Pandemic An epidemic that spreads over a wide area, crossing borders and defined as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and/or by the competent local authorities of the country where the loss occurred. Isolation of the person, in the event of suspected illness or proven illness, decided by a competent local authority, in order to avoid a risk of spreading said illness in the context of an epidemic or pandemic.
Infectious Diseases The Employer and the Union desire to arrest the spread of infectious diseases in the nursing home. To achieve this objective, the Joint Health and Safety Committee may review and offer input into infection control programs and protocols including surveillance, outbreak control, isolation, precautions, worker education and training, and personal protective equipment. The Employer will provide training and ongoing education in communicable disease recognition, use of personal protective equipment, decontamination of equipment, and disposal of hazardous waste.
Accident Prevention Health and Safety Committee (a) The Employer and the Union agree that they mutually desire to maintain standards of safety and health in the workplace in order to prevent accidents, injury and illness. (b) Recognizing its responsibilities under the applicable legislation, the Employer agrees to accept as a member of its Accident Prevention – Health & Safety Committee at least three (3) representatives, one from each base, selected or appointed by the Union from amongst bargaining unit employees. At any time where a vote is required, an equal number of representatives from each side shall be entitled to vote. (c) Such Committee shall identify potential dangers and hazards, institute means of improving health and safety programs and recommend actions to be taken to improve conditions related to safety and health. (d) The Employee agrees to co-operate reasonably in providing necessary information to enable the Committee to fulfill its functions. (e) Meetings shall be held quarterly or more frequently at the call of the Chair if required. The Committee shall maintain minutes of all meetings and make the same available for review. (f) Any representative appointed or select in accordance with (b) hereof shall serve a term of one (1) calendar year from the date of appointment which may be renewed for further periods of one (1) year. The Union will encourage its representative(s) to serve at least one (1) year. Time off for such representative(s) to attend meetings of the Accident Prevention – Health & Safety Committee in accordance with the foregoing shall be granted and time so spent attending such meetings shall be deemed to be work time for which the representative(s) shall be paid by the Employer at his regular or premium rate as may be applicable. (g) The Union agrees to endeavour to obtain the full co-operation of its membership in the observation of all safety rules and practices. (h) Pregnant employees may request to be transferred from their current duties if, in the professional opinion of the employee’s physician, the pregnancy may be at risk. If such a transfer is not feasible, the pregnant employee, if she so requests, will be granted an unpaid leave of absence before commencement of the maternity leave referred to in Article 16.04
Influenza Vaccine Upon recommendation of the Medical Officer of Health, all employees shall be required, on an annual basis to be vaccinated and or to take antiviral medication for influenza. If the costs of such medication are not covered by some other sources, the Employer will pay the cost for such medication. If the employee fails to take the required medication, she may be placed on an unpaid leave of absence during any influenza outbreak in the home until such time as the employee has been cleared by the public health or the Employer to return to the work environment. The only exception to this would be employees for whom taking the medication will result in the employee being physically ill to the extent that she cannot attend work. Upon written direction from the employee’s physician of such medical condition in consultation with the Employer’s physician, (if requested), the employee will be permitted to access their sick bank, if any, during any outbreak period. If there is a dispute between the physicians, the employee will be placed on unpaid leave. If the employee gets sick as a reaction to the drug and applies for WSIB the Employer will not oppose the application. If an employee is pregnant and her physician believes the pregnancy could be in jeopardy as a result of the influenza inoculation and/or the antiviral medication she shall be eligible for sick leave in circumstances where she is not allowed to attend at work as a result of an outbreak. This clause shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Critical Illness Three (3) days per year, with pay, shall be granted in the case of a critical illness or accident to a member of the employee's immediate family as defined in Section 9.4.2. A statement by the physician verifying the need for the employee to be present with the immediate family member shall be attached to the absence form.
ENDANGERED SPECIES The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. § 1531, et seq.) as amended, particularly section 7 (16 U.S.C. § 1536).
