2.5 Health and Benefits

UBC is committed to fostering the health and wellbeing of our campus community. As you and Faculty all across the world navigate significant amounts of change, it is vitally important that we all focus on taking care of our health and wellbeing needs.

UBC Okanagan offers a number of health and wellbeing resources and programs to support you whether you are on-campus or in a virtual environment.

Your Wellbeing

UBC is proud to offer a wide range of workshops, programs and services to help keep you working and living well. Some of these are available at different times throughout the year ( Not Myself Today initiative (Links to an external site.), Healthy Workplace Initiative Fund, (Links to an external site.)THRIVE campaign (Links to an external site.)). Keep an eye on any that you're interested in!

Courses available right now:
- The Workplace Learning Ecosystem (Links to an external site.) has free self-guided, webinar and workshop sessions focused on wellbeing. Note: Wellbeing courses identified as Vancouver are also open to the Okanagan. Click on the course you are interested in to see the details.
- 30 Day Mindfulness Challenge (Links to an external site.): online training program that helps UBC staff, faculty and postdoctoral fellows to incorporate mindfulness into the workplace and in their everyday lives.

Wellness Centre: Online

The Wellness Centre: Online is a virtual space for engaging in topics relevant to your well-being, wherever you are.

find up-to-date health education and information
connect with peers, nurses, and counsellors
access self-care modules and health resources
learn tips and strategies for well-being

Workplace Health

Depending on your job or your circumstances, the Workplace Health Services team (Links to an external site.) have resources that you can access during your time at UBC Okanagan.

As many staff and faculty have made the transition to work-from-home arrangements, the Ergonomics team has developed two key resources support healthy work spaces.

Health insurance: make sure you’re covered

All British Columbia (BC) residents are required to have basic medical coverage through the BC Medical Services Plan Links to an external site. (MSP). Postdoctoral Fellows must apply for coverage directly from MSP upon arrival in B.C.

Please note that there is a three-calendar-month waiting period prior to enrolment with MSP. During the waiting period, we encourage Postdoctoral Fellows to have private coverage which can be purchased through David Cummings Insurance Services Ltd Links to an external site.. (DCIS).

Foreign Postdoctoral Fellows holding work permits for one year or more are considered residents of B.C. by MSP. Postdoctoral Fellows with work permits for less than one year can also purchase private medical coverage through David Cummings Insurance Services Ltd Links to an external site.. (DCIS).

Health and welfare benefits

Postdoctoral Fellows receiving earnings from UBC:

Those who are in receipt of earnings paid by UBC (regular salary or fellowship) may be eligible for health benefits, which include Extended Health, Dental and the Employee and Family Assistance Program. To be eligible for benefits, appointments must include all three of the below requirements:

an appointment of at least 1 year in length
a minimum 50% appointment
must meet the minimum salary requirements for that position

Postdoctoral Fellows receiving earnings from outside of UBC:

Postdoctoral Fellows who receive funding directly from an organization/agency other than UBC, may be eligible for benefits. Requirements for benefit eligibility are as above. Additionally the individual must have a valid Canadian Social Insurance Number.

Detailed information on Benefits and Leaves can be found in the benefits section of the employee website.

The costs for benefits are primarily covered by the supervising faculty member. In the case of fellowship earnings, benefit expenses cannot be charged to the fellowship unless the award/grant agency specifically allows for benefit expenses to be changed to the fellowship – confirmation in writing is required.

Postdoctoral fellows who are ineligible for extended health benefits are encouraged to make private arrangements for benefit plans and insurance coverage.

Information regarding enrolling in benefits is posted on the Enrolling in Benefits webpage.

For more information about benefits, please contact Jacky Ivans, HR Relocation and Benefits Associate: jacky.ivans@ubc.ca.

Extended Health and Dental

In general, the UBC Group Extended Health Care plan provides some financial assistance for physician-recommended medically necessary services and supplies, and will pay up to reasonable and customary charges for these services.

Please visit the Extended Health section on the Benefits website for more details.

Dental Care
The UBC Dental Care plan provides coverage for a wide range of dental services, from your regular check-ups to major procedures such as root canals
and crowns. These procedures may be provided by a licensed Dentist, Denturist, Dental Hygienist and Anaesthetist. Please visit Dental Care section on the Benefits website for more information.

For assistance with registering for Extended Health and Dental, benefits advice, and coordination with payroll and benefits services, contact:

Jacky Ivans, Relocation & Benefits Associate
jacky.ivans@ubc.ca

Employee and Family Assistance Program
EFAP is a confidential counselling and crisis response service provided by LifeWorks, the largest provider of EFAP services in Canada. LifeWorks is a self-referral service, meaning no one needs to know you are seeking help for a problem that affects your family life, work life or general health and well-being.
Please visit the UBC Human Resources website for more information.

LifeWorks Care Access Centre Links to an external site. (CWL required)
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
1-800-387-4765

The ALAViDA TRAiL Links to an external site.

The ALAViDA TRAiL is a comprehensive resource for supporting individuals relationship with substances, whether they're facing mild, moderate or severe challenges. This 100% confidential service can be accessed directly via smartphone and includes access to self-guided resources, coaches, therapists, and physicians to deliver a personalized program proven to reduce substance use.

Fitness and recreation

Being physically active is a critically important thing you can do to manage university stress and meet people. The Okanagan is well-known for its culture of promoting fresh air, fitness, and endless opportunities for recreation—and our Okanagan campus is no exception. Through UBC Recreation, UBC Okanagan is home to several recreation-oriented facilities and programs, many offered virtually. These include group fitness classes, personal fitness, intramurals, etc.

Learn more about programs offered by Recreation.