Annual Leave 17.1 An employee shall be entitled to four weeks annual leave for each twelve months’ service with the Company, exclusive of public holidays. Annual leave accumulates monthly on a pro rata basis.
17.2 The annual leave entitlement for each part time employee shall be calculated pro rata according to the ordinary hours he or she actually works.
17.3 The time of giving and taking of leave shall be by mutual arrangement between the Company and the employee concerned.
17.4 The Company may direct an employee to take annual leave during any shut down, including any such shut down over the Christmas and New Year period, provided the employee has an accrued annual leave balance that will at least cover the period of the shut down.
17.5 The Company may direct an employee to take up to a quarter of his or her total accrued annual leave entitlement if the employee’s accrued annual leave entitlement exceeds 8 weeks.
17.6 Payment for annual leave shall be made at the relevant minimum rate of pay in clause 19 – Minimum wages, plus a loading of 17.5 per cent on that rate of pay.
17.7 The Company may allow annual leave to be taken by an employee before the right thereto has accrued due.
17.8 An employee has no entitlement to the payment of the loading, when annual leave is taken wholly or partly in advance, until an entitlement accrues due and the loading is then payable in respect of the period of such leave and is calculated on the relevant minimum rate of pay in clause 19 – Minimum wages, payable at the accruing of the entitlement.
17.9 Where leave has been granted to an employee before the leave has accrued due, the Company may deduct the balance of the payment to the employee for that leave period from whatever remuneration is payable to him or her upon the cessation of employment.
17.10 An employee whose employment is terminated by the Company or who lawfully leaves the employment shall be entitled to a pro rata payment calculated on his or her relevant minimum rate of pay in clause 19 – Minimum wages, for the period in respect of which annual leave has not been taken, provided that the loading in clause 17.6 shall only be paid in respect of paid out annual leave for employees who have been employed for a minimum 12 months with the Company.
Annual Leave Loading During a period of annual leave an employee will receive a loading of 17.5 per cent calculated on the employee’s normal hourly rate of pay and the daily fares allowance if applicable. The loading will also apply to proportionate leave on lawful termination.
Parental Leave Allowance
(a) An employee who qualifies for parental leave pursuant to Article 35.03, shall be paid a parental leave allowance in accordance with the Supplemental Employment Benefit (SEB) Plan. In order to receive this allowance, the employee must provide to the Employer proof of application and eligibility to receive employment insurance benefits pursuant to the Employment Insurance Act. An employee disentitled or disqualified from receiving employment insurance benefits is not eligible for parental leave allowance.
(b) Pursuant to the Supplemental Employment Benefit (SEB) Plan and subject to leave apportionment pursuant to Article 35.03(b), the parental leave allowance will consist of a maximum of ten (10) weekly payments, equivalent to the difference between the employment insurance gross benefits and any other earnings received by the employee, and seventy-five (75) percent of the employee’s basic pay.
Maternity Leave Allowance
(a) An employee who qualifies for maternity leave pursuant to Clause 21.1, shall be paid a maternity leave allowance in accordance with the Supplemental Employment Benefit (SEB) Plan. In order to receive this allowance, the employee must provide to the Employer, proof that she has applied for and is eligible to receive employment insurance benefits pursuant to the Employment Insurance Act. An employee disentitled or disqualified from receiving employment insurance benefits is not eligible for maternity leave allowance.
(b) Pursuant to the Supplemental Employment Benefit (SEB) Plan, the maternity leave allowance will consist of 15 weekly payments equivalent to the difference between the employment insurance gross benefits and any other earnings received by the employee and 85% of the employee's basic pay.
Vacation Leave Maximum Employees may accumulate maximum vacation leave balances not to exceed two hundred and forty (240) hours. However, there are two (2) exceptions that allow vacation leave to accumulate above the maximum:
A. If an employee’s request for vacation leave is denied by the Employer, and the employee is close to the vacation leave maximum, the Employer will grant an extension for each month that the Employer must defer the employee’s request for vacation leave.
B. An employee may also accumulate vacation leave days in excess of two hundred and forty (240) hours as long as the employee uses the excess balance prior to the employee’s anniversary date. Any leave in excess of the maximum that is not deferred in advance of its accrual as described above, will be lost on the employee’s anniversary date.
Annual Vacation Leave 33.01 An Employee shall not take vacation leave without prior authorization from the Employer.
