UBC / University of British Columbia

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6190 Agronomy Rd, Suite 600
Department of Human Resources
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is one of Canada's largest universities with over 6,000 faculty members.

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UBC / University of British Columbia
UBC staff congratulate students at a graduation ceremony   (Photo credit: Paul Joseph)

Recognized as one of BC's Top Employers (2025):

By Richard Yerema and Kristina Leung, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Feb 11, 2025)

Here are some of the reasons why UBC / University of British Columbia was selected as one of BC's Top Employers (2025):

  • UBC helps employees foster connections across campus through the longstanding Hot Lunch networking initiative (monthly events with senior leaders sharing their personal and professional journey while attendees connect over lunch) -- additionally, the university organizes a Faculty and Staff Sports Day in May, with teams competing in a number of games and activities
  • UBC offers inclusive family-friendly benefits, providing coverage for fertility drugs and treatments, surrogacy, and adoption (to a lifetime maximum of $50,000) -- the university also offers maternity and parental leave top-up for parents-to-be, varying by employee group
  • UBC helps employees plan for the future with retirement planning assistance services and contributions to a unique Target Benefit Pension Plan that features elements of both a defined benefit and defined contribution pension plan
UBC employees are recognized for their achievements at the annual President's Staff Awards event   (Photo credit: Paul Joseph)

    Highlights

    Industry Post secondary schools, university
    Established in Canada 1908
    Major Canadian locations Vancouver BC, Kelowna BC
    Full-time employees in Canada 16,079
    Part-time employees in Canada 4,802
    Average age of employees in Canada 43 years
    Longest serving employee 54.7 years
    Benefits note UBC has multiple employee groups, the following programs and policies may vary by position
    Flexible work options hybrid work option, flexible work hours, 35-hour work week (with full pay), compressed work week, shortened work week (fewer hours with less pay), telecommuting, earned days off program
    Long-term savings defined-benefit (DB) pension, defined-contribution (DC) pension
    Health plan premium as part of the health plan, the employer pays up to 100% of the premiums
    Health spending account up to $375 each year
    Wellness spending account up to $125 each year
    Mental health practitioner benefit up to $3,000 each year
    Maternity top-up (mothers) up to 100% of salary for 16 weeks
    Adoption top-up up to 100% of salary for 4 weeks
    Vacation allowance new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job
    Outside survey period outside consultant surveys are held every 36 months
    Employee performance reviews employees receive individual performance reviews every 12 months
    In-house training initiatives apprenticeship/skilled trades programs, in-house training, online training, mentoring, leadership development programs, paid internships
    Employee charitable involvement employees are involved in selection of charities, employees receive paid time off to volunteer

    Recognized as one of Canada's Greenest Employers (2024):

    Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Apr 15, 2024)

    Here are some of the reasons why UBC / University of British Columbia was selected as one of Canada's Greenest Employers (2024):

    • UBC's formal employee-led Sustainability Coordinator Program (established over 20 years ago) is comprised of over 100 members working to implement sustainable practices across the university's many departments
    • UBC offers an impressive range of highly focused environmental initiatives across campus that aim to foster a culture of sustainability among staff, students and the community -- initiatives include sustainability tours, the Green Labs program promoting sustainable behaviours, and the 24-hectare on-campus certified organic farm with over 200 varieties of crops
    • UBC is accelerating green building performance and regenerative design across its campus building portfolio through the Green Building Action Plan, which will result in a net-positive contribution to human and natural systems by 2035 -- as part of the plan, all new construction and renovations for institutional buildings must be LEED Gold certified, and some will also target other certifications such as Passive House and WELL Building Standard Certification
    UBC staff meet at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum located on campus   (Photo credit: Paul H. Joseph)