Catastrophic Leave Program Leave credits, as defined below, may be transferred from one (1) or more employees to another employee, on an hour-for-hour basis, in accordance with departmental policies upon the request of both the receiving employee and the transferring employee and upon approval of the employee's appointing authority, under the following conditions: A. The receiving employee is required to be absent from work due to injury or the prolonged illness of the employee, employee's spouse, registered domestic partner, a domestic partner listed on an “Affidavit for Enrollment of Domestic Partners,” submitted to employee benefits, parent or child, has exhausted all earned leave credits, including but not limited to sick leave, compensatory time, holiday credits and disability leave and is therefore facing financial hardship. B. The transfers must be for a minimum of four (4) hours and in whole hour increments thereafter. C. Transfers shall be allowed to cross-departmental lines in accordance with the policies of the receiving department. D. The total maximum leave credits received by an employee shall normally not exceed five hundred twenty (520) hours; however, if approved by his/her appointing authority, the total leave credits may be up to one thousand forty (1,040) hours. Total leave credits in excess of one thousand forty (1,040) hours will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the appointing authority subject to the approval of the Chief Administrative Officer. E. The transfers are irrevocable, and will be indistinguishable from other leave credits belonging to the receiving employee. Transfers will be subject to all taxes required by law. F. Leave credits that may be transferred under this program are defined as the transferring employee’s vacation credits or up to twenty-four (24) hours of sick leave per fiscal year. G. Transfers shall be administered according to the rules and regulations of the Auditor and Controller, and made on a form prescribed by the Auditor and Controller. Approvals of the receiving and donating employee, the donating employee's appointing authority and the receiving employee's appointing authority (in the case of an interdepartmental transfer) will be provided for on such form. H. This program is not subject to the Grievance Procedure of this Agreement.
Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee The Employer and the Union recognize the role of the joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee in promoting a safe and healthful workplace. The parties agree that a Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee shall be established for each Employer covered by this Collective Agreement. The Committee shall govern itself in accordance with the provisions of the Industrial Health and Safety Regulations made pursuant to the Workers’ Compensation Act. The Committee shall be as between the Employer and the Union, with equal representation, and with each party appointing its own representatives. Representatives of the Union shall be chosen by the Union membership or appointed by the Union. All minutes of the meetings of the Joint Occupational Health & Safety Committee will be recorded in a mutually agreeable format and will be sent to the Union. The Union further agrees to actively pursue with the other Health Care Unions a Joint Union Committee for the purposes of this Article. The Employer agrees to provide or cause to be provided to Employer members of the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee adequate training and orientation to the duties and responsibilities of committee members to allow the incumbents to fulfil those duties competently. The Union agrees to provide or cause to be provided to Union members of the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee adequate training and orientation to the duties and responsibilities of committee members to allow the incumbents to fulfil those duties competently. Such training and orientation shall take place within six (6) months of taking office.
Occupational Health and Safety Committee (a) The parties agree that a joint occupational health and safety committee will be established. The Committee shall govern itself in accordance with the provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations made pursuant to the Workers Compensation Act. The Committee shall be between the Employer and the Union, with equal representation, and with each party appointing its own representatives. The Union agrees to actively pursue with the other Health Care unions, where more than one union is certified with the Employer, a joint union/employer committee for the purposes of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. (b) Employees who are members of the Committee shall be granted leave without loss of pay or receive straight-time regular wages while attending meetings of the Joint Committee. Employees who are members of the Committee shall be granted leave without loss of pay or receive straight-time regular wages to participate in joint workplace inspections and joint accident investigations at the request of the Committee pursuant to the WCB Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. Committee meetings, workplace inspections and accident investigations shall be scheduled during normal working hours whenever practicable. (c) The Occupational Health and Safety Committee shall have as part of its mandate the jurisdiction to receive complaints or concerns regarding workload problems which are safety-related, the right to investigate such complaints, the right to define the problem and the right to make recommendations for a solution. Where the Committee determines that a safety-related workload problem exists, it shall inform the Employer. Within 21 days thereafter, the Employer shall advise the Committee what steps it has taken or proposes to take to rectify the safety-related workload problem identified by the Committee. If the Union is not satisfied with the Employer's response, it may refer the matter to the Industry Trouble shooter for a written recommendation. (d) No employee shall be disciplined for refusal to work when excused by the provisions of the
Workplace Violence Prevention and Crisis Response (applicable to any Party and any subcontractors and sub-grantees whose employees or other service providers deliver social or mental health services directly to individual recipients of such services): Party shall establish a written workplace violence prevention and crisis response policy meeting the requirements of Act 109 (2016), 33 VSA §8201(b), for the benefit of employees delivering direct social or mental health services. Party shall, in preparing its policy, consult with the guidelines promulgated by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Services Workers, as those guidelines may from time to time be amended. Party, through its violence protection and crisis response committee, shall evaluate the efficacy of its policy, and update the policy as appropriate, at least annually. The policy and any written evaluations thereof shall be provided to employees delivering direct social or mental health services. Party will ensure that any subcontractor and sub-grantee who hires employees (or contracts with service providers) who deliver social or mental health services directly to individual recipients of such services, complies with all requirements of this Section.