Research Staff - Employment Type Summary


Employment Type Summaries

These overviews provide basic entitlements for employees new to the organization. Entitlements for internal employees transferring to a new role may vary slightly depending on their current job and entitlements.

Employee Type ID: PDF 162, PDF 175 or Guest Postdoctoral Scholar (appointment type is based on funding source, visit the Postdoc website for full details)

Definition: Primary purpose is to further the postdoc's individual training and as such the fellowship appointment code is to be used. See the Postdoc website for details related to postdoc appointments. PDFs are considered trainees rather than employees of the university.

Position Management: Not assigned a one-to-one position number in the HR System, except:

  • when the job has direct reporting relationships
  • when the job is funded from a high dollar (level 3) project

Recruitment Requirements: Recruited by the faculty member or research group in accordance with the procedures on the Postdoc website.

Work Schedule: 

  • The appointment is a limited term appointment for a minimum of three months to a maximum of five years. For international Postdocs, the minimum appointment is one year.
  • Appointments are full time
  • Part-time appointments may be considered and are reviewed and approved by the Postdoctoral Office on a case-by-case basis

Benefits Eligibility:

  • Plan C (appointments greater than six months and eligible for Alberta Health Care)
    • Benefit costs paid by Principle Investigator
  • Plan C (appointments greater than six months and eligible for Alberta Health Care)
    • Benefit costs paid by Principle Investigator

Pension Eligibility: No entitlement

Special Leave Entitlements    

  • Maternity Leave - A female Eyes High PDS who holds an appointment at the time of birth of a child is entitled to a paid maternity leave at the current stipend level. This leave may be requested for up to four (4) months within the two (2) year tenure of the award [postdoc + maternity leave cannot exceed 24 months]. This leave must be approved by the Postdoctoral Office and taken within the first six (6) months of the child’s birth. The maximum period of paid maternity leave is four (4) months, even in cases of multiple births.
  • Parental (Adoptive) Leave -An Eyes High PDS who is the spouse or domestic partner of a woman who has given birth or an Eyes High PDS who has adopted a child is entitled to five (5) business days of leave with pay. The leave shall commence no earlier than the birth or adoption of a child and no later than five (5) business after the birth or adoption of a child.
  • Bereavement Leave - A PDS may take a leave of up to five (5) business days for funeral attendance of an immediate family member (parent, step or adopted parent, child, step or adopted child, sibling, step or adopted sibling).
  • Personal Leave - Ten (10) business days of personal leave time may be provided

Sick Leave: No Entitlement

Vacation: No entitlement

Employee Type ID: VISSLR

Definition: A payment made to a visiting researcher who is receiving funding from another institution but doing research at the University of Calgary. Payments are intended only to supplement income from an external source.

Position Management: Not assigned a one-to-one position number in the HR System.

Recruitment Requirements: 

  • Recruited by the faculty member or research group
  • No posting required
  • Hired via online Template-Based Hire (TBH) form

Work Schedule: Standard hours of work and remuneration for work governed by Alberta Labour Standards.

Benefits Eligibility: Not eligible

Pension Eligibility: Not eligible

Sick Leave: Not eligible

Vacation: Receives 6% vacation pay on each cheque

Employee Type ID: GAR

Definition: Position designed to facilitate a graduate student's development of academic experience by assisting with a research project, not directly related to the student's area of study. The duties may include collecting research data, interviewing research subjects, conducting bibliographic work, performing general research services, and carrying out academic projects.

The GSA Collective Agreement guides the employment relationship for all Graduate Assistants. See Article 5.1 - Categories of Appointment for more information.

The remuneration of a GAR consists of only an hourly salary.

See Schedule A of the GSA Collective Agreement for full details.

Position Management:

Recruitment Requirements:

  • A GAR may be hired for periods of up to 12 months
  • Hired by graduate coordinators or administrators on behalf
  • of faculty members via online Template-Based Hire (TBH)
  • For detailed information on hiring a GAR, visit the Hiring a Grad Assistant page.

