Types of absences and leaves

View the types of absences and leaves offered by the University below. Leaves offered by the Ontario government can be viewed on the Employment Standards Act (ESA) Leaves page.

For CUPE employees, view the Union Agreement (PDF) between the University of Waterloo and CUPE Local 793.

Vacation

Description

Vacations are pre-planned breaks from the workplace, mutually arranged between managers and employees, and are meant to provide an opportunity for refreshment and rejuvenation.

Eligibility*

Staff & Faculty in ongoing positions full-time/part-time including appointments contingent upon funding	Temporary appointments of at least one year	Temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time, casuals, and occasional employees
Staff: Paid vacation days as per Policy 6 Faculty: Paid vacation days as per Memorandum of Agreement CUPE: Paid vacation days as per Collective Agreement	Staff: Two weeks (10 days) for each completed year of employment, prorated for a part-time appointment based on your FTE, or for a partial year of service. Note: The annual vacation entitlement increases to 15 days after 5 years of continuous service. Faculty: One month annually as per Policy 56.	4% vacation pay After 5 years of continuous service - 6% vacation pay

Staff & Faculty in ongoing positions full-time/part-time including appointments contingent upon funding

Temporary appointments of at least one year

Temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time, casuals, and occasional employees

Staff: Paid vacation days as per Policy 6

Faculty: Paid vacation days as per Memorandum of Agreement

CUPE: Paid vacation days as per Collective Agreement

Staff: Two weeks (10 days) for each completed year of employment, prorated for a part-time appointment based on your FTE, or for a partial year of service. Note: The annual vacation entitlement increases to 15 days after 5 years of continuous service.

Faculty: One month annually as per Policy 56.

4% vacation pay
After 5 years of continuous service - 6% vacation pay

How to apply

Employee to initiate vacation time off directly in Workday
Manager to review vacation request directly in Workday
Manager's approval is required in Workday

*Definitions

Staff & Faculty in ongoing positions full-time/part-time (no end date) including appointments contingent upon funding. It also includes academic, post-doctoral fellow and research associate definite-term appointments equal to or greater than two years.
All temporary appointments of at least one year. It also includes one year academic, post-doctoral fellow and research associate appointments. In cases where academic, post-doctoral fellow or research associates appointments are continued or extended, these appointments are treated as ongoing for benefits purposes when two years of continuous employment is reached.
Temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time (more than 3 months but less than 1 year), casuals (3 months or less) and occasional employees.

Sick leave

Description

Provides salary continuance during absence required due to non-occupational personal illness or injury, medical verification required after 5 consecutive days of absence.

Eligibility*

Staff & Faculty in ongoing positions full-time/part-time including appointments contingent upon funding	Temporary appointments of at least one year	Temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time, casuals, and occasional employees
*Staff & CUPE (USG 5 or greater): 180 calendar days of sick leave Staff & CUPE* (USG 4 or lower): 90 calendar days of sick leave. After five years of service, one additional calendar day credited for each completed month worked. Maximum credited sick leave is 180 calendar days. Faculty:** 180 calendar days of sick leave *CUPE have limited sick days during their probationary period	6 working days per year, prorated if part-time/fractional load	6 working days per year, prorated* *Does not apply to casual or occasional employees

Staff & Faculty in ongoing positions full-time/part-time including appointments contingent upon funding

Temporary appointments of at least one year

Temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time, casuals, and occasional employees

Staff & CUPE* (USG 5 or greater): 180 calendar days of sick leave

Staff & CUPE* (USG 4 or lower): 90 calendar days of sick leave. After five years of service, one additional calendar day credited for each completed month worked. Maximum credited sick leave is 180 calendar days.

Faculty: 180 calendar days of sick leave

*CUPE have limited sick days during their probationary period

6 working days per year, prorated if part-time/fractional load

6 working days per year, prorated*

*Does not apply to casual or occasional employees

How to apply

Employee can initiate sick day request directly in Workday for absences less than 5 days
For absences greater than 5 consecutive days, please refer to the Disability Management Guide (PDF)

*Definitions

Staff & Faculty in ongoing positions full-time/part-time (no end date) including appointments contingent upon funding. It also includes academic, post-doctoral fellow and research associate definite-term appointments equal to or greater than two years.
All temporary appointments of at least one year. It also includes one year academic, post-doctoral fellow and research associate appointments. In cases where academic, post-doctoral fellow or research associates appointments are continued or extended, these appointments are treated as ongoing for benefits purposes when two years of continuous employment is reached.
Temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time (more than 3 months but less than 1 year), casuals (3 months or less) and occasional employees.