33.02 Vacation entitlements with pay, shall be as follows:
(a) an Employee who has completed less than twelve (12) full months' service as of December 31st, shall receive one and one-quarter (1 1/4) work days' vacation for each calendar month worked from the commencement of service, provided that when employment has commenced on or before the fifteenth (15th) day of any month, vacation entitlements shall be earned from the first (1st) day of that month, and when employment has commenced on or after the sixteenth (16th) day of any month vacation entitlements shall be earned from the first day of the following month;
(b) an Employee who has completed twelve (12) full calendar months' service as of December 31st, shall receive fifteen (15) work days' vacation;
(c) an Employee who has completed five (5) years' service as of December 31st shall in the subsequent year(s) receive twenty (20) work days' vacation;
(d) an Employee who has completed thirteen (13) years' service as of December 31st shall in the subsequent year(s) receive twenty-five (25) work days' vacation;
(e) an Employee who has completed twenty-one (21) years' service as of December 31st shall in the subsequent year(s) receive thirty (30) work days' vacation;
(f) an Employee who has completed thirty (30) years' service as of December 31st shall in the subsequent year(s) receive thirty-five (35) work days vacation.
33.03 All calculations which result in one quarter (1/4) or three quarters (3/4) work day fractions shall be rounded out to the next one half (1/2) or full day, whichever applies; except when vacation pay is paid out upon termination pursuant to Clause 33.11.
33.04 If a paid holiday falls during an Employee's annual vacation period, the Employee shall be granted an equivalent day of vacation credit.
33.05 An Employee shall earn vacation leave pursuant to Clause 33.02 when authorized the following absences:
(a) financially assisted Education Leave;
(b) sick leave or Workers' Compensation for the first forty-four (44) consecutive work days;
(c) any other authorized leave of absence with pay for the first twenty-two (22) work days.
33.06 Vacation leave may be taken in one continuous period or in separate periods.
33.07 Except as is otherwise provided herein, vacation leave in respect of each year of service shall be taken:
(a) within twelve (12) months after the end of that year; and
(b) at such time or times as may be approved by the Employer; or with the approval of the Employer, before the end of that year.
33.08 Notwithstanding the:
(a) other provisions of this Article, and subject to operational requirements, an Employee who so requests may be authorized to take vacation leave which has been earned at a specified time within the year in which it was earned, and the vacation leave to be taken by the Employee in the following year shall be correspondingly reduced.
(b) where a terminated Employee has taken more vacation than they are entitled, the Employer is authorized to recover the monies from the Employee’s final pay cheque.
33.09 Where an Employee is allowed to take any leave of absence, other than sick leave, in conjunction with a period of vacation leave, the vacation leave shall be deemed to precede the additional leave of absence, except in the case of maternity leave which may be authorized before or after vacation leave.
33.10 Once vacations are authorized they shall not be changed, other than in cases of emergency, except by mutual agreement.
33.11 An Employee shall not be paid cash in lieu of vacation earned but not taken, except upon termination, when the Employee shall be paid in cash for the total vacation entitlement standing to the Employee's credit at the termination date.
33.12 The Employer shall, subject to operational requirements make every reasonable effort to grant an Employee, upon request, at least two (2) weeks of annual vacation entitlement during the summer months.
General Leave of Absence a) Leave of absence without pay may be granted to employees for valid reasons as set out by Company policy.
b) An employee on general leave of absence shall not accumulate sick leave credits, or earn vacation but shall retain the seniority, sick leave credits, and vacation credits earned prior to commencing leave of absence.
c) Employees do not have the option of continuing their benefit coverage during the leave.
d) Employees on leave of absence shall be required to apply for any extension.
Extended Leave of Absence Professional employees who have attained renewable contract status may request extended leaves of absence for one (1) year without pay under any one of the circumstances listed in this section. All requests for such extended leave of absence will be applied for and granted or rejected in writing. Such application will be reviewed by the principal and superintendent. If the latter approves, he/she will recommend that the leave be granted by the Board. An employee returning from an extended leave will be assigned to the same position as that which he/she held before assuming the leave, providing that position still exists. By mutual agreement between the employer and the employees, he/she may be given a different assignment. Extended leaves of absence may be requested under, but not limited to, the following:
1. To serve in a county, state, or national public office.
2. To care for a sick member of the immediate family.
3. To serve as an exchange teacher or an overseas teacher.
4. To accept a sabbatical leave.
Year of Service An Employee must complete at least Hours of Service during a Vesting Computation Period to receive credit for a Year of Service under Article V. [Note: The number may not exceed 1,000. If left blank, the requirement is 1,000.]
Vacation Leave on Retirement An employee scheduled to retire and to receive pension benefits under the Public Service Pension Plan Rules or who has reached the mandatory retiring age, shall be granted full vacation entitlement for the final calendar year of service.
