Return to Work (a) The parties recognize the duty of reasonable accommodation for individuals under the Human Rights Code of Ontario and agree that this Collective Agreement will be interpreted in such a way as to permit the Employer and the Union to discharge that duty. To that end, the Home and the Union agree to cooperate in complying with the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Early and Safe Return to Work The Hospital and the Union both recognize their obligations in facilitating the early and safe return to work of disabled employees. The Hospital and the Union agree that ongoing and timely communication by all participants in this process is essential to the success of the process.
Modified Work/Return to Work Programs The Hospital and the Union recognize the purpose of modified work/return to work programs, is to provide fair and consistent practices for accommodating nurses who have been ill, injured or permanently disabled, to enable their early and safe return to work. The parties undertake to provide safe and meaningful employment for both permanently or temporarily disabled nurses based on the following principles:
Graduated Return to Work Where an Employee is not receiving benefits from another source and is working less than his/her regular working hours in the course of a graduated return-to-work as the Employee recovers from an illness or injury, the Employee may use any unused sick/short term disability allocation remaining, if any, for the portion of the day where the Employee is unable to work due to illness or injury. A partial sick/short term leave day will be deducted for an absence of a partial day in the same proportion as the duration of the absence is to an employee’s regular hours. Where an employee returns on a graduated return to work from a WSIB/LTD claim, and is working less than his/her regular hours, WSIB and LTD will be used to top up the employee’s wages, as approved and if applicable. Where an employee returns on a graduated return to work from an illness which commenced in the previous fiscal year, • and is not receiving benefits from another source; • and is working less than his/her regular hours of work; • and has sick leave days and/or short-term disability days remaining from the previous year The employee can access those remaining days to top up their wages proportional to the hours not worked. Where an employee returns on a graduated return to work from an illness which commenced in the previous fiscal year, • and is not receiving benefits from another source, • and is working less than his/her regular hours of work, • and has no sick leave days and/ or short-term disability days remaining from the previous year, the employee will receive 11 days of sick leave paid at 100% of the new reduced working hours. When the employee’s hours of work increase during the graduated return to work, the employee’s sick leave will be adjusted in accordance with the new schedule. In accordance with paragraph c), the Employee will also be allocated one hundred and twenty (120) short-term disability days payable at ninety percent (90%) of regular salary proportional to the hours scheduled to work under the graduated return to work. The new pro-rated sick/short-term leave allocation may not be used to top-up from part-time to full-time hours.