Pregnancy & Parental leave

Description

UW Pregnancy Leave and UW Parental Leave are job-protected unpaid leaves of absence available to eligible employees who are new parents. To further support new parents, the University provides eligible employees with supplemental benefits in addition to the Maternity EI benefits and Parental EI benefits.

How to apply:

Step	Action
1	Review the Pregnancy and parental leaves (including adoption) benefit summary table
2	Review the Pregnancy and Parental leaves (including adoption) checklist.pdf
3	Faculty and Staff: Log into Workday and select Absence under your application menu to submit an absence request and select Pregnancy/Parental/Adoption > Pregnancy/Parental in the Type field. You will be required to attach a doctor’s note/ note from midwife indicating the due date or a certificate confirming the date of birth in the attachment field. To prevent processing delays, please submit this request at least two months prior to the start of your leave. Union Staff: Connect with your manager for a pregnancy/parental leave request form. Complete the form and submit this to Human Resources. You will be required to attach a doctor’s note/ note from the midwife indicating the due date or a certificate confirming the date of birth. To prevent processing delays, please submit this request at least two months prior to the start of your leave. Managers can request a copy of the pregnancy/parental leave form from their Human Resource Partner

Step

Action

Review the Pregnancy and parental leaves (including adoption) benefit summary table

Review the Pregnancy and Parental leaves (including adoption) checklist.pdf

Faculty and Staff: Log into Workday and select Absence under your application menu to submit an absence request and select Pregnancy/Parental/Adoption > Pregnancy/Parental in the Type field. You will be required to attach a doctor’s note/ note from midwife indicating the due date or a certificate confirming the date of birth in the attachment field. To prevent processing delays, please submit this request at least two months prior to the start of your leave.

Union Staff: Connect with your manager for a pregnancy/parental leave request form*. Complete the form and submit this to Human Resources. You will be required to attach a doctor’s note/ note from the midwife indicating the due date or a certificate confirming the date of birth. To prevent processing delays, please submit this request at least two months prior to the start of your leave.

*Managers can request a copy of the pregnancy/parental leave form from their Human Resource Partner

Additional resources:

Take a look at Frequently Asked Questions - Pregnancy/Parental Leave.
View the Secretariat website for Policy 14 - Pregnancy and Parental Leaves (including Adoption), and the Return to Work.

Self-funded leave

Description

Approved unpaid leaves of six months to one year may be self‑funded through a deferred salary leave agreement signed with the university.

Eligibility*

Staff & Faculty in ongoing positions full-time/part-time including appointments contingent upon funding	Temporary appointments of at least one year	Temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time, casuals, and occasional employees
Eligible	Not eligible	Not eligible

How to apply

Must be requested 3 years in advance. Please consult with your manager and HR Partner prior to requesting a self-funded leave. A Staff Leave of Absence Request (PDF) will also need to be completed.

Notes

See Policy 39 - Leaves of Absence for Staff Members for more information.

*Definitions

Staff & Faculty in ongoing positions full-time/part-time (no end date) including appointments contingent upon funding. It also includes academic, post-doctoral fellow and research associate definite-term appointments equal to or greater than two years.
All temporary appointments of at least one year. It also includes one year academic, post-doctoral fellow and research associate appointments. In cases where academic, post-doctoral fellow or research associates appointments are continued or extended, these appointments are treated as ongoing for benefits purposes when two years of continuous employment is reached.
Temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time (more than 3 months but less than 1 year), casuals (3 months or less) and occasional employees.

Emergency leave

Description

Personal Emergency Leave as per the Employment Standards Act has been replaced with the following three specific leaves (all unpaid and job protected):

Sick leave – three unpaid days per calendar year for personal illness, injury, or medical emergency
Family responsibility leave – three unpaid days per calendar year for an illness, medical emergency or urgent matter relating to certain relatives
Bereavement leave – two unpaid days per calendar year because of a death of certain family members

Eligibility

Staff & Faculty in ongoing positions full-time/part-time including appointments contingent upon funding	Temporary appointments of at least one year	Temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time, casuals, and occasional employees
8 days off in total (first 3 days are paid, and the remaining days are unpaid).	8 days off in total (first 3 days are paid, and the remaining days are unpaid).	8 unpaid days off in total (3 days for sick leave, 3 days for family responsibility leave, 2 days for bereavement leave).

How to apply

Let your manager know you will be absent and when possible, record the absence directly in Workday.

