Sickness In the event that an employee requires hospitalization or is seriously ill during his/her annual vacation period, the employee shall, upon request and upon presentation of a physician's statement, apply the period of illness or hospitalization to sick leave rather than vacation, provided the sick bank is not used. The employee must inform the College of the claim within one (1) week of returning to work.
Overtime Meals When employees are required to work more than two (2) hours beyond their regular work days, the Employer will provide hot meals at no cost to the employees, up to a maximum of sixteen dollars ($16.00) (receipts to be submitted) plus paid meal periods of one-half (1/2) hour at the prevailing rate and thereafter at four (4) hour intervals. Any early morning start before regular starting time is entitled to a paid meal. The breakfast limit is thirteen dollars ($13.00) (receipts to be submitted). Employees called out on overtime shall be paid for meals as above, after four (4) hours work.
SICK LEAVE AND LONG-TERM DISABILITY (Articles 12.01 to 12.11 apply to full-time nurses only)
12.01 The Hospital will assume total responsibility for providing and funding a short-term sick leave plan at least equivalent to that described in the 1980 Hospitals of Ontario Disability Income Plan brochure. Effective January 1, 2006, new hires will be covered under the 1992 Hospitals of Ontario Disability Income Plan. The Hospital will pay 75% of the billed premium towards coverage of eligible employees under the long-term disability portion of the Plan (HOODIP or an equivalent plan). The employee will pay the balance of the billed premium through payroll deduction. For the purpose of transfer to the short-term portion of the disability program, employees on the payroll as of the effective date of the transfer with three (3) months or more of service shall be deemed to have three (3) months of service. For the purpose of transfer to the long-term portion of the disability program, employees on the active payroll as of the effective date of the transfer with one (1) year or more of service shall be deemed to have one (1) year of service.
12.02 Effective the first of the month following the transfer, all existing sick leave plans in the Participating Hospitals shall be terminated and any provisions relating to such plans shall be null and void under the respective Collective Agreements except as to those provisions relating to payout of unused sick leave benefits which are specifically dealt with hereinafter.
12.03 Existing sick leave credits for each employee shall be converted to a sick leave bank to the credit of the employee. The sick leave bank shall contain the unused sick leave days to the credit of the nurse on the effective date of the transfer to the Plan set out in Article 12.01. The "sick leave bank" shall be utilized to:
(a) Supplement payment for sick leave days under the new plan which would otherwise be at less than full wages, and;
(b) Where a payout provision existed under the former sick leave plan in the Collective Agreement, payout shall be made on the termination of employment, or in the case of death, to the nurse's estate. The parties may agree to voluntarily cash out existing sick leave banks. The amount of the payout shall be a cash settlement at the nurse's then current salary rate for any unused sick credits to the maximum provided under the sick leave plan in which the nurse participated as of October 23, 1981;
(c) Where, as of the effective date of transfer, an employee does not have the required service to qualify for payout on termination, her or his existing sick leave credits as of that date shall nevertheless be converted to a sick leave bank in accordance with the foregoing and the nurse shall be entitled to the same cash out provisions as set out in paragraph (b) above providing the nurse subsequently achieves the necessary service to qualify for payout under the conditions of the sick leave plan in which she or he participated as of October 23, 1981;
(d) Where a payout provision existed under the former sick leave plan in the Collective Agreement, a nurse who, as of the date of this award, has accumulated sick leave credits and is prevented from working for the Hospital on account of an occupational illness or accident that is recognized by The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board as compensable within the meaning of the Workplace and Safety Insurance Act, the Hospital, on application from the nurse, will supplement the award made by The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board for loss of wages to the nurse by such amount that the award of The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board for loss of wages, together with the supplementation of the Hospital, will equal one hundred per cent (100%) of the nurse's net earnings to the limit of the nurse's accumulated sick leave credits. Nurses may utilize such sick leave credits while awaiting approval of a claim for WSIB benefits.
12.04 When a nurse has completed any portion of her or his regularly scheduled tour prior to going on sick leave benefits or WSIB benefits, the nurse shall be paid for the balance of the tour at her or his regular straight time hourly rate. This provision will not disentitle the nurse to a lieu day under Article 15.05 if she or he otherwise qualifies.
