Notices

We know that conflict is a fact of life, and the strategic goals set out in our various university plans are going to require us to dialogue respectfully across difference. The Conflict toolkit is now available at uvic.ca/conflict and includes the principles and process that guide good conflict resolution as well as self-serve videos and worksheets for both individual employees and the leaders who support them.

The Long Term Disability (LTD) Trust consists of six (6) Trustees including three persons appointed by the university and three other persons, one of whom shall be elected by a vote of the Management Excluded employees of the university. An individual must be appointed to a continuing Management Excluded position, be a contributing member of the LTD Plan, and consent to the nomination in order to be eligible for election as a Member Trustee. Nomination information and forms will be e-mailed to all eligible Management Excluded staff on Monday, January 8, 2024. Information about the LTD Trust and the role of a Trustee can be found here. The deadline to return completed nomination forms to Human Resources is Monday, Jan. 29, 2024, by 4:00 P.M. Ballots and candidate biographies will then be distributed by mail to all Management Excluded employees on Monday, Feb. 5, 2024 with a deadline of return by Thursday, Mar. 14, 2024 by 4:00 p.m. The results will be communicated shortly thereafter. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Jennifer Gray, LTD Trust Secretary at (250) 721-8032 or avphrassist@uvic.ca.

Three new employee welcome events take place in person and online on January 23rd & 24th 2024: A New Indigenous Staff Welcome and Honouring Ceremony, New Employee Welcome event and Lunch for new employees. All employees are invited to participate as a witness to the Blanketing Ceremony. 2024 is the first time new Indigenous staff are invited to participate in a welcoming and honouring blanketing ceremony. All employees are invited to participate as witnesses to this ceremony. This is an incredible way to learn and participate in Coast Salish culture and protocol, which aligns with UVic’s renewed Indigenous Plan. What a special opportunity for us to engage and participate! Please visit the event website for more information about the ceremony.

As the weather gets colder and days shorter, we look for ways to warm up. The best warm-up activities are about getting engaged and finding new and interesting ways to work together and connect. Activate your senses and warm up to winter by joining us for winter learning opportunities! Registration is now open on Learning Central for our winter course offerings (January - April 2024). Please take a moment to see what is available and feel free to share information regarding learning opportunities with colleagues. Ask a friend to register with you!

Please see the CUPE 917 and CUPE 951 Holiday Closure Guidelines and circulate to staff as appropriate.

Please see the PEA Holiday Closure Guidelines and circulate to staff as appropriate.

Celebrating all UVic employees! Pop by and join in the fun at the Best-Fest Pop-up Stand. You’ll find food, fun, games, connection and chances to win prizes. Come and enjoy a sweet summer treat! Wednesday, August 23, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Petch Fountain

Please see the PEA Holiday Closure Guidelines and circulate to staff as appropriate.

Please review the CUPE 951 and 917 Holiday Guidelines which were developed jointly with the two CUPE Locals, and which provide additional information on how the leaves of absence with pay are to be administered. Please circulate this bulletin to all CUPE 951 and 917 staff in your area of responsibility.

A Letter of Agreement (LOA) between UVic and CUPE 951 has been established that significantly improves people’s access to learning. Regular CUPE 951 employees who apply for development opportunities can now access up to $5000.00 per person on an annual basis. This is the first major update to the policy since it’s inception in 1981. The types of learning and resources people can apply for have also expanded to include equipment and technology, learning supports, travel, and personal learning opportunities. Invest in yourself! Visit https://www.uvic.ca/hr/pay-benefits/pro-d/ for more information, to review the policy and to download the new application form. *Applications will only be accepted for upcoming opportunities as per the CUPE 951 Career Development Fund Policy. Please contact howes@uvic.ca if you have any questions.

Background: A Remote Work Arrangements (RWA) framework for UVic staff was introduced in the summer of 2021 to coincide with the fall return to campus with the promise that HR would review and recommend adjustments to the initial framework in 2022. A review of the 2021 RWA framework for staff was conducted by the Remote Work Arrangements working group in the spring of 2022. The review included a survey of staff and supervisors at UVic, interviews with key HR staff, discussion-based management forum with over 50 participants in April to understand current challenges and issues, and additional research such as a review of remote work processes and workforce trends at other Canadian institutions. The review documented the changing attitudes, norms and trends in the workforce, highlighted that those most advanced in their RWA practice are functioning on a continuum of flexibility (such as at TMU) and verified that organizations that do not embrace remote working as a key human resources strategy risk their ability to attract and retain talent. All of this validates UVic’s need to ensure our initial RWA framework keeps pace with the shifting landscape of work. A detailed report of the survey findings and recommendations was shared with Integrated Planning in June and directional approval was provided for implementation. Resource development and web updates will take place over the summer and shared in the Fall of 2022. Survey results: The survey had an excellent return rate with 1,329 responses, of which 31.6% of respondents supervised other staff. The survey was mostly completed by employees represented by the Professional Employees’ Association (52.3% of respondents). CUPE 951 (27.0%) staff, and Decanal/Management Excluded leaders (10.2%) also contributed significantly. People from over 135 departments participated. The top reporting portfolios were VPAC (42.0%), followed by the VPFO portfolio (20.9%). 76.5% of respondents worked full time. There was good representation between people who had formally worked one or more day per week remotely since 2021 with those who did not have a formal RWA in place (56.7% vs. 43.3%). Key high level results are: Only 3.9% of respondents were unsatisfied with the remote experience provided. Across 12 measures of work satisfaction and effectiveness, most respondents either reported increases or no change. 7% of respondents, including supervisors, want remote work arrangements to continue, while 4.1% want them to end and 6.2% are undecided. 1 % of respondents said that if given the chance, they would work more days remote or full time remotely. Nearly 40% of supervisors would support that. Supervisors are also interested in more flexible work arrangements with the majority supportive of compressed work weeks and flexible start and finish times. Intended next steps: The following changes will be incorporated into UVic’s RWA Framework and associated website and materials for the Fall of 2022 and references to the initial pilot project will be removed. Remove the part-time limitation on remote work arrangements but maintain the requirement for connection to campus and the ability to attend campus as required. Include that while long distance RWAs will not normally be considered, UVic will create a process and criteria for those temporary or exceptional circumstances that may necessitate out-of-province employment (limited to Canadian locations only). Retain the core principle that Remote Work Arrangements will be voluntary and approved on the basis of the core principles but provide an opportunity for leaders to initiate a request of staff to voluntarily establish RWAs based on operational requirements such as office space constraints. Reinforce the expectation that staff participating in RWAs will normally be required to give up dedicated on-campus office space and be assigned to on-campus space that has been configured for part-time use. Clarify that the employer may provide furnishings if the employee does not retain a dedicated office space on campus and the remote work location is considered the employee’s primary (4 days a week or more) work location. An employee with a hybrid RWA remains responsible for the purchase of ergonomic office furniture for their home office if also provided dedicated office space on campus. Additional Resources in Development Guidelines for the (limited) consideration of long distance or out of province remote work arrangements. A new resource to help leaders establish and communicate departmental criteria for remote work. Additional resources to support hybrid meetings. Support for leaders to assess issues and challenges presenting as remote work issues, which may have other underlying causes and solutions.