Pick Your Peak Stair Challenge

The Pick Your Peak Stair Challenge is a fun way to encourage movement, social connection and physical activity throughout the day. 

Pick Your Peak is a stair climbing challenge, and it is for all faculty, staff and post-docs, regardless of your fitness level or capabilities. All abilities are welcome to participate. 

There will be prizes up for grabs, and meet-ups to participate in, and we’ll send out regular updates to help keep you and your team motivated during the challenge.

The Pick Your Peak Stair Challenge is taking a hiatus for 2026. 

How to take part in the challenge 

Results 

Popular stairs and hikes


Selfies

Submit a photo of how you and/or your teammates are taking part in the challenge to be entered in a prize draw!   

Check out these Pick Your Peak Selfies from last year! 


Have questions? Please contact Lauren Lee.

We encourage departments to run the challenge at a time that works for them. Learn more with our toolkit, linked below.

Download the Pick Your Peak toolkit.

FAQs

Did you know?

  • Stair climbing requires 8-9 times more energy expenditure than sitting.
  • It counts as ‘vigorous’ physical activity and burns more calories per minute than jogging.
  • You burn roughly 1.5 calories for every 10 steps.
  • For buildings with five floors or less, it’s nearly always quicker to take the stairs.
  • Studies show office workers save up to 15 minutes a day by taking the stairs.
  • Stair climbing cuts carbon emissions. You could save between 0.3 & 0.6Kg of CO2/day.
  • It can lead to improved cardiovascular health and stronger joints and muscles.

Farm workers and non-union technicians and research assistants: benefit eligibility, start date and cost

The benefits you are eligible for as a farm worker, non-union technician or research assistant depend on:

  • if you work full time, part time or hourly,
  • the length of your appointment,
  • the number of hours you work per week, and
  • your age at your date of hire.

Before you enrol in your benefits package, please review the table below to familiarize yourself with:

  • the benefits you are eligible for,
  • whether these benefits are mandatory or optional,
  • the date that each benefit will become effective, and
  • the monthly cost of each benefit.

You will receive a benefits task in your Workday inbox to enrol. Once you receive this task, please ensure that that you enrol in the benefit plans in Workday. For Workday resources and help visit the Integrated Service Centre.

Login to Workday

You may also be eligible for the following benefits and entitlements:

You do not need to enrol in the above benefits. You apply for them when you want to use them.

 

Faculty & postdoctoral fellows: Benefit eligibility, start dates and cost

The benefits you are eligible for and when they come into effect may depend on the length and type of your faculty appointment, whether you meet minimum salary requirements, and your age on your date of hire.

In addition to Extended health benefits, Dental plan, Life insurance, Disability plan, and Pension plan, you may also be eligible for the following benefits and entitlements:

You do not need to enrol in the above benefits. You apply for them when you want to use them.

For all other benefits, you will receive a benefits task in your Workday inbox to enrol. Once you receive this task, please ensure that that you enrol in the benefit plan.

Login to Workday

For Workday resources and help visit the Integrated Service Centre.

Faculty & Postdoctoral Fellow Benefit Packages 

Click on the Faculty Benefit Package that applies to you to learn more about your benefits.

The normal eligibility requirements for full benefits are:

  1. An appointment of at least one year in length (for Sessional Lecturers only, an appointment of at least four months in length).
  2. A minimum 50% appointment.
  3. Meeting the minimum salary requirements for that position.
  4. Being hired before your normal retirement date (NRD), which is either June 30 or December 31 on the same date or following the date you turn 65.

Note: 

  • Sessional Lecturers: Your appointment must be at least four months in length. If you do not meet the eligibility requirements for pension and benefits (appointment under 50%, regardless of length or less than four months, regardless of % FTE), you are eligible for a modified benefit package.
  • Postdoctoral Fellow Award Recipients: If you receive your funding directly from a source external to UBC (rather than being paid through UBC), you must also provide proof of this award and your earnings to your Supervisor and have a valid Canadian Social Insurance Number.
  • Assistant Deans/Associate Deans in the Faculty of Medicine: If you are an employee of the university (and not a contractor) with an unpaid clinical faculty appointment, you are eligible for benefits if you meet all other criteria described above.
  • Hourly paid faculty appointments: If your faculty appointment is hourly paid, you are eligible for statutory benefits only.

