Responsible Service:
Human Resources
Date and Instance of Approval:
February 23, 1967
Executive Committee of the Board of Governors
Amendments:
May 16, 2023
June 5, 2002
1. PURPOSE:
1.1 The purpose of this Policy is to establish eligibility criteria for an inclusive, competitive, and fair group benefits program designed to attract and retain talented staff members with a diversity of skills, perspectives, and experiences to achieve the University’s strategic goals.
2. DEFINITIONS:
2.1 The following words and expressions have the corresponding meaning for the purposes of applying this Policy.
Confidential Category (NC): Grouping of non-managerial positions that are non-unionized because of the nature of the role and includes support, administrative and technical positions.
Group Benefits: refers collectively to the types of benefits made available to eligible Regular Staff Members according to the terms of this policy and the applicable contracts, namely, (a) group insured extended health, dental, long-term disability, accidental death and dismemberment and life insurance benefits, (b) health care spending account and (c) employee and family assistance program.
Management Category (NM): Grouping of managerial, specialists and professional positions that are non-unionized because of the nature of the role.
Regular Staff Member: Any part-time or full-time staff member who holds an indeterminate position.
3. SCOPE & APPLICATION:
3.1 This Policy applies to Regular Non-Unionized Administrative and Support Staff Members and Group Benefits as defined in Section 2 of this Policy. This Policy does not apply to other staff member benefits.
4. ELIGIBILITY
4.1 To be eligible to participate in Group Benefits, Regular Staff Members must be,
a. a non-unionized Regular Staff Member in the Confidential Category (NC) or the Management Category (NM) who holds a position involving 15 hours of work or more per week; and is
b. a resident of Canada or a Canadian resident who is temporarily visiting or working outside of Canada and on whose behalf arrangements have been made to ensure that their provincial health insurance plan or equivalent University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) remains in force.
4.2 Certain types of Group Benefits may be subject to an approval process or waiting period to qualify for the benefit.
4.3 All eligible Regular Administrative and Support Staff Members must participate in the Group Benefits.
5. GROUP BENEFITS AND COSTS
5.1 The specific terms and conditions of the Group Benefits may differ between the Confidential Category (NC) and the Management Category (NM) with respect to the types of coverage, level of coverage, premium cost, and co-insurance details. Depending upon the Group Benefit, the Regular Staff Member’s financial contribution to the cost of the premium may or may not be required.
5.2 The costs of the following Group Benefits are either paid by the University or the eligible Regular Staff Member or a combination thereof:
a. Basic employee and dependent life insurance
b. Extended health insurance
c. Basic dental insurance
d. Basic long-term disability insurance
e. Health care spending account
5.3 The following are Group Benefits that are optional whereby eligible Regular Staff Members may choose to participate and pay the entire cost:
a. Optional life insurance
b. Optional accidental death and dismemberment insurance
c. Optional dental insurance
d. Optional long-term disability insurance
5.4 The Employee and family assistance program (EFAP) is paid by the University.
5.5 Any cost(s) associated with the insurance carrier approval process will be the responsibility of the eligible Regular Administrative and Support Staff Member.
5.6 The Group Benefit contracts take precedence over any information in this Policy or provided by the University in relation to the Group Benefits outlined in this Policy.
5.7 The University reserves its right to modify or alter the Group Benefits as and when it sees fit and without prior notice to the Regular Administrative and Support Staff Members.
6. HUMAN RESOURCE RESPONSIBILITIES
6.1 Human Resources is responsible for ensuring that the Group Benefits are administered in compliance with the applicable Group Benefit contracts and for making information about the principal features of the Group Benefits available, including posting such information on the University’s website at the My Info section of the University website.
6.2 The Associate Vice-President, Human Resources has authority to make final decisions over all Group Benefit related matters and disputes.
7. REVIEW AND IMPLEMENTATION:
7.1 The Vice-President, Finance and Administration is responsible for ensuring a periodic review of this Policy every five years or as necessary.
7.2 Human Resources is responsible for the implementation and interpretation of the Policy.
8. APPROVAL AND AMENDMENTS:
8.1 The Vice-President, Finance and Administration is responsible for recommending amendments to this Policy for approval by the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors.
8.2 Notwithstanding clause 8.1 of this Policy, the Secretary-General may amend this Policy without the need to submit such amendment to the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors for approval if such amendment to this Policy is required to:
a. Update or correct the name or title of a position, unit, law, regulation, policy, authority; and/or
b. Correct punctuation, grammar, typographical errors, revisions to format and other technical revisions, where appropriate, if the correction does not change the meaning of a provision or make such other correction if it is patent both that an error has been made and what the correction should be; and/or
c. Correct the form of expression of a provision in French or in English to be more compatible with its form of expression in the other language; and/or
d. Make consequential amendments to conform with or arising from another University by-law, resolution, policy, or to conform with applicable law.
8.3 The Vice-President, Finance and Administration may establish, amend, abrogate procedures for purposes of the effective implementation of this Policy, provided that such procedures are consistent with the provisions of this Policy.