Custodial Services realignment 

Effective November 7, Custodial Services is implementing the new simplified staffing model to provide all Custodial Services staff with full-time opportunities and facilitate professional development and increased opportunities for improvement. Due to the new staffing model, the Building Service Worker currently serving each area and the rotation on which the building is cleaned may change. The shifts are assigned in alignment with the collective agreement. 

The new model is shifting from 11 work shifts (mix of part-time and full-time) to a purely full time, 3-shift model to provide 24/hours/day coverage Monday to Friday. Weekends will be a 2-shift structure and provide 16 hours/day coverage. This change will improve our workplace safety and service delivery on campus, and reduce the complexity of our scheduling approach to provide improved operational efficiency. Learn more 

For questions or concerns, please contact Sean Lynch, Director, Custodial Services  (sean.lynch@ubc.ca) 

Facilities receiving eight NAFA Clean Air Awards   

This year, Facilities received eight NAFA Clean Air Awards for its outstanding air filtration practices. Congratulations to all our teams for making this happen!

Special thanks to Facilities' Building Operation teams for promoting the use of high-efficiency filtration products and great maintenance practices across campus.

The following buildings received the NAFA Clean Air awards: 

Created by the National Air Filtration Association, the purpose of this award program is to promote and recognize the use of high efficiency filtration products and good maintenance practices. The NAFA Clean Air Award validates the leadership and excellence of UBC’s Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Program, specifically in air filtration.

Read the full announcement 


Kudos to Municipal Services' support following the windstorm

Special thanks to the Heads, Phil Beck and Chris Longford and the Soft Landscape team for their exceptional support following this past weekend's intense windstorm.

We lost approximately a dozen trees and there were several reports of property damage. Approximately 18 downed trees were reported around campus, resulting in crews being called out to mitigate impacts.

Excellent teamwork! 


Updated zone list 

The Zone list (see attached) has been updated as of November 7, 2022. Please note that the following update was made:

  • Green Utility Worker – Zafiri Georgilas 
  • Grey Utility Worker – Joey Nava 
  • Yellow Carpenter – Carson Koo 

Temporary disruption to generator power at University Services Building 

A generator test/turnover will take place in the University Services Building (USB) on November 15 from 8:00 am–10:00 am.

This will cause a temporary, 5–10 seconds loss of generator power. 


New noise awareness course available for workers at risk of hazardous noise exposure

The Occupational Health & Safety team recently created a new online course on Noise Awareness available on UBC Workplace Learning

Designed for supervisors and workers that are at risk of hazardous noise exposure, this online, self-paced course will: 

  • Increase your awareness of the risk factors and associated health effects related to hazardous noise exposure 
  • Identify controls to protect against overexposure to hazardous noise levels 
  • Introduce you to audiometric testing 

For more information about noise hazards, visit the SRS website or contact Lori Takenaka, UBC Facilities Safety Advisor.


United Way: Win the 2022 World Cup finalists’ lottery

The 2022 FIFA World Cup starts on November 20 to December 18, 2022. To help fundraise for the United Way campaign, Facilities has started a World Cup finalist lottery, similar to a 50/50 draw. No previous knowledge of soccer (fJJtball), or sports required. All you need is a little luck and a lot of cheering!

Did you know that there are 496 different possible team pairings that might go to the World Cup finals? Try your luck! Buy a ticket to get matched with ONE of those 496 team pairings. Each ticket will be allocated in a random draw to be matched with a pair of teams that might go to the finals. Tickets are 1 for $2, 3 for $5, 7 for $10, or 15 for $20.

How do I win?

There are group matches starting November 20. Each day, teams from each country will play against each other. Teams will be eliminated after each round. First and second place winners will be announced on December 14.

If you hold the lucky ticket with the countries going to the World Cup finals, you are the first-place winner of this lottery! 50% of the ticket sales will go to United Way, 40% to the first-place winner, and 10% to the second-place winner with the ticket that made it to the semi-finals, but unfortunately not to the finals.

Updates will be provided after each round.

  • Friday, December 2: 16 of 32 teams will be eliminated.
  • Tuesday, December 6: Only 8 teams will be remaining.
  • Saturday, December 10: Only 4 teams will be remaining.
  • Wednesday, December 14: Only 2 teams will be remaining. The final is set. Winners will be known.

