The Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) is a confidential and voluntary counselling support service that provides you and your family with the help you need to resolve a wide range of personal, work, health or life issues.

Professional counselling services

GreenShield is available 24 hours, seven days a week, at 1-866-424-0770 or via the GreenShield+ platform, with unlimited hours at no charge to eligible faculty, staff and their eligible dependents. 

With GreenShield, you can match with a counsellor based on your specific needs and preferences across more than 50 search criteria. Visit Counselling Services for more details. 

Crisis counselling services

If you are experiencing a crisis and require immediate counselling services, call 1-866-424-0770 and select the emergency option to speak to a crisis-trained counsellor who will provide immediate support. 

You can also access crisis support on the GreenShield+ platform.

  

Access GreenShield+

Sign-up to GreenShield+ signin

To access the integrated health services and wellbeing offerings through GreenShield Health, eligible faculty and staff will need to login to the GreenShield+ platform.

GreenShield+ App

If you want to access our EFAP on the go, you can also download the GreenShield+ app for Apple and Android. 

Work, health, and life counselling  

Through our EFAP you can connect with trained professionals including registered nurses, nutritionists, financial coaches and more to help you achieve your goals. Services include: 

• Unlimited financial and legal consultations,
• Up to 5 hours (annually*) of access to health, fitness and nutrition support
• Up to 5 hours (annually*) for career and retirement transition coaching
• And up to 5 hours (annually*) for life transition consultations.

Visit Work, health, and life counselling to learn more

*Resets on November 1

 

Digital Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

GreenShield Health’s Digital Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a self-directed online program that uses CBT to help people with mild to moderate anxiety and depression achieve their wellbeing goals. 

Designed for individuals 16+, Digital CBT offers interactive learning modules, tools and coaching to help you develop positive coping strategies and reduce life-disrupting symptoms without the wait. 

You can access this through GreenShield+ on desktop and on your mobile devices. Get GreenShield+ app for Apple and Android to also receive timely in-app reminders.

 

Access these integrated health services on the GreenShield+ platform

Substance use support 

Whether you’ve been struggling with substance use or are interested in exploring changes to support your health, you and your eligible dependents can seek substance use support in a confidential, approachable, and stigma-free environment. Through GreenShield+, you can access evidence-based support and coaching, on-demand resources, and tools that are designed to help you effectively manage substance use.  

Visit our Substance use resources to learn more and find out about additional options.

 

Expert Second Medical Opinion Services 

Within GreenShield+, access expert second medical opinion services through Novus Health, you and your eligible dependent can gain clarity and confidence regarding diagnoses and treatment options, including decisions to proceed with surgery. Including an option to request a comprehensive review of your file from leading medical experts, clarify a diagnosis, confirm or modify a treatment plan, and navigate to appropriate resources.

Visit Expert Second Medical Opinion for more details, and list of conditions you can seek these services for. 

 

dependents

EFAP access for dependents

Did you know that eligible dependents can also access the EFAP? Your eligible dependents will have access to the same services as UBC faculty and staff. 

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Your UBC Dental Plan covers a wide range of dental services, from regular check-ups to major procedures such as root canals and crowns. These procedures may be provided by a licensed dentist, denturist, dental hygienist or anaesthetist.

If you want to receive Dental Plan benefits, you need to meet eligibility requirements and enrol in the plan. There is no cost to you, as UBC pays the monthly premiums associated with this plan. (Sessional Lecturers working less than 50% FTE or in an appointment of four months or less pay half of the monthly premiums for Dental Plan benefits.)

What dental costs are covered?

Your reimbursement will be based on the percentage levels described below and the fee stated in the BC Dental Association Fee Guide for General Practitioners that is current at the time of the treatment. If services are provided by a dental specialist, then the allowed fees are those outlined in the BC Dental Association Fee Guide for General Practitioners, plus 10%.

You need to obtain a predetermination from Sun Life for all dental procedures that cost more than $500.

