Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority Collective Agreement 2024-2026

Article 47: Severance

1.  
   1. Severance will be offered as a result of organizational changes that result in the permanent reduction in the number of Regular Employees in the bargaining unit.
   2. A Regular Full-time Employee shall be eligible for severance pay as follows. Maximum severance to be limited to ten (10) weeks.
      1. For Employees with one (1) but less than six (6) years of continuous employment, one (1) week regular pay for each full year of continuous employment to a maximum of ten (10) weeks’ pay.
      2. For Employees with six (6) or more years of continuous employment, two (2) weeks regular pay for each full year of continuous employment to a maximum of ten (10) weeks’ pay.
   3. Regular pay shall be defined as regularly scheduled hours of work as at the date on which notice of layoff is issued (which for the purpose of clarity means regularly scheduled hours of work exclusive of overtime hours, call-back hours) X basic rate of pay (which for the purpose of clarity means basic rate of pay exclusive of overtime payments and premium payments).
   4. For purposes of severance, continuous employment will be calculated from the last date of hire recognized with the Employee's current Employer.
2. A Regular Employee who has received layoff notice in accordance with Article 26 and for whom no alternate Regular Shift position is available, shall have the option to select either of:
   1. layoff with recall rights as specified in Article 26 of the Collective Agreement; or
   2. severance as offered by the Employer in accordance with Article 47.01.
3. A Regular Employee who accepts severance pay shall have terminated their employment, with no further rights to recall.
4. An Employee who has been terminated for just cause or who has resigned or retired shall not be eligible for severance.
5. A Regular Employee who receives notice of layoff shall have fourteen (14) calendar days from the date the notice of layoff is issued to advise the Employer, in writing, that the Employee wishes to take the Severance Option offered by the Employer. Any Employee who does not advise the Employer, in writing of the Employee's decision to accept severance shall be deemed to have selected layoff in accordance with Article 26 of this Collective Agreement.
6.  

   1. Employees who select severance will not be eligible for:

      1. continued employment with the Employer, or
      2. rehire by any Employer or agency funded directly or indirectly by the Employer paying the severance.

      For the period of the severance (which for the purpose of clarity means the period of time equal to the number of weeks of severance paid to the Employee).

   2. The Employee may be considered for hire by an Employer referred to in this Article provided they repay the Employer from whom severance was received, the difference, if any, between the time they were unemployed and the length of time for which the severance was paid.
7. Severance pay provided under this Article shall be deemed to be inclusive of any and all legislative requirements for termination notice.