SICK LEAVE AND LONG-TERM DISABILITY (Articles 12.01 to 12.11 apply to full-time nurses only)
12.01 The Hospital will assume total responsibility for providing and funding a short-term sick leave plan at least equivalent to that described in the 1980 Hospitals of Ontario Disability Income Plan brochure. Effective January 1, 2006, new hires will be covered under the 1992 Hospitals of Ontario Disability Income Plan. The Hospital will pay 75% of the billed premium towards coverage of eligible employees under the long-term disability portion of the Plan (HOODIP or an equivalent plan). The employee will pay the balance of the billed premium through payroll deduction. For the purpose of transfer to the short-term portion of the disability program, employees on the payroll as of the effective date of the transfer with three (3) months or more of service shall be deemed to have three (3) months of service. For the purpose of transfer to the long-term portion of the disability program, employees on the active payroll as of the effective date of the transfer with one (1) year or more of service shall be deemed to have one (1) year of service.
12.02 Effective the first of the month following the transfer, all existing sick leave plans in the Participating Hospitals shall be terminated and any provisions relating to such plans shall be null and void under the respective Collective Agreements except as to those provisions relating to payout of unused sick leave benefits which are specifically dealt with hereinafter.
12.03 Existing sick leave credits for each employee shall be converted to a sick leave bank to the credit of the employee. The sick leave bank shall contain the unused sick leave days to the credit of the nurse on the effective date of the transfer to the Plan set out in Article 12.01. The "sick leave bank" shall be utilized to:
(a) Supplement payment for sick leave days under the new plan which would otherwise be at less than full wages, and;
(b) Where a payout provision existed under the former sick leave plan in the Collective Agreement, payout shall be made on the termination of employment, or in the case of death, to the nurse's estate. The parties may agree to voluntarily cash out existing sick leave banks. The amount of the payout shall be a cash settlement at the nurse's then current salary rate for any unused sick credits to the maximum provided under the sick leave plan in which the nurse participated as of October 23, 1981;
(c) Where, as of the effective date of transfer, an employee does not have the required service to qualify for payout on termination, her or his existing sick leave credits as of that date shall nevertheless be converted to a sick leave bank in accordance with the foregoing and the nurse shall be entitled to the same cash out provisions as set out in paragraph (b) above providing the nurse subsequently achieves the necessary service to qualify for payout under the conditions of the sick leave plan in which she or he participated as of October 23, 1981;
(d) Where a payout provision existed under the former sick leave plan in the Collective Agreement, a nurse who, as of the date of this award, has accumulated sick leave credits and is prevented from working for the Hospital on account of an occupational illness or accident that is recognized by The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board as compensable within the meaning of the Workplace and Safety Insurance Act, the Hospital, on application from the nurse, will supplement the award made by The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board for loss of wages to the nurse by such amount that the award of The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board for loss of wages, together with the supplementation of the Hospital, will equal one hundred per cent (100%) of the nurse's net earnings to the limit of the nurse's accumulated sick leave credits. Nurses may utilize such sick leave credits while awaiting approval of a claim for WSIB benefits.
12.04 When a nurse has completed any portion of her or his regularly scheduled tour prior to going on sick leave benefits or WSIB benefits, the nurse shall be paid for the balance of the tour at her or his regular straight time hourly rate. This provision will not disentitle the nurse to a lieu day under Article 15.05 if she or he otherwise qualifies.
12.05 Any dispute which may arise concerning a nurse's entitlement to short-term or long- term benefits under HOODIP or an equivalent plan may be subject to grievance and arbitration under the provisions of this Agreement. The Union agrees that it will encourage a nurse to utilize the carrier’s medical appeals process, if any, to resolve disputes.
12.06 Nurses presently employed who are covered by a long-term disability plan in effect as of the date of this award, may elect to be covered by HOODIP or to continue their present coverage.
12.07 The Hospital further agrees to pay employees an amount equal to any loss of benefits under HOODIP for the first two days of the fourth and subsequent period of absence in any calendar year.
