General frequently asked questions (FAQ)

1. Is _____ covered? How much will it cost?

For a summary of covered medical expenses, please view the Annual Benefits Maximum. Visit the Dental Benefits page for a summary of covered dental expenses.

To determine if a specific medication/treatment will be covered by our plan, we advise contacting GreenShield.

2. How do I submit a claim?  

Learn about submitting a claim.

3. How do I get a new benefit card?

• Your benefits ID card is also available on the GreenShield+ app.
• Contact GreenShield’s Customer Contact Centre toll-free at 1-888-711-1119, and they will mail an additional card to you

4. How do I apply for the Tuition Waiver Benefit as an eligible employee?

The application form for the Tuition Waiver Benefit can be completed online and is available on the Finance website. Eligibility requirements are outlined in Policy 4 and Policy 24.

5. What is the pregnancy/parental leave benefit and process at Waterloo?

Eligibility for University of Waterloo supplementary benefits is assessed on a case-by-case basis by Human Resources. Visit the Pregnancy/Parental Leave Benefit Summary Table. For more information regarding the pregnancy/parental leave process, visit our Pregnancy/Parental Leave FAQ.

For more questions regarding benefits, please visit the Benefits FAQ or contact hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca.

1. What is Employment Equity?

Employment Equity is a program designed to remove barriers to employment for equity-seeking populations, specifically for Indigenous people, women, persons with disabilities, racialized persons as outlined in the Employment Equity Act.

Like many equity initiatives, employment equity is ongoing and works to identify and eliminate employment barriers that may exist in procedures and policies. An employment equity program attempts to achieve:

• A workforce that reflects the diversity of the available labour force
• Employment systems, policies and practices that support the recruitment, retention and promotion of designated group members
• Employment systems that ensure all employees have an equitable opportunity to develop their abilities, realize their expectations and make the best contribution possible to the workplace

2. Why is Employment Equity important to Waterloo?

The principles of equity, diversity and inclusion are a core part of the mission and values of Waterloo and a key component of the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan. Maintaining and strengthening a culture of excellence requires ongoing effort and a perpetual commitment to open dialogue and new ideas. Everyone at Waterloo plays an important role in the continued achievement of employment equity.

We collect and analyze confidential equity data to monitor our progress towards an equitable workforce and to advance employment equity. Collecting employment equity data is just one of the many ways we gather information to help create and grow engaged communities.

3. What is the Federal Contractors Program?

The Federal Contractors Program ensures that contractors who do business with the Government of Canada seek to achieve and maintain a workforce that is representative of the Canadian workforce, including members of the four designated groups as outlined and defined under the Employment Equity Act:

• women;
• Aboriginal peoples – persons who are First Nations (Status and Non-Status), Inuit or Métis;
• persons with disabilities – persons with a long-term or recurring physical, mental, sensory, psychiatric or learning impairment who consider themselves to be disadvantaged in employment by reason of that impairment or who believe that an employer or potential employer is likely to consider them to be disadvantaged in employment by reason of that impairment, and includes individuals with functional limitations due to their impairment that have been accommodated in their current job or workplace; and
• members of visible minorities – persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.

The Program applies to provincially regulated contractors that:

• have a combined workforce in Canada of 100 or more permanent full-time and permanent part-time employees; and
• have received an initial federal government goods and services contract valued at $1 million or more (including applicable taxes).

4. Why are the questions asked in the way they are written?

The University has adopted the questions and terminology provided by the Federal Contractors Program, Statistics Canada and the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

While we acknowledge that some terms have been replaced (for example, “racialized people” has largely replaced “visible minority”) the terms used in the census, such as “visible minority”, are used by the federal government in the Federal Contractors Program.

5. 6. How do I access the Employment Equity Census?

