Paid Leaves SECTION A At the beginning of the school year, each administrator shall be credited with ten (10) days sick leave per year for all administrators except the High School Principal, Chief Information Officer, Director of Facilities/Maintenance, and the Director of Adult Education who shall be credited with twelve (12) sick leave days per year, accruable to a maximum of one hundred twenty (120) days. Unused personal business leave days may be accrued at the rate of two (2) days per year to extend maximum sick leave accumulation to one hundred forty (140) days. If the administrator should become a teacher in the district, teacher sick leave policies will apply.
SECTION B Up to five (5) days of accrued sick leave per fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) may be used for the critical illness of a member of the administrator’s immediate family which shall be defined as the administrator’s spouse, child, parent, or any relative who is a permanent resident of the administrator’s household or is a dependent for tax purposes. Critical illness shall be defined as a serious emergency or life-threatening condition requiring the presence of the administrator.
SECTION C An administrator may use up to four (4) days per fiscal year, not charged to sick leave, for personal business. These days shall not be accumulative except as indicated in Section A. The use of these days must be arranged in advance with the Assistant Superintendent for Personnel. An administrator planning to use a personal business day at least three (3) days in advance, except in cases of emergency. Prior approval by the Superintendent is required for personal business days taken the day before or the day following a holiday or vacation or during the first five (5) or last five (5) days of the school year.
SECTION D Each administrator will be granted five (5) days leave not charged to sick leave in the case of a death in the immediate family which shall be defined as parent, spouse, and child. Two (2) days not charged to sick leave, will be granted for the death of grandparents, grandchildren, and siblings (including in-law and step-relatives.) One (1) day, not charged to sick leave, may be granted by the Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources for the funeral of a person whose relationship to the administrator warrants such attendance. Additional days may be granted by the Superintendent.
SECTION E Each fiscal year an administrator will be allowed one (1) professional day which may accumulate from year to year to a maximum of five (5) days. Subject to the prior approval of the Assistant Superintendent for Personnel, a professional day(s) may be used for any educational purpose. A written request shall be made at least five (5) days in advance of a planned professional day absence.
SECTION F An administrator who is summoned and reports for jury duty, as prescribed by applicable law, shall receive regular compensation. Any compensation received for jury service (not to include expense reimbursement) shall be submitted to the Assistant Superintendent for Personnel or his designee. Leave of absence with pay shall be granted for court appearances as a witness in any case in which the administrator’s connection with the case stems from his employment with the Board, provided that the legal action is not instigated by or on behalf of the administrator or Association against the Board. Any witness fee paid to the administrator shall be submitted to the Assistant Superintendent for Personnel. Worker’s compensation will be the exclusive remedy for any work-related injury or disability provided worker’s compensation is available.
BEREAVEMENT/TANGIHANGA LEAVE 18.1 The employer shall approve special bereavement leave on pay for an employee to discharge any obligation and/or to pay respects to a deceased person with whom the employee has had a close association. Such obligations may exist because of blood or family ties or because of particular cultural requirements such as attendance at all or part of a tangihanga (or its equivalent). The length of time off shall be at the discretion of the employer.
18.2 If a bereavement occurs while an employee is absent on annual leave, sick leave on pay, or other special leave on pay, such leave may be interrupted and bereavement leave granted in terms of 18.1 above. This provision will not apply if the employee is on leave without pay.
18.3 In granting time off and for how long, the employer must administer these provisions in a culturally sensitive manner.
Family Medical Leave or Critical Illness Leave a) Family Medical Leave or Critical Illness leaves granted to a permanent teacher, long-term occasional teacher or teacher hired into a term position under this Article shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Employment Standards Act, as amended.
b) The teacher will provide to the employer such evidence as necessary to prove entitlement under the Employment Standards Act.
c) A teacher contemplating taking such leave(s) shall notify the employer of the intended date the leave is to begin and the anticipated date of return to active employment.
d) Seniority and experience continue to accrue during such leave(s).
e) Where a teacher is on such leave(s), the Employer shall continue to pay its share of the benefit premiums, where applicable. To maintain participation and coverage under the Collective Agreement, the teacher must agree to provide for payment for the teacher’s share of the benefit premiums, where applicable.
f) In order to receive pay for such leaves, a teacher must access Employment Insurance and the Supplemental Employment Benefit (SEB) in accordance with g) to j), if allowable by legislation. An employee who is eligible for E.I. is not entitled to benefits under a school board’s sick leave and short term disability plan.
g) The Employer shall provide for permanent teachers, long-term occasional teachers and teachers hired into a term position who access such Leaves, a SEB plan to top up their E.I.
Sick Leave Use An employee shall be granted sick leave with pay to the extent of the employee's accumulation for absences necessitated by the following conditions:
Unpaid Leaves Employees on unpaid leaves may not participate in the matching program while on leave.
Paid Leave Contributions will continue whilst a member of a fund is absent on paid annual leave, sick leave, long service leave, public holidays, jury service, bereavement leave, or other paid leave.
Sick Leave Donation 10.3.1 A worker may donate days of sick leave to individual District workers who, due to a serious health condition, have exhausted all accumulated sick leave. Donating workers must retain a sixty (60) day balance of sick leave after their donation. No worker may receive more than 40 days of donated leave per year.
10.3.1.1 A “serious health condition” is defined as an illness, injury, impairment or physical or mental condition which involves inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential health care facility, or continuing treatment or continuing supervision by a health care provider as defined in 29 USC 825.114(a) and as certified by a worker’s physician or other qualified medical practitioner.
10.3.1.2 The Vice Chancellor of Human Resources and the Chief Stewards by mutual agreement will verify the certification for eligibility. If the certification from the worker’s physician is insufficient, a certification by a physician of the District’s choosing may be required, at District expense. The District may require additional medical opinions.
10.3.2 Donated leave must be in one-day increments (no less than 8 hours). Recipients of donated sick leave shall be solely responsible for any state and federal taxes on the donated time. Such taxes shall be withheld at the normal rate for the recipient worker. In the event that the state or federal governments rule that tax liability is due other than as taxed, the recipient shall be solely liable for such liabilities.
10.3.2.1 The donated sick leave may be used only when the worker has exhausted accumulated sick leave and either is not eligible for long- term disability or is eligible but has not begun to receive the long-term coverage.
10.3.2.2 The Vice Chancellor of Human Resources shall be notified of solicitation of donations. Solicitations of donations may be made by the individual or his/her representative(s).
10.3.2.3 Donation of sick leave shall be authorized by a signed pledge form prepared by and filed with the District Office of Human Resources. In the event several workers donate sick leave, the sick leave shall be used in the order in which the signed pledge forms are filed with Human Resources.
10.3.2.4 If the worker does not use all donated sick leave, the sick leave shall be returned to the donating worker(s).
Military Caregiver Leave The employer shall grant an employee who is a family member of a covered service member an unpaid leave of up to twenty-six (26) weeks (inclusive of the twelve (12) weeks granted under 1. above) in a single twelve (12) month period to care for the covered service member who has a serious illness or injury incurred in the line of duty on active duty.
Critical Illness Leave (i) An Employee who has completed at least ninety (90) days of employment, and is a family member of a critically ill child or a critically ill qualified adult relative, is entitled to leave of absence without pay or benefits: • for a period of up to thirty-six (36) weeks to care for their critically ill child; or, • for a period of up to sixteen (16) weeks to care for a critically ill qualified adult relative.
Illness Leave Employees on an illness leave shall use all of their available entitlement time (i.e., vacation and paid or unpaid personal days) prior to using excused unpaid time.
