Access restrictions in the Counselling Services Building
Due to the sensitive nature of the discussions between staff and students in the Counselling Services building in front of Brock Hall, Counselling Services has asked Facilities team members to enter the building via the main door A:1 instead of door B:1 and inform the Front Desk when working in the building.
Please discuss this access restriction in your crew talks.
For questions please contact Jeet Amritsar at 604-790-0742 or jeetender.amritsar@ubc.ca.
Partial closure of Engineering Road from April 19 – June 15
The bridge connecting the Macleod Building and the Brimacombe Building is scheduled for repair. During this work, Engineering Road on UBC Vancouver campus will be partially closed from Tuesday, April 19 to Wednesday, June 15.
Please note that access to the Brimacombe loading bay and Engineering Design center will not be impacted.
For questions or concerns, contact Mark Donald-Jones, Facilities Manager (mark.donald-jones@ubc.ca).
Construction restricted during Easter statutory holidays
Please be advised that the UBC Point Grey Campus and the neighborhoods (UNA noise bylaw applies), will be observing Good Friday (April 15) and Easter Monday (April 18th) as statutory holidays.
Construction activity is not allowed on these dates. Saturday construction activity can proceed within regulated hours.
Mechanical Rooms: Pack-out What You Pack-in
Whenever you are working inside of mechanical space, please be mindful to remove any materials that you bring in with you. This will stop the space from becoming a safety risk (tripping or fire hazard).
If you do notice large amounts of leftover materials or old equipment, you can contact the Service Center to create a disposal work order.
Earth Day 2022 — Municipal Department’s Celebration for the Planet Event
The Waste Management team is hosting a fairly “down-to-earth” Earth-Day event on April 22 from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm at the Waste Management loading dock.
Earth Day is an annual event, in which more than 1 billion people in 192 countries now take part. This will be Waste Management’s second annual participation. The event is open to all Building Operations staff to attend and may expand to other departments in the following years.
Let's clean up our campus
Participants will be teamed up and sent on a one-hour litter collection session in assigned clean-up zones within the Campus core grounds. While participants are busy picking up litter, they will have an opportunity to take part in a scavenger hunt. There will be markers scattered throughout the various clean-up zones to highlight Earth Day. Those who find the markers will win a prize at the end of the event.
Teams will bring back all collected litter to the Waste Management loading dock for sorting and record-keeping, where coffee and snacks will be available. Make sure to bring your own mug as no disposable cups will be provided!
Event details
- Where: Waste Management loading dock (Wear your pink shirts!)
- When: April 22, 2022
- 12:00 pm – Information session on Earth-Day and information for “Clean up the Campus” teams at the meeting location.
- 12:15 pm – Teams are sent out to assigned clean-up zones.
- 1:15 pm – Teams return to the meeting location with collected waste and prize markers.
- 1:30 pm – Sort waste and wind down with coffee/snacks. Time for prizes and photos.
Sign-up sheets will be posted in shops from April 11-14, 2022. For any questions, please reach out to Tamas Weidner (tamas.weidner@ubc.ca).
New job strategy session (NJSS): April 5, 2022
Construction office
- Civil & Mechanical Engineering Building: CEME 1052 Lab Renovation
- Remove and dispose of all wall and floor cabinets, sink, and chalkboard.
- Add new countertop and sink to the same location but offset the sink to allow for space on both sides of the sink.
- Dispose of some tables/desks and metal cabinets
- Paint ceiling and all walls except the west concrete wall with Benjamin Moore OC-66 snow white, including the outside of the small alcove room
Project Services
For more information, please contact the Facilities Manager
Welcome to the team...and fond farewell
- Jonathan Weinberg will start in his new role as Project Coordinator in Construction Office within Infrastructure Development on April 19.
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:
- Utility Labourer - Labourer 3 (JR6973) – closing Apr 15
- Construction Document Administrator (JR7096) – closing Apr 19
- Trades 2 - Metal Worker Apprentice (JR7140) – closing Apr 19
- Manager, Construction Office (JR7169) – closing Apr 27
Please remember to apply as an internal candidate. This Workday Knowledge Base article shows how: How do I apply for an internal job posting?
In case you've missed it
Here is a quick recap of key events and information that you may have missed. For more details, please click on the links below or refer to our weekly portfolio newsletter, VPFO Update.
EDI: April 13, 2022 is the International Day of Pink!