All full-time regular Faculty, Staff and CUPE members will be requested to complete the census by logging into Workday. All other employees can complete the census by logging into Workday and navigating to the: (demonstrate with a screenshot)

Cloud icon (top-right) > View profile > Job > Additional Data > Edit

Employees who perform administrative tasks in Workday are advised to acknowledge the census. If you require an alternate format of the census, please contact hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca.

6. I’ve already filled out the census in the past. Do I need to complete the June 2020 census as well?

Yes. All employees at Waterloo are encouraged to fill out the census, even if it’s been completed in the past. To ensure that this data can meaningfully inform policies and procedures at Waterloo, full participation from the campus community is necessary.

You can go into Workday and update your census responses at any time.

7. How is the data from the census used?

Reports of this survey will include only summarized results, ensuring that no individual can be identified. This information is included in the Federal Contractors Program report.

The aggregate, de-identified information is used by various offices at the University to determine programs and initiatives for the upcoming year, and to develop strategies that ensure the University is representative of our diverse community.

The data collected through this census will not be used for any other purpose.

8. How is my data protected?

Your information is confidential and can only be accessed by limited designated staff from the Data and Analytics team in Human Resources. It is analyzed and reported in summary form, with no individuals identified.

9. What will happen with the census results?

The results are confidential. Your individual census responses will never be shared with your manager, supervisor, Chair or Dean. The data from your responses is aggregated and summarized within reports as required.

The aggregate census results are used for the purposes of policy development and implementing Waterloo’s Equity resources and programs through Human Resources and the Equity Office.

The census will provide key data on Waterloo’s workforce and will inform action plans and strategies to address under-representation in identified areas. It will also allow for progress to be measured over time.

10. Could I be disadvantaged in any way by providing this information?

No. The information you provide on the census is stored in a strictly confidential area in Workday. The information cannot be accessed by your manager, department leader or any campus community, including hiring. Reporting is only provided by HR when the business needs align with the expressed purpose that the information was collected. Information is always presented at an aggregate level.

11. Who should I contact for an alternative format?

Employees who perform administrative tasks in Workday are advised to acknowledge the census. If you require an alternate format of the census, please contact hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca. Please ensure your personnel number is recorded on the census for reporting purposes.

1. What type of pension plan does Waterloo have?

The Waterloo pension plan is a final average earnings defined benefit registered pension plan with a cost of living adjustment clause. This means that your pension at retirement is determined based on a formula that considers your earnings nearest retirement and your years and months of pension service.

2. How is my pension calculated?

Your pension is calculated using the following Pension Formula. This formula provides an annual pension payable at your normal retirement date in the form of a Single Life Pension, Guaranteed 10 years.

Final Average Earnings is the average of your best consecutive 36 months salaries in the ten years prior to retirement. Effective January 1, 2014,the averaging period will increase by one month each month until it is a 60 month (5 year) averaging period.

3. When can I join the pension plan?

You can join the plan immediately upon becoming a regular employee of the University of Waterloo.

If you are a casual or temporary employee of the University of Waterloo, you can join the Plan upon completion of two consecutive years of employment in which you earned at least 35% of the YMPE or worked 700 hours in each of the two years.

4. Do I have to participate in the pension plan?

Participation in the Pension Plan is mandatory for regular full-time and regular part-time employees over the age of 35, but membership is offered on appointment.

If you are a definite term lecturer, definite term assistant professor - teaching stream or Clinical assistant professor - teaching stream you do not have to participate in the pension plan until you have completed 5 continuous years of employment or are promoted to a higher rank of faculty including continuing lecturer and are over age 35. 

5. When can I start receiving my pension?

You can commence pension payments from the University of Waterloo as early as age 55.

6. Where can I find my pension statement? When is the pension statement released?

You will receive an annual pension statement by the end of each June with updated pension information on myPENSIONinfo. This statement is a snapshot of your account and shows an estimate of the monthly pension payments you may receive when you retire.

For more questions regarding pensions, please visit Pension FAQ or contact pensions@uwaterloo.ca.