Notes

Emergencies are occasional, sudden and require immediate attention. While it may not be possible for an employee to determine arrangements for emergency leave with their department head/supervisor at the time of the emergency, they must inform their department at the time of their absence from work and communicate with their department head/supervisor during their period of absence. For more information, visit the Emergency Leave page on the Secretariat website.

*Definitions

Staff & Faculty in ongoing positions full-time/part-time (no end date) including appointments contingent upon funding. It also includes academic, post-doctoral fellow and research associate definite-term appointments equal to or greater than two years.
All temporary appointments of at least one year. It also includes one year academic, post-doctoral fellow and research associate appointments. In cases where academic, post-doctoral fellow or research associates appointments are continued or extended, these appointments are treated as ongoing for benefits purposes when two years of continuous employment is reached.
Temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time (more than 3 months but less than 1 year), casuals (3 months or less) and occasional employees.

Bereavement and Compassionate Care Leaves

When a family member passes away, it can be a difficult and stressful time for you and your family. The University offers several resources to assist you and your family in coping during this trying time.

The May 1, 2021 to April 30, 2024 salary agreements for members of FAUW (“Faculty”) and non-unionized staff in regular and ongoing positions (“Staff”) include a commitment to develop a new Policy on Compassionate Care and Bereavement Leaves. In the interim, prior to such Policy being developed, the following benefits are available to eligible Faculty and Staff effective May 1, 2022:

Compassionate Care Leave (CCL): Employees on an Employment Standards Act (ESA) Critical Illness Leave (CIL) or an ESA Family Medical Leave (FML) are entitled to 85% of their base pay (less any Employment Insurance benefits received, if applicable) for 8 weeks. Employees eligible for EI benefits must apply, but paid CCL is not contingent on receipt of EI benefits.
Bereavement Leave (BL): Employees are entitled to 4 weeks of absence with salary continuance following the death of their spouse/partner, child or step-child OR 1 week of absence with salary continuance following the death of any other immediate family member (e.g. parent or sibling).
For both CCL and BL, an employee can submit a request to their Dean (for Faculty) or Department Head (for Staff) to request a longer period of paid CCL or BL. The Dean/Department Head will determine whether to grant an extension and respond in writing to the requesting employee. For CCL, a copy of this letter will be provided to Human Resources for any approved requests for benefit payments beyond 8 weeks to ensure central application.
For clarity, an employee may be entitled to longer periods of unpaid leave under the ESA. This Interim Practice Document relates to periods of paid leave offered by the University, and does not limit any additional periods of unpaid leave employee an employee may be entitled to under the ESA.

The salary agreements also indicate that the above benefits may be amended or superseded by the terms of the new Policy, provided the access to and levels of these benefits are not degraded. The Policy Development Committee has developed a draft Policy 12. However, as Policy 12 is not anticipated to be finalized and approved for implementation for several months, this Interim Practice will be implemented effective May 1, 2022 and until Policy 12 approval.

The following Interim Practice applies for CCL:

Employee enters the request for a CCL of absence into Workday for their manager’s approval, attaching supporting documentation which identifies the specific leave of absence required. In addition to FML and CIL, the form is used to support the need for an ESA Family Caregiver Leave (FCL) which is an unpaid leave of absence
Human Resources will issue a Record of Employment (ROE) to enable the employee to apply for Employment Insurance (EI) benefits from Service Canada, if applicable
For FML and CIL, employee provides Human Resources with a copy of their EI statement in order to calculate the benefit payable from the University during the CIL or FML of absence
Human Resources monitors the leave and working with the employee’s manager, applies a return from leave within Workday to enable the recommencement of normal salary

The following interim practice applies for BL. Managers will provide their employees (Faculty and Staff) with a fully paid Bereavement Leave of absence in accordance with the salary agreements. Each day of absence must be entered into Workday – either by the employee with manager approval, or by the manager directly – so that these absences can be tracked centrally. Managers are responsible for ensuring accurate application.

For all other employees (e.g., temporary, temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time, casuals and occasional), reasonable time off will be granted when a death occurs in the family. Normally, one to four calendar days leave of absence is available to an employee who experiences a death in their family. Consideration of the need to arrange for and/or to attend the funeral or memorial service, or to take care of related obligations, will form the basis upon which the duration of the absence will be assessed. The employee or manager can initiate this request directly in Workday.

Long Term Disability (LTD)

Description

The LTD benefit is intended to provide income continuance when sick leave expires for all eligible employees.

