Employee Health and Well-being Committee

1. Be a forum for communication between employee representatives and the Faculty of Mathematics, so that all interests are represented and promoted with respect to employee health and well-being.
2. Help to inform, monitor, and coordinate faculty-wide efforts to implement strategic goals relating to employee health and well-being within the Faculty of Mathematics.
3. Consider the impacts of University and Faculty level commitments, policies, practices, environmental conditions, and structures on the health and well-being of our employees and provide advice to the Community Well-being Engagement Officer for how we can enhance the employee experience.
4. Establish new limited term working groups as required.
5. Facilitate annual Community Assemblies.
6. Regularly report on the state of the employee experience and factors affecting the health and well-being of our employees to the Chairs, Directors, and the Dean of Mathematics.
7. Provide a comprehensive annual report to the Dean of Mathematics detailing the activities of the Committee.

The composition of the committee shall not exceed 14 members and will include representation from faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and staff.

Members of the committee, who are not ex-officio, will be appointed to the committee to serve a one-year term that commences on May 1 and ends on April 30. Appointments are made by the Dean of Mathematics from a list of candidates that is prepared by the Committee Chair and reviewed by the ex-officio members of the Committee. Where possible, appointed staff, faculty members, and postdoctoral fellows are selected from different academic and administrative units, and consideration is given to the need for having a broader representation of the community at large in the Faculty.

PREAMBLE: Addressing the health and well-being needs of our community is identified as being a key objective in the Faculty of Mathematics Strategic Plan and is instrumental to achieving our vision of becoming a world leader in mathematics, statistics, and computer science.

GIVEN THAT the University of Waterloo’s 2020 Strategic Plan identifies that our community should be a people-centered institution committed to genuine care, concern, respect, inclusivity, and well-being for all.

AND THAT the Faculty of Mathematics 2018 Strategic Plan acknowledges our need to foster employee well-being by identifying and supporting employee well-being needs specific to the Faculty of Mathematics.

AND THAT the Faculty of Mathematics 2022 Health and Well-being Strategy specifies that we will focus on developing a culture of health and well-being, building a community with a strong sense of belonging, and supporting our staff and faculty to adopt and live a wellness-focused lifestyle and attain a healthy state of well-being.

THEN the Employee Health and Well-being Committee (“the Committee”) shall endeavour to support the Faculty of Mathematics in fostering a culture of health and well-being, building a strong sense of belonging, developing a community that is centered on living a wellness-focused lifestyle, and constructing an inclusive and healthy environment for all staff and faculty members.

1. PURPOSE: The Committee has been established to support the Community Well-being Engagement Officer in identifying and addressing current health and well-being related issues, assisting with the development and implementation of initiatives and programming that promote self-care and positive health behaviours, and building an environment and culture that support the personal, academic, or professional ambitions of our staff and faculty members.

   1. To achieve its purpose, the Committee will:

      1. Be a forum for communication between employee representatives and the Faculty of Mathematics, so that all interests are represented and promoted with respect to employee health and well-being.

      2. Help to inform, monitor, and coordinate faculty-wide efforts to implement strategic goals relating to employee health and well-being within the Faculty of Mathematics.

      3. Consider the impacts of University and Faculty level commitments, policies, practices, environmental conditions, and structures on the health and well-being of our employees and provide advice to the Community Well-being Engagement Officer for how we can enhance the employee experience.

      4. Establish new limited term working groups as required.

      5. Facilitate annual Community Assemblies.

      6. Regularly report on the state of the employee experience and factors affecting the health and well-being of our employees to the senior leadership in the Faculty of Mathematics and other campus stakeholders, as appropriate.

      7. Provide a comprehensive annual report to the Dean of Mathematics detailing the activities of the Committee.

2. MEMBERSHIP: The composition of the committee shall not exceed 14 members and will include representation from faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and staff.

   1. The membership of the Committee shall consist of the following:

      1. Ex Officio.

         a. Community Well-being Engagement Officer, Chair.

         b. Associate Dean, Operations and Academics.

         c. Executive Officer

         d. Director of Planning.

      2. Appointed by the Dean of Mathematics on the recommendation of the Chair.

         a. Four faculty members.

         b. Four staff members.

         c. Two postdoctoral fellows.

   2. The term of office for members appointed pursuant to paragraph 2.1.2 shall normally be one year (commencing May 1 and ending April 30).

      1. At the discretion of the Chair, members appointed pursuant to paragraph 2.1.2 may renew their term, up to a maximum of three consecutive terms, provided that at least half of the members appointed pursuant to paragraph 2.1.2 are in their first year.

