There are a number of benefits available to members of the Faculty Association (also outlined in the current Collective Agreement) – health benefits, insurance plans, the pension plan, tuition waivers and funds to reimburse you for professional expenditures.
Health Benefits
Medical Services Plan of British Columbia (MSP)
Residents of British Columbia are required to register themselves and their dependents with the Medical Services Plan. There is no cost to this plan.
For further information about the Medical Services Plan, including extent of coverage or wait times if you are new to BC, please visit the MSP website.
Extended Health Plan
The Extended Health benefits provide coverage of some items not covered by the provincial plan, including ambulance fees, out-of-country emergency medical care, vision care, prostheses, and some prescription drugs. For full details on coverage, please refer to the HR Benefits website .
There is a $25 deductible per year/per family. Claim forms are available from Financial Services; claims can also be filed electronically through the Sun Life website.
Depending on your rank and the amount of work, the premiums are either paid in full or half by UBC.
Dental Plan
The dental plan covers 100% of Preventative Procedures, 100% of Basic Procedures, 70% of Major Restoration Procedures and 65% of Orthodontic Procedures up to $3000.00 lifetime maximum per person. The plan will not cover every type of procedure, so Faculty Association members are strongly encouraged to confirm coverage or submit a treatment plan to Sun Life in advance of any major procedure. For full details on coverage, please visit the HR Benefits website or refer to the SunLife Financial booklet “Your Group Benefits“.
Depending on your rank and the amount that you work, the premiums are either paid in full or half by UBC.
Employee and Family Assistance Plan (EFAP)
EFAP is a self-referred, confidential counseling and information service for Faculty Association members and their families. Enrollment is mandatory for those with appointments of at least 50% and at least four months. The current provider of this service is LifeWorks.
Contact LifeWorks through Workday (with more information on the Employee and Family Assistant Plan) –complete confidentiality is assured. Information that you share with EFAP staff will not be shared with UBC, and the University is not told the identity of those using LifeWorks services.
The premiums are 100% employer paid.
Health Spending Amount
Each member of the bargaining unit also receives $400 annually in a Health Spending Account. Any unused balance is added to the next year, to a maximum of one-year accrual. Further information on the HSA, including how to seek reimbursements, is available Health Spending Account Information.
Insurance Plans
Basic Life Insurance
This benefit is mandatory for those with full-time appointments of one year or more. It is optional for those in part-time appointments, “without review” appointments of at least 50% and terms of four months or more. Your age and annual salary determine your coverage – for full details of coverage, see the HR Benefits website.
Optional Life Insurance
In addition to the Basic Life Insurance provided by UBC, Optional Life Insurance is available for Faculty Association members, their spouses or common-law partners and dependent children. The Optional Life Insurance can be bought in units of $25,000.00 to a maximum of $750,000.00. For full details on coverage, see the HR Benefits website .
The premiums (paid by the Faculty Association member) vary depending on age and whether you smoke.
Income Replacement Plan (IRP)
The Income Replacement Plan (IRP) is intended to provide income to those who are unable, due to illness or injury, to perform their own or a similar occupation. This benefit is mandatory for members of the Faculty Association.
IRP benefits begin after a qualifying period of six months. This six-month period is usually covered by the paid sick leave available to most Faculty Association members. IRP provides a percentage of monthly salary 67% of the first $5,500 of your basic monthly salary, plus 43% of your monthly salary in excess of the first $5,500).
The maximum monthly benefit is $30,000, and net monthly payments from the Income Replacement Plan are not subject to Income Tax. For full details on coverage, see the HR Benefits website.
The premiums (paid by the Faculty Association member) for the Income Replacement Plan are 1.059% of salary.
Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance (AD&D)
Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance provides benefits for accidental death, loss of limbs, sight or hearing. This insurance is available to the Faculty Association member and spouse or common-law partner. For full details on coverage see the HR Benefits website.
The premiums (paid by the Faculty Association member) vary depending on level of coverage.
Tuition Waiver
Tuition fee waivers for UBC credit courses are available for Faculty Association members and their dependent children. After September 1, 2023 faculty may transfer their tuition fee waivers to their spouse. Faculty Association members may receive a waiver for up to 12 credits per year of graduate or undergraduate courses (some conditions apply). Dependent children may receive a waiver for up to 120 credits of coursework in an undergraduate degree program (some conditions apply). For full information on how to apply for the tuition fee waiver for Faculty Association members or the tuition fee waiver for dependent children, please see the HR Benefits website. The benefit is paid for by UBC and is a taxable benefit.
Professional Development Funds
Faculty Association members, excluding sessionals without continuing status, have access to $1700.00 per year to reimburse some of the professional expenses. These funds can be banked for up to five years. To review the types of eligible expenses, or to check whether you are eligible for the fund, please see the Faculty Relations website.
Sessionals without continuing status are entitled to $100 per credit up to $1700 per year. They may also accrue funds to a maximum of 5 years.
Faculty Pension Plan
Terms of the Faculty Pension Plan are not bargained by the Faculty Association. Accessibility and contribution rates are bargained. Participation is mandatory for those with an appointment that is full-time and for one year or more. Sessional Faculty with appointments of eight months or more are eligible for membership. Those holding sessional appointments should consult with the Faculty Pension Plan Administration office to determine eligibility.
The Faculty Pension Plan is a defined contribution plan. Contributions are made by a Faculty Association member and UBC. Faculty Association members may choose from a variety of different investment funds. You may choose to divide your pension monies among several funds or transfer between funds. For further details on the Faculty Pension Plan, or your options upon retirement, please see the Faculty Pension Plan website.
The defined contributions (as specified in the Collective Agreement) are 15% of your salary: the Faculty Association member puts in 5% of their salary, and UBC puts in 10% of a member’s salary.
Optional Supplemental Pension Arrangement
There is a Supplemental Pension Arrangement for those Faculty Association members who are members of the Faculty Pension Plan, and whose contributions exceed the maximum annual amount allowed by Revenue Canada. For further information on the Supplemental Pension Arrangement, see the Faculty Pension Plan web site.