Eligibility*

Staff & Faculty in ongoing positions full-time/part-time including appointments contingent upon funding	Temporary appointments of at least one year	Temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time, casuals, and occasional employees
Eligible	Not eligible	Not eligible

How to apply

Please refer to the Disability Management Guide (PDF).

*Definitions

Staff & Faculty in ongoing positions full-time/part-time (no end date) including appointments contingent upon funding. It also includes academic, post-doctoral fellow and research associate definite-term appointments equal to or greater than two years.
All temporary appointments of at least one year. It also includes one year academic, post-doctoral fellow and research associate appointments. In cases where academic, post-doctoral fellow or research associates appointments are continued or extended, these appointments are treated as on-going for benefits purposes when two years of continuous employment is reached.
Temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time (more than 3 months but less than 1 year), casuals (3 months or less) and occasional employees.

Study leave

Description

Study leaves may be granted with full or partial salary. A study leave is defined as a leave of longer duration than the usual conference or short course, which may be attended by a employee with the approval of her/his department head.

Eligibility*

Staff & Faculty in ongoing positions full-time/part-time including appointments contingent upon funding	Temporary appointments of at least one year	Temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time, casuals, and occasional employees
Eligible	Not eligible	Not eligible

How to apply

Complete the Staff Leave of Absence Request form.

*Definitions

Staff & Faculty in ongoing positions full-time/part-time (no end date) including appointments contingent upon funding. It also includes academic, post-doctoral fellow and research associate definite-term appointments equal to or greater than two years.
All temporary appointments of at least one year. It also includes one year academic, post-doctoral fellow and research associate appointments. In cases where academic, post-doctoral fellow or research associates appointments are continued or extended, these appointments are treated as on-going for benefits purposes when two years of continuous employment is reached.
Temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time (more than 3 months but less than 1 year), casuals (3 months or less) and occasional employees.

Unpaid leave

Description

An employee may request approval for an unpaid leave of absence. There must be an expectation that the employee will return to the university at the end of the requested unpaid leave. Normally, the duration of the leave will not exceed 12 months. Pension, benefit, and merit increase implications should be reviewed with Human Resources before an unpaid leave of absence is requested.

Eligibility*

Staff & Faculty in ongoing positions full-time/part-time including appointments contingent upon funding	Temporary appointments of at least one year	Temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time, casuals, and occasional employees
Eligible	Not eligible	Not eligible

How to apply

Complete the Staff Leave of Absence Request form.

*Definitions

Staff & Faculty in ongoing positions full-time/part-time (no end date) including appointments contingent upon funding. It also includes academic, post-doctoral fellow and research associate definite-term appointments equal to or greater than two years.
All temporary appointments of at least one year. It also includes one year academic, post-doctoral fellow and research associate appointments. In cases where academic, post-doctoral fellow or research associates appointments are continued or extended, these appointments are treated as on-going for benefits purposes when two years of continuous employment is reached.
Temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time (more than 3 months but less than 1 year), casuals (3 months or less) and occasional employees.

Jury duty leave

Description

As a Canadian Citizen, it is your civic duty to respond to a jury summons and, if chosen, to serve as a juror. Employers are required by law to allow employees time off for jury duty, but not to pay their salaries during jury duty.

Eligibility*

Staff & Faculty in ongoing positions full-time/part-time including appointments contingent upon funding	Temporary appointments of at least one year	Temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time, casuals, and occasional employees
Eligible	Eligible	Eligible

How to apply

Employee can initiate this request directly in Workday.

*Definitions

Staff & Faculty in ongoing positions full-time/part-time (no end date) including appointments contingent upon funding. It also includes academic, post-doctoral fellow and research associate definite-term appointments equal to or greater than two years.
All temporary appointments of at least one year. It also includes one year academic, post-doctoral fellow and research associate appointments. In cases where academic, post-doctoral fellow or research associates appointments are continued or extended, these appointments are treated as on-going for benefits purposes when two years of continuous employment is reached.
Temporary and definite-term full-time/part-time (more than 3 months but less than 1 year), casuals (3 months or less) and occasional employees.

Sabbatical and other leaves (Faculty)

Description

Please refer to Policy 3 - Sabbatical and Other Leaves for Faculty Members. View the Benefits information for sabbatical leaves.

Eligibility

Only Faculty are eligible.

How to apply

Application for leave must be made in writing to the Department Chair and approved by the Faculty Dean and the Vice-President, Academic & Provost (VPA&P).