Disability Plan The City and the Union agree to the following changes to the Medium Term Disability (MTD) and Long Term Disability Plans as defined in Schedule “J”, Letter of Intent (all other provisions of Schedule “J” Letter of Intent continue to apply):
a) Conditions of Payment Medium Term Disability as defined percentages of regular gross earnings for MTD benefits for any claim and continuing for a maximum period of 50 weeks as specified below: Effective July 1, 2013 95% of regular gross earnings all MTD hours Effective Jan. 1, 2015 90% of regular gross earnings all MTD hours Effective January 1, 2013, Long Term Disability at 67% of regular gross earnings to a maximum benefit of $4,500 per month commencing on the expiry of MTD (52 weeks from date of disability); such benefit to be indexed annually in accordance with annual general increases in wage rates for the appropriate group from which the claimant is a member. In all instances, benefits cease on the employee ceasing to be disabled, death, or the employee’s minimum retirement age (60 for all employees), or that age when the employee can retire without reduction in his/her accrued pension benefit (55 and 35 years’ service for all employees). The maximum benefit payment period is twelve (12) years from the commencement of disability and is inclusive of Short Term Sick Leave, Medium Term Disability and Long Term Disability Benefits. Existing LTD claims will be “grandfathered”. If an employee in receipt of Short Term Sick Leave or Medium Term Disability returns to full-time employment then the disability will be considered as a new disability if it occurs one hundred and twenty (120) or more calendar days after he/she has returned to work.
b) Disabled Employees The City and the Union recognize that certain employees who are physically disabled are unable to continue in their regular position. Such employees may be able to work on a part-time or full-time basis in light work positions. The City and the Union encourage a cooperative effort between Management and Union representatives and the Burnaby Municipal Benefit Society and have agreed to form a committee to review the cases of such employees. The four-member committee shall consist of the Director of Human Resources, the Department Head of the Department in which the affected employee is currently employed, the President - Local 23, and the Chairman of the Union Division in which the affected employee is currently a member, or their designates; and any decisions of the committee must be unanimous. The committee may decide that a disabled employee be placed in a light duty position, as agreed to by the committee; however, any resulting increase in staff budget costs is subject to the approval of the City Manager.
Disability Separation A. An employee with permanent status may be separated from service when the Employer determines that the employee is unable to perform the essential functions of the employee’s position due to a mental, sensory, or physical disability, which cannot be reasonably accommodated. Determinations of disability may be made by the Employer based on an employee’s written request for disability separation or after obtaining a written statement from a licensed physician or licensed mental health professional. The Employer can require an employee to obtain a medical examination, at Employer expense, from a licensed physician or licensed mental health professional of the Employer’s choice. Evidence may be requested from the licensed physician or licensed mental health professional regarding the employee’s limitations.
B. When the Employer has medical documentation of the employee’s disability and has determined that the employee cannot be reasonably accommodated in any available position for which they qualify, or the employee requests separation due to disability, the Employer may immediately separate the employee.
C. The Employer will inform the employee in writing of the option to apply to return to employment prior to their separation due to disability. The Employer will provide assistance to individuals seeking reemployment under this Article for two (2) years. If reemployed, upon successful completion of the employee’s probationary period, the time between separation and reemployment will be treated as leave without pay and will not be considered a break in service.
D. A disability separation is not a disciplinary action. Disability separation at the employee’s request is not subject to the grievance procedure in Article 30.
– DISABILITY INCOME PROTECTION PLAN i) The Disability Income Protection Plan of the designated employer will be in accordance with the collective agreement.
ii) There will be no break in coverage and/or waiting period prior to being able to receive the Disability Income Protection Plan so long as the waiting period has already been served.
