Policy: Absences from Work for Support Staff Excluded from Bargaining Units

EFFECTIVE DATE

December 1, 1997 (replacing the policy dated April 1, 1995)

AUTHORITY

VICE-PRESIDENT (FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION)

PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to establish the regulations pertaining to absences from work for support staff excluded from bargaining units. It also serves to establish the procedures involved in the application of the policy.

SCOPE

This policy and the procedures outlined herein apply to all support staff at the University who are excluded from bargaining units. For employees who are members of a bargaining unit, consult the corresponding article in the appropriate collective agreement.

RESPONSIBILITY

The Director of Human Resources is responsible for the communication, administration, and interpretation of this policy.

POLICY

I. Absences with Pay

Sick Leave

An employee who is absent from work due to illness or injury shall be covered by the Sick Leave Policy For Support Staff Excluded From Bargaining Units.

A full- time employee shall be allowed a reasonable amount of time off for medical and dental appointments. Such appointments should be made at times which will cause the least amount of disruption to the operation of the department/unit. All such appointments shall be approved by the supervisor in advance. In the case of an emergency, an employee shall be permitted to attend an appointment at any time during the day.

Maternity/Adoption Leave

An employee on a maternity or adoption leave may be eligible for a Supplementary Unemployment Benefit payment in accordance with the Policy on Maternity, Adoption and Parental Leave for Support Staff Excluded from Bargaining Units.

Family Care

An employee may be allowed up to one (1) working day to make appropriate arrangements for continuing care and supervision of a member of his/her immediate family during a serious illness or injury. This provision shall include the hospitalization of an employee's spouse for the purpose of giving birth. For the purposes of this provision, immediate family shall mean the employee's parent, spouse, same sex spouse or child residing in the same household as the employee.

Bereavement Leave

An employee shall normally be granted three (3) regularly scheduled consecutive work days leave in the case of the death of a parent, spouse, same sex spouse, brother, sister, child, mother-in-law, father-in-law, or any second degree relative who has been residing in the same household. In the case of the death of an employee's brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparent or grandchild, an employee shall normally be granted one (1) regularly scheduled work day of leave. Where burial occurs outside of the city, such leave shall also include reasonable travelling time, the latter not to exceed an additional two (2) days of leave.

Jury Duty

An employee who is subpoenaed as a witness or called for jury duty shall be paid the difference between what he/she would have earned for his/her scheduled hours and the fee received, minus expenses. The employee shall be required to work during those scheduled working hours that he/she is not required to attend the court proceedings.

Before any payment is made under this policy, the employee shall furnish his/her supervisor with the document requiring him/her to appear as a witness or for jury duty.

Political Leave

An employee may be eligible for leave with pay during a political campaign as provided in the Leave of Absence For Political Purposes Policy.

Benefits Coverage

During any leave of absence with pay, all benefit coverage and premium deductions will continue.

NOTE: If any absence with pay continues beyond the maximum allowable period, additional time absent shall be without pay. However, an employee may use vacation credits in order to obtain time off with pay.

II. Absences Without Pay

Parental Leave

An employee may be eligible for a parental leave as provided in the Maternity, Adoption and Parental Leave Policy for Support Staff Excluded from Bargaining Units.

Political Leave

An employee, if elected to political office, may be eligible for a leave of absence without pay as provided in the Leave of Absence for Political Purposes Policy.

Any request for a leave of absence without pay, other than those listed above, shall be in one of the following forms:

Leave of Absence Without Pay

Upon expiration of a leave of absence without pay, an employee shall be returned to his/her former position.

The following conditions apply to the granting of leaves of absence without pay:

(1) In the opinion of the University, the absence without pay of the employee shall not prejudicially affect the operation of the department, unit, or University.
(2) The employee shall provide written reasons for requesting the absence without pay. (3) All absences without pay in excess of three (3) working days but less than six (6) months in duration (excluding leaves granted under the Maternity/ Adoption/Parental Leave Policy) shall be requested by the employee and confirmed in writing by the Dean, Director or Head of Administrative Unit in advance of the proposed absence without pay, specifying the dates of departure and return to work. All absences without pay in excess of six (6) months in duration (excluding leaves granted under the Maternity/ Adoption/Parental Leave Policy) shall be requested by the employee and confirmed in writing by the appropriate Vice-President or President in advance of the proposed absence without pay, specifying the dates of departure and return to work. The appropriate Vice-President or President shall obtain a recommendation from the Department Chair/ Head/Director as well as the Dean/appropriate Associate Vice-President prior to responding to the request. A copy of the approval/denial of the leave of absence shall be forwarded to the Human Resources Department.
(4) Approval to return to work from a leave of absence without pay prior to the arranged date shall be at the sole discretion of the University.
(5) The employee shall provide a minimum of ten (10) working days written notice of an intention not to return from a leave of absence.

Benefits Coverage

An eligible employee may continue his/her coverage under the University benefit plans for the duration of the absence up to a maximum of twelve (12) months by prepaying the applicable employee and employer premiums. During a leave of absence without pay from a position for a period of less than one-half of the working days in the month, current benefit coverage and deductions shall automatically continue. For a service credit under the Pension Plan to apply during the period of leave, the applicable employee and employer contributions must be paid by the employee.

Service and Vacation Credits

The taking of a leave of absence without pay shall not affect the length of service or vacation credits accrued prior to the date of leave of absence without pay. Should the accrued time off on leaves of absence without pay exceed ten (10) working days in one year, vacation credits and service will be affected. In the case of maternity leave S.U.B. payments, service and vacation credits shall accrue. In the case of adoption leave S.U.B. payments, service shall accrue but vacation credits shall not accrue. In the case of M.P.I.C. top-up payments vacation and service shall accrue during the period of sick leave entitlement only.

Where an employee has been granted a leave of absence of twenty (20) working days or less from a position, all vacation entitlement and vacation credits shall be held for the employee. An employee who has been granted a leave of absence of more than twenty (20) working days from a position may elect to have all vacation entitlement and vacation credits paid at the time of the leave of absence.

Absences without Authorization

Any employee who is absent from work without authorization (except as provided for in the Sick Leave Policy) for three (3) consecutive working days may, at the University's discretion, be deemed to have resigned without notice unless the employee proves that a request for authorization was not possible due to circumstances beyond the employee's control.

Records

Supervisors shall be required to keep a record of all time off taken by employees under their supervision. Any irregularities or persistent absences should be brought to the attention of the Dean, Director or Head of Administrative Unit.

A monthly report shall be filed with the Human Resources Department and shall be used by departments to assess the records of individual employees