LEAVE AND LONG-TERM DISABILITY (Articles to are related to Sick Leave and Long-term Disability will be incorporated in all collective agreements:) The Hospital shall provide a short-term sick leave plan at least equivalent to that described in the Hospitals of Ontario Disability Income Plan brochure. Copies of the brochure will be made available to employees upon request. The Hospital will pay seventy-five percent (75%) of the billed premium towards coverage of eligible employees under the long term disability plan or equivalent); employees shall pay the balance of the billed premiums through payroll deduction. The Hospital further agrees to pay employees an amount equal to any loss of benefits under for the first two days of the fourth and subsequent period of absence in any calendar year. Effective April employees with or more years service will be paid at the benefit level for all incidences of absence covered by Any dispute which may arise concerning an employee's entitlement to term or long-term benefits under may be subject to grievance and arbitration under the provisions of this Agreement. An employee who is absent from work as a result of an illness or injury sustained at work and who has been awaiting approval of a claim for Worker's Compensation for a period longer than one complete pay period may apply to the Hospital for payment equivalent to the lesser of the benefit the employee would receive from Workers' Compensation if the employee's claim was approved, or the benefit to which the employee would be entitled under the short term sick portion of the disability income plan or equivalent plan). Payment will be provided only if the employee provides evidence of disability satisfactory to the Hospital and a written undertaking satisfactory to the Hospitalthat any paymentswill be refunded to the Hospital following final determination of the claim by The Workers' Compensation Board. If the claim for Workers' Compensation is not approved, the monies paid as an advance will be applied towards the benefits to which the employee would be entitled under the short term portion of the disability income plan. Any payment under this provisionwill continue for a maximum of fifteen (15) weeks. (The following clause will only appear in those collective agreements at hospitals where sick leave banks were established on the transfer to or equivalent:) Sick leave banks standing to the credit of an employee shall be utilized to supplement payment for sick leave days which would otherwise be paid at less than full wages, or for sick leave days at no wages. (Articles and will only appear in those collective agreements at hospitals which had sick leave credit pay out provisions in their collective agreements expiring December, Pay out of sick leave credits shall be made on termination of employment or, in the case of death, to the employee's estate. The amount of the payment shall be a cash settlement at the employee's then current salary rate for any unused sick credits to the maximum provided under the previous accumulating sick leave credit plan. Where an employee, employed as of the effective date of the transfer to or equivalent, did not have the required service to qualify for pay out on termination, he shall be entitled to the same pay out provisions as set out in Article above, providing he subsequently achieves the necessary service to qualify for pay out under those provisions. Where an employee, with accumulated sick leave credits remaining, is prevented from working for the Hospital because of an occupational illness or accident that is recognized by the Workers' Compensation Board as compensable within the meaning of the Workers' Compensation Act the Hospital, on application from the employee, will supplement the award made by the Workers' Compensation Board for loss of wages to the employee by such amount that the award of the Workers' Compensation Board for loss of wages, together with the supplementation of the Hospital, will equal one hundred percent (100%) of the employee's net earnings to the limit of the employee's accumulated sick leave credits. Employees may utilizesuch sick leave credits while awaiting approval of a claim for Workers' Compensation. (Note: The Hospital shall pay for such medical as it may require from time-to-time to certify an employee’s illness or ability to return to work. Any other related to Sick Leave and Long-Term Disability that existed in theexpiring Collective Agreementwill be continued and numbered in sequence as provisions of this Article, except such of an administrative nature related to this Article which will be continued in the Local Provisions Appendix.)
