If you work past 65, your benefits coverage will depend on whether you opt to receive or defer your pension.
Staff Members Working past the age of 65
Benefits while working after the normal retirement date
The maximum length of time you can choose to defer your pension is the end of the year in which you turn 71.
If you choose to continue to work past your normal retirement date and do not access the funds in your pension account balance, you will continue to receive your benefits, in a modified form. You will continue to receive the modified benefits described below until you begin accessing your pension account balance at the end of the year in which you turn 71, which is the age you must start receiving your pension in accordance with the Income Tax Act.
Extended health, dental and Employee and Family Assistance Program
Coverage continues under the terms of the plans.
Long-term disability (Income Replacement Plan or Disability Benefit Plan)
Your long-term disability coverage will have ended six months before your normal retirement date (four months for CUPE 2950 employees).
Basic life insurance
Your basic life coverage will be reduced from two times your annual basic earnings to one times your annual basic earnings. See the life insurance page in the benefits section about the option to convert your reduction in basic life coverage to an individual plan.
Optional Life, Optional Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) – Employee
Your Optional Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage will continue under the terms of the Plan.
Optional Life, Optional Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) – Spouse
Your spouse’s Optional Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment coverage ends on your normal retirement date. Learn about the option to convert your spouse’s Optional Life and AD&D coverage to an individual plan on the benefits section life insurance page.
Group Pension Plan
Your UBC pension plan or BCGEU Childcare pension plan remains in place under the terms of the plan and applicable legislation.
Sick leave
There are no changes to your ability to access short-term sick leave.
Unpaid leave
If you're unable to perform your duties because of illness or injury and you have used up your short-term sick leave bank, you may take an unpaid medical leave of absence. During your unpaid leave of absence, you can choose to maintain some or all of your benefits (including your pension) at your own cost.
There are two exceptions:
- Professional and personal development benefits: If you're eligible for professional development funds and the tuition waiver, you can still access these benefits if you work beyond your normal retirement date. Please note that B.C. residents who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada and who are 65 and older can register directly with Student Services for courses with full waivers for application, tuition and student fees. In this case, you do not need to request a Tuition Waiver.
- Eligible members of Faculty and the Academic Executive employee groups can also continue to access the tuition waiver for dependent children.
Benefits considerations at age 71
If you continue working past the age of 71, you're required by law to begin accessing your pension.
You're no longer eligible for UBC benefits and your coverage will end as is described in the section above. You'll continue to be eligible for sick leave, vacation and leaves and professional and personal development benefits.
Details by employee group
For more information, please see the letters of agreement for your employee group below. Note there's no letter of agreement for the Farm Workers employee groups.
- BCGEU Vancouver Childcare (pdf)
- BCGEU Okanagan (pdf)
- CUPE 116, CUPE 2278 and CUPE 2950 (pdf)
- IUOE 115 (pdf)
- Management and Professional: Administrative Executive and Management & Professional (pdf)
- Non-union:
If you're an active Faculty member working beyond your Normal Retirement Date, your benefits will change as per Article 7.12 of Part 2 of the Collective Agreement (salary & economic benefits).