12.05 Any dispute which may arise concerning a nurse's entitlement to short-term or long- term benefits under HOODIP or an equivalent plan may be subject to grievance and arbitration under the provisions of this Agreement. The Union agrees that it will encourage a nurse to utilize the carrier’s medical appeals process, if any, to resolve disputes.
12.06 Nurses presently employed who are covered by a long-term disability plan in effect as of the date of this award, may elect to be covered by HOODIP or to continue their present coverage.
12.07 The Hospital further agrees to pay employees an amount equal to any loss of benefits under HOODIP for the first two days of the fourth and subsequent period of absence in any calendar year.
12.08 The Hospital will notify each nurse of the amount of unused sick leave in her or his bank annually.
12.09 For nurses whose regular hours of work are other than the standard work day, the short-term sick leave plan will provide payment for the number of hours of absence according to the scheduled tour to a total of 562.5 hours. All other provisions of the existing plan shall apply mutatis mutandis.
12.10 Absences due to pregnancy related illness shall be considered as sick leave under the sick leave plan.
12.11 A nurse who is absent from work as a result of an illness or injury sustained at work and who has been awaiting approval of a claim for WSIB benefits for a period longer than one complete tour or more may apply to the Hospital for payment equivalent to the lesser of the benefit the nurse would receive from WSIB if the nurse's claim was approved, or the benefit to which the nurse would be entitled under the short-term sick portion of the disability income plan (HOODIP or equivalent plan). Payment will be provided only if the nurse provides evidence of disability satisfactory to the Hospital and a written undertaking satisfactory to the Hospital that any payments will be refunded to the Hospital following final determination of the claim by The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. If the claim for WSIB benefits is not approved, the monies paid as an advance will be applied towards the benefits to which the nurse would be entitled under the short-term portion of the disability income plan. Any payment under this provision will continue for a maximum of fifteen (15) weeks. (Articles 12.12, 12.13 and 12.14 apply to both full-time and part-time nurses)
12.12 Nurses returning to work from an illness or injury compensable from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board will be assigned light work as necessary, if available.
12.13 A nurse who transfers from full-time to part-time may elect to retain her or his accumulated sick leave credits to be utilized during part-time or subsequent full-time employment as provided under the sick leave plan in which the nurse participates as of October 23, 1981.
12.14 If the Employer requires the employee to obtain a medical certificate, the employer shall pay the full cost of obtaining the certificate.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE Employees, upon application in writing on the prescribed form, may be granted leave of absence for a period not to exceed: one month if they have less than three years’ service; two months if they have three years’ but less than five years’ service and three months if they have five years’ service or more, provided their services can be spared. Extended leave (leave of five days or more) will be granted only if no extended leave was granted in the preceding five calendar years. Employees will be entitled to unpaid pregnancy leave and parental leave in accordance with the provisions of the Employment Standards Act. All employees who have completed one year of continuous service, and are a custodial parent may, upon application, be granted leave for one day with pay to attend the birth of their child or to attend the homecoming of the mother and child. Such leave should, wherever possible be pre-arranged, and is granted only when the birth or the homecoming falls on a day which is considered to be a regular work day for the employee. Female employees who have completed one year of continuous service, will upon application be granted leave for one day with pay on the day immediately prior to the commencement of their pregnancy leave. All employees who have completed one year of continuous service may, upon application, be granted two days leave of absence per year, with pay, for the purpose of adopting a child. Such leave should wherever possible be prearranged and approved by the employee’s supervisor. Leave of absence without loss of pay will be granted to employees seeking Canadian Citizenship when they must be absent from work to appear before:
(a) a Citizenship Officer to process their application
(b) a Citizenship Judge to assess their qualifications
(c) a Citizenship Judge to swear the oath of allegiance. Normally each absence will not exceed a half day. Employees who engage in other employment while on such leave shall be considered to have automatically terminated their service unless they have received permission in writing from the Commission to undertake such employment. Failure to report for work when such leave expires shall constitute sufficient cause for discharge from the Commission’s service. However, a reasonable extension of leave may be granted upon application.
Maternity Maternity leaves, not to exceed six (6) months, shall be granted at the request of the employee.