   3. If a member appointed pursuant to paragraph 2.1.2 leaves the committee prior to the end of their term or is removed from the committee due to inactivity pursuant to paragraph 2.5, the Chair shall have discretion to appoint an interim member to act as a replacement or leave the vacancy until the next call for members.

   4. Where possible, members appointed pursuant to paragraph 2.1.2 should be representative of equity-deserving groups and the broader academic and administrative community in the Faculty of Mathematics.

   5. If a member appointed pursuant to paragraph 2.1.2 is absent from two consecutive meetings without providing regrets, the Chair shall have cause to remove the member from the committee at their discretion.

   6. Members appointed on an interim basis pursuant to paragraph 2.3 or will be offered a full-term membership at the start of the next term.

   7. Members of the Committee are expected to actively participate in the work of the Committee and should review all relevant material before committee meetings, provide thoughtful input during committee deliberations, pay attention to related campus activities that affect or are affected by the Committee's work, and work as part of the team to ensure that the Committee's work and recommendations are in keeping with its purpose.
      1. Members of the Committee do not act as advocates for individual employee issues.
   8. All members appointed pursuant to paragraph 2.1.2 must be currently employed by the Faculty of Mathematics.

   9. A call for members shall be posted each Winter term and it shall be advertised widely, with the aim of establishing a diverse committee.

0. MEETINGS: All meetings are limited to Committee members only, with exceptions being made pursuant to paragraph 4.1.
   1. The schedule of meetings for the Committee shall be provided by the Chair and approved by the committee at the beginning of the term.

      1. The schedule of meetings shall be determined by the scope and nature of the objectives and priorities but will, at a minimum, be called once per academic term (i.e., Fall, Winter, Spring).

   2. Minutes will be taken by an appointed member of the Committee, and they will be communicated to members following each meeting.
   3. Each Committee member will have a vote on matters requiring formal committee approval or endorsement.
      1. All regular business of the Committee will be decided by a majority of votes.

      2. In the case of an equality of votes the Chair shall be the deciding vote.

      3. Before a show of hands has been taken on any question, the Chair of the meeting may require, or any member may demand, a written ballot. A written ballot, so required or demanded, shall be taken in such manner as the Chair of the meeting shall direct.

      4. For votes taking place over email or online, at least fifty percent of members must respond for the vote to be valid.

      5. Proxy votes are allowed through the Chair for any item on the meeting agenda.

      6. Only committee members have voting privileges at Committee meetings.

         1. Members may nonetheless declare conflicts at any time during a meeting.
         2. Members who declare conflicts of interest shall not enter into debate nor vote upon the specified item for which they have declared a conflict of interest. The Chair will determine whether it is appropriate for said member to remove themselves from the meeting for the duration of debate on the specified item(s).
      7. Any member of the Faculty of Mathematics wishing to make a representation at any meeting of the Committee shall make their request to the Chair at least one week prior to the date of such proposed meeting.
         1. The Chair may limit the time to be allotted to members of the Faculty of Mathematics who are making a representation to the Committee.
0. THE CHAIR: The Chair shall be responsible for Chairing the meetings, reporting on Committee activities, ensuring that the meetings move forward efficiently and that periodic updates on membership-related matters are provided, as appropriate.
   1. The Chair may invite key staff members, resource people, or those with special interests or concerns to participate at its meetings, as appropriate.

   2. The Chair shall ensure that the Committee has enough members to carry out its business and affairs.

   3. Guide the Committee in proposing new activities and service that will further the mission and goals of the Committee.

   4. The Chair shall ensure that the Committee abides by all the duties set out, herein.

0. ACCOUNTABILITY AND REPORTING: the Committee will regularly report on the state of the employee experience and factors affecting the health and well-being of our employees to the Chairs, Directors, and the Dean of Mathematics.

   1. The Committee will provide a comprehensive annual report to the Dean of Mathematics detailing the activities of the Committee from the prior year.

0. COMMUNITY ASSEMBLIES: The Committee will hold Community Assemblies (“Assemblies” or “Assembly") to elicit discussion, feedback, and response on the current state of employee health and well-being.
   1. Purpose: The Assemblies will support the Committee in its work to identify and address current health and well-being related issues by offering employees an opportunity to confidentially provide feedback on the current state of employee health and well-being.