What dental costs are not covered?

Your dental plan does not cover:

• procedures primarily to improve appearance,
• replacing lost or stolen dental appliances,
• charges for completing forms,
• supplies intended for sport or home use, and
• experimental treatments

What is my deductible?

You do not have to pay a deductible for dental coverage.

What are my coverage limits?

For all employee groups there is no overall coverage limit for preventive, basic or major procedures.

For all employee groups, the maximum reimbursement for orthodontic procedures in a person’s lifetime is $3,000.

If you receive any temporary dental service, these costs will be included as part of the final dental procedure, and not as a separate procedure. That is, the fee for the permanent procedure will be used to determine the usual and reasonable charge for the dental work.

If your dental coverage ends, you will still be covered for procedures to repair natural teeth damaged in an accident if the accident occurred while you were covered, and the procedure is performed within six months after the date of the accident.

When Sun Life is deciding to pay for a dental procedure, they will investigate if there is a viable alternate treatment. If the alternate procedure will result in an equivalent level of success, then Sun Life will pay the amount for the least expensive alternate procedure.

When do I need a predetermination for dental work?

You must receive a predetermination from Sun Life before you receive treatment for:

• dental care procedure(s) in excess of $500, and
• all orthodontic work.

To receive a predetermination for this work, ask your dentist to complete the Dental Claim form, detailing the dental procedure(s) or orthodontic treatment plan, and then have them send this form to Sun Life for you. Your dentist can also submit this form electronically.

Your dentist should include supporting information, such as x-rays or pictures of models or molds, to illustrate the services that are being recommended. If your dentist does not provide this information with the form, your predetermination for services will be declined until this information has been received and reviewed by Sun Life. Sun Life may also request further information from your dentist as part of its review process.

Once the review process is complete, Sun Life will send you a Claims Statement outlining what part of the cost is covered by the plan and what you will have to pay.

It’s your responsibility to request a predetermination in advance of receiving dental treatment in order to know what the Dental plan will cover and how much you will be expected to pay out of pocket. If you obtain dental services without a predetermination, you are responsible for what the plan does not cover. In the case of major dental work, this could be a significant and unexpected amount.

How do I make a claim?

Your dentist can often submit a claim for your dental procedure directly to Sun Life. You will need to provide your dentist with your UBC Group Number (025205) and your Member ID (your seven-digit UBC employee number).

If your dentist submits the claim on your behalf to Sun Life, reimbursement will occur as follows depending on your dentist:

• you pay your dentist the full amount of the service and Sun Life will reimburse you for the amount covered by the Dental plan; or
• you pay your dentist the amount not covered by the Dental plan and Sun Life will reimburse the dentist for the balance.

Some dentists may ask that you pay first and then submit a claim yourself. In this case, please visit the Claims page for more information on how to submit a UBC Dental claim.

For more information

The outline above is a descriptive summary of the plan and is not a contract. All terms and conditions are governed by Contract Number 025205 with Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada. In the event of a discrepancy, benefits will be paid according to the official document and applicable legislation.

Sun Life benefit booklets

For complete details about your plan, please refer to the extended health and dental booklet for your employee group. 

Leading others, leading self.

The Developing Leaders Program is a leadership development program for new and early-career managers, aimed at building their capacity to lead with greater confidence and effectiveness. 

The program is designed to equip newer leaders with the knowledge, skills, and practices necessary to lead, succeed, and grow in their leadership roles at UBC. Over a five-month period, leaders from across the university come together in the program to share experiences and learn best practices on topics related to leading self, others, and within UBC. 

"The program exposed me to other UBC staff managing in other departments, which was a great opportunity to network, but also gave me exposure to the breadth of UBC’s vast organization.”

Through the program, you will be able to:

What to expect in the Fall 2025 program

The Fall cohort will be open only to participants from the Vancouver campus. The program will run October 2025 – March 2026, with sessions held virtually, except for the in-person event to conclude the program on the Vancouver campus in April 2026. 