Work Schedule: GSA Collective Agreement - Article 5.4

  • GAR may work up to 450 hours in one academic year. (July 1 - June 30)   

Benefits Eligibility:

  • No entitlement
  • Students may be eligible for benefits through the Grad Students Association

Pension Eligibility:

  • No entitlement

Special Leave Entitlements: GSA Collective Agreement

  • Medical Leave – Article 7 - 100% of the daily average of earnings over the preceding ten (10) business days for a period of up to ten business days and then 70% of the daily average of earnings in the preceding twenty (20) business for the duration of disability or until contract ends, whichever is earlier.
  • Maternity Leave - Article 8.1 - First time GA appointments are entitled to 15 weeks of unpaid leave or until appointment ends, whichever is earlier. GAs who have completed at least one GA appointment in the 12 months prior to the birth of the child are entitled to 15 weeks paid leave at 70% of the daily average of earnings in the 20 business days preceding the commencement of the leave.
  • Adoptive Leave – Article 8.2 - First time GA appointments are entitled to 15 weeks of unpaid leave or until appointment ends, whichever is earlier. GAs who have completed at least one GA appointment in the 12 months prior to the child being placed with the adoptive parent, are entitled to 15 weeks paid leave at 70% of the daily average of earnings in the 20 business days preceding the commencement of the leave.
  • Partner Leave - Article 8.3 - Spouse or domestic partner is entitled to 5 business days of paid leave.
  • Bereavement - Article 9.1 - Entitled to up to 5 business days of paid leave
  • Compassionate Care - Article - 9.2 - Entitled to up to 8 weeks of unpaid leave

Vacation: GSA Collective Agreement Article 6.3

  • Receives payment in lieu of vacation.

Employee Type ID: PRJ 002

Definition: Payments to a grad or undergrad student that is 100% scholarship. Position is designed to provide experience in an area of research directly related to their field of study.

Recruitment Requirements:

  • Approved by project holder in accordance with a granting agency and the Canada Revenue Agency(CRA) rules and regulations.
  • Scholarship Job Record is created by graduate coordinators or administrators via online Template Based Hire (TBH) form.
  • Scholarship payment is entered by graduate coordinators or administrators via the scholarship payment page in PeopleSoft
  • Refer to the Grad Assistant website for full details.  

Benefits Eligibility: Not eligible for employer group benefit plans. Students may be eligible for benefits through the Grad Students Association

Pension Eligibility: Not eligible

Sick Leave: Not eligible

Vacation: Not eligible

Employee Type ID: Fixed Term FT

Definition: Employees who support research projects, Trustholders, or both, at the university for a specified period of up to five (5) years. May be renewed dependent upon length of research funding associated with the appointment.

The AUPE Collective Agreement guides the employment relationship for all AUPE employees. See Article 1 – Definitions and Interpretations for more information.

Position Management: Not assigned a one-to-one position number in the HR System, except:

  • when the job has direct reporting relationships

Recruitment Requirements: 

  • Job Profile Required
  • Funding approval required
  • Job Opening requested and approved via the Job Opening Request form (located in the myUCalgary Portal under My work)
  • Posting Required - Minimum of seven days
  • Offer letter produced
  • Extensions do not require posting
  • Probation completed after six months (Article 17- Probationary Employee and Period)

Work Schedule: Article FT18 - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Maximum of AUPE job family

Timesheet: 

  • Salaried Employees - code exception time
  • CTO - Eligible
  • Flex - Eligible
  • Overtime (Article 19 - AUPE Collective Agreement)

Benefits Eligibility: Article 35 - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Appointments 6 months or less – Not Eligible
  • Appointments greater than 6 months – Eligible for Full Benefits Plan

Pension Eligibility: Article 35 - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Appointments 6 months or less – Not Eligible
  • Appointments greater than 6 months – Eligible for Full Benefits Plan

Special Leave Entitlements: Article 31 - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Appointments 6 months or less - No Entitlements (except Bereavement)
  • Appointments greater than 6 months - Full Entitlement

Sick Leave: Article 30 - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Appointments six months or less – No Entitlements
  • Appointments greater than six months - Full Entitlement
    • 70% sick leave first three months
    • 100% sick leave after three months

Vacation: Article FT29 - AUPE Collective Agreement

Full Entitlement pro-rated based on length of term

  • 3 weeks for years 1 to 4
  • 4 weeks for years 5 to 15
  • 5 weeks for years 16 to 24
  • 6 weeks for years 25 and over
  • One-time bonus week after 8 years
  • Accrues semi-monthly from date of hire

Employee Type ID: Fixed Term PT

Definition: Employees who support research projects, Trustholders, or both, at the university for a specified period of up to five (5) years. May be renewed dependent upon length of research funding associated with the appointment.