Disability of Employee If the Employee, in the reasonable opinion of the Company, is unable to perform his duties under this Agreement by reason of incapacity, either physical or mental, as determined in accordance with the MIIX Group of Companies Long Term Disability Group Benefit Plan (the "LTD Plan"), or similar plan which may be in effect from time to time, the Company shall have the right to terminate the Employee's employment upon written notice to the Employee, whereupon such termination shall be effective as of the date specified in such notice (the "Termination Date") and the Company shall have no further obligations under this Agreement, except the obligation to pay to the Employee:
(1) the balance of his accrued and unpaid Base Salary,
(2) unreimbursed expenses,
(3) unused, accrued vacation time (up to a maximum of three weeks) through the Termination Date,
(4) any other applicable severance payments provided for in Section 4 hereof, and
(5) any other benefits earned by the Employee and vested (if applicable) as of the Termination Date under any employee benefit plan of the Company or its affiliates in which the Employee participates. If the Company determines not to terminate the Employee's employment in the event of a disability as allowed under this Section 3.2, the Company shall continue to pay Base Salary to the Employee for a period of up to ninety days, and shall pay the difference between Base Salary and benefits paid to the Employee under the LTD Plan for a period of up to six months thereafter, paid in accordance with the Company's normal payroll practices, while the Employee is not working. If the Employee, in the reasonable opinion of the Company, remains disabled at the end of such nine month period, his employment shall be deemed terminated and he shall receive the benefits provided for in this Section 3.2.
Long Term Disability Plan (i) The Employer and the Union shall participate in the Long Term Disability Plan provided under the joint GVLRA/CUPE LTD Trust, or its successor trust when applicable, pursuant to the Trust Agreement executed by Trustees representing the Union and the Greater Victoria Labour Relations Association on behalf of the Employer effective January 1, 1987, which Trust Agreement may be amended from time to time by the Trustees.
(ii) All regular employees shall participate in this LTD Plan as a condition of continued employment. The required contributions for this coverage shall be as determined and amended from time to time by the Trustees and shall be shared equally by each employee through payroll deduction and the Employer (50% each), provided that in no event shall the total cost of such coverage exceed three percent (3%) of the total payroll for basic CUPE wages. Should the current benefits prove impossible to maintain for this three percent (3%) maximum in accordance with accepted actuarial accounting methods, the benefits shall be amended by the Trustees so that the three percent (3%) total cost is maintained.
(iii) The terms and conditions of this LTD Plan shall be as determined and amended from time to time by the Trustees, but in no event shall these benefits provide for other than the following, provided such benefits can be maintained for the total cost of three percent (3%) of payroll.
(a) A benefit level of seventy percent (70%) of the disabled employee's regular monthly earnings in effect on the date of disability, reduced by certain amounts received by and payable to the employee from other sources during the period of disability.
(b) A definition of disability which permits an employee to become eligible for benefits when completely unable to engage in his/her normal occupation for the first twenty-four (24) months of disability; and thereafter, when he/she is unable to engage in any occupation or employment for which he/she is reasonably qualified or may reasonably become qualified.
(c) A seventeen (17) week qualification period from the date of disability during which no benefit is payable under the Plan.
(iv) All claims for LTD coverage shall be adjudicated and administered by a carrier selected for such purposes by the Trustees. The terms of the Trust Agreement and Plan Documents as applicable shall apply to all matters not specifically addressed in this Article. Should a conflict arise between this Article and any of the above documents, this Article shall always apply.
(v) Notwithstanding anything in this Article, the Employer and the Union recognize that eligibility for and entitlement to long term disability benefits shall be as set out in the Plan document.
(vi) An employee must make application for long term disability benefits while on an extended sick leave and prior to the completion of the qualification period and that if the employee is accepted for long term disability benefits that the employee shall commence long term disability upon completion of the qualification period.
Disability The Company shall be entitled to terminate the Executive’s employment if the Board determines that the Executive has been unable to attend to the Executive’s duties for at least ninety (90) days because of a Disability (as defined below), and has received a written opinion from a physician acceptable to the Board that such condition prevents the Executive from resuming full performance of the Executive’s duties and is likely to continue for an indefinite period. Except as provided under the terms of the award, and subject to compliance with the covenants in Section 9 and Section 10 and the execution, timely return and non-revocation (if applicable) by the Executive of a release of claims in a form and substance reasonably requested by the Company (the “Release”) (unless such Release is waived by the Compensation Committee in its sole discretion), any then outstanding restricted stock or restricted stock unit awards shall become fully vested (for purposes of this Section 5(b), references to “fully vested” in connection with any award subject to performance-based vesting conditions refers to vesting at the target level of achievement of the performance goal or goals under the award), and the Company shall pay severance to the Executive in accordance with its normal payroll practices, equal to twelve (12) months of the Executive’s Base Salary as in effect at the time the Executive’s employment terminates, with the first payment on the first payroll date after the revocation period for the Release has expired; provided (i) if the time period for returning and revoking the Release begins in one taxable year and ends in a second taxable year, the payments shall not commence until the first payroll date in the second taxable year; and (ii) all such payments shall immediately terminate at an earlier date if the Executive returns to active employment, either with the Company or otherwise. Any amounts payable under this Section 5(b) shall be reduced on a dollar-for-dollar basis by the amount of bona fide disability pay (within the meaning of Treas. Reg. section 1.409A-1(a)(5)) received or receivable by the Executive during such twelve-month period, provided such disability payments are made pursuant to a plan sponsored by the Company that covers a substantial number of employees of the Company and was established prior to the date the Executive incurred a permanent disability, and further provided that such reduction does not otherwise affect the time of payment of amounts pursuant to this Section 5(b). With respect to any restricted stock unit awards held by the Executive, settlement shall occur pursuant to the terms of the award. For purposes of the Agreement, “Disability” means the Executive is incapacitated due to physical or mental illness and such incapacity, with or without reasonable accommodation, prevents the Executive from satisfactorily performing the essential functions of the Executive’s job for the Company on a full-time basis for at least ninety (90) days in a calendar year.
