We offer a competitive compensation package that is reflective of your abilities with the opportunity for performance-based pay.

Salary progression is based on a combination of adjustment types including market adjustments, service-based increments and merit increases and bonuses. 

• Compensation Model

Employee benefits support the University’s total rewards and wellness principles in creating an environment that supports overall physical and mental well-being of our employees.

We offer a comprehensive benefit package for eligible employees that includes:

Full-time

• Health
• Dental
• Flexible Spending
• Disability (if eligible)
• Basic Life

Part-time/Casual

• Drug
• Basic Dental
• Basic Life

• Benefit plans

We offer new employees enrolment in one of our Defined Contribution (DC) Pension Plans or Defined Benefit (DB) Pension Plans.

A Defined Contribution Pension Plan is a tax-deferred savings vehicle that allows contributions to accumulate for use as retirement income. Earnings in the plan accumulate tax-free until retirement. Both you and USask contribute equally to the Plan and these contributions are invested. The retirement income accumulated depends on the amount of money contributed and the performance of the investment vehicles you choose.

The Defined Benefit Pension Plan, available to CUPE 1975 employees only, is designed to provide you with a regular monthly income after retirement. A Defined Benefit plan provides you with a pension calculated according to a set formula based on Pensionable Earnings and years of Pensionable Service. Both you and the University contribute equally to the plan.

Research Pension Plan (DC)

• Participation is mandatory if you have an appointment of greater than 6 months

• You can choose to join if you’ve been employed by the University for 24 continuous months and, in each of the two previous calendar years, have earned at least 35% of the Year’s Maximum Pensionable Earnings.

Academic Money Purchase Pension Plan (DC)

• Participation is mandatory if you have an appointment of greater than 6 months

Colleges of Applied Arts and Technologies (CAAT) DBplus Pension Plan

Open to CUPE 1975 employees only who are:

• a permanent or seasonal employee, or
• a term employee who has been employed continuously in the same position for more than six months 

The CAAT Pension Plan is a multi-employer defined benefit pension plan that offers a secure pension to its members. It is independent of the University of Saskatchewan.

• Pension plans

Leaves

The university offers a number of paid and unpaid leaves to help you start or grow your family, further your career, work-life balance, compassion and more. 

Pregnancy/Adoption/Parental Leave

Eligible employees can take a pregnancy, adoption or parental leave around the birth or adoption of your child. Some employee groups will have their wage topped up to 95% for a part of your leave.

Deferred Salary Leave

If eligible, the Deferred Salary Leave Plan (DSLP) provides employees with an opportunity to self-finance a Leave of Absence by authorizing the employer to set aside, over a limited period, a portion of the employees’ salary prior to the leave of absence. 

Partial Leave

A partial leave voluntarily reduces the full-time equivalent (FTE) of an employee (typically from 1.0 to less than 1.0) through a reduction in working hours in the course of a given period. Partial leaves are granted for a variety of reasons including:

• education
• family needs
• retirement transition
• personal need
• personal preference

There are many ways that partial leaves can be structured, including:

• shortened work weeks (taking Fridays or Mondays off)
• working fewer hours daily (for example, arriving at work after dropping children off at school, or leaving early to pick them up)
• reducing time during an operationally slow period (for example, taking Fridays off during the summer)

• View employment agreements

Tuition waiver

Eligible faculty and staff can take classes where tuition is waived or reimbursed.

Professional Development Fund

Eligible faculty and staff receive annual funding to help pay for activities that will enhance your work performance, ability or effectiveness. This can include conferences, training courses or professional memberships.

The University of Saskatchewan is striving to create an environment that promotes the well-being for all who study and work at all of our campuses. We offer services to help you maintain a positive work-life balance and help you achieve optimal mental health.

Wellness Resources

Wellness Resources is committed to helping faculty and staff achieve their optimal wellness and workplace productivity. They work to ensure medical accommodations, medical absences, disability benefit management and other wellness needs are all handled in a discrete and timely manner and develop and implement wellness strategies, programs, workshops and initiatives. 

• Wellness Resources
• Wellness Strategy

Employee and Family Assistance Program

Our Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) provides free, confidential 24/7 service for university faculty and staff and their families. It offers short-term counselling, work-life solutions, legal and financial advice, health coaching and crisis intervention services.

Services include: 

• confidential counselling
• financial information and resources
  • debt counselling
  • tax questions
  • retirement planning
• legal support and resources
  • divorce and family law
  • real estate transactions
  • landlord/tenant issues
• work-life solutions
  • child care
  • elder care
  • moving and relocation
• wellness
  • nutrition
  • weight loss
  • quit smoking

• Employee and Family Assistance Program

Fitness Facilities

Our Physical Activity Complex is a state of the art fitness facility that caters largely to students, faculty, and staff.

Cost of the fitness membership is an eligible expense under the Personal Spending Account or the Flexible Spending Program. Some employment groups receive free membership.

Campus Daycare

The Campus Daycare centre offers licensed care for the children of USask students, staff and faculty. The facility has room for 44 children between 30 and 60 months (two and a half to six years old). Email or call the centre for more information:
306-966-7807
campus.daycare@usask.ca

The University of Saskatchewan Students' Union (USSU) also offers spots to faculty and staff if spaces are available. Learn more.

Microsoft Employee Advantage

The Microsoft Employee Advantage program allows eligible USask faculty and staff to install and use the latest desktop versions of Microsoft Office for Windows and Mac on up to five devices (including work and personal). In addition, Microsoft Employee Advantage also allows access to the mobile version of Office on up to 5 tablets and up to 5 phones per user.

Technology Discounts

USask offers you an education discount on Lenovo and Apple computer products and a discount on cell phones and plans through Telus Mobility where employees can save up to 30%. 

Veterinary Medical Centre

All USask employees or students are eligible to receive a 25% discount at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) Veterinary Medical Centre (VMC) on all clinical services, pet food, laboratory fees and prescription drugs (excluding non-prescription vaccines). This discount is limited to five animals per employee or student; all eligible animals must be registered with the veterinary hospital. The VMC, which is part of the veterinary college on the USask campus, offers primary and specialized clinical services for small and large animals.The VMC also provides 24-hour emergency and critical care and serves as the referral centre for western Canadian veterinarians.

• More Information

Food Services – many on-campus choices

As an employee of USask you have access to many on-campus choices for meals. For your convenience, you can sign up for an employee meal plan or a cash card to make purchases easily. Learn more.