Special Leave Program. The Company will provide a program designed to encourage the development of individual skills, enable employees to pursue career changes and/or personal goals, and to allow the Company to alleviate force imbalances while at the same time maintaining ties between the company and the employee. To be eligible, an employee must be a regular full-time or part-time employee and have at least two (2) years of net credited service. The program is without pay and shall be for a period of not less than nine (9), nor more than twenty-four (24) consecutive months. It may be extended beyond its original termination date, but in no circumstances beyond twenty-four (24) months. Employees who choose to enter the program must do so before their last payroll date and the election to enter the program is in lieu of termination pay. Employees who choose not to return to work at the conclusion of the original or extended termination period will not be granted termination payments. Employees shall be guaranteed reinstatement at the end of the original or extended termination period to a job of like status and pay. However, employees who are on special leave, who but for the special leave would have been laid off, and who complete the special leave and return to the payroll, will be terminated and receive termination pay upon their return to the payroll. Employees declared surplus upon returning to the active payroll will be given normal surplus treatment. Service credit will be provided to those who return on the payroll at the end of the special leave, except that such service credit will not be granted or recognized for force adjustment or pension purposes. While on special leave, an employee shall be covered by the CBA, pursuant to the same terms and conditions of employment as a comparable employee active on the payroll.