What you'll be required to do 

To earn a certificate of completion, participants are expected to:

• Attend all workshops, the Coaching Immersion Lab and the in-person event
• Participate in two Leadership Triad sessions
• Complete all Canvas learning modules
• Complete the End-of-Program Evaluation Survey

Schedule

What you will explore

The themes you will meaningfully engage, learn and experiment with cover topics across Leading Self, Leading Others, and Leading within UBC. Topics include:

Program fees 

The program is fully funded by VP Human Resources at UBC. 

How program participants are selected

Questions? 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact leadership@hr.ubc.ca.

Conflict Theatre offers faculty and staff the opportunity to explore and embrace conflict in the workplace using the tools of theatre. 

Learn to see workplace conflict differently

Can you remember the last difficult conversation you had? If you had another chance, would you have said or done something else?

Tailored to the UBC context, Conflict Theatre offers a new way to look at old patterns and build the courage to approach workplace conflict differently.

The Conflict Theatre approach

Recognizes that workplace conflict is normal

Difficult conversations are commonplace in the office. It may arise due to contrasting perspectives or competing needs. Workplace conflict can be very damaging for employees and the organization alike. Conflict negatively effects employee wellbeing, retention, creativity, and productivity. While it is uncomfortable to experience interpersonal conflict, it becomes even more uncomfortable when avoided. Hence why Conflict Theatre encourages direct engagement with conflict through open, non-violent dialogue.

Grounds programming in Reflexive Conflict Management

Reflexive Conflict Management (RCM) is an approach to resolving interpersonal conflict. It was developed at UBC by Dr. Tom Scholte, Conflict Theatre's Faculty Lead. This approach is reflexive because it hinges on one's ability to examine their own emotions and motivations. These factors influence how we act in conflict situations. RCM emphasizes communicating one's needs with clarity and avoiding emotional escalation. This helps all parties involved in the conflict to identify potential solutions for its resolution.

Explores conflict engagement through theatre

Conflict Theatre programming offers a unique opportunity to rehearse this novel approach to conflict engagement. It does so by turning to the tools and techniques of theatre. Improvisational theatre and scripted plays can mimic real world conflicts and reveal the complexities of human relationships. Drama offers a playground for practicing the skills of conflict engagement in a safe, low stakes setting. This approach is experiential, immersive, and fun!

Engaging in Conflict Theatre programming requires no prior experience or background in theatre. Instead, individuals can participate in a way that feels most authentic and comfortable to them.

Promotes key learning goals

UBC staff and faculty who participate in or attend a Conflict Theatre event will:

• Strengthen empathy and understanding for many perspectives within conflict.
• Foster a curiosity-driven approach to conflict
  Self-reflect to better understand their own emotions, context, perspective and patterns during conflict.
• Gain a better understanding of how conflict arises, what keeps it going, and how it can be moved through.
• Become attuned to the systemic drivers of conflict and the leverage points available to address them.
• Join a community of colleagues interested in changing campus culture on conflict.

Types of Conflict Theatre events

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Community Lunch and Learn Sessions

The Community Lunch and Learn series brings together the UBC staff and faculty community. Participants will practice the navigation of workplace conflicts using the tools of RCM. This approach is experiential and embodied, so come prepared to engage.

These sessions are informal. You are invited to bring your lunch, and light refreshments are also provided. Registration is required as space is limited.

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Forum Theatre Performances

The Performance series brings Conflict Theatre to the stage. Drawing on the practice of forum theatre, UBC staff and faculty have developed plays based on workplace conflicts experienced at the university. 

These plays are performed to an audience comprised of other employees. Audience members contemplate how the characters in the play could act differently by integrating what they have learned about RCM. The audience can then attempt to shift the outcomes of the plays through direct intervention.