Follow along the event with your family, friends, and coworkers. Buy a ticket for a good cause or gift it to a friend or colleague. Cheer on your favourite team or the team pairing you hold!

Tickets will be on sale starting this week until November 20. Look out for our ticket sellers, or contact Caroline Macleod (caroline.macleod@ubc.ca).

Still unclear about the details? Contact Darko Jelic (darko.jelic@ubc.ca)


Reminder: Nominate your colleague(s) for the 2022 Facilities Staff Excellence Award! 

UBC Facilities provides recognition and rewards through the Staff Excellence Award (SEA) Program, to staff who have consistently demonstrated excellence in the performance of their work and service to the university. 

The winners will be chosen by the Staff Excellence Awards selection committee and winners will be announced at the Facilities holiday events in December 2022. 

Eligibility   

Staff with a minimum of one year of service who are actively working in UBC Facilities at the time of the award presentation. For the Kim Nulty Award, a minimum of five years of continuous employment with UBC Facilities is required.  

Award Categories  

  • Leadership Development  
  • Asset Stewardship  
  • Creativity and Innovation  
  • Customer Service Excellence  
  • Safety and Wellbeing  
  • Inspiration: The Kim Nulty Award  

Submission 

Submit a nomination online or complete the attached nomination form. Please send the completed paper nomination form to facilities.vpfo@ubc.ca on or before Friday, November 18, 2022. 

Learn more: facilities.ubc.ca/SEA 


Shout outs

  • Building Operations Sheet Metal – Shout out to the team for their prompt assistance in extending the men's washroom partition and adjusting the faucets. Great work! 

Welcome to the team 

  • Leigh Clark has been promoted to Senior Facilities Planner within Infrastructure Development. Congratulations, Leigh! 

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:

  • Oper/Drvr-Heavy Equip (JR8236) – 11/8/2022
  • Millwright (JR10231) – 11/11/2022
  • Trades 2 - Steamfitter / Pipefitter (JR7935) – 11/14/2022
  • Millwright (JR7181) – 11/18/2022
  • Power Engineer (EWS) (JR10419) – 11/21/2022   
  • Trades 2 - Bricklayer (JR8528) – 12/30/2022   

Don't forget to apply as an internal candidate! Please review the Apply for an Internal Job Posting guide in the Workday Knowledge Base for instructions on how to apply. Reminder to attach a copy of your resume when you apply for a career opportunity in Workday.


EDI: Commemorating Indigenous Veterans Day

November 8, 2022 is Indigenous Veterans Day — a day for us to commemorate and reflect on the commitment and sacrifice of over 12,000 Indigenous people who served WWI, WWII, and the Korean War, and to honour those currently serving.

Indigenous people brought many different skills in marksmanship, scouting, and coding, all while adapting to cultural differences and learning a new language to serve their country. However, the first Indigenous soldiers were not recognized as Canadian citizens, which meant eligibility to access support systems and resources was not readily available.

Learn more about our Indigenous Veterans

Read the statement by the Prime Minister on Indigenous Veterans Day.


Emergency tip: Bolt and brace everything in your house

Minimize the damage to your home in the event of an earthquake by securing the contents of your house. 

For more tips on how to reduce earthquake damage, check out the Government of Canada’s website

For information on what to do before, during and after an earthquake, visit the UBC Emergency Preparedness website.


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.

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
  • Gregor MacDonald (gregor.macdonald@ubc.ca): Custodial Services and Municipal Services

In case you've missed it

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.

Thanks for reading!

Find this newsletter and past issues on the Facilities website
facilities.ubc.ca/facilities-weekly

For questions and content submission
 Email: facilities@vpfo.ubc.ca.

 
 

UBC Facilities is part of the VP Finance & Operations (VPFO) Portfolio, and includes six departments—Building Operations, Custodial Services, Customer Services & Informatics, Energy & Water Services, Infrastructure Development, and Municipal Services.
 

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The University of British Columbia
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2210 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
facilities.ubc.ca

VP Finance & Operations (VPFO)
The University of British Columbia
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1958 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
vpfo.ubc.ca

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