Benefits | Postdoctoral Scholars | University of Waterloo

All postdoc positions at the University of Waterloo are definite-term appointments and may be eligible for the University of Waterloo’s benefit program.

The following provides important information to support postdocs in understanding their eligibility.

Postdoc benefit program eligibility

Only postdocs who are paid employment earnings through UWaterloo payroll may be eligible for extended health care benefits. The postdoctoral scholar guidelines outline three categories of postdoctoral scholars at the University of Waterloo. The following outlines benefit eligibility for each category:

Postdoctoral scholar employees (type A)

Postdocs who are employed and paid their full employment earnings through University of Waterloo payroll (including tri-agency funded postdocs) are eligible for the University of Waterloo’s benefit program provided their initial contracts are of at least one year, and that they work at least 33% of full-time equivalency (FTE). The benefits package available is based on the contract length, as outlined below.

Postdoctoral scholar employees (type B)

Postdocs who are paid directly from another agency (i.e. salary is not paid through UWaterloo payroll) and who also receive a “top-up” that is paid through UWaterloo payroll may be eligible for the University of Waterloo’s benefit program. Benefits are aligned with the postdoctoral appointment duration and the portion of the salary paid through UWaterloo. Postdocs in this situation should confirm with Human Resources (hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca) regarding their specific situation.

Postdoctoral scholar associates

Postdocs who are paid their full salary directly from another agency (i.e. salary is not paid through UWaterloo payroll) are not eligible for the UWaterloo benefit program, regardless of contract length.

For postdocs who are eligible for the University of Waterloo’s benefit program, the University offers two benefits programs, the eligibility for which is based on contract length and/or total length of employment:

Definite-term appointments that are more than three months but less than one year: Not eligible for benefits.

Definite-term appointments of one year or more but less than two years¹: Eligible for temporary benefits program.

Definite-term appointments of two years or more: Eligible for full benefits program.

For details on what is included in each benefits program, please refer to the benefits eligibility table below.

Postdoc benefit eligibility
Benefits	Definite-term appointments of two years or more, and positions that are contingent upon funding.	Definite-term appointments of one year or more but less than two years.¹	Definite-term appointments that are more than three months but less than one year
Dental	YES (part-time /fractional load, Waterloo pays premium based on full time equivalent (FTE) percentage)	NO	NO
Extended health	YES, employee must participate in the Ontario Health Insurance Plan or the University Health Insurance Plan basic health plan (part-time/ fractional load, Waterloo pays premium based on FTE percentage)²	YES, employee must participate in Ontario Health Insurance Plan or University Health Insurance Plan basic health plan (part-time/ fractional load, Waterloo pays premium based on FTE percentage)²	NO
Life insurance	YES, up to six times annual salary (based on actual salary, if part-time/ fractional load)	YES, one times annual salary (based on actual salary, if part-time/ fractional load)	NO
Sick leave	YES, 180 calendar days (pro-rated if part-time /fractional load)	YES, six working days per year, pro-rated if part-time/ fractional load	YES, six working days per year, pro-rated (does not apply to casual or occasional employees)
Long-term disability	YES (based on actual salary, if part-time/ fractional load)	NO	NO
Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP)	YES	NO	NO
Tuition benefit	YES	NO	NO
Vacation	YES, university policy provides one month of vacation during each year of appointment.	YES, university policy provides one month of vacation during each year of appointment.	NO, the law of Ontario requires that you be paid 4% of your salary for this period of employment as vacation pay.

¹In cases where definite-term appointments are continued or extended, these appointments are treated as on-going for benefits purposes when two years of continuous employment is reached.

²As a postdoc, you are eligible for health insurance either through the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) or the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). Please review the UHIP website for information on eligibility and enrolment. To find out if you are eligible to receive OHIP, please check the Registration of Ontario Health Insurance Coverage webpage or visit a Service Ontario location.

For additional details regarding what is included within each benefit, please refer to the HR benefits information.

Enrolling in benefits

It is in the best interest of the employee to log into Workday and complete benefit enrollment within the first month of eligibility. The New Hire Information Sheet (PDF) guides a new employee through the requirements to be completed before the first day of work including benefit enrollment.

This is especially important for employees with dependents they wish to enroll, as employees who do not complete this within 31 days of their hire date will be considered late applicants and the default benefit set-up will apply (i.e. healthcare for yourself only, life insurance at 1 times salary, your Estate defaulted as your beneficiary). To change your coverage after this, approval of Evidence of Insurability by the benefits provider may be required (i.e. Sun Life Financial for life insurance, GreenShield for healthcare benefits).

Once enrolled, new postdocs should receive information about their benefits from GreenShield within 4-6 weeks and benefits are effective as of eligibility date.  View The benefits ID card web page for more information.

Pension eligibility and enrolment

Postdocs who have at least 33% Full-time equivalent (FTE) who have an appointment or series of consecutive appointments greater than one year are eligible for the UWaterloo pension plan.

If you have met the eligibility criteria, pension plan participation is voluntary under the age of 35, and mandatory for those 35 years of age and older. Once you have joined the pension plan, you cannot opt out.

For more information, please refer to HR’s joining the pension plan webpage.

Pregnancy and parental leaves (including adoption and surrogacy)

Postdocs may be eligible for pregnancy and/or parental leaves, including for adoption, and may also be eligible for a UWaterloo top-up during pregnancy/parental leaves. Postdocs funded through Tri-Agency research grants or Tri-Agency fellowships may be eligible for a Tri-Agency funded parental leave.

Please review the chart below. If you are planning to take a pregnancy and/or parental leave, please fill out the postdoc pregnancy and/or parental leave intake form. Once you have completed the intake form, a representative from HR will follow up with you regarding next steps and support you in understanding your eligibility for a leave and/or top-up payments.

Postdoc pregnancy/parental leave eligibility
Benefits	Definite-term appointments of two years or more, and positions that are contingent upon funding.	Definite-term appointments of one year or more but less than two years.¹	Definite-term appointments that are more than three months but less than one year
Pregnancy/parental leave	YES	YES	YES (if eligible per ESA)
Pregnancy/parental leave top-up	Confirm with HR by completing the intake form.	Confirm with HR by completing the intake form.	Confirm with HR by completing the intake form.

Applicable UWaterloo policies

The University of Waterloo has several policies related to benefits that postdocs may find useful to review:

Policy 14 – Pregnancy and Parental Leaves (including Adoption), and the Return to Work

Policy 23 – Eligibility for Pension and Insured Benefits

Policy 56 – Vacations and Vacation Pay for Non-regular Faculty Members

Important contacts

If you have questions about your benefit eligibility as a postdoc, please reach out direct to the Human Resources team at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca. You may also wish to review the HR Benefits FAQ page.