As a Sessional Lecturer, you are eligible to maintain your current benefits (for up to eight months) and pension between appointments, if:
- You previously held an appointment eligible for pension and benefits, or
- You held an appointment eligible for pension and benefits, within the previous 24 months and have been making continuous benefit contributions.
Maintaining your benefits between appointments is optional.
Keeping your benefits
At the end of your sessional appointment, you may have the option to maintain some or all your current benefits at your own cost. This means that you will be responsible for both the employee and employer portions of the premiums. You may not sign up for additional benefits while you are in between appointments. If you are teaching during the summer, UBC will pay the employer portion of the benefits and pension you wish to maintain for any months in which you hold an appointment.
You will receive a Benefits Task in your Workday inbox to make your elections for On Leave benefit plans if you are on Sessional Benefit Eligible Leave. You can choose to continue all, some or none of your benefits. You are responsible for paying the full cost (employee plus employer share) for any benefits you choose to continue. 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.
Pension
Pension enrolment between appointments is not mandatory. If you do not maintain your pension while on Sessional Benefit Eligible Leave, you will be able to re-enroll at the start of your new appointment.
If you elect to maintain your pension between appointments, you will pay the employee contributions and (if you choose) the employer contributions for each month (or portion of a month). Contributions are calculated based on your appointment immediately prior to the leave. A Leave of Absence representative will contact you to confirm the amount you elect to pay. You may elect to contribute any amount up to the maximum. However, if you hold a sessional appointment during the summer, you must contribute the full employee portion in order to receive the employer portion.
Other benefits
The Benefits Cost Calculator can tell you what it will cost you to maintain your benefits.
Cancelling your benefits
You may cancel all of your benefits at the end of your active sessional appointment. If you choose this option, some of your benefits will be automatically reinstated upon your return to your sessional position, while you will have to reapply for others. Re-enrolment in cancelled benefits will be based on the appointment to which you return.
Sessional Benefit Eligible Leave
If you are reappointed to a position eligible for health benefits only (Extended health, Dental and Employee and Family Assistance Plan), your coverage for the other benefits (e.g. Basic Group Life and Disability) may continue when you return to your sessional position, provided that you maintained these benefits in between appointments. If you did not maintain these benefits (e.g. Basic Group Life and Disability), you will not be eligible to reapply until you hold an appointment eligible for all benefits. If you do not maintain your pension, you are able to re-enroll at the start of your new appointment.
If you previously held an appointment eligible for pension and benefits and are reappointed to a position below 50% FTE, you are eligible for pension and benefits as though your appointment is at least 50% FTE for up to 24 months.
Sessional Recall Leave
If you previously held an appointment eligible for a modified benefits package (Extended health, Dental and Employee and Family Assistance Plan), you are not eligible to maintain your current benefits in between appointments.
These appointments include:
- full-time or part-time sessional lecturer with an appointment of less than four months (regardless of % FTE) and hired before age 71, or
- part-time sessional lecturer with an appointment of less than 50% (regardless of length) and hired before age 71.
If you hold another appointment while on Sessional Recall Leave, you may be eligible for benefits based on the other position.
For more information about benefits packages and your eligibility, visit Faculty: Benefit Eligibility, Start Dates and Cost page.
Reapplying for benefits
Optional Life Insurance, Optional Accidental Death & Dismemberment
If you decide to not maintain your optional life insurance or your optional accidental death & dismemberment benefits, and then later re-enroll when you start a new term, you will need to re-apply for coverage by submitting a health questionnaire. A medical examination may be necessary at your own expense.
Automatic reinstatement and re-enrolment
If you decide not to maintain some or all of your benefits, your Basic Life Insurance, Disability and Employee and Family Assistance Plan are automatically reinstated the day you return to work, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements. You will receive a notification in Workday to re-enrol in the Extended Health, Dental and Faculty Pension plans (if eligible). You can complete your re-enrolment for these plans directly in Workday.
For Workday resources and help visit the Integrated Service Centre.