12.08 The Hospital will notify each nurse of the amount of unused sick leave in her or his bank annually.
12.09 For nurses whose regular hours of work are other than the standard work day, the short-term sick leave plan will provide payment for the number of hours of absence according to the scheduled tour to a total of 562.5 hours. All other provisions of the existing plan shall apply mutatis mutandis.
12.10 Absences due to pregnancy related illness shall be considered as sick leave under the sick leave plan.
12.11 A nurse 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 WSIB benefits for a period longer than one complete tour or more may apply to the Hospital for payment equivalent to the lesser of the benefit the nurse would receive from WSIB if the nurse's claim was approved, or the benefit to which the nurse would be entitled under the short-term sick portion of the disability income plan (HOODIP or equivalent plan). Payment will be provided only if the nurse provides evidence of disability satisfactory to the Hospital and a written undertaking satisfactory to the Hospital that any payments will be refunded to the Hospital following final determination of the claim by The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. If the claim for WSIB benefits is not approved, the monies paid as an advance will be applied towards the benefits to which the nurse would be entitled under the short-term portion of the disability income plan. Any payment under this provision will continue for a maximum of fifteen (15) weeks. (Articles 12.12, 12.13 and 12.14 apply to both full-time and part-time nurses)
12.12 Nurses returning to work from an illness or injury compensable from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board will be assigned light work as necessary, if available.
12.13 A nurse who transfers from full-time to part-time may elect to retain her or his accumulated sick leave credits to be utilized during part-time or subsequent full-time employment as provided under the sick leave plan in which the nurse participates as of October 23, 1981.
12.14 If the Employer requires the employee to obtain a medical certificate, the employer shall pay the full cost of obtaining the certificate.
Life and Disability Insurance The Company will provide term life and disability insurance payable to the Employee, in each case in an amount up to a maximum of one times the Employee’s base salary in effect from time to time, provided however, that such amount will be reduced by the amount of any life insurance or death or disability benefit coverage, as applicable, that is provided to the Employee under any other benefit plans or arrangements of the Company. Such policies will be in accordance with the Company’s standard policies from time to time with respect to such insurance and the rules established for individual participation in such plans and under applicable law.
ILLNESS AND DISABILITY At the beginning of each school year each teacher shall be credited with ten (10) days of leave, the unused portion of which shall accumulate from year to year to one hundred fifty-five (155) days pro-rated based on the teacher’s regularly scheduled work day/week. The leave days may be taken by a teacher for the following reasons and subject to the following conditions:
Short-Term Leave and Disability Plan Top up
i. Teachers accessing STLDP will have access to any unused Sick Leave Days from their last year worked for the purpose of topping up salary to one hundred percent (100%) under the STLDP.
ii. This top-up is calculated as follows: Eleven (11) days less the number of sick leave days used in the most recent year worked.
iii. Each top-up from ninety percent (90%) to one hundred percent (100%) requires the corresponding fraction of a day available for top- up.
iv. In addition to the top-up bank, top-up for compassionate reasons may be considered at the discretion of the board on a case by case basis. The top-up will not exceed two (2) days and is dependent on having two (2) unused Short Term Paid Leave Days in the current year. These days can be used to top-up salary under the STLDP.
v. When Teachers use any part of an STLDP day they may access their top up bank to top up their salary to one hundred percent (100%).
Long-Term Disability (Employee Paid Plans)
a) All permanent Teachers shall participate in the long term disability plan (LTD Plan) as a condition of employment, subject to the terms of the LTD plan.
b) The Board shall cooperate in the administration of the LTD Plan. It is understood that administration means that the Board will co-operate with the enrolment and deduction of premiums and provide available necessary data to the insurer, upon request. The Board will remit premiums collected to the carrier on behalf of the Teachers.
c) Where the plan administrator implements changes in the terms and conditions of the LTD Plan or the selection of an insurance carrier, the Board shall, for administrative purposes, be advised of changes at least thirty (30) days prior to the date the changes are to be implemented.
Disability Retirement If, as a result of your incapacity due to physical or mental illness, You shall have been absent from the full-time performance of your duties with the Company for 6 consecutive months, and within 30 days after written notice of termination is given You shall not have returned to the full-time performance of your duties, your employment may be terminated for "Disability." Termination of your employment by the Company or You due to your "Retirement" shall mean termination in accordance with the Company's retirement policy, including early retirement, generally applicable to its salaried employees or in accordance with any retirement arrangement established with your consent with respect to You.