The Day of Pink originated in Nova Scotia in 2007 when two Grade 12 football players, David Shepherd and Travis Price, witnessed a Grade 9 student being bullied and called homophobic slurs for wearing a pink shirt.
In response, David and Travis purchased and distributed 50 pink shirts, which they encouraged peers to wear the next day.
It has now grown into an International Day of Pink, similar to Pink Shirt Day, as an annual worldwide anti-bullying and anti-homophobia event, held on the second week of April.
While much has changed since 2007, Two Spirit and LGBTQIA+ individuals still face systemic barriers, bullying, and discrimination. We invite you to take this opportunity to learn more about this day and consider how you can play a part in creating a safe and welcoming space for others.
Learn more about the International Day of Pink
Health & Safety: Building Safety Capacity through Workplace Inspections
Workplace inspections are a vital component in our efforts to ensure a safe workplace and help prevent incidents, injuries, and illnesses at UBC.
Some inspections, like fall protection equipment inspections, are conducted by specially trained individuals, while general inspections are typically conducted by members of the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees (JOHSC) and/or Local Safety Teams. And individuals, informal inspections are just as important in maintaining workplace health and safety.
Inspections allow us to:
- listen to the concerns of workers and supervisors
- gain further understanding of jobs and tasks
- identify existing and potential hazards
- determine underlying causes of hazards
- recommend corrective actions
- monitor steps taken to eliminate hazards or control the risk (I.e. engineering controls, administrative controls, policies, procedures, personal protective equipment)
For more information and resources on workplace inspections, visit Safety & Risk Services’ Workplace Inspections page.
Do you experience chronic pain?
The Pharmacists Clinic at the UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences invites you to learn more about chronic pain in an interactive, virtual group setting facilitated by a pharmacist.
- Bring together up to 10 people experiencing similar health issues to learn with and from each other
- Led by an expert pharmacist to help attendees learn about their health condition and treatment options
- Provide support through connection and discussion with others who have similar experiences
- Provide the opportunity for attendees to learn practical medication management strategies
Spring Session Dates: Tuesdays from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
- Session 1: April 26
- Session 2: May 31
- Session 3: June 28
Fall Session Dates: Wednesdays from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
- Session 1: September 14
- Session 2: October 5
- Session 3: November 9
This virtual event is offered at no cost to attendees. Participants are encouraged to keep their videos on and attend all three sessions.
For any questions, email pharmacists.clinic@ubc.ca or call 604.827.2584.
Register or view group appointments available for other health conditions
Emergency tip: Talk to your kids about emergency preparedness
Are your kids curious about why you are putting together emergency supplies? Include them in the planning and preparation, and discuss the various emergencies your family may encounter. By getting the conversation going now, you could reduce their stress and anxiety during a disaster.
For more information on how to involve your kids in emergency preparedness, visit the Government of Canada’s Get Prepared website.
Workplace Strategies for Mental Health: Communicating when someone is emotional – Speaker Tips
It can be challenging to communicate effectively when emotions are involved. Communication can be more complex and demanding than in calmer or more neutral situations. A few basic techniques or tips can improve your communication style when speaking to someone with negative emotions. They're easy to understand but need practice until you feel you're mastering them.
Speak intentionally
It's important to listen and speak with intent. Maintain appropriate eye contact and look for body signals (facial or posture) that tell you if the other person is engaged. If the person seems distracted or not listening, you may need to modify your approach – and pause to ask if you are making sense.
Ask meaningful questions
Asking questions that can be answered with "yes" or "no" can shorten a conversation, making it unproductive. Instead, ask open-ended questions to encourage the person to share their perspective.
Avoid monologues
Stick to the point and avoid lengthy or repetitive statements. Sometimes we repeat ourselves when we feel we haven't been understood. It may come across as condescending if you say something more than once. Try to pause and allow the person to clarify and reflect on what they heard from you.
Accept silence
Sometimes one of the best ways to make a point is to pause or leave a period of silence after speaking. This allows you and the person to digest what's been said.
Don't cross-examine
Avoid firing questions at the person when you're trying to gather information. Tact and diplomacy show respect and may be a better way to learn what you need to know.
Managing your mental health
Human Resources has collected mental health resources to help you manage your ups and downs. To view more workshops, webinars and events visit the HR event listing.
Our HR representatives are always available for a confidential conversation:
- Monica Haab (monica.haab@ubc.ca): Building Operations, Energy & Water Services, Customer Services & Informatics, and Municipal Services
- Arvind Kang (akang03@mail.ubc.ca): Custodial Services and Infrastructure Development
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