your paycheque.
You are eligible for the Tuition Waiver during this time.
The Benefits Cost Calculator can tell you what it will cost you to maintain your benefits while on leave.
During your leave, UBC will maintain your pension by contributing the employer portion, only if you continue to contribute the employee portion.
For all other leaves, including any approved leave beyond the BC Employment Standards Act
If you wish to keep some or all of your benefits, you are responsible for paying the full cost (employee plus employer portion) of the premiums. This means that you must pay both the employee and employer share of the premium or contribution (for pension).
There are two exceptions to this:
- During the first month of unpaid leave, CUPE 2950 employees do not pay the Dental premium;
- For unpaid leave less than one month, BCGEU Okanagan employees do not pay the employer share of the benefits premium. For the pension contribution, the University will contribute the employer portion if the employee continues their portion.
You are not eligible for the Tuition Waiver during this time.
The Benefits Cost Calculator can tell you what it will cost you to maintain your benefits while on leave.
For CUPE 116 and CUPE 2950 employees only, your Union may cover the cost of certain premiums for a specified length of time during an unpaid medical leave. For more information, contact UBC Payroll.
Cancelling your benefits
You can also choose to cancel some or all of your benefits while on leave.
Failing to pay your premiums is considered canceling benefits.
Income Replacement Plan/Disability Benefit Plan
If you decide to cancel your IRP/DBP coverage while on leave, you are not eligible to apply for a disability claim for any illness or injury that occurred while you are on leave. You are also unable to retroactively pay for coverage.
Reinstating your benefits upon return to work
If you cancel your benefits while on leave, your benefits will not be reinstated until you come back to work:
Some benefits will be automatically reinstated if you were enrolled before your leave.
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Basic Group Life Insurance, Income Replacement Plan/Disability Benefit Plan and the Employee and Family Assistance Plan will be automatically reinstated on the date you return to work. You will receive a notification in Workday to re-enrol in the extended health, dental and Pension plans. You can complete your re-enrolment for these plans directly in Workday.
For Optional Life Insurance and Optional Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance, you will need to reapply for coverage and complete another Statement of Health to Sun Life for review and decision.
For Workday resources and help visit the Integrated Service Centre.