Leave of Absence (Unpaid). The Company may, in its sole discretion, grant an unpaid leave of absence in accordance with this Article to a regular employee who has completed their probationary period. The Leave of absence shall not exceed ninety (90) days in duration and must be applied for in writing at least one month prior to the commencement of the requested leave. The request for leave must specify the reason for the leave and the length of leave requested. It is understood that only a leave of absence for legitimate personal reasons will be considered by the Company which, for clarity, does not include a leave to perform work for remuneration and/or personal gain of any kind. Where a leave of absence is granted by The Company, the following shall apply: 1) For leaves of absence of 30 days or less: The employee shall continue to participate in the pension and employee benefit plans and the employee shall continue to accrue seniority while on leave. 2) For leaves of absence of greater than 30 days, the following shall apply: After 30 days on leave, if the employee wants to participate in the employee benefit plan they shall pay the premiums prior to the leave. They shall continue to accrue seniority for the remainder of the leave. The Company may, in its sole discretion, decide to grant a leave of absence in excess of ninety (90) days on a strictly exceptional basis depending on the gravity and/or severity of the specific personal circumstances underlying the request for the leave. Should a leave of absence in excess of 90 days be granted by the Company, the provisions of paragraph (2) above will apply.
Appears in 4 contracts
Samples: Collective Agreement, Collective Agreement, Collective Agreement
