VPFO Update | The week of February 27, 2023

Updates from UBC

Updates from VPFO

  • Thank you for your acts of kindness: VPFO Pink Shirt Day 2023: On Feb 22, hundreds of team members from the VPFO gathered to recognize our 6th annual Pink Shirt Day, and to support equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. 

Strategic Plan updates

Our plan & our people

Building a more innovative campus — one project at a time

A powerful duo in the VPFO, Aletha Utimati, a PMP-certified Project Manager and Sandy Sull, a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) bring completely different expertise but share a vision for an innovative campus, a passion for collaboration, and the ability to shift gears and adapt quickly to build an amazing and engaging Vancouver campus.

Aletha and Sandy had a chance to share what a typical day in their exciting jobs looks like, how their worlds collide and what accountability means to them in their respective roles.

Read the full story


Operations updates

Facilities

Building Operations, Custodial Services, Customer Services & Informatics, Energy & Water Services, Infrastructure Development, and Municipal Services

  • A reminder to stick to primary routes when driving to campus: Environment Canada has issued a snow fall warning for this afternoon through Tuesday Morning. To view UBC’s priority routes that are cleared during extreme winter weather, please visit the Facilities website.  
     
  • Demolition of UBC Power House this summer: The UBC Power House will undergo demolition to prepare for the development of the new UBC Sauder School of Business expansion. The stunning 11-storey building will be constructed next to the current Sauder School of Business in the Henry Angus Building and is expected to open in 2026. Learn more

Finance

Comptroller, Finance & Operational Excellence and Treasury

  • T4/T4A tax slips for the 2022 tax year: UBC faculty and staff can now access their payroll-related 2022 T4 and T4A tax slips for personal income tax returns through Workday. Full information, including how to access the tax slips and request support, is available on the UBC Finance website
     
  • T2200S Forms for the 2022 Tax Year: The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) continues to offer two ways employees may be able to claim home office expenses for the 2022 tax year. The second of these CRA options requires the T2200S tax form, which is now available for UBC faculty and staff in Workday.
     
  • Claiming unidentified wire transfers and direct deposits: Please check through the list of unidentified payments (updated as of Feb 23) to see if any payments belong to your department.   
     
  • Continuing to measure your Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt project: Now that your report has been submitted, you are encouraged to monitor the results that you have set in your goals on a quarterly basis. Operational Excellence has created a SharePoint site to help you track your results. Learn more

Operations & Advising

Communications & Engagement, Human Resources, and Safety & Risk Services 

  • Ensuring completion of UBC mandatory training: Safety & Risk Services recently launched a campaign to ensure staff and student-staff who are not up to date on their UBC Required Training will receive a Workday notification as a reminder to complete the training(s). Learn more 
     
  • Toolkits to help you share the availability of 2022 tax documents: VPFO Communications & Engagement has created two toolkits to help you share information on how to access T4/T4A statements and T2200S forms on Workday. Learn more

Shout outs 

VPFO

  • VPFO EDI Committee: Special thanks to the VPFO EDI Committee for putting together such a meaningful Pink Shirt Day event and for the thoughtful emceeing. Thank you for fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment at the VPFO!  

Facilities

  • Facilities teams: Shout out to Facilities team members who came on campus over the weekend to help with snow response and keep our campus community safe for the week ahead. We appreciate you!  

Well done! Want to give someone a shout out in the next edition? Submit your kudos in your local recognition program or email communications@vpfo.ubc.ca

People in motion

  • Facilities is pleased to welcome Pera Hardy as Senior Facilities Planner in Infrastructure Development and Kurt Werby as Trades 2 - Painter in Building Operations. 
  • Farewell to Ellizabeth Lara, CAD Technician. Her last day is March 15. Ellizabeth has played a key role in the development of our building key plans and campus maps to support the space inventory, learning spaces, and operations within UBC. Thank you for your service over the past nine years with Infrastructure Development in Facilities. All the best!  

Read more about our people on the VPFO website.

