Management and Professional Staff Employee Handbook

The University of Calgary depends on the valuable skills, expertise, and contributions of our Management and Professional Staff (MaPS) to support and enable academic and research excellence, to support and enable academic and research excellence, and to meet the goals of our 2023-2030 strategic plan, Ahead of Tomorrow. 

The purpose of this handbook, presented as a webpage for ease of use, is to provide MaPS with a single point of reference for information relating to the university’s policies, practices, and benefits important to their employment. These policies, practices, and benefits are continually evaluated, and may be amended or modified from time to time by the university, in its sole discretion. 

The updated MaPS Employee Handbook will take effect on January 1, 2025, and will replace and supersede the previous MaPS Terms and Conditions, dated September 2021. The handbook will be formally reviewed by the university every five years, or on an ad hoc basis as deemed necessary by the university in its sole discretion. 

All policies, practices, and benefits referenced in this handbook are subject to and intended to comply with applicable workplace legislation, including minimum employment standards. Any part of this handbook that is invalid, unenforceable, or void by law or legislation, will be severed, and the remainder of the handbook will remain in full force and effect. 

Please note: This handbook does not apply to MaPS working in Qatar. For more information please visit the University of Calgary in Qatar careers website.

The job classification system for MaPS provides information on the foundational philosophy and guiding principles for the university’s compensation structure. It also outlines the job evaluation system used by the university to identify a position’s career band and level and the corresponding salary range. 

Salary decisions for MaPS are governed by the Salary Management Guidelines.

Pay Periods

On designated pay days, Payroll directly deposits MaPS earnings into a personal bank account as directed by each MaPS. The Payroll website provides further information on the university’s pay days and pay periods, as well as the university’s payroll practices.

As part of its Total Rewards strategy, the university provides a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to promote a productive level of health and well-being to MaPS. 

All benefits are subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable policy and plan documents, as amended from time to time at the university’s sole discretion. Benefits will also vary depending on the status of MaPS as a Regular, Part-Time, Fixed/Limited Term, or Temporary Relief employee.

MaPS that possess professional credentials or membership in a specific professional association must maintain good standing where the credential is a requirement of their position. In the event of registration, license, or membership changes, MaPS must notify their manager as soon as possible. 

Relevant professional dues or membership fees required for a MaPS position, as determined by the manager, are eligible for reimbursement, subject to approval from the manager prior to the expense being incurred. MaPS are eligible for one professional membership per year. Additional memberships/dues for MaPS may be borne by the department, at the department’s discretion. 

Reimbursement for professional dues and membership fees are done through online submission of expense claims and receipts/invoices to Peoplesoft. Receipts/invoices submitted must include the period to which the dues/fees apply. 

Subject to the discretion of the managing department, MaPS hired to temporarily replace a MaPS on leave may be eligible for reimbursement of professional fees. Reimbursement of professional fees is pro-rated based on full-time equivalent (FTE) for part-time MaPS. Fixed/Limited Term MaPS must have an employment term that is greater than 12 months to qualify. 

MaPS on maternity or parental leave continue to be eligible for reimbursement of professional fees.

MaPS are entitled to a variety of paid-time-off entitlements, plus additional paid time away from work to address personal matters including family obligations. 

Vacation 

The management of vacation, including scheduling, accrual, carry-over, and payout is outlined in the Staff Vacation Policy and Staff Vacation Procedure. Vacation accrual is pro-rated and based on FTE. MaPS paid vacation entitlements are as follows:

Managers and MaPS should work together to ensure vacation time is scheduled and taken at a mutually agreeable time. Managers may recognize prior related experience with another employer for the purposes of determining vacation accrual rate at the time of hire. Such enhancements shall be subject to approval by the Associate Vice President Human Resources and must be captured in the MaPS’ offer letter. 
 

Holidays 

In addition to the vacation entitlements set out above, Full-Time MaPS are provided with paid time off for each of the following named holidays:

MaPS other than salaried Full-Time will have their holiday pay calculated in accordance with applicable minimum standards legislation.
 

Personal Leave Days

Personal Leave Days (PLD) are intended for unforeseeable circumstances of a personal nature where the MaPS is unable to arrange in advance for alternative time off. This may include instances of illness within the immediate family. The employer reserves the right to ask for satisfactory proof. Personal leave days are not intended to be paired with weekends and vacations. 

MaPS with at least three months of service are eligible for five personal leave days per calendar year (January 1 to December 31). Each personal leave day shows as seven hours in the payroll system and can be taken as hours. Up to five additional days may be granted in exceptional circumstances at the sole discretion of management. 

