Faculty and Staff

Learn the basics about pay for UBC faculty and staff members. If you're new to the university, make sure you also visit the New Employees page.

Paying our university employees accurately and on time is of the utmost importance for UBC's Payroll team. Use the information below to find basic information about pay at UBC, or visit the UBC Self-Service Portal if you need more support (CWL required).

When do I get paid?

All employees at UBC are paid on the closest business days to the 15th and last day of the month. If you are paid hourly, your pay on the 15th will include hours worked from the 24th day of the previous month to the 8th day of the current month. Your end of the month pay will include hours worked from the 9th to the 23rd of the current month.

Paydays falling on holidays or weekends are moved up to the preceding non-holiday business day.

The pay dates for 2024 are available as a list or in PDF format

How do I get paid?

Employees are typically paid by direct deposit.  Direct deposit is an electronic transfer of payment directly from UBC to your designated Canadian bank account. Direct deposit allows UBC to credit your pay directly to your bank account on a regular basis and in a timely manner. The amount deposited is net pay (gross pay less deductions). 

Using direct deposit is strongly encouraged, and is the most effective and efficient way to ensure pay is received in a timely manner (It is also a requirement of some employee collective agreements). Please note that UBC only allows direct deposit into one bank account.

Employees can update their direct deposit information in Workday at any time. Refer to the Change My Direct Deposit or Payment Elections guide in the Workday Knowledge Base for detailed instructions (CWL required).  Please ensure that you are changing your bank account, if applicable, three business days before the scheduled payment date.

What do I do if there is a problem with my pay?

If you haven't been paid, or there is an issue with your pay, please check Workday:

  • Ensure that your time has been submitted for approval, if applicable
  • Ensure your correct banking information is on file.

If you have not entered your banking information in Workday, a cheque has been mailed to your address on file. If you don't receive a cheque within three weeks from the date you expected payment, please submit a request for support from Payroll through the UBC Self Service Portal (CWL required).

Should I update my Basic Personal Tax Elections each year?

Basic personal tax credits should be reviewed and/or updated every January. Tax credits are based on the calendar taxation year not the academic year.

For example, if you claimed $9,131 in tuition in 2022, you may expect to pay a different amount in 2023. If you are claiming tuition credits, put the amount you expect to pay in line 5 federally and line 4 provincially, as applicable.

For instructions on how to update your tax elections in Workday, refer to the Change My Tax Elections guide in the Workday Knowledge Base (CWL required). Note that the tax credits that you are currently claiming appear on your pay statement.

More information on tax elections is available on the Faculty and Staff page in the Your Taxes section.

CPP contributions and EI deductions, and the impact on pay each January

Each calendar year Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions and Employment Insurance (EI) premiums must be deducted from earnings until a maximum level is reached.

CPP and EI deductions start every January, and stop when the maximum contribution has been made. When this happens, you will notice that CPP deductions and EI premiums are no longer being withheld, resulting in a slightly higher net pay.

When deductions begin again in January of the following year, net pay lowers as a result. Learn more on the CPP FAQ page.

These rates are set nationally by the Canada Revenue Agency for CPP, and the Canada Employment Insurance Commission for EI. For 2024 the rates are as follows:

Canada Pension Plan Employment Insurance
  • CPP has increased from 5.70% to 5.95%
  • The maximum annual pensionable earnings (YMPE) increased from $66,600 to $68,500
  • The maximum annual contribution is $3,867.50 in 2024 compared to $3,754.45 in 2023
  • The EI premium rate is increasing from 1.63% to 1.66%
  • The maximum insurable earnings have increased from $61,500 to $63,200
  • The maximum annual premium is $1,049.12 in 2024 compared to $1,002.45 in 2023

Employees applying for Canadian Permanent Residency

The Payroll Operations team often receives requests from the employee community with questions about documentation required for Permanent Residency applications.

Information about documentation required to support a permanent residency application is available on the Government of Canada website.

Supporting documentation to show that you meet the residency obligation may include your CRA Notice(s) of Assessment, which can be accessed through the Canada Revenue Agency Website. You are not required to provide pay statements with your permanent residency application. However, you may provide an employment verification letter.

Visit the Access Employment Verification page in the Self Service section to learn more about generating this document in Workday.

Once you have your permanent Social Insurance Number
The Payroll Operations team will need your permanent Social Insurance Number (SIN) as soon as you have it available to ensure you are paid on time.

As soon as you receive the confirmation of your permanent SIN, please update your information in Workday. Review the Change my Government IDs article in the Workday Knowledge Base (CWL required) if you need support.

For more information on Social Insurance Numbers, visit the Government of Canada website.