Job openings

All positions at UBC are available on the UBC HR Careers website, or through the career application in your Workday account. Please note that applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on the day prior to the posting end date. The following VPFO positions are currently open:

  • Millwright (Building Operations) (JR10231) – 3/2/2023
  • Senior Financial Spec 1a (Gr 8) (JR11630) – 3/3/2023
  • Utilities Electrical Engineer (JR11625) – 3/3/2023
  • Emergency Management & Continuity Planning Advisor (JR11047) – 3/3/2023
  • Tax Manager (JR11677) – 3/6/2023
  • Buyer (JR11713) – 3/6/2023
  • Trades 2 - Glazier/Waterproofer (JR11646) – 3/7/2023
  • SubHead Trades 2 - Architectural (JR11645) – 3/7/2023
  • Lead Advisor, Information Security Compliance (JR11398) – 03/08/2023
  • Procurement Officer - Construction (JR11717) – 3/10/2023
  • Health & Safety Associate (JR11693) – 3/12/2023
  • Manager, Financial Reporting (JR11514) – 3/13/2023
  • Trades 2 - Access Control Tech Locksmith (JR11453) – 03/15/2023
  • Data Systems Administrator, Capital Projects (JR9432) – 3/26/2023
  • Labourer 2 (Seasonal) (JR11189) – 06/30/2023

Don't forget to apply as an internal candidate! Please review the Apply for an Internal Job Posting guide in the Workday Knowledge Base for instructions on how to apply. Reminder to attach a copy of your resume when you apply for a career opportunity in Workday. 

Spotlight of the week

Each week a member of the VPFO will introduce themselves and their work through the Update. 

Baljit Vickram & David Choa, International Payment Desk Processors | Finance & Operational Excellence 

We'd like to remind everyone to complete the Global Disbursement Service (GDS) form for all UBC international payments. We're always happy to help! Simply submit a Workday support request through the UBC Self Service Portal and we'll guide you along the way. 

Managing your mental health

HR has mental health resources to help you manage your ups and downs. 

Manager or leaders: complete the new required training, Supporting Mental Health in the Workplace for Managers & Supervisors.

VPFO HR is always available for a confidential conversation, or access the Employee and Family Assistance Program's (EFAP) confidential services, through LifeWorks, by calling 1.866.424.0770. 


Notable updates

Have you completed all UBC required training?

UBC is aiming to increase compliance with required training for staff and student-staff, as mandated by legislation and UBC policies.

On Monday, March 6, staff and student-staff who are not up to date on their UBC Required Training will receive a Workday notification as a reminder to complete the training(s).  This new Workday notification will be sent out every March and October, annually. Please keep an eye out for this new notification and check that you have completed the most up-to-date version of a necessary required training.

If you believe you have completed the most up-to-date version of a necessary required training, but still receive a notification of incompletion, please contact the workplace learning ecosystem (wpl): support.wpl@ubc.ca

Learn more
 

Help us improve internal communications at UBC 

You are invited to share your feedback related to how the university communicates with faculty and staff, from institutional announcements to stories about the people who make up UBC.

The survey will take 10-15 minutes to complete and will require your CWL. Please complete the survey and encourage your faculty and staff colleagues to do the same.   

Complete the survey by March 17 
 

Call for nominations for the 2023 President’s Awards for Staff

To recognize and celebrate those who demonstrate outstanding achievement and excellence within the UBC community, we invite all students, faculty and staff to nominate staff for the 2023 President’s Service Award for Excellence and the President’s Staff Awards.

Detailed award criteria are available in the nomination package on the UBC Focus on People website. The nomination deadline is 4 pm, Friday, April 7.

Helpful news

Some interesting news articles our team members have found informative, helpful, or fun! These are provided for information and entertainment only. Unless noted, UBC doesn’t specifically endorse or supply this content.

  • If it seems like there are a lot issues worth fighting for these days, you’re right. Women’s rights, racial justice, climate change and Indigenous reconciliation are just a few that stoke passion for many. Here are 6 small actions can help advance the social movements you care about, available on UBC Beyond
  • Is living too fast turning your life into a blur? Catch your breath by trying out these calming traditions from other countries and cultures. Read more


The VPFO Update is a weekly snapshot that captures important university updates, work across VPFO departments, and relevant resources.

This will be reposted, along with past issues, at vpfo.ubc.ca/news
 

Questions, news or feedback?

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