Other Benefits - UWOSA Staff

Your Employee (and family) Assistance Plan is provided by TELUS Health (formerly LifeWorks). It provides confidential and voluntary support services that can help you take the first step toward change. It can help you find solutions to the challenges you face at any age and stage of life. It also includes many services and resources to support your well-being. All Western employees and immediate family members can access immediate, free and confidential support in a way that is most suited to your preferences, comfort level and lifestyle. Visit the Western EAP website to learn more.

Western's Administrative Staff Pension Plan is a defined contribution plan, a form of capital accumulation plan in which contributions are made by the employer and you. The Plan, along with government benefits, your personal savings and other sources of income are important elements of your journey to a financially secure retirement. The Plan provides retirement income which is based on the total amount contributed by you and Western plus returns on the investments you have chosen. Western contributes a percentage of your pensionable earnings into the Administrative Staff Pension Plan on your behalf based on your years of service. Under 10 years, 7.5%, 10 to 19 years, 8.0% and 20 or more years, 8.5%. As a member your contribution is 2.5% of earnings. You direct the investments of all contributions to the plan. The Administrative Staff Pension Board has selected funds for you to choose from across three asset classes, and in some cases have grouped funds into portfolios. Details on the investments are available from Sun Life. In addition to your required contribution, you may make voluntary contributions to your account up to the limit set by CRA.

Pension services for Western plan members are provided by Sun Life. To review the terms of the plan, sign in to your Sun Life account and select Manage plan and My Plan, or see the Western Pension Plan website and the Pension Plan Summary.

*Change effective July 1, 2024

Dependent children of current, Continuing/Sessional, UWOSA staff are eligible to receive tuition benefits for full-time studies taken for credit towards a degree (undergraduate or graduate) from Western University or colleges affiliated with Western. The value of the scholarship is currently set at $2,500 per academic year, for up to four years. Other modified benefit levels for part-time students are available. Please visit the Registrar’s website for more details and plan conditions.

In recognition of service Western provides long-service gifts to faculty and staff:

• After 25 years of employment the member will be presented with a gift to a value of $400
• Upon retirement after five to ten years of continuous employment, a gift to a value of $75
• Upon retirement after at least ten years of continuous employment, a gift to a value of $250

The Ontario Ministry of Labour, through the Employment Standards Act, provides eligible employees who are pregnant or who are new parents with the right to take unpaid time off work.

Depending on a number of factors, you may be eligible for the following benefits:

• Maternity (pregnancy) benefits - paid for a maximum of 15 weeks to a birth mother through federal Employment Insurance (EI)
• Parental benefits – paid through EI to either biological or adoptive parents while they are caring for a new-born or an adopted child, up to a maximum of 35 weeks
• Supplemental Employment Insurance Benefits (SEIB) – a benefit for eligible members paid by Western to “top up” EI benefits for a maximum of 17 weeks

Note: You must confirm your eligibility and apply in order to receive benefits through EI and SEIB. For more information visit the Human Resources webpage on Pregnancy/Parental and Adoption Leave.

Eligible members may have access to educational funding for a variety of opportunities relevant to current or future career aspirations at Western. Advance funding is available for many courses. For more information visit the Human Resources website on Educational Funding.

Staff members may take advantage of various leaves such as Compassionate Leave, Pregnancy and Parental/Adoption Leave and various other leaves and workload arrangements. Due to the unique nature of each leave or workload arrangement, please contact Human Resources for further details.

The Professional Expense Reimbursement Account (PER) can be used to pay for professional expenses including conference registrations and related travel and accommodation, membership fees for professional and/or learned societies, journal subscriptions, to purchase a computer or software, and for other expenses. For further information, please visit the Flex Credit site.

Caregiving Days provide eligible employees with up to three working days per calendar year, taken as full days, to attend to urgent or critical health needs of their family members. Employees must notify the employer of each caregiving day using the employer’s procedures (i.e. Western Leave Management).

Employees hired on or after July 1 will become eligible for caregiving days starting January 1 of the following year.