 

Program testimonials

“Prior to the workshop I avoided conflict and often regretted my in-the-moment responses. The Summer Intensive prepared me to handle conflict directly, less emotionally and focus on de-escalation. I started leveraging my newfound skills immediately after completing the intensive, leading to less anxiety and more satisfaction with my approach to conflict resolution."

– Matt, M&P, Rehearsing Conflict Summer Intensive participant, June 2023

“Being able to communicate more effectively and authentically is a noble goal and one that should be pursued by anyone and everyone at UBC.”

– Alexis, Faculty, Rehearsing Conflict Summer Intensive participant, June 2023

“I noticed myself being more compassionate and generous towards those who may be instigators of conflict, because I had a better understanding of their motivations. This has made me more curious and open to looking deeply at conflict and finding ways to work with it. I'd recommend this to all employees interested in learning how to adapt in situations of challenge.”

– Anonymous, M&P, Rehearsing Conflict Summer Intensive participant, June 2023​​​​

"The live event and plays offered an experiential, visceral experience. What was surfaced still lingers in my thoughts. Just sitting in the audience and not getting on stage surfaced a lot of insight."

– Anonymous, Capstone Performance audience member, June 2023

Stay up-to-date

To stay informed about all things Conflict Theatre, subscribe to our mailing list via the button below. Subscribers to the monthly "Playbill" newsletter receive event reminders, featurettes, and more!

Subscribe to the newsletter 

For more information about our program and opportunities, please email conflict.theatre@ubc.ca

Conflict Theatre is an initiative of UBC's Human Resources department in collaboration with the Equity and Inclusion Office and the Department of Theatre and Film. 

Focus and advance your professional goals and development through coaching at UBC. 

UBC Coaching Services is committed to advancing the vision of UBC’s organizational coaching culture with a focus on leadership, career, health and wellbeing, conflict and change.

Coaching Services is for UBC faculty and staff, and includes individual, group and custom coaching partnerships. Coaching is an inquiry-based process with the coach acting as a thought-partner, through the demonstration of active listening and curiosity. Coaching supports goal-setting, accountability and action by surfacing new awareness, insights and learning. It is not counselling or therapy.    

Coaching Portal

Log in to the Coaching Portal to access your personalized profile and our full suite of accredited coaches.

Log in to Portal

Coaching services and Solutions

Learn about working with a UBC Coach, and what coaching services and solutions are available at UBC. 

Learn more

Coaching Education

Access professional development opportunities to grow your coaching skills and professional coaching competencies.

Learn more

Coaching Internship Program

Discover how UBC faculty and staff pursuing a coaching credential can access funding and become a UBC Coach.

Learn more

UBC offers an online collection of instructional videos via LinkedIn Learning designed to provide just-in-time training in a variety of topic areas for staff and faculty.

LinkedIn Learning for faculty and staff

This learning resource allows UBC faculty and staff to access digital tutorials, courses, and curated learning paths to enhance their work performance and career development at no individual charge. 

Sign up or login with your CWL to access LinkedIn Learning resources.

Login to LinkedIn Learning

Please note that clinical faculty, students, student employees and contractors are not eligible to access LinkedIn Learning under the terms of the agreement.

LinkedIn Learning for students

As of June 10, 2024 the LinkedIn Learning license for students expired – students are no longer eligible for LinkedIn Learning. UBC is currently exploring alternative opportunities, platforms, and technologies to continue to enhance student career development for the future. Students can also access LinkedIn Learning via their local library – learn more about LinkedIn Learning at VPL. 

LinkedIn Learning benefits

LinkedIn Learning is an online collection of instructional videos designed to provide just-in-time training in a variety of areas, including workplace business practices, software skills, information technology, marketing, design, video, web, 3D and animation, and more.

• Learn anytime, anywhere. Access LinkedIn Learning courses from your desktop or mobile device—anytime.
• Learn in your language. Get learning content in English, French, Mandarin, Japanese, Spanish, German and Brazilian Portuguese.
• Expert instructors. Learn from industry leaders in business, technology and creative fields, all in one place.
• Personalized recommendations. Curated course recommendations drawing on insights from over 630+ million LinkedIn members.