      Highlights

      Industry Post secondary schools, university
      Major Canadian locations Vancouver BC, Kelowna BC
      Full-time employees in Canada 16,308
      Part-time employees in Canada 3,781
      Employee green team Sustainability Coordinators, Zero Waste Committee, Green Labs Program, Choose to Reuse Campaign
      Senior executive who oversees initiatives VP External Relations; VP Academic & Provost; AVP Campus and Community Planning; Director, Sustainability Hub; Executive Director, Safety & Risk Services; Director, Environment Protection, Safety & Risk Services
      Formal strategy/policy name Sustainability Initiative (est. 2010), Climate Action Plan (a 15 year plan that aims to an 85% reduction in campus operations emissions from buildings, energy and fleet and a 45% reduction in extended emissions from commuting, waste, food, air travel and the construction, maintaining and demolishing of campus buildings)
      Publishes sustainability report yes
      Green highlights UBC Workplace Sustainability Fund (offers $1,000 grants for sustainability coordinators to facilitate grassroots and department-led sustainability initiatives), Green Labs program (ongoing programs to help labs reduce energy consumption), UBC Food System Project (collaborative community-based research project moving towards sustainable food systems), Social, Ecological, Economic Development Studies (SEEDS) Sustainability program to engage and create collaborative partnerships between students, faculty and employees, Sustainability Scholars (internship work experience program for graduate students), Zero Waste Food Ware Strategy (introduced fees for single use items and encouraged the transition to reusable food ware, adopted more sustainable materials for single use items, discontinued some single use items like foam cups, plastic straws and plastic bags and improved recycling bins and signage), over 670 undergraduate, graduate and professional courses (and 40 programs) oriented towards sustainability,
      Noteworthy initiatives unique bioenergy research demonstration facility processes urban wood waste to generate thermal energy for heating campus buildings, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
      Building footprint includes PV solar panels, rainwater collection, green roof, solar water heating, geothermal heating/cooling, electric vehicle charging stations, solar air heating, onsite 24-hectare certified organic farm with over 200 varieties of crops (provides fresh produce to a number of dining operations and a farmers market that is open to students and employees), LEED Gold-certified is mandatory for all new building construction, ongoing LED lighting retrofit program, Continuous Building Optimization Program (partnership with BC Hydro to help optimize existing building performance) and the UBC Green Building Action Plan (long-term framework for incremental improvements across all buildings)
      Extended recycling batteries, laboratory plastics, compostable materials, furniture and equipment reuse programs, styrofoam, organics, hazardous waste (has a formal zero-waste committee comprised of students, employees and faculty working towards the goal of becoming a zero-waste campus through the zero-waste action plan)
      Commuter amenities ongoing green fleet strategy to reduce emissions (includes right-sizing and fuel-efficient vehicles, driver training and adoption of bicycles), Walk and Roll to School program (sustainable commuting program for elementary and high school students), Bike to Work Week (changed to Go By Bike Week during the pandemic to encourage employees to get outdoors and reduce their environmental footprint while working remotely), Campus Bike Share program (over 80 designated bike hubs across campus), walk to public transit, secure/sheltered bicycle parking, online carpool sign-up, transit subsidies

      Recognized as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers (2025):

      By Kristina Leung, Chantel Watkins, and Cypress Weston, Mediacorp Canada Inc. staff editors (Feb 24, 2025)

      Here are some of the reasons why UBC / University of British Columbia was selected as one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers (2025):

      • UBC applied an inclusive lens to its benefits, recently introducing new family-friendly benefits that support all pathways to parenthood (generous coverage for fertility drugs and treatments, subsidies for surrogacy and adoption) as well as Indigenous leave for ceremonial, cultural and spiritual events (employees who self-identify as Indigenous can request up to two paid days of leave)
      • UBC created a six-month maximizing impact program that provides mentorship and coaching for early career researchers (where 50 per cent of the spots are reserved for women in order to create a gender diverse workforce)
      • Since 2019, UBC has hosted IBPOC (Indigenous, Black and/or People of Colour) Connections to provide a space for self-identifying faculty and staff to have candid conversations, collaborate, and coordinate when appropriate
      UBC staff connect at the Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability   (Photo credit: Paul H. Joseph)

