Useful links for current and prospective postdocs

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If you are a Postdoctoral Fellow Employee (usually this means that you are paid from a grant that your PI holds and are paid through Dal) then you are unionised and protected by the terms of the Collective Agreement (see link above). Our Union is the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and we are a Directly Chartered Local (DCL). This means that we are not part of a component (which may include a group of workers such as Government Services or Health and Environment Workers) and recognises that we may have different representation needs than many other groups. 

Please see below for further information on specific topics. 

At the bottom of the page, you can see a brief history of Dal postdocs and PSAC. Our current PSAC regional representative is Sharon Barbour and our Regional Executive Vice-President is Chris Di Liberatore. 

Below is a summary of what should happen during each phase of your time being employed at Dal. This shouldn’t be too different for those postdocs that are not covered by the collective agreement (those not paid directly by Dal), although you should check this in your own contract. Where we refer to an article in the Collective Agreement (linked above) this article number is given in brackets at the end, where the article in the Collective Agreement provides full information on this. You will notice that this list is not totally comprehensive but aims to summarise most things that will be relevant for most postdocs at Dal.

The information here is true to the best of our abilities, but for detailed and up-to-date information, please refer to the Collective Agreement or your own contract. If you require assistance either in interpreting this or with anything else then please feel free to reach out to one of the executive members or our PSAC regional representative.

The information on this page was put together by Robyn Wright – please feel free to contact me with any questions about any of this information. I have also applied for both a work permit and Canadian permanent residency (for both myself and my partner) while I have been a postdoc at Dal and am happy to help with anything related to these if I am able to. 

• You should receive a letter of appointment, signed by your supervisor, that includes (at a minimum): start date of contract, end date of contract, salary, name of Faculty Supervisor, academic unit(s) and a link to the collective agreement (12.06).
• Your letter of appointment should also advise you of orientation sessions that are held for new employees that you may attend (these should be held monthly except for in December; 5.07).
• You should be provided with a Dal ID card and access to the buildings that you will need to use. Your supervisor should give you details on how to do this.
• You should set up your details with the payroll department so that you will be paid on time (24.03). Your supervisor should give you details on how to do this.
• You should receive a link in your letter of offer to sign a Union card. If this hasn't happened, you can follow this link to sign a card now.
• Contact DPS so that you can be added to the DPS mailing list (due to Dal’s privacy regulations, you need to sign up to be added to the mailing list).
• If you have just arrived in Canada:
  • Social Insurance Number: you will likely need to obtain a Social Insurance Number (SIN). The University will require this to pay you and you can either apply for one in person by going into a Service Canada Location (this is the fastest way to get one), online or by mail. 
  • Taxes: while Dal will automatically take the taxes that usually should be paid from your pay each month, you will need to file a tax return every year. The deadline for this is usually in April each year. You can find more information about this here. Many people will use an online service such as Turbo Tax to make filling in the forms easier. 
  • Visa and work permit: You will need both a current visa and a work permit in order to be able to work at Dalhousie, although the exact visa/work permit you will need will depend upon which country you are a citizen of. You can contact the Dalhousie International Legal Advisor (listed on this page) for help with this.
  • Medical care: In order to qualify for the University’s health care benefits (see below), you will need to get a provincial health card. In Nova Scotia, you are required to be planning to stay in Nova Scotia for at least 12 months to be entitled to this, i.e., your contract must be at least 12 months (this varies if you are residing in a different province). You can find out more on how to apply and whether you are eligible on the Noca Scotia Health Card (MSI) website.
• Housing: There is unfortunately no housing available for postdocs through Dalhousie, but you should be provided with a link to to temporary accommodations within the University.

