Queen’s is embarking on a comprehensive review of its employee benefits plan.

“The university last conducted a Request for Proposals (RFP) regarding the benefits plan in the mid-1990s, and so it has had an interest in reviewing the plan and going to market for some time,” Caroline Davis VP (Finance and Administration) says. “Prior to initiating the RFP, we also want to review our plan to determine if it provides best value to meet the needs of our employees, and to explore what other possibilities may exist.”

“Both the need to review and to tender our current plan were reinforced during 2015 collective bargaining,” Dan Bradshaw, Interim AVP (Human Resources) notes.

At that time, the university signed letters of agreement regarding the employee benefits plan with the Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA) and with all three Canadian Union of Public Employee (CUPE) locals, 229, 254 and 1302. This resulted in the formation of an Employee Benefits Committee involving the participation of unionized and non-unionized groups. The committee met for the first time on Thursday, May 12. In addition to reviewing the plan, a key role for the committee will be to make recommendations for the criteria to be used to evaluate benefits providers who participate in the RFP process.

Throughout the course of the next year, employees will be updated on the benefits plan review and on opportunities to learn more about their benefits as Queen’s employees.

For more information, please contact Diane Pointer, Director, Total Compensation, diane.pointer@queensu.ca, ext. 74173.

Those with questions about the project may submit them to benefits.project@queensu.ca.