Accepting your offer

Job duties and responsibilities

Ensure that you have had clear conversations with your supervisor about the type of work you will be extended to undertake, and that this has been appropriately reflected in the job duties outlined in the appointment letter. We recommend that job duties are not too vague (e.g. “conducting research”), to ensure that expectations are aligned between the postdoc and the supervisor, but also not so narrow, to avoid limiting the work you can undertake during your postdoc. You may also wish to discuss specific deliverables, outcomes, or timeframes with your supervisor to support ensuring your expectations are aligned.

Please also review these review relevant policies at the University of Waterloo such as policy 56 (vacations and vacation pay for non regular faculty members), policy 33 (ethical behaviour), policy 73 (intellectual property rights), and policy 69 (conflict of interest).

 

Opportunities for teaching

Many postdocs at the University of Waterloo engage in teaching activities as sessional lecturers during their time as a postdoc. If this is something you hope to do, ensure you have asked your supervisor if this is an option. Most postdocs who teach receive a separate contract, and additional pay, for their teaching duties, but it is also possible for teaching responsibilities to be built into the postdoc contract and salary.

If you are an international postdoc and you wish to teach, it is important that possible teaching duties be noted in the appointment letter, as the terms and/or conditions of this letter impact your work permit and cannot be changed after immigration has been approved. As such, if the terms of your postdoc appointment do not outline teaching responsibilities, you cannot take up a teaching position on your work permit. Even if your supervisor indicates teaching is unlikely to be an option for you, it is standard at the University of Waterloo for all appointment letters to indicate a possibility of teaching, to avoid instances where teaching is not allowed due to immigration restrictions.

Salary and deductions

The salary listed on your appointment letter represents the gross annual salary, or the amount you receive annually before deductions. All individuals working in Canada, including non-Canadian citizens (and international postdocs from date of arrival), are required to pay provincial and federal taxes on all income earned in Canada. Postdoctoral scholars appointed at the University of Waterloo who receive income from the University will have Income Tax, Canada Pension and Employment Insurance deducted monthly. Other applicable deductions are based on the information submitted to the Human Resources Department from a TD1 Tax Credit Form. Annually, every person earning an income in Canada submits a Canada Customs & Revenue tax return. The postdoc team organizes an annual tax seminar and tax clinic to support postdocs in filing their tax return.

We strongly recommend you figure out how much you will get paid after deductions (taxes and benefit costs, if applicable) by using the net pay/benefit cost estimator found on the Human Resources payroll webpage. 

It’s also important to be aware that while the salary listed on your offer letter is an annual salary, payroll at the University of Waterloo is processed monthly, on the last Friday of the month. That means if you begin work on the first day of the month, you may not receive your first pay for approximately four weeks. Ensure you know when to expect your first pay.

Deductions for externally paid postdocs

If all, or a portion, of your salary is paid to you directly by an external source, it is important that you understand taxation requirements for this income. GSPA recommends you speak with the external funder or a tax specialist for further information.

Pension and benefits

Typically, postdoc contracts will contain standard language on benefits, without providing specific details on exactly what benefits you will be entitled to. Benefit entitlement for postdocs is based on several factors including: duration of appointment (contract length), how pay is received (through Waterloo payroll or directly to the postdoc by an external funder), and the FTE (full-time equivalent) status in the HR system.

We recommend you review the benefits information provided on our website, to ensure you are aware of what, if any, benefits you will be entitled to. If you are unclear about what benefits you will be entitled to or if you will need to pay any portion of the benefits costs, please contact Human Resources (hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca). Additionally, if you are eligible for Waterloo pension, ensure you understand whether you have optional or mandatory participation in the pension plan, as this can significantly impact your take home pay amount.

Pension and benefits for externally paid postdocs

If all, or a portion, of your salary is paid to you directly by an external source, it is important to understand how this will impact your pension and benefits entitlement. This information can be found in our postdoc guidelines, as well as on our postdoc benefits webpage.

Immigration and work permits

If you are an international postdoc, you may have questions about the process and timelines for applying for your work permit that you wish to have answered before you accept your offer. Legal and immigration services provides expert legal advice and consultation to members of the University of Waterloo community, including information for international postdocs. They can help with guidance on things like applying for work permit or securing a work permit extension. Our Human Resources department also provide information about obtaining a social insurance number.

If you have questions about visas or immigration, contact Legal and Immigration Services at lis-imm@uwaterloo.ca. Please note that advice cannot be provided until an offer has been made as details of the appointment (duration, funding type, etc.) are required to advise appropriately.  

Future opportunities

As part of your negotiations or conversations with your supervisor about your appointment, you may have discussed possible “extensions” or “re-appointments”. Though the term “re-appointment” or “extension” may be used by your supervisor, it’s important to know that to continue your employment as a postdoc a new contract must be issued, which requires the same process as your initial appointment, including obtaining an updated work permit for international postdocs.

While a further contract may seem like a long way away, it’s important to bring up future opportunities with your supervisor when you still have several months remaining on your current appointment. If you think you will be interested in continuing your employment as a postdoc beyond your contract end date, we recommend you make a reminder in your calendar to begin discussions with your supervisor approximately four to five months before the end of your contract to ensure that you have time for contract negotiation, preparation of a new appointment letter, and to complete immigration processes, if applicable.