Contracts, working hours and pay

• All postdoc contracts should be 12 months or more except in several specific circumstances (12.05): (a) funding is for less than 12 months; (b) postdoc is available for less than 12 months; (c) supervisor is available for less than 12 months; (d) project is expected to conclude in less than 12 months; (e) any circumstances outside the University's control. 
• Postdocs are subject to a probationary period of six months (13.01). If, during this period, the supervisor deems your performance unsatisfactory, this feedback should be provided to you in writing (13.02).
• You should not regularly be required to work more than 40 hours a week (14.02).
• You should never be required to work more than 50 hours in a week unless mutually agreed upon. Any hours worked over 40 hours a week may be taken as time off in lieu (14.03). 
• Your salary should not be less than $45,000 per year (at 100% full time equivalence; 24.04) and this should be paid to you on or before the 27th of each month aside from December, where it should be paid on the 17th (24.01).
• As of January 2023, postdocs at Dal are paid between $38,500 and $92,000 (mean $53,632, median $54,500)
• Union dues should be taken from your salary by Dalhousie and are equivalent to 1.6% of the minimum postdoc salary – currently $60 per month. 

Evaluations and disciplinary procedures

• An evaluation with your faculty supervisor should normally be scheduled annually (15.02) – the results of this should be shared with you, and you may share these with the union representative if you wish (15.03).
• You should not be disciplined, suspended or discharged without just and sufficient cause (16.01) and any disciplinary actions taken by the employer should be progressive (16.02). Discipline can only be imposed at a meeting, and you are entitled to have a union representative at this meeting (16.04).
• You may review your university personnel file once a year by submitting a request in writing (16.05) and any disciplinary record should be removed after 18 months (16.07).
• There should be no retaliation against you for reporting illegal or unethical behaviour, or cooperating with an investigation into scholarly misconduct (17.02).
• If you believe any of the rights that you have under the collective agreement are not being respected, then you may follow the grievance and arbitration procedures (articles 18 and 19) – please reach out to the PSAC representative for assistance with this. Note that this should be initiated within 21 days (18.09a).

Academic freedom and other professional activities

• You have the academic freedom to “learn, to carry out research, to publish, to comment, to criticize, to examine, to question, to acquire and disseminate knowledge, to create, and to perform, insofar as […you…] abide by the duties and responsibilities of […your…] appointment(s)” (20.02).
• You may engage in professional activities, if this does not conflict with your regular duties (21.01) but if you are engaging in substantial “professional consulting practice or other related employment” then this should be discussed with your supervisor in advance (21.02). Nothing should prevent you from stating your employment at the University (21.01) and this should not be unreasonably denied (21.02). 

Expenses and facilities provided

• Provided that you seek prior approval from your supervisor (and the expenses are related to your research), you should be reimbursed for: personal certification, professional membership, licensing (e.g., professional/motor vehicle), registration fee, travel expenses, etc. (22.01-22.03).
  • Note that for things like conference travel, most groups have access to a credit card that can be used for registration fees, and you can apply for a university travel card to cover other travel-related expenses. See the Travel Policy for more information.
• You should be provided with “appropriate workspace (lab and/or workstation), and access to computing resources, equipment and materials necessary” for work, and should have access to “facilities for the printing, photocopying, faxing and mailing, and basic office, laboratory and research supplies” (22.04).

Vacation and leave

• You are entitled to 15 days of paid vacation annually (25.01; of which you can carry over 5 days to the following year with the agreement of your supervisor), in addition to national or provincial public holidays, one half day scheduled by the university and the following named holidays: New Year’s Day, Munro Day, Nova Scotia Heritage Day, Good Friday, Victoria Day, Canada Day, Halifax Natal Day, Labour Day, National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, Thanksgiving Day, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day (26.01). Postdocs with more than 2 years of service are entitled to 20 days of paid vacation annually (25.01).
• You are entitled to eight days of paid sick leave each year (27.02), one week of paid leave for surgery, hospitalization or serious illness (27.11), five days of paid leave for family illness (27.09), up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave (27.03), up to five days of paid bereavement leave (27.05), unpaid compassionate care leave in accordance with the Nova Scotia Labour Standards Code (27.06), up to twelve days of unpaid Union leave (27.07; note that pay during a period of Union leave can be reimbursed by the Union) and other leaves, including Domestic Violence Leave, in accordance with the Nova Scotia Labour Standards Code (27.10).

