Last week’s updates from UBC
- November 20: President’s Blog: Weekly Update
Updates on UBC’s response to COVID-19 are at covid19.ubc.ca.
Managing your mental health
HR has collected mental health resources to help you manage our ups and downs. Our VPFO HR staff is always available for a confidential conversation.
- November is Thrive month! HR has a long list of mental health activities and workshops. Get involved and thrive with UBC.
- Good resources for taking care of ourselves have been especially important during COVID-19. The UBC Faculty of Medicine Continuing Professional Development website has shared a practical approach to Psychological PPE during COVID-19 that is focused on medical professionals, but could really be helpful for just about anyone.
Operations updates
Facilities
Building Operations, Energy & Water and Infrastructure Development
- Planon Buddy Central Hours Reduced: Due to the lower number of visits, the new hours starting this week are from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. and from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. All Planon and Workday related issues should be logged through the IT Help Desk: ServiceNow Self Service Portal
- Workday/Planon: The Facilities team is adapting quickly to day-to-day use of Workday and Planon. The EMMS project team will continue work to complete remaining planned Planon Stream 1 upgrades and defect fixes, as well as planning for Stream 2 implementation. Stream 2, which will commence shortly, will now consist of several phases. For regular updates and tips on using Planon, visit the EMMS website.
- EMMS Sustainment Team: The Enterprise Maintenance Management System (EMMS) Sustainment Team is being assembled, reporting into Building Operations’ Customer Services & Informatics unit. Tarkan Serim has been hired as the EMMS Sustainment Team Lead.
Finance
Comptroller, Finance & Operational Excellence and Treasury
- Reminder – Hyperion 2.0 Goes Live Dec 1: The Budget Office and the finance community are preparing for Hyperion 2.0 go-live on December 1. A final Q&A session is planned for Nov 26, and resources are available on the Finance website.
- Supplier Invoices and Receiving: Please be reminded that UBC requesters of goods and services need to “receive” items in Workday, and that suppliers should submit invoices directly to the Accounts Payable team via the ubc.invoices@ubc.ca email address.
- Hourly employee payroll: There is a deadline of November 23 for managers of hourly employees who are required to manually calculate stat pay for Nov 11 (this is an interim process).
- Working from Home Expenses – amended deadline: The university will provide a one-time tax-free reimbursement of up to $400 in accordance with criteria available on the Finance website. Claims now need to be submitted by December 4.
- Workday Reports: Please note that Workday reports will not yet reflect the year-to-date balance, because General Ledger Balance data conversion is in progress. Currently, all General Ledger Balance data up to September is available in Workday. The remaining balance for October 2020 will be converted by the end of December 2020.
IRP/AEP/ISC
Integrated Renewal Program, Application Ecosystem Program and the Integrated Service Centre
- Tuition Waivers: The tuition waiver system is expected to launch on December 14, 2020 at which point users will be able to submit tuition waiver requests for Term 2 (January to April).
- IRP Finance Call-in: Find out about commonly used Finance reports during a call-in session on November 24. Register here. An HR Reports call-in will be scheduled later this month, with details to follow.
Operations & Advising
Communications & Engagement, Human Resources, and Safety & Risk Services
- SRS Strategic Plan: SRS is currently undergoing their departmental strategic planning session. The SRS Strategic Plan is anticipated to be launched in early December 2020.
- Annual Respirators fit testing: December dates and times are now available. In order for an employee to use a tight-fitting respirator (e.g., full-face piece, half-face piece (e.g., reusable elastomeric styles, N95, etc.), they must self-register and complete a fit test prior to their first use and annually thereafter. For registration, visit the WPL website.
- VPFO HR on-site support schedule this week:
- November 23: Arvind Kang, Rachel Lau
- November 24: Matt Furgal, Gregor Macdonald
- November 25: Kasia Burza
- November 26: Matt Furgal, Rachel Lau
- November 27: Matt Furgal, Kasia Burza
Other notable updates
Working From Home Tax-Free Equipment Reimbursement
The university will provide a one-time tax-free reimbursement of up to $400 for the purchase of certain equipment employees may have purchased, or need to purchase, in order to have a productive and ergonomic remote working space. VPFO Human Resources has shared this information to find UBC-only discounts on office equipment and ergonomic information.
New Province-Wide Restrictions Reinforce UBC Campus Safety Rules
By order and direction of the Provincial Health Officer, a reminder to please continue to follow UBC’s COVID-19 campus safety rules:
- Those working remotely should continue to do so.
- Before coming to campus, assess yourself daily for COVID-19 symptoms.
- Stay home if you are ill.
- Minimize your contact with others through physical distancing of 2 metres.
- Non-medical masks are required in indoors spaces.
- Face shields are recommended for individuals with exceptions that inhibits their ability to wear a mask.
Helpful news
Some interesting news articles people have found informative or helpful at work. These are provided for information and entertainment only. Unless noted, UBC doesn’t specifically endorse or supply this content.
- You deserve a break… why not one of the top -reviewed books from the NY Times best seller’s list? The editors of The Times Book Review choose the best fiction and nonfiction titles this year in their 10 best books of 2020 list.
Have an article for your peers? Email communications@vpfo.ubc.ca.