Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Staff salary settlement will go to BoG in June

Increases to salary ranges to be implemented over three years and new working groups to review for salary gender equity and the performance appraisal system are among the recommendations the Provost will submit to the Board of Governors on June 5.

“In accordance with Policy 5, Salary Administration, University Support Staff, the Provost’s Advisory Committee on Staff Compensation (PACSC) met several times over the past few months to discuss a compensation recommendation in light of market data, the findings of the staff salary review concluded in Winter of 2018, and other compensation arrangements on campus,” wrote Vice-President, Academic & Provost George Dixon in a memo circulated to regular ongoing staff yesterday. “I have received and will be forwarding the below recommendation to the Board of Governors for consideration at its next meeting.”

1. The term of the agreement will run from May 1, 2018 to April 30, 2021.
2. Increases:
   1. On each of 30 April 2018 and 30 April 2019, increase the salary ranges by 0.75 percent with no consequent adjustment to individuals’ salaries. This will have the effect of lowering the compa ratio (an individual’s position in the range relative to the job value/mid-point) for all staff by approximately 0.75 percent on each adjustment date.
   2. On 1 May 2018, increase the salary ranges by 2.00 percent and run the merit program.
   3. On each of 1 May 2019 and 1 May 2020, increase the salary ranges by 2.15 percent and run the merit program.

Because the recommendations are subject to approval by the Board of Governors at its June meeting, the range increases for 30 April 2018 and 1 May 2018 will be performed retroactively and the resulting increases expected to be reflected in staff members’ June pay.

3. The university will increase its annual contribution to the employee health and dental care benefits plan for the benefit of staff by ~$800,000 (all-in costs, inclusive of taxes and fees, corresponding to a notional additional ~$325 per non-retired staff member using Great-West Life membership data as at 1 October 2017). Although the additional contribution will be made 1 May 2018, the deadline date for implementation of the benefit change is 1 January 2019 (Implementation Deadline) to correspond with the beginning of the benefit year, and to allow the time necessary for the Pension & Benefits Committee to implement in accordance with its existing principles. PACSC will revisit the Implementation Deadline on the advice of the Pension & Benefits Committee.
4. The university will continue to contribute $250,000 per annum to the Staff Excellence Fund during the Term, which funds will be allocated through the current, established processes. Prior to the end of each fiscal year during the Term, the Associate Provost, Human Resources and the President of the UWSA will together review any unspent funds to determine if there are opportunities to allocate those funds in accordance with the fund guidelines before the end of that fiscal year.
5. The option to exchange one week vacation allowance for a one-time 2 percent increase in salary when within three years of retirement is extended to 30 April 2027 for retirement on or before 1 May 2030, to align with the Vacation Exchange Program in the Employee Benefits Program booklet.

The committee also recommends the establishment of two working groups to review issues of salary gender equity and performance appraisals:

6. Working Groups:

• Staff Salary Gender Equity Working Group:

PACSC will establish a working group with representation from HR and the UWSA to review whether there is gender inequity in staff salaries as a result of salary administration practices. The working group will report its findings to PACSC for discussion re: next steps.

• Performance Appraisal System Working Group:

A full and comprehensive performance appraisal system review will be completed by HR in consultation with PACSC in fiscal 2018/2019. The results will be reported to PACSC for discussion re: next steps.

Human Resources will be arranging information sessions following the June board meeting to respond to questions staff may have about the recommendations and the compensation strategy long-term. The information sessions will likely take place in the last week of June; dates and times will be announced in early to mid-June.

Being a catalyst for sustainable development means taking action

This is the latest post on President Feridun Hamdullahpur's blog.

This week the University of Waterloo officially opened the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) of Canada hosted at the University by the Faculty of Environment.

It is an honour to have the SDSN here at Waterloo, in partnership with the Waterloo Global Science Initiative (WGSI), and with the launch comes an increased capacity to explore and find solutions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SDGs are not focused on the environment and climate change alone. From gender and race inequity to access to education, food and water insecurity and clean energy, the SDGs encompass the needs and challenges billions of people around the world face every day. Waterloo will be at the heart of developing solutions to these complex issues and bring more equity, prosperity and stability to the world.

