Bonnyville Health Centre Collective Agreement 2020-2024

Article 24: Sick Leave

1. Definition
   1. Sick Leave is defined as a form of insurance against illness, quarantine by a Medical Officer of Health, or because of an accident for which compensation is not payable under the Workers’ Compensation Act.
   2. The Employer recognizes that alcoholism, drug addiction and mental illness are illnesses which can respond to therapy and treatment, and that absence from work due to such therapy shall be considered sick leave.
2. Sick Leave During Probation Period
   An Employee shall be entitled to apply sick leave credits prior to the completion of their probation period.
3. Accrual of Sick Leave Credits
   Sick leave credits shall not accrue during:
   1. any period of sick leave in excess of thirty (30) calendar days; or
   2. a layoff; or
   3. a leave of absence without pay which is in excess of thirty (30) calendar days; or
   4. an absence while in receipt of disability insurance or Workers’ Compensation benefits which is in excess of thirty (30) calendar days.
4. Payment for Sick Leave
   An Employee granted sick leave shall be paid for the period of such leave at the Employee’s Basic Rate of Pay and the number of days thus paid shall be deducted from the Employee’s accumulated sick leave credits up to the total amount of the Employee’s accumulated credits at the time sick leave commenced.
5. Sick Credits for Medical Appointments, Referrals and/or Treatment
   When an Employee:
   1. is required to travel for the purpose of medical referral and/or treatment, or;
   2. is unable to schedule medical appointments outside of their work hours and requires time off for the purpose of attending a dental, physiotherapy, optical or medical appointment, providing they have provided the Employer with as much advance notice as possible and has been given authorization by the Employer; such absence shall be neither charged against their accumulated sick leave, nor shall they suffer any loss of income provided such absence, inclusive of travel time, does not exceed two (2) hours during one (1) work day. If the absence is longer than two (2) hours, the whole period of absence shall be charged against their accumulated sick leave. Employees may be required to submit proof of the appointment(s) to the Employer.
6. Satisfactory Proof
   Employees may be required to submit proof satisfactory to the Employer of any illness, non-occupational accident or quarantine. Where the Employee must pay a fee for such proof, the full fee shall be reimbursed by the Employer.
7. Maximum Credits
   When an Employee has accrued the maximum sick leave credits, the Employee shall no longer accrue sick leave credits until such time as the total accumulation is reduced below the maximum.  At that time the Employee shall recommence accumulating sick leave credits.
8. Extended Illness
   1. An Employee who has exhausted all sick leave credits during the course of an illness, and the illness continues, shall be deemed to be on leave of absence without pay for the duration of the illness or as provided below.
   2. The Employee shall keep the Employer advised as to when the Employee shall be expected back to work.  Where the Employee is absent due to illness for a period of more than sixty (60) calendar days, the Employee shall provide the Employer with fourteen (14) days’ notice of readiness to return to work.  The return to work of an Employee in accordance with Article 24.08(b) shall not be construed as being a violation of the posting and/or scheduling provisions of Article 14.
      1. An Employee who is capable of performing the duties of the Employee’s former classification shall be reinstated by the Employer in the same classification which was held immediately prior to the Employee’s absence.
      2. An Employee who is not capable of performing the duties of the former classification, but who is capable of performing a job within the Bargaining Unit, shall have a reasonable effort made by the Employer to place the Employee in an available position that the Employee is capable of performing.  In such a case the Union agrees to waive the posting provisions of the Collective Agreement.
   3. At the expiration of either twenty-four (24) months from the last day of paid sick leave or twenty-four (24) months from the first (1st) day of Long Term Disability entitlement, whichever is greater, an Employee who is not capable of returning to work pursuant to (a) or (b) above shall be considered to have terminated the employment relationship with the Employer, provided that such termination is not contrary to any right conferred under this agreement or any law of Canada or Alberta.
9. Reporting Sick
   Employees reporting sick shall do so to the Employer as soon as possible in order that a replacement may be arranged for or duties re distributed.  Failing to do so, the Employee may be considered absent without leave and the Employer may make a deduction in pay for the time which expires between the time the Employee should have reported for work and the time at which the Employee reported.
10. Reporting of Accumulated Sick Leave Credits
    Subject to the capabilities of the payroll system, the amount of sick leave credits accumulated by the Employee will be reported on the Employee’s pay stub.
11. Full-Time Employees
    Sick leave credits for a Full-Time Employee shall be earned and computed at the rate of one and one-half (1 1/2) working days for each full month of employment up to a maximum credit of one hundred and twenty (120) working days.
12. Part-Time Employees
    1. An Employee shall be allowed a credit for sick leave computed from the date of employment.
    2. A Part-time Employee shall accumulate sick leave credits up to a maximum credit of one-hundred and twenty (120) working days, pro-rated to the regularly scheduled hours of the Part-time Employee in relation to the regularly scheduled hours for a Full-time Employee.
    3. A Part-time Employee shall accumulate sick leave credits on the basis of one and one-half (1 1/2) days per month, pro-rated on the basis of the hours worked by the Part-time Employee in relation to the regularly scheduled hours for a Full-time Employee.
    4. For Part-time Employees, sick leave accrual shall be based upon regularly scheduled hours of work and any additional shifts worked, to a maximum of Full-time hours.
    5. When a Part-Time Employee accepts an assignment for additional hours of work and then reports sick for such assignment, the Employee shall not be entitled to utilize sick leave credits for such assignment.