        Highlights

        Industry Post secondary schools, university
        Major Canadian locations Vancouver BC, Kelowna BC
        Full-time employees in Canada 16,079
        Management of diversity and inclusion initiatives associate vice president of equity and inclusion (responsible for overseeing the organization's initiatives), employs a number of senior advisory positions to guide university leadership on the promotion of dimensions of equity and inclusion, including a senior advisor to the provost on women and gender diverse faculty and a senior advisor to the president on anti-racism and inclusive excellence, and Indigenous strategic initiatives office (supports implementation of Indigenous strategic plan), an inclusion action plan (guiding document that identifies priority goals for inclusion), new strategic equity and anti-racism framework (will guide the implementation of various equity and anti-racism plans and recommendations)
        Performance management and accountability launched a revised employment equity survey to gather information about the organization's applicant pool, workplace experience survey
        Employee resource groups IBPOC Connections for faculty and staff who self-identify as Indigenous, Black and/or People of Colour, IBPOC Stem Network, Disability Affinity Group (to build community and advocate for supports for faculty and staff with disabilities), Queer Faculty and Staff Collective, Asian Canadian Community Engagement
        Noteworthy diversity strategies and policies anti-racism and inclusive excellence task force (released report with recommendations to address systemic racism against IBPOC)
        Recruitment initiatives suite of inclusive recruiting resources (hiring equity training for search committees, resources on how to write equitable and inclusive job descriptions), maximizing impact program (a six month program for early career researchers to receive mentoring and coaching, where 50 per cent of spots are reserved for women)
        Retention and development programs developing leaders program (offers training to new and ongoing managers about behavioural interviewing and inclusive recruitment practices)
        Training and awareness initiatives mental health workshops and resources for faculty and staff (offered in collaboration with the Canadian Mental Health Association), Indigenous Peoples language guide (to help communications navigate terminology and associated meanings), Indigenous learning pathways (engage staff and faculty on Indigenous knowledges and perspectives), toolkit and training sessions to help transgender, Two-Spirit, and non-binary employees get the support they need in the workplace
        Diversity highlights engaged its employee and family assistance program provider to encourage a broadening of the network of Indigenous counsellors and increased IBPOC workshop facilitators, Equity Enhancement Fund to support collaborative student, faculty and staff projects that advance equity and inclusion, strategic equity and anti-racism enhancement fund to enhance EDI and intercultural understanding, Anti-Racism Initiatives Fund to support initiatives that seek to celebrate and elevate diverse communities and advance anti-racism efforts, Indigenous Strategic Initiatives Fund to advance the goals and actions in the Indigenous strategic plan, Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre on campus (provides former students and their families with access to the Truth and Reconciliation records, and gives visitors a way to understand the history and lasting effects of residential schools, partnership recognition fund (offers funding for community groups working in partnership with UBC employees and students
        Highlights from the past year created a new strategic equity and anti-racism framework that will guide the implementation of UBC’s various equity and anti-racism plans and recommendations, new envisioning equality award (recognizes exceptional women and gender-diverse faculty and staff at UBC), implemented a paid Indigenous leave policy for eligible employees who self-identify as Indigenous (can request up to two days to participate in ceremonial, cultural and spiritual events), offered the country's first bachelor's degree of Indigenous language fluency

        The Career Directory

        UBC / University of British Columbia has been selected for The Career Directory, our guide to entry-level recruitment for recent college and university graduates.
        UBC employees participate in a professional development workshop

          Highlights for New Grads

          Industry Post secondary schools, university
          Full-time employees in Canada 10,001 to 25,000
          Major Canadian locations Vancouver BC, Kelowna BC
          Student opportunities summer jobs, co-op opportunities
          Training subsidies for professional accreditation, orientation program, online training, in-house training, mentoring, in-house career planning services, leadership training
          Work benefits health benefits for new employees, flexible work hours, telecommuting, transit subsidies, employees receive paid time off to volunteer
          Vacation allowance new employees receive 3 weeks of paid vacation after their first year on the job

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