BC's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 74
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BC’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2026)
At UBC, the well-being of employees comes first
S
erving in her third
decade at the University
of British Columbia
(UBC), Linda Fischer,
executive director,
advisory partnerships and
professional standards, is as
passionate as ever about her
workplace. There is so much
to admire about her university
community, says Vancouver-based
Fischer — from its cutting-edge
research to the education and
support it provides its 70,000
students.
“I’ve experienced personally
how UBC has evolved and grown,
and it gives me great pride to be
part of an educational institution
and workplace contributing
to the student and employee
experience,” Fischer says.
Employees at UBC work together to build a vibrant community at the Okanagan campus.
What I’ve really
appreciated about UBC
is that we are driven
to make a difference.
People want to work
here because we do
great things.
— Linda Fischer
Executive Director,
Advisory Partnerships and
Professional Standards
This is influenced by the
care and commitment of the
university’s 20,000-strong
workforce. “What I’ve really
appreciated about UBC is that
we are driven to make a
difference,” Fischer adds. “People
want to work here because we do
great things.”
To that end, the university has
an intense focus on employee
well-being, which is often the
first element UBC staff and
faculty cite when they speak of
benefits. There is 24-7 access to
mental-health crisis support,
unlimited counselling, substance
use and addiction support
services and $3,000 annually
towards extended psychological
services. These health measures
are coupled with family-friendly
benefits that support all pathways
to parenthood (fertility drugs
and treatments, surrogacy and
adoption), as well as genderaffirming care.
There’s also the housing
assistance, which is a major
attraction in high-cost Vancouver.
“We have 1,400 discounted rental
units for faculty and staff,” says
Fischer. “It makes housing more
affordable and even, for some,
achievable. I hear about it often
from employees who are very
appreciative to be able to live and
work on such a beautiful campus.”
In Kelowna, Lesley Cormack,
principal and deputy vicechancellor at UBC Okanagan
(UBCO) since 2020, also stresses
the link between employees’
well-being and the impact of
their work. “We’re mission driven.
Everyone here feels ownership
of our important mandate of
teaching and doing the research
that will transform lives,” she says.
“As an employer, we really
care about the well-being of our
employees, and a lot of work is
also invested in how to manage
culture day to day on the campus,”
says Cormack. “We need to strike
a balance between a strong work
ethic and the need for wellness,
compassion and the way our
lives unfold.”
To further support employees,
the university offers staff and
faculty recognition for meaningful
work that aligns with its values,
career opportunities and strong
financial support for professional
development, including tuition
waivers.
UBC provides employees
with opportunities to grow their
careers in a workplace united
by a common aspiration: to
make a difference. In the 2024
workplace experiences survey,
86 per cent of employees said
they feel they can make a positive
impact at work. The university
also conducts significant research
and addresses global challenges
with innovations, such as mRNA
technology in COVID-19 vaccines
and replacing traditional plastics
with bioproducts.
For its community, the UBC