Termination of Employee Plans The Company shall have provided Parent with evidence, reasonably satisfactory to Parent, as to the termination of the benefit plans referred to in Section 5.12.
Disability Leave a. An employee who has suffered possible injury in the performance of assigned duties shall immediately undergo such medical examination as the appointing authority deems necessary. He or she shall not be considered absent from duty during the time required for such examination.
b. A regular employee who is unable to perform any appropriate work assignment because of disability incurred in the performance of assigned duties shall be entitled to the following disability leave benefits, in addition to those provided pursuant to the California Worker's Compensation Insurance Act.
(1) During any period of disability for which payment is not provided under Worker's Compensation Insurance, the employee shall be placed on disability leave with pay to the extent of any leave with pay which he or she has accrued. Such disability leave with pay shall be charged against the employee's accrued leave with pay.
(2) During any period of disability for which payment is provided under Worker's Compensation Insurance, the employee shall elect either:
(a) Retain any Workers' Compensation Benefits received during the pay period and receive full pay. The employee shall use their accrued sick leave, vacation CTO and HIL on an hour- for-hour basis to cover all hours the employee is absent from duty due to the work-related disability during the applicable pay period. Or,
(b) Retain any Workers' Compensation Benefits received during the pay period and receive a partial paycheck in an amount so that the partial pay and the Workers' Compensation Benefits added together are equivalent to the employee's full pay. The employee shall use their accrued sick leave, vacation, CTO, and HIL in an amount equal to one-half of the number of hours the employee was absent from work during the pay period due to the work-related disability. If, however, the amount of the Workers' Compensation Benefits is subtracted from the employee's full pay for the time off due to the disability, and the remainder is less than one-half of the amount of such full pay, then only the number of leave balance hours necessary to equal that remainder shall be charged.
(3) The choice of either (2)(a) or (2)(b) above shall be an irrevocable choice for the duration of the disability leave resulting from the work- related injury. However, if the employee returns to work for a period of at least thirty (30) calendar days, the employee may again elect to choose either option b.(2)(a) or b.(2)(b) for any subsequent disability leave taken as a result of (or relating to) the same injury.
c. All disability leave provisions of this section shall terminate when the employee uses all accrued sick leave, vacation, CTO or HIL balances, or upon the date of the employee's recovery from disability, receipt of permanent disability under Workers' Compensation Insurance, retirement, termination from County employment, or death.
Long-Term Disability (Employee Paid Plans)
a) All permanent Teachers shall participate in the long term disability plan (LTD Plan) as a condition of employment, subject to the terms of the LTD plan.
b) The Board shall cooperate in the administration of the LTD Plan. It is understood that administration means that the Board will co-operate with the enrolment and deduction of premiums and provide available necessary data to the insurer, upon request. The Board will remit premiums collected to the carrier on behalf of the Teachers.
c) Where the plan administrator implements changes in the terms and conditions of the LTD Plan or the selection of an insurance carrier, the Board shall, for administrative purposes, be advised of changes at least thirty (30) days prior to the date the changes are to be implemented.
Leave When Employment Terminates When the employment of an employee is terminated for any reason, the employee or his/her estate shall, in lieu of earned but unused vacation leave, be paid an amount equal to the product obtained by multiplying the number of days of earned but unused vacation leave by the daily rate of pay applicable to the employee immediately prior to the termination of his/her employment.
