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 and/or the family caregiving 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 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.

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.