Getting started

Activate your UBC LinkedIn Learning account

1. Login with your CWL.
2. Go through the short series of prompts to create your account.
3. You can choose to connect your UBC LinkedIn Learning account with your personal LinkedIn.com profile, or not. Connecting your accounts is optional. 

Connecting your UBC LinkedIn Learning account to your personal LinkedIn profile

When you are activating your account for the first time, you will be prompted to connect your LinkedIn Learning account to your personal LinkedIn account – this step is optional and the choice is up to you. If you aren't sure, you have the option to connect your profile at a later time, or if you change your mind, you can also disconnect your profiles at any time.

Benefits of connecting your profile:

• Easy access directly from LinkedIn.com
• Experience more personalized learning with recommendations based on your professional profile and what others in your role or industry are learning
• Keep learning top-of mind with high-quality, expert-led learning recommendations as you scroll down your newsfeed. One click and the course starts playing right in your newsfeed.

Individual subscription with LinkedIn Learning

If you already have an individual subscription on LinkedIn Learning, you can switch between this account and the UBC subscription, and manage how you choose to share your learning activities with your organization. See the relevant articles and resources linked below in the Additional Resources section for more information.

Privacy

Whether or not you have connected your learning account to your LinkedIn.com profile, the following information is part of your learning account:

• Learning history
• UBC employee information (name, employee ID, business email, faculty, department, job title, employee group, job function)

View the privacy information articles and resources linked below in the Additional Resources section for more information, as well as the UBC Privacy Notification information on the bottom of this page.

Additional resources

For help with managing your account, privacy information, gaining skills with LinkedIn Learning and more, there are many relevant resources on the LinkedIn Learning site. No account is required to access these resources.

• Manage your account and privacy settings
• Understanding your privacy settings
• Privacy information for LinkedIn Learning learners
• Disconnect your personal LinkedIn profile from your UBC Learning license
• Switch between LinkedIn Learning accounts
• VIDEO: How to Use LinkedIn Learning
• VIDEO: Gaining Skills with LinkedIn Learning
• VIDEO: Developing a Learning Mindset

Questions

If you have any additional questions after reviewing the information on this page, please contact support.wpl@ubc.ca. 

UBC Privacy Notification

This system will collect some information about you (your name, employee ID, work email address, employment group, campus, faculty/VP portfolio, department, position title) under the authority of section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). The information will only be used for the purpose of delivering online training to you. The information is securely stored on the LinkedIn servers, which are located in the United States and Singapore. Please see the LinkedIn privacy policy and settings for more details about how your information is protected and used. If you choose to link your personal LinkedIn profile to your UBC sponsored LinkedIn Learning account please learn more about what information UBC can see.

Faculty and staff can browse, enroll in, and track internal training, learning and professional development courses through the Workplace Learning Ecosystem (WPL).

UBC onboarding, orientation, professional development, wellbeing, and required training, workshops and courses are housed together in one central location on the Workplace Learning Ecosystem (WPL) so that faculty and staff can explore the offerings and find exactly what they need. 

Today’s learning opportunities come in a variety of forms and styles, with something to suit every learner. UBC encourages all faculty and staff to further their professional and personal development by taking part in our learning and leadership opportunities through the WPL.

Browse the WPL

For support with the workplace learning ecosystem, please contact support.wpl@ubc.ca.

Employees and managers each play an active role to ensure performance conversations happen, and are successful. 

Typically, your manager will schedule your performance conversations as a series of regular check-ins that culminate in a final year-end overview. Along the way, you will be invited to discuss your career interests and aspirations, and seek feedback on your performance. 

If you are new to UBC or have recently come under a new manager, don’t hesitate to ask your manager about the process around probation, team and individual goal setting, check-ins and the annual overview process.