Personal leave days cannot be carried forward, will not be paid out, and will be forfeited if not used before the end of the calendar year.
 

Additional Paid Time Off 

During Stampede, MaPS shall receive one-half of a normal workday off with pay. There is no entitlement to Stampede half day off if you are absent from work (for any reason) for the whole duration of Stampede. 

MaPS are entitled to one-half of a normal workday off with pay for the MaPS to attend their citizenship ceremony. 

When December 24 is a workday, offices will open at 8:30 a.m. and close at 12 p.m. MaPS scheduled to work will be released at that time without loss of pay or reduction of vacation entitlement.

On occasion, there may be a need to take a leave of absence from work. MaPS are entitled to different types of paid and unpaid leaves, depending on the circumstances. 

All leaves, whether paid or unpaid, will be administered in accordance with applicable minimum standards legislation. 

Please note that the paid leaves described below that are provided for the same purpose as unpaid leaves required by minimum standards legislation are intended to provide a greater benefit and be inclusive of (and not in addition to) the unpaid statutory entitlement. 

Except as otherwise provided in this Handbook, leave entitlements do not carry forward from year to year, will not be paid out, and are forfeited if not used. 

In addition to the leaves described below, applicable minimum standards legislation may provide entitlements to unpaid leaves for other purposes. Questions regarding other leaves of absence should be made to your manager who will consult with Human Resources. 

Generally, all leave requests should be made in writing, and must include the reason for the leave, the last workday, and the expected return to work date. Depending on the leave other requirements for supporting documentation and notice may be required

Sick Leave

Sick leave coverage provides MaPS with income protection when absent from work due to non-occupational illness or injury. Medical documentation may be required. Learn more. 

Upon hire, MaPS are entitled to 130 days of sick leave annually with pay based on the following:

• Sick leave within the first 90 workdays of employment will be paid at 70% of normal salary.
• MaPS hired after January 1 who have completed 90 days of consecutive employment will be credited with up to 20 workdays of sick leave at 100% of their normal salary and 110 workdays at 70% of normal salary for the balance of the calendar year.
• On each subsequent January 1 sick leave credits will be adjusted as follows:

Sick leave credits are pro-rated and based on FTE. 

MaPS on sick leave for five or more workdays in December shall maintain the remaining sick leave allotment from the prior year, upon the commencement of the new calendar year. Sick leave for the new calendar year shall be credited to the MaPS when the MaPS returns to work on a regular schedule for one month and has not been absent due to illness for five or more workdays in that month. 
 

Personal Medical Appointments 

If a personal medical appointment is less than two hours, arrange to “flex” your time with your manager. If a medical appointment is greater than two hours, the actual hours of the time away are to be coded as sick leave. 
 

Bereavement Leave 

Bereavement leave is provided for the purposes of attending the funeral or related matters in the event of the following circumstances: 

• a death in the immediate family; or
• another relative or close friend.

Immediate family is defined as spouse (including common-law and/or same-sex), child, stepchild, parent, stepparent, parent-in-law, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, son-in-law, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, grandchild, and grandparent. 

Up to five workdays plus up to another two workdays for travel without loss of pay or benefits will be granted in the event of a death of an immediate family member. 

In the event of a death of another relative or close friend, your manager may grant up to one workday off with pay to attend the funeral services.
 

Jury Duty 

MaPS are granted leave with pay and benefits for the purpose of jury selection or jury duty. Managers may grant time away without pay if a MaPS is required to appear before a court of law for other legal matters.
 

Maternity and Parental Leave 

Birth and adoptive parents are eligible for unpaid maternity and/or parental leave in accordance with employment standards legislation. See Alberta’s employment standards website for more detailed information on eligibility, duration, and conditions of these unpaid leave entitlements. As these leaves are unpaid, MaPS are also eligible for Top-Up Benefits during these leaves as set out below. 

MaPS should submit their requests for maternity and/or parental leave to their manager in writing a minimum of six weeks prior to the expected date of commencement of the leave, understanding that exceptional circumstances may prevent the determination of a foreseeable commencement date. The written request should include the planned last day worked and planned return to work date.

General Leaves of Absence

MaPS who have completed one year of continuous service may be granted an unpaid leave of absence in other circumstances for a period greater than five days and less than six months. Approval of general leave requests will be at the manager’s discretion and contingent upon operational requirements.

A leave of absence is not permitted to facilitate working elsewhere for gain.

It is the responsibility of all MaPS to review and comply with applicable workplace policies, procedures, and other related governance documents, as amended by the university from time to time in its sole discretion. Failure to comply with these policies may result in discipline, up to and including termination. 

Below is a list of policies, procedures, and programs most applicable to the MaPS workplace.