SDSN Canada: Why Waterloo?

The University of Waterloo is uniquely positioned in Canada to host the SDSN. We have the largest Faculty of Environment in Canada, we have a high concentration of researchers from countless disciplines and we have an entrepreneurial spirit that takes groundbreaking research and turns it into action.

Action is what Canada needs if we are going to hit our SDG targets by 2030.

While Waterloo will lead the SDG charge in Canada through the SDSN, we cannot do it alone. As the host institution for SDSN Canada, Waterloo is the hub of a national network of universities, researchers and non-governmental organizations. We need to bring together new ideas and new perspectives from all aspects of Canadian society to create positive change, and Waterloo will be home to it all.

An example of this collective effort was recently on display at the WGSI Generation SDG Summit. Researchers from across Canada gathered here in Waterloo to tackle the SDGs and their targets for Canada to explore and create a roadmap for how we can achieve those targets by 2030. It was an inspiring four days of hard work and I cannot wait to see how the dedication shown at the Summit can be translated into execution here at the SDSN.

Taking Action and Getting Involved

Canada is filled with peace and opportunity, but ranks only 17 on the 2017 SDG Index report that tracks the current performance of the 157 nations in meeting their SDG targets. This is not where we want to be. I know having SDSN Canada here at Waterloo will make a difference.

We are a hub of activity and creativity that leverages our strengths and expertise while collaborating with the world to have a global impact. Whether you’re a student, faculty member, staff member or community partner, I encourage you to learn about the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and join the movement to reach our targets with the leadership of the SDSN Canada.

Landing the dream co-op job at Parks Canada

Rachel Dennis wasn’t sure what to do after she graduated from high school. All she knew for sure was she loved teaching and the outdoors. She could see herself working at Parks Canada, but wasn’t sure how to get there.

She went to a university fair to see if any courses might pique her interest. Out of all the booths she saw, Waterloo’s Recreation and Leisure Studies Tourism program stood out the most. After meeting the team at the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, she knew she was at the right place.

Rachel has explored various career paths through co-op, which gave her the skills and experience to teach interpretive ecology programs. She found her passion in creating lesson plans to teach kids about conservation, preservation, and ecology.

Urban outreach with Parks Canada

Rachel’s teaching experience gave her the confidence to apply for a position with Parks Canada. She got a position as a member of the fourteen-person Urban Outreach Team based in Toronto. As a Partnership Program Developer, her job was to help create educational programs and games.

She loved encouraging people to get excited about how a specific species is crucial to the entire ecosystem functioning. It was extremely rewarding for her to see the lightbulbs go off in children and parents as they learned more about the world around them.

What's next

After experiencing the amazing opportunities organizations like Parks Canada have given Rachel, she is interested in exploring a more managerial environment. Event management and marketing would allow her to harness her previous experience as an interpreter and take it a step further. And even though she’s still not sure where she’ll end up, she’s willing to continue exploring different opportunities.

Rachel’s advice is to keep your doors open. You never know where life is going to take you, and everything is a potential learning experience you can grow from.

Retiree reception and other notes

The University has initiated a new recognition event to celebrate University of Waterloo retirees. The retiree reception, being held tonight at Federation Hall, celebrates not only existing retirees but also new University of Waterloo retirees from the previous calendar year, held in partnership with the University of Waterloo Retirees Association. All retirees and their guests are invited to this reception.

The Registrar's Office is reminding undergraduate students that the last day to add classes for spring 2018 is May 14, and the last day to drop a class with a 100 percent tuition refund is May 22. Students are invited to contact their academic advisor if they have questions.

Employers on campus next week hosting employer information sessions include Avidbots, Corp, Zynga, Facebook , Toast, Indigo Fair, LinkedIn, Amazon, Google, Draper AI, Bloomberg, Pacific Life Re, Capital One –Tech, Capital One – Business, Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., NVIDIA, OPTrust, AdeptMind Inc, and Wise. Visit the employer information calendar for more details.