Performance conversation cycle

Performance conversations will generally contain the following activities:

• Setting performance and development expectations aligned to unit and team goals. 
  Aligned to the role, desired outcomes, level of experience, and job classification.
• Agreeing to performance, development, and aspirational goals.
  Relevant to role, responsibilities, objectives, interests, career aspirations and feedback received.
• Making time for regular check-ins about overall wellbeing, goals, learning and teamwork.
  Recommend- at minimum- one regular monthly check-in to build relationship and discuss important updates, goal status, important feedback and learning objectives and outcomes.
• A dedicated Career Conversation.
  UBC supports career satisfaction and resiliency. Employees are encouraged to engage in at least one career focused conversation with their manager and align developments goals to support their growth. 
• Reviewing performance and learning outcomes against agreed-to goals and expectations.
  An opportunity to reflect on accomplishments, learning, and actual versus desired outcomes.

Performance conversation principles

UBC strives to cultivate the conditions where employees can thrive and grow. When it comes to performance conversations, adhering to a few important principles can enhance the experience for everyone.

• Strengths-based. Look for the best in others as well as yourself.
• A coach approach. Be curious and listen actively.
• Shared learning. Recognize there is an opportunity for everyone to learn something new.

Phase 1: Prepare for the performance conversation

Enhance your performance conversation by working through the following preparation questions:

• What would make this a meaningful conversation for you?
• What feedback or insights are you hoping to obtain?
• Are you meeting in person or virtually? How can you optimize the meeting space?
• How are you doing? What would you like to share with your manager? (goal updates, wellbeing, teamwork, remote work, etc.)
• What aspects of your performance and work do you hope to discuss?
• What are you most proud of in terms of your technical and interpersonal achievements?
• What challenges have you been facing, and how are you managing?
• What progress are you making toward your goals?
• How do you feel about your collaboration with others?
• What resources do you need to be more effective in your role?

Phase 2: Have the performance conversation

The Connect, Open, Explore and Close (COEC) conversation model supports effective learning conversations of all kinds. The approach provides employees and managers with a structure, questions and prompts and can be easily applied to your annual and ongoing performance and development conversations.

Phase 3: Learning and reflection for self-development

Enhance your next performance conversation by working through the following reflection statements:

• What I most appreciated about the performance conversation was…
• What I learned about myself, my manager and/or my work was...
• The aspects of the conversation that were challenging involved…
• My learning edge is…
• What will I be sure to remember for our next meeting…

Questions

If you have questions or concerns about the performance review process, please ask your manager, or if you need additional support, contact your HR Advisor.

UBC is committed to supporting your capability, capacity and maturity for change through a standard approach of change management practices.

UBC change and transition community of practice 

Enrich and elevate your capacity and capability for leading change by participating in monthly community of practice (CoP) sessions. The UBC Change and Transition CoP invite leaders to share stories (successes and challenges), harness cross-disciplinary expertise, engage with and learn from the approaches of others, and explore emerging trends and innovations in change management.

Open to all faculty and staff, the Change and Transition CoP is one way that UBC supports faculty and staff to navigate, lead, and implement change effectively. For current workshops, search the Workplace Learning Ecosystem (WPL). (Topic: Change Management).  

Sign up to be notified of upcoming workshops and offerings.

Tools and resources

Our revolving source of tools and resources is centred around change management practices. It guides leaders through steps in the change management process, supporting them to effectively prepare for, lead and implement change.

Access the Community of Practice series for additional support and guidance around using these tools.

Self-directed online learning

Learn at your own pace using curated resources centred around building capacity for leading change.

• LinkedIn Learning courses
• Change management courses and certificates

Organizational change management preferred vendor list

UBC has a list of prequalified preferred vendors for organizational change management. Vendors specialize in organizational change management consulting and are available for all departments and faculties to contract with as required.

Contact and feedback

For more information, questions or additional support, please contact the Organizational Change and Transition team at change.transition@ubc.ca.

Have a suggestion? We welcome your feedback.