About the pension plan
The University of Waterloo pension plan is a defined benefit pension plan for faculty and staff designed to help you save for retirement.
Learn more about the Waterloo pension plan in this general overview, review the pension booklet linked below, and check MyPENSIONinfo, our online self-service platform (WatIam login required).
Full technical details of the flex pension provision are available in the official pension plan text, which is the authoritative document.
About myPENSIONinfo
MyPENSIONinfo is an online self-service pension estimator: review your pension profile information, run pension projects estimates, and receive your annual pension statements (a snapshot of your accrued pension up to December 31st of the statement year released by the end of June). Learn more at myPENSIONinfo: explained.
Joining the pension plan
Retirement planning
Learn more about joining the pension plan, including pension plan eligibility, how your contributions work, how to join the plan, beneficiary information and more.
If you are under 35 years of age when hired, and you meet the eligibility criteria set out on the joining the pension page, you may join the pension plan on the date of hire (if hired on the first of the month) or on the first of any month following the date of hire.
Explore the Retirement planning page to learn about the retirement age, process, how your pension is determined, and the pension options available to you.
Additional Resources:
Note: If you are under age 35 and choose not to join the plan, waiving your eligibility, you must join on the January 1 following or coincident with your 35th birthday.
Life Events with Pension Implications
When you go through a life event, such as a change in spousal relationship, termination, taking a leave of absence, or if you are leaving Canada, it is important to review and update your pension plan information to ensure your account still reflects your circumstances.
You will find the information on how life events may affect your pension plan to guide you through the process should you need to make an adjustment to your account.
You can update many aspects of your pension information, including changes in your spousal relationship, directly in Workday, which reduces the need for paper forms and provides employees with an easy way to manage their information.
The Pension Team
"We see you through retirement!"
The goal of the Human Resource Pension Team is to provide trusted support, targeted education and personalized consultation to ensure informed pension decisions. Our role is to care for your pensions during your working life at Waterloo and beyond. We can provide you with one-on-one meetings or set-up seminars for your area or office.
Please contact us at pensions@uwaterloo.ca or at ext. 40437