The AUPE Collective Agreement guides the employment relationship for all AUPE employees. See Article 1 – Definitions and Interpretations for more information.

Position Management: Not assigned a one-to-one position number in the HR System, except

  • when the job has direct reporting relationships

Recruitment Requirements:

  • Job Profile Required
  • Funding approval required
  • Job Opening requested and approved via the Job Opening Request form (located in the myUCalgary Portal under My work)
  • Posting Required - Minimum of seven days
  • Offer letter produced
  • Extensions do not require posting
  • Probation completed after six months or 500 hours (Article 17- Probationary Employee and Period)

Work Schedule: Article FT18 - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Maximum of AUPE job family

Time Sheet:

  • Salaried Employees - code exception time
  • CTO - Eligible
  • Flex - Not Eligible
  • Overtime paid at straight time up to daily or weekly maximum of job family and phase (Article 19 - AUPE Collective Agreement)

Benefits Eligibility: Article 35 - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Appointments 6 months or less – Not Eligible
  • Appointments greater than 6 months – Eligible for Full Benefits Plan
  • Cost sharing premiums based on FTE

Pension Eligibility: 

  • Appointments less than one year - Not Eligible
  • Appointments of one year or more (or extended beyond one year or more) - Eligible
  • Between 14 and 29 hours per week - Optional
  • 30 hours per week or more - Mandatory

Special Leave Entitlements: Article 31 - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Appointments six months or less - No Entitlement (except Bereavement)
  • Appointments greater than six months - Full Entitlement pro-rated based on FTE

Sick Leave: Article 30 - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Appointments six months or less – No Entitlement
  • Appointments greater than six months - Full Entitlement pro-rated based on FTE
    • 70% sick leave first three months
    • 100% sick leave after three months

Vacation: Article FT29 - AUPE Collective Agreement

Full Entitlement pro-rated based on FTE and length of term 

  • 3 weeks for years 1 to 4
  • 4 weeks for years 5 to 15
  • 5 weeks for years 16 to 24
  • 6 weeks for years 25 and over
  • One-time bonus week after 8 years
  • Accrues semi-monthly from date of hire

Employee Type ID: RPT

Definition: Employees who are engaged to perform work on an irregular schedule. Such employees may work shifts up to the normal daily and weekly hours of work for their job family.

The AUPE Collective Agreement guides the employment relationship for all AUPE employees.
See Article 1 – Definitions and Interpretations for more information.

Position Management: Not assigned a one-to-one position number in the HR System.

Recruitment Requirements:

  • Job Profile Required
  • Funding approval required
  • Job Opening requested and approved via the Job Opening Request form (located in the myUCalgary Portal under My work)
  • Posting Required - Minimum of seven days
  • Offer letter produced
  • Probation completed after 500 hrs (Article 17- AUPE Collective Agreement)

Work Schedule: Article OP18 for Operating Employees or FT18 for Fixed Term Employees - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Maximum of AUPE job family

Time Sheet: Hourly Employees – code positive time

  • CTO - Not Eligible
  • Flex - Not Eligible
  • Overtime paid for hours worked over daily or weekly maximum of job family and phase
  • (Article 19 AUPE Collective Agreement)

Benefits Eligibility: Article 35 - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Not eligible for benefit plans 
  • 3% pay in lieu of benefits for 14 hours or greater per week

Pension Eligibility: Not Eligible

Special Leave Entitlements: Article 31 - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • No Entitlement

Sick Leave: Article 30 - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Accrues at 0.0384 hours of sick leave per hour worked to a maximum of 70 hours.