Benefits

• You should have the option to join the: health insurance plan (single or family, and pay 40% of the premium; 28.02); dental insurance plan (single or family, and pay 50% of the premium; 28.03); travel insurance plan (and pay 40% of the premium; 28.04). You also have a health spending account with $400 credited annually (July 1st) (this will increase to $500 in July 2024)
  • Note that to join these plans you will require provincial health coverage (see above for information on this). 
• You, your spouse and your dependents can access the University sports, athletic and recreational activities at the same cost as for other employees (28.08).

Teaching and supervision of students

• You may be expected to assist in the teaching and supervision of undergraduate or postgraduate students, but these expectations should be set out in your letter of offer. 
• If you wish to gain formal recognition for the supervision of a student then you can apply for adjunct faculty membership to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. This should not be unreasonably denied (30.04)

Training and professional development

• You can participate in professional development activities such as courses, lectures, conferences, exchanges, congresses, workshops, observing a class, guest lecturing, and instructing. Any request to participate in professional development should not be unreasonably denied and it should be considered time worked (except where it is a part of a separate employment contract; 30.02-30.03).

Technological change

• You should not suffer loss of hours or employment due to new technology (31.01) and you should be provided with training if a new technology becomes required (31.02).

• If your contract is going to be extended, you should be provided with written notice of extension at least 60 days prior to the completion of the stated term (12.07).
• If you are dismissed from your job:
  • If you were within your probationary period, you should be provided with two weeks notice (or pay in lieu of notice) and the reasons for dismissal should be given (13.04).
  • If you are still inside your contracted term and have not been dismissed due to a disciplinary procedure, then you should contact the PSAC Union representative to discuss your options.
• You may request an exit interview (15.05). This should be conducted in a reasonable time and you may have this with a representative of HR, your faculty supervisor or the dean or designate of your faculty. You may have a union representative with you at these meetings.
• Your access to buildings etc. will likely be revoked immediately upon termination of your contract, so you should ensure that you have collected all personal belongings prior to this or are able to have some assistance from someone in doing so.
• If you resign, you should do this with as much advance notice as possible, but this should not be less than 10 days (29.01).
• If you are absent from work for more than 10 days without request (and without establishing that requesting this time off was not possible) then you will be deemed to have resigned (29.03). 
• If your position ends prior to its stated end date due to frustration of contract, you shall be provided with a minimum of 4 weeks' notice or pay in lieu of notice (29.06).

• Carry out all policies of PSAC as established at National Conventions, by the National Board of Directors and in the PSAC constitution.
• Negotiate the Collective Agreement.
• Provide and deliver Union Education and Local Development activities.
• Represent members at Arbitration/Adjudication.
• Encourage involvement and participation of the Local in regional and national committees and forums.
• Provide access to the Triennial PSAC Regional Conferences and National Convention.
• Support and assist the Local in its ongoing development and ability to self-service.
• Support and assist the Local Stewards in handling workplace problems and assist in the development of competencies amongst Local Stewards in order to increase and enhance their effectiveness as advocates for and representatives of members of the bargaining unit for which they bear responsibility.
• Keep the Local informed of and involved in regional committees, councils, conferences, and other activities of a similar nature.

• Union dues are the collective resources we pool together so that we can have the means to achieve our goals in winning the improvements we want
• You can see this breakdown about how dues are usually split up.
• Dues are 1.6% of gross pay for the minimum postdoc salary ($45,000). Of this:
  • 0.95% goes to PSAC (some to the Atlantic region and some to National).
  • 0.6% goes to our Local (the Local Executive Committee can use this for Local activities, but currently these funds are held in escrow while we are setting up a bank account).
  • $1 is contributed each month to the national strike fund.