1. Tenure & Confirmation stream (including grant) appointment

2. Lecturer; Term appointments: professor, associate professor, assistant professor, librarian, program director

3. Sessional lecturer

4. Research associate; Clinical faculty (all Faculties); Associate/assistant deans (Faculty of Medicine only)

5. Clinical fellow; Postdoctoral research or teaching fellow; Postdoctoral fellow award recipient receiving earnings through UBC

6. Postdoctoral fellow award recipient receiving funding from a source external to UBC

7. Visiting faculty; Adjunct professor

You are part of this group if you are a clinical fellow, clinical faculty, research associate, postdoctoral research and teaching fellow or assistant/associate dean and you do not meet the benefits criteria described above and/or hired at age 71 or over. You are also part of this group is you are a visiting faculty member, or an adjunct professor with salary.

Those who are assigned this package and are receiving salary (as opposed to a fellowship) receive statutory benefits only. These include:

  • Employment Insurance
  • Canada Pension Plan
  • Workers’ Compensation
  • statutory leaves

Those who are assigned this package and are receiving a fellowship (as opposed to salary) receive Workers Compensation and are eligible for statutory leaves. However, they are not eligible for Employment Insurance or Canada Pension Plan benefits.

Executive Administrative: benefit eligibility, start dates and cost

The benefits you are eligible for as a member of the Executive Administrative employee group depend on:

  • if you work full time, part time or hourly,
  • the length of your appointment,
  • the number of hours you work per week, and
  • your age at your date of hire.

Before you enrol in your benefits package, please review the table below to familiarize yourself with:

  • the benefits you are eligible for,
  • whether these benefits are mandatory or optional,
  • the date that each benefit will become effective, and
  • the monthly cost of each benefit.

You will receive a benefits task in your Workday inbox to enrol. Once you receive this task, please ensure that that you enrol in the benefit plans in Workday. For Workday resources and help visit the Integrated Service Centre.

Login to Workday

You may also be eligible for the following benefits and entitlements:

You do not need to enrol in the above benefits. You apply for them when you want to use them.

 

Tenure and Faculty Appointments

Information about appointments, reappointments, tenure and promotion for UBC faculty, librarians and program directors.

Over the course of their careers, full-time UBC faculty, librarians and program directors will have opportunities for promotion, confirmation and/or reappointment. For faculty, this includes tenure, which provides job security and academic freedom for the study of problems or to test ideas that may challenge established ideas or practices.

Tenure, promotion, reappointment and confirmation

See the sections below for specific information for faculty, librarians and program directors.

Appointments and tenure for faculty

The timing of a faculty member’s regular reviews for tenure, promotion and reappointment will depend on their appointment and rank. Tenure is granted through a tenure review and on the basis of merit.

Note that UBC holds annual workshops on tenure and promotion procedures for faculty and administrators in Vancouver and Kelowna. Upcoming workshops will be announced via email. 

CUPE 2950: benefit eligibility, start date and cost

The benefits you are eligible for as a member of the CUPE 2950 employee group depend on:

  • if you work full time, part time, hourly or temporary,
  • the length of your appointment,
  • the number of hours you work per week, and
  • your age at your date of hire.

Before you enrol in your benefits package, please review the table below to familiarize yourself with:

  • the benefits you are eligible for,
  • whether these benefits are mandatory or optional,
  • the date that each benefit will become effective, and
  • the monthly cost of each benefit.

You will receive a benefits task in your Workday inbox to enrol. Once you receive this task, please ensure that that you enrol in the benefit plans in Workday. For Workday resources and help visit the Integrated Service Centre.

Login to Workday

You may also be eligible for the following benefits and entitlements:

You do not need to enrol in the above benefits. You apply for them when you want to use them.

 

CUPE 2278 (English language instructors): benefit eligibility, start dates and costs

The benefits you are eligible for as a member of the CUPE 2278 employee group depend on:

  • whether your appointment is full time or part time,
  • the length of your appointment,
  • whether your appointment is continuing, and
  • your age at your date of hire.