Vacation:

Article 28.02 Paid Holidays - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Receives 5% stat pay on each cheque

Article OP29.07 and FT29.07 Vacations - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Receives 6% vacation pay on each cheque

Employee Type ID: Casual

Definition: Employees engaged to work shifts of three (3) hours or more to:

  • Replace an employee absent from work for a period of less than twenty (20) consecutive work days (Replacement)
  • Augment the regular work force on no more than thirty (30) work days per calendar year (Augmentation). 

Can be hired as Operating Employees (when paid from general operating funds) or as Fixed Term Employees when paid from research project funds)

The AUPE Collective Agreement guides the employment relationship for all AUPE employees.
See Article 1 – Definitions and Interpretations for more information.

Position Management: Not assigned a one-to-one position number in the HR System.

Recruitment Requirements:

  • Hired via the Casual AUPE - Hourly template in Template-Based Hire (TBH) form (located in the myUCalgary Portal under My Work)
  • Submission of a job profile not required
  • No posting required
  • No offer letter produced
  • Funding approval not required as approval of hourly time is done through the timesheet approval process

Work Schedule: Article OP18 for Operating Employees or FT18 for Fixed Term Employees 
AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Replacement - Less than 20 consecutive work days
  • Augmentation - No more than 30 shifts per calendar year
  • Premium (EXT) of 1.25 applies on shifts above the max (Article 1.01e)

Time Sheet:

  • Hourly Employees – code positive time
  • Shift is a minimum 3 hour to the maximum daily hours for the applicable AUPE job family
  • CTO - Not Eligible
  • Flex - Not Eligible
  • Overtime paid for hours worked over daily or weekly maximum of job family and phase (Article 19 - AUPE Collective Agreement)

Benefits Eligibility: Article 35 - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Not eligible

Pension Eligibility: Not eligible

Special Leave Entitlements: Article 31 - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • No Entitlement

Sick Leave: Article 30 - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Not Eligible

Vacation:

Article 28.02 - Paid Holidays - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Receives 5% stat pay on each cheque

Article OP29.07 and FT29.07- Vacation - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Receives 6% vacation pay on each cheque

Employee Type ID: Student Job

Definition: Students whose position duties fall in Phase 1 of a Job Family and are engaged to perform variable work on an irregular schedule, not less than three (3) hours per shift and for not more than twenty two and one-half (22.5) hours per week.

Student Employees must be registered in one (1) full university course or more, or registered as a Graduate Student at the University of Calgary.

Can be hired as Operating Employees (when paid from general operating funds) or as Fixed Term Employees when paid from research project funds)

The AUPE Collective Agreement guides the employment relationship for all AUPE employees. See Article 1 – Definitions and Interpretations for more information.

Position Management: Not assigned a one-to-one position number in the HR System.

Recruitment Requirements:

  • Hired via the Student AUPE - Hourly template in the Template-Based Hire (TBH) form (located in the myUCalgary Portal under My work)
  • Submission of a job profile not required
  • No posting required
  • No offer letter produced
  • Funding approval not required as approval of hourly time is done through the timesheet approval process

Work Schedule:

  • No more than 22.5 hours per week
  • Premium (EXT) of 1.25 applies on shifts above the max
  • Weekly maximums don't apply between December 1 and January 15
  • or between May 1 and September 15.

Time Sheet:

  • Hourly Employees – code positive time
  • Shift is a minimum 3 hour to the maximum daily hours for the applicable AUPE job family
  • CTO - Not Eligible
  • Flex - Not Eligible
  • Overtime paid for hours worked over daily or weekly maximum of job family and phase (Article 19 - AUPE Collective Agreement)

Benefits Eligibility: Article 35 - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Not eligible

Pension Eligibility: Not eligible

Special Leave Entitlements: Article 31 - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • No Entitlement

Sick Leave: Article 30 - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Not Eligible

Vacation:

Article 28.02 - Paid Holidays - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Receives 5% stat pay on each cheque

Article OP29.07 and FT29.07- Vacation - AUPE Collective Agreement

  • Receives 6% vacation pay on each cheque