      1. To achieve its purpose, the Assemblies will:

         a. Be a forum for communication between employees and the Committee, with respect to health and well-being.

         b. Be a safe space for all employees to express and discuss their thoughts and opinions on the current state of employee health and well-being and to identify opportunities for growth and improvement in the Faculty, with their peers.

         c. Ensure that each Assembly is accessible for all employees of the specified community group.

         d. Uphold the University of Waterloo's Principles of Inclusivity.

         e. Share the thoughts and discussions had within the Assembly with the Committee, while maintaining the integrity of the message and the confidentiality of the employees.

   2. Meetings: An Assembly will be called for each community group represented by the Committee (i.e., staff, faculty members, and postdoctoral fellows), no fewer than once per year, usually in the Month of October or February
      1. One or more of the community representatives from each of the community groups (i.e., staff, faculty members, and postdoctoral fellows) will be appointed by the Committee Chair to act as the Assembly Speaker. The Assembly Speaker shall be responsible for the organization, promotion, coordination, and execution of each Assembly, for which they have been appointed.

      2. The structure of the event will be determined by the Assembly Speaker but should reflect the needs of the community group.

      3. All community representatives will actively support the appointed Assembly Speaker by assisting with the organization, promotion, coordination, and execution of each Assembly for their respective community groups.

      4. Confidential minutes will be taken during the Assembly and will be communicated directly to the Chair of the Committee following each event.

         a. A redacted version of the confidential minutes, having removed any identifiers or personal information, will be provided to the Committee for their review in a confidential session of the Committee, wherein all copies of the minutes will be distributed and recollected by the Chair. No copies of the confidential minutes shall be reproduced, and no notes about the confidential minutes shall be allowed to be taken by any members of the Committee.

         b. Assemblies are limited to the members of the employee community group and those members of the Committee who represent the identified employee community group; however, resource people, or those with special interests or concerns, may be invited to meet with the Assembly, at the discretion of the Assembly Speaker.

         c. An Assembly is not intended to be a place for the advocation of individual employee issues.

0. WORKING GROUPS: Additional working groups may be struck by the Committee, as appropriate. The terms and conditions of these working groups, including but not limited to the purpose, duration, and accountability and reporting, will be determined by the Committee at the time they are established.
0. TERMS OF REFERENCE: The Terms of Reference will be reviewed every 3 years, or earlier if requested by a majority vote of the Committee.

   1. Amending or modifying this document requires a two-thirds majority vote of the Committee.

0. COMMITTEE APPROACH: In the spirit of balancing the centralized need for improving employee health and well-being across the Faculty of Mathematics, the members of the Committee are expected to recognize the dignity and uniqueness of all employees, regardless of their academic unit, and to meaningfully embrace the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusivity within their work.

Approved: 05/26/2022

Employee Health and Well-being Committee meetings are normally held at 1:30 PM on the fourth Thursday of each month, except in September and December when there is no scheduled meeting.

NOTES:

**Meeting day/time changed.

The Committee will hold Community Assemblies to elicit discussion, feedback, and response on the current state of employee health and well-being from our faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and staff members. These Community Assemblies are informed by a pre-assembly survey, which is circulated through the community approximately one month before the Community Assembly. The Fall 2022 pre-assembly survey is now closed.

The community assemblies will:

1. Be a forum for communication between employees and the Committee, with respect to employee health and well-being.

2. Be a safe space for all employees to express and discuss their thoughts and opinions on the current state of employee health and well-being and to identify opportunities for growth and improvement in the Faculty, with their peers.

3. Ensure that each Community Assembly is accessible for all employees of the specified community group.

4. Uphold the University of Waterloo’s Principles of Inclusivity.

5. Share the thoughts and discussions had within the Community Assembly with the Committee, while maintaining the integrity of the message and the confidentiality of the employees.

Meetings:

An Assembly will be called for each community group represented by the Committee (i.e., Staff, Faculty Members, and Postdoctoral Fellows), no fewer than once per year, usually in the Month of October or February. Assemblies are limited to the members of the employee community group and those members of the Committee who represent the identified employee community group.

Next Staff Assembly: Tuesday 18 October 2022 from 9:30-10:30 AM

Next Faculty Assembly: Tuesday 18 October 2022 from 3:30-4:30 PM

Next Postdoc Assembly: Tuesday 18 October 2022 from 9:30-10:30 AM or Tuesday 18 October 2022 from 3:30-4:30 PM

Important Note: All assemblies will be held virtually using Zoom.

Applications Closed: The Employee Health and Well-being Committee is no longer accepting applications for its 2023-24 committee membership. Employees who are interested in volunteering with the Committee are encouraged to contact the Chair of the committee.