Maternity Leave a) An employee who becomes pregnant shall notify the Employer at least two (2) weeks prior to the date on which she plans to begin her maternity leave of her intention to do so. This written notice must include the date on which she intends to begin her maternity leave, and a letter from her doctor indicating the baby’s due date.
b) Subject to sub-clause (c) of this clause, an employee who becomes pregnant shall be granted twenty-eight (28) weeks of leave without pay. This leave may begin at any time within seventeen (17) weeks of the baby's due date, and extends beyond the date of the baby’s birth until the twenty-eight (28) weeks have expired. Maternity leave cannot be split. For greater clarity, maternity leave must be taken in a single, unbroken stretch.
c) The Employer may:
i) upon written request from the employee, defer the commencement of maternity leave without pay of an employee or terminate it before the full twenty-eight (28) weeks have expired.
ii) grant maternity leave without pay to an employee to commence earlier than seventeen (17) weeks before the expected termination of her pregnancy.
iii) where maternity leave without pay is requested, require an employee to submit a medical certificate certifying pregnancy.
d) In the event of complications, including but not limited to premature birth, the mother shall have the option of deferring maternity leave until the child is allowed to leave the hospital to go home. (That portion which is still unused). Return to work under this provision will require one month's notice to the Employer; less notice will be allowed by mutual consent of the employee and the Employer.
e) Leave granted under this clause shall be counted in the calculation of "continuous employment" for the purpose of calculating severance pay and vacation leave. Time spent on such leave shall be counted for pay increment purposes. During such leave, the Employer will continue to pay its applicable share of pension and benefit plans.
f) An employee who provides the Employer with proof that she has applied for and is eligible to receive employment insurance benefits pursuant to applicable provisions of the Employment Insurance Act, shall be paid a maternity leave allowance in accordance with the Supplementary Employment Benefit Plan. While in receipt of this allowance, the employee shall continue to accumulate annual leave and sick leave credits.
g) An applicant under sub-clause (f) of this clause shall sign an agreement with the Employer providing:
i) that she will return to work and remain in the Employer's employ for a period of at least six (6) months after her return to work;
ii) that she will return to work on the date of the expiry of her maternity leave, unless this date is modified with the Employer's consent.
h) Should the employee fail to return to work as per the provisions of sub-clause (g) or for reasons other than death or disability or if the debt is waived by mutual agreement, the employee recognizes that she is indebted to the Employer for the amount received as maternity leave allowance.
i) Employees shall have no vested right to payments under the plan, except to payments during a period of unemployment specified in the plan. Payments in respect of guaranteed annual remuneration or in respect of deferred remuneration or severance pay benefits are not reduced or increased by payments under the plan.
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.
Sabbatical Leave 1. Upon written application, not later than April 1 of any school year, a unit member who meets the following qualifications shall be granted a sabbatical leave.
2. All applications for sabbatical leave will be reviewed by a committee consisting of three (3) representatives to be named by the Superintendent, and three (3) representatives to be named by the Association President. The committee shall consider, among other qualifications, the following:
a. The proposed program of the applicant as related to professional graduate study, travel, writing, or research.
b. The value of the proposed program to the Pickerington Schools, its pupils, and the individual applicant.
c. The applicant’s total length of service with Pickerington Schools.
3. In order to be eligible for a sabbatical leave, a unit member must have been employed in the Pickerington School District for at least five (5) years.
4. Unit members requesting such leaves must accompany their applications with detailed plans for the proposed use of their sabbatical leaves. Within ninety (90) days after the expiration of his/her leave, the unit member will make a written report to the Superintendent detailing the use, which was made of his/her leave. If the leave was granted for graduate study, the unit member will present to the Superintendent a transcript from the university or college attended.
5. Unit members approved for a sabbatical leave will be notified of their approval by May 15th, or as soon thereafter as possible. A unit member on a sabbatical leave shall be given an employment contract for the year of leave and shall be entitled to a salary equal to the difference between their previous salary and the salary of the substitute teacher replacing them while on sabbatical leave.
6. As a condition of being granted a sabbatical leave, a unit member must agree to return to the Pickerington Schools for a period of one (1) year upon returning from leave. Failure to do so shall require the unit member to refund to the Board all payments received from the Board for sabbatical leave purposes during the leave period. Such refund shall be made within a four (4) month period beginning with the first full month said unit member was to have returned to duty. Such time limit may be extended by agreement of both parties.
7. Unit members on sabbatical leave shall be given full experience credit on the salary schedule and credit for seniority purposes for the period of the leave and shall return to their same or to a similar position as they held at the time the leave commenced.
8. A bargaining unit member on sabbatical leave may maintain health, life, and dental insurance benefits during the period of leave. Any member desiring continuation of such benefits must notify the Treasurer not less than thirty (30) days prior to the commencement of the leave and pay to the Treasurer an amount equal to fifty percent (50%) of the total monthly cost of the insurance not less than ten (10) days in advance of the time that the Board premium payment is due.
9. Any bargaining unit member who purchases retirement credit for the portion of their salary forfeited during the sabbatical leave will pay to STRS both the employee and employer share of retirement contributions.
10. All such sabbatical leaves shall be granted in conformity to the provisions of Section 3319.131 of the Ohio Revised Code.