Death and Disability (a) The Employment Term shall terminate on the date of Employee’s death, in which event the Company shall, within 30 days of the date of death, pay to his estate, Employee’s Base Salary, any unpaid bonus awards (including any bonus award for a plan year that has ended prior to the time employment terminated where the award was scheduled to be paid after the date employment terminated), reimbursable expenses and benefits owing to Employee through the date of Employee’s death together with any benefits payable under any life insurance program in which Employee is a participant. Except as otherwise contemplated by this Agreement, Employee’s estate will not be entitled to any other compensation upon termination of this Agreement pursuant to this subparagraph 8(a).
(b) The Employment Term shall terminate upon Employee’s Disability. For purposes of this Agreement, “Disability” shall mean that Employee is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months. For purposes of determining Employee’s Disability, the CEO may rely on a determination by the Social Security Administration that Employee is totally disabled or a determination by the Company’s disability insurance carrier that Employee has satisfied the above definition of Disability. In case of such termination, Employee shall be entitled to receive his Base Salary, any unpaid bonus awards (including any bonus award for a plan year that has ended prior to the time employment terminated where the award was scheduled to be paid after the date employment terminated), reimbursable expenses and benefits owing to Employee through the date of termination within 30 days of the date of the Company’s determination of Employee’s Disability, together with any benefits payable under any disability insurance program in which Employee is a participant. Except as otherwise contemplated by this Agreement, Employee will not be entitled to any other compensation upon termination of his employment pursuant to this subparagraph 8(b).
Long Term Disability (income replacement during a qualifying disability equal to sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) of basic monthly earnings to the established maximum following a one hundred and twenty (120) working day elimination period);
Long Term Disability (LTD 4.7.1 The school board shall cooperate in the administration of the LTD Plan. It is understood that administration means that the school board will co-operate with the enrolment and deduction of premiums and provide available necessary data to the insurer, upon request. The school board will remit premiums collected to the carrier on behalf of the teachers.
4.7.2 Where the plan administrator implements changes in the terms and conditions of the LTD Plan or the selection of an insurance carrier, the school board shall, for administrative purposes, be advised of changes at least thirty (30) days prior to the date the changes are to be implemented.
4.7.3 The Association is the policyholder of the Long-Term Disability Plans effective January 1, 2013, except as determined by 4.7.9 below. School boards shall promptly provide all data, related to the Long-Term Disability Plans, as requested by the Association’s carrier.
4.7.4 All teachers shall participate in the Long-Term Disability Plan as a condition of their employment subject to the terms of the respective plan.
4.7.5 The Association will work with school boards and/or OCSTA to consider including non-teaching staff in a separate plan(s) where the viability of a current LTD plan remains in question after the teachers are withdrawn from the existing plan. The Association will decide upon any request by a school board whether or not to accept other employee groups into a long term disability plan(s), subject to plan provisions as determined by the Association.
4.7.6 The school boards shall enroll all teachers, identified in paragraph 4.7.4 above, in the Long-Term Disability Plan in the manner prescribed by the Association.
4.7.7 The school boards shall complete the Plan Administrator Statement as required by the plan provisions. The plan provider shall provide teachers identified in paragraph 4.7.4 above represented by the Association with LTD Claim kits.
4.7.8 The school boards shall be responsible for the deduction and remittance of LTD premium contributions within fifteen (15) days in the manner prescribed by the Association. Boards shall be responsible for collecting premiums from teachers who are on a leave of absence from the board.
4.7.9 The Association shall consider requests by the Dufferin-Peel, Huron-Superior, and London District Catholic School Boards to be a part of the Association Long-Term Disability Plan. The school boards shall continue to pay the LTD premiums for teachers and remit said premiums in accordance with paragraph
Optional Life and Disability Coverages In order for coverage to become effective, the employee must be in active payroll status and not using sick leave on the first day following approval by the insurance company. If it is an open enrollment period, coverage may be applied for but will not become effective until the first day of the employee's return to work.