Before you enrol in your benefits package, please review the table below to familiarize yourself with:

  • the benefits you are eligible for,
  • whether these benefits are mandatory or optional,
  • the date that each benefit will become effective, and
  • the monthly cost of each benefit.

You will receive a benefits task in your Workday inbox to enrol. Once you receive this task, please ensure that that you enrol in the benefit plans in Workday. For Workday resources and help visit the Integrated Service Centre.

Login to Workday

You may also be eligible for the following benefits and entitlements:

You do not need to enrol in the above benefits. You apply for them when you want to use them.

 

 

 

CUPE 116: benefit eligibility, start dates and cost

The benefits you are eligible for as a member of the CUPE 116 employee group depend on:

  • if you work full time, part time or hourly,
  • the length of your appointment,
  • the number of hours you work per week, and
  • your age at your date of hire.

Before you enrol in your benefits package, please review the table below to familiarize yourself with:

  • the benefits you are eligible for,
  • whether these benefits are mandatory or optional,
  • the date that each benefit will become effective, and
  • the monthly cost of each benefit.

You will receive a benefits task in your Workday inbox to enrol. Once you receive this task, please ensure that that you enrol in the benefit plans in Workday. For Workday resources and help visit the Integrated Service Centre.

Login to Workday

You may also be eligible for the following benefits and entitlements:

You do not need to enrol in the above benefits. You apply for them when you want to use them.

 

 

Faculty, librarian and researcher salaries

Information about starting salaries, additional payments, and/or increases.

Starting salaries 

Faculty Association Members

There are no salary scales for UBC Faculty or for Program Directors in Extended Learning, with starting pay based on an initial negotiation.

Librarians are paid in accordance with the minimum salary scale found in Article 3 of Part 2 of the Collective Agreement.

Sessional Lecturers are paid in accordance with the Sessional Salary Scale (Refer to Article 4 of Part 2 of the Collective Agreement). Information on Sessional Salary rates is found on the Sessional Lecturer page.  A minimum salary is in effect for Lecturers (Refer to Article 5 of Part 2 of the Collective Agreement). 

Individuals outside of the Faculty Association

Benefits eligibility

A minimum salary is required for benefits eligibility.

Salaries, changes and additional payments

A variety of processes are used to determine salary, increases and additional payments:

How you're paid

Your monthly salary is paid in two instalments: on the 15th and the last day of every month. You must arrange for your paycheque to be deposited directly into your bank account.

Travelling Health Fair

Once a year, the Travelling Health Fair provides you with information, awareness, self-assessment, and personalized consultation on health topics of importance to you.  

Brought to you by the Health, Wellbeing, and Benefits team in partnership with the UBC Pharmacists Clinic, the event is available at no cost to UBC faculty, staff, postdoctoral fellows, and student staff. 

Travelling Health Fair is closed for 2025.

February 18-21, 2025: Lung Health

For the 2025 Travelling Health Fair, we will take a comprehensive approach to lung health and the health and wellbeing of UBC faculty, staff, postdoctoral fellows, and student staff.

The 2025 UBC Traveling Health Fair gives you the opportunity to learn about breathing and the lungs, check your lung health, be aware of lung health risks and create a personalized action plan for your optimal lung health.  

The UBC Traveling Health Fair is an annual free mobile health clinic offering one-on-one health assessments. As part of this health fair, you will receive the following confidential services:

As part of this health fair, you will receive the following confidential services: 

  • Education on the structure and function of our lungs
  • Learning about common lung conditions and symptoms
  • Measurement of blood pressure, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation
  • Reviewing personal risk factors for lung disease
  • Interpretation of results and an individualized action plan to optimize your lung health

Dates: February 18-21, 2025  

 Who should attend: Open to faculty, staff, and post-doctoral fellows. Everyone is welcome and those with breathing issues, conditions or concerns are encouraged to attend—total appointment time: 25 minutes per participant. 

All health care services are provided by licensed pharmacists and pharmacy students from the Pharmacists Clinic – UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

For more information, please contact Truelove Twumasi, Workplace Wellbeing Programs Specialist.

 

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