Health and Welfare Benefits applies to full-time nurses only)
HEALTH AND WELFARE PLAN 9.01 The Employer shall make available the following or similar benefits as mutually agreed between the Employer and the Union to eligible regular full-time employees (as defined below). The cost of the benefits under Sections 9.07, 9.08, 9.09, 9.10, 9.11, 9.12 and 9.13 below shall be paid one hundred percent (100%) by the Employer. An eligible full-time employee shall be one who has three (3) consecutive months current employment at the effective date of the Plan. Benefits for full-time employees who are laid off will be maintained by the Employer for one half (½) of the employee's recall period as specified in Section 14.04 on the following basis: - B.C. Medical Services Plan (M.S.P.) - Group Life Insurance - Hearing aid, eyeglasses and prescription drug coverage A regular full-time employee who does not have three (3) months' current consecutive full-time service at the effective date of the Plan, or a new employee, shall be eligible the day following the date their current consecutive full-time service reaches three (3) months. 9.02 A regular full-time employee reduced to part-time shall continue to be eligible to participate in the Plan. Full-time employees reducing to below thirty-two (32) hours per week shall receive proportionate Weekly Indemnity benefits. Employees shall return completed enrollment forms as soon as possible. The Employer will only offer benefits after first eligibility test is met. If refused at that time by the employee, further testing is not required. If an employee later wants coverage, it is his or her responsibility to make application to the Employer. If he or she is eligible for coverage, the same rules regarding late enrollment as apply to full- time staff may be imposed. 9.03 The Employer shall also make available the benefits to employees (except students) who work an average of thirty-two (32) hours per week for a period of three (3) consecutive months. Such employees shall receive the same benefits as set out for full-time employees in this Section of the Agreement. 9.04 For the purposes of entitlement and disentitlement, the conditions set out below will apply: A. Employees who average thirty-two (32) hours per week for a three (3) month period will be eligible for all benefits under Section 9 on the first of the month following meeting this requirement. Eligibility verifications will be done each month ending on the last Saturday of the month on a 4, 4, 5 basis, i.e.: if an employee had averaged thirty-two (32) hours per week in the three (3) months prior to April 25, he/she would become eligible for the benefit package on May 1. B. If an employee fails to meet the eligibility test, he/she will continue to be eligible for three (3) months. At that time he/she will be tested again and, if eligible, will continue receiving benefits. If not eligible, will cease receiving benefits. Thereafter at the end of each month, the employee's eligibility will be tested and, as soon as he/she becomes eligible again, benefits will be reinstated. 9.05 The Employer shall also make available: - Medical Services Plan (M.S.P.) - Extended Health Benefit (E.H.B.) - Hearing Aid, Eyeglass, Prescription Drug Plan (H.E.P.) to employees (except students) who work an average of twenty-four (24) hours per week for a period of three (3) consecutive months. For the purposes of entitlement and disentitlement, the hours' tests set out above will apply, but will be based on twenty-four (24) hours instead of thirty-two (32) hours per week. New employees who are covered by the B.C. Medical Services Plan at the date of their employment can elect to maintain their continuity of coverage to be paid as defined above. 9.06 Enrollment of group benefits shall be compulsory at the option of the Employer. The Employer, at his option, may require all enrollment cards to be signed within three (3) months from the date that regular full-time employment commenced. If, under exceptional circumstances, an employee does not sign an enrollment card within three (3) months of employment, he or she may be allowed a further month of grace at the option of the Employer. A period of grace longer than one (1) month may be allowed by the Employer; but, in such cases, a medical examination at the employee's own expense shall be compulsory and a three (3) month penalty period may be imposed.