Once your contract begins

Log into Workday and complete the onboarding items in your inbox. This will include: setting up direct deposit, completing tax forms, updating your employee profile, and enrolling in benefits (if eligible). If enrolling in benefits, 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.   

If you have questions about these steps, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca. 

Email accounts for all new postdoctoral scholar employees are auto-created once the human resource system recognizes the individual as an employee – this should take place on your first day of employment, or as soon as your contract has been processed by Human Resources, if this is not processed before your first day. Postdoctoral scholar associates can access their email based on the date provided by their supervisor in the WatIAM sponsorship request form. 

Follow the instructions on accessing your Microsoft 365 account to activate and access your email. 

If you are a former UWaterloo student or employee, your UWaterloo email address will remain the same, and you will not need to complete this step. 

All University of Waterloo employees are required to complete mandatory training. Mandatory training for all postdocs includes:  

• Accessibility training  

• Employee Safety Orientation  

• WHMIS  

• Workplace Violence & Harassment Awareness 

• Cyber awareness training (includes Cyber Awareness Essentials, Cyber Awareness for Knowledge Workers, Safeguarding your Research, and Cyber Security for Researchers) 

Postdocs may have additional mandatory training requirements depending on the nature of their research — please ask your supervisor if you are required to complete any additional training.  

If you were recently employed by the University of Waterloo, you may have already completed these training requirements and are not required to complete them again. 

All postdocs are eligible for a WatCard, which allows you to load money to make purchases from campus (and select off-campus) vendors and is the preferred form of ID when picking up library resources. To obtain your WatCard, visit the WatCard service desk, located on the main floor of Needles Hall (NH) inside The Centre. You will need your University of Waterloo offer letter or contract validating your employment, plus government-issued photo identification. 

Even if you already have a WatCard, it is recommended that you visit the WatCard service desk to receive an updated WatCard that properly identifies you as a postdoc. Remember to bring your current WatCard so you aren’t charged for a replacement! 

Test your access to library resources by logging into the Library’s get access from anywhere page using your WatIAm credentials. You should have your library privileges automatically without no activation needed. If you have any issues logging in, please connect with the Library. 

If you are appointed as a postdoctoral scholar associate and are having difficulty accessing library resources, please confirm with your supervisor that they have requested library access as part of the WatIAM sponsorship request. 

Test your access to WaterlooWorks by logging in during your first week to ensure you have been added as a postdoc in the system. Use WaterlooWorks to book appointments with the Centre for Career Development and keep an eye on the postdoc e-news to stay informed of workshops or services they (and other campus units) offer throughout the year.   

Set up your devices to connect to the eduroam wireless network. Information Systems and Technology (IST) provides specific connection guides available for many devices, as well as troubleshooting guides if you encounter any issues. 

Did you know? Eduroam isn't just available at UWaterloo! More than 10,000 eduroam hotspots are available at universities, research centres, academies, many schools, and other research and education institutions in more than 100 territories around the world! This means if you are travelling to other universities, you can likely access Wi-Fi with your Waterloo credentials. Wherever you see 'eduroam' appear in your list of Wi-Fi networks, you can get online. 

Onboarding varies across departments and supervisors. As such, it’s important to connect with your supervisor and department administrator to clarify onboarding timelines and expectations, so your onboarding goes smoothly. Here are a few things you may wish to ask about if your supervisor or department doesn't cover them automatically:  

• Access: How can you access relevant buildings, offices, or lab spaces? Will you need keys or fobs to access these after regular business hours? 

• Shared spaces: What shared spaces (offices, lunchrooms, etc.) are available to you as a postdoc in your department?  

• Communications: Are there any lab, department, field, or faculty-specific email lists that would be helpful for you to be subscribed to?  

• Computing resources: Are there computing resources (computers, printers, etc.) available to you as a postdoc?  

• Colleagues: Can your supervisor arrange for you to be introduced to other colleagues in the department, including faculty members, department staff, graduate students and other postdocs?  

• Helpful tips: Can your supervisor (or other postdocs) recommend the best places nearby to grab coffee, tea, or a bite to eat? 

• Initial expectations: What are your supervisor's expectations for your first week and month as a postdoc? Are there specific project timelines and expectations you need to be aware of? 

Check your official UWaterloo email address regularly to ensure you stay up to date on news and invitations! 

As a new postdoc, you will be automatically subscribed to the postdoc e-news, sent by Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs on the first and third Tuesday of the month. In the e-news, you will find information about news, events, and resources relevant to the postdoc community. Postdoctoral Scholar Employees will also be automatically subscribed to the university email list for all employees, to ensure you receive any important news or updates from the university. 

At this time, Postdoctoral Scholar Associates are not subscribed to the University of Waterloo employee email list, as they do not have an employment relationship with the university (their salaries are paid by a third party). Staff in Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs are working to have Postdoctoral Scholar Associates automatically subscribed to this list. In the meantime, we recommend that Postdoctoral Scholar Associates advise their supervisor or close colleagues about this and request that any relevant employee communications be forwarded to them. 

The postdoc team in Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs organizes orientation events for new postdocs (or continuing postdocs who would like a refresher on resources and services available). Stay tuned for an invitation to the next orientation event! 

Orientation events typically take place in October/November and May. Want more information before the next orientation event? Review our list of resources and services for postdocs, as well as our professional development resources for postdocs. 

We recommend taking some time to explore campus – there are many great places to eat, get coffee, or relax on campus. UW Food Services has a list of locations, but don’t forget to look for the student-run food outlets as well, such as the Coffee and Donuts (C&D) shops run by Engineering, Science and Math, or the Environmental Studies Coffee Shop.  

If you’re not sure where to start when exploring campus, GSPA has a self-guided tour for grad students that postdocs can also use (keep in mind, some of the information is specific to students).  

As you complete your onboarding, you will likely have questions that arise. Your supervisor and department are a great point of contact for questions regarding your specific research area or department, and Human Resources (hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca) can answer any questions you have about payroll or benefits. 

If you have questions about campus resources and services for postdocs, or if you’re not sure who to speak with about a particular question, reach out to the postdoc team at postdocs@uwaterloo.ca so we can put you in touch with the right people.