Canadian Blood Services (Technical) Collective Agreement 2021-2024

Article 15: Sick Leave

1.  
   1. The Sick Leave Plan herewith presented provides for continuation of payment of salary as set forth in the table of credits outlined in this plan to Employees who are absent due to bona fide illness.  Its purpose is to ensure insofar as is reasonable and just that the Employee shall not be deprived of income while absent due to illness.  Credits are established on the basis of length of service and are cumulative.  No contributions are required from the Employee.  Each Employee should be informed of the privileges under this policy and encouraged to guard against unnecessary use of sick leave grants in order that the maximum credit may be available in time of real need.
   2. An Employee who provides a medical certificate as set out under Article 15.03 (b) confirming that they are receiving treatment or therapy for alcoholism, drug addiction or mental illness, will be entitled to utilize sick leave credits available to attend such treatment or therapy if such time cannot be arranged outside working hours.
2. All regular full-time Employees and full-time probationary Employees are eligible for benefits provided under this plan during the period a person has regular Employee status under the regulations of Canadian Blood Services.  It is not to be construed, however, that the provisions under this policy give any Employee the right to be retained in the service of Canadian Blood Services or any right or claim for sick benefits after termination of service.
3. The Employee must observe all of the following regulations to obtain the benefits available:
   1. Advise the Employer of illness or accident prior to their scheduled start time on the first day of disability, except in case of extenuating circumstances;
   2. upon the request of the Employer, submit satisfactory proof of illness or accident and information regarding medical limitations from a qualified medical practitioner;
   3. report to the Employer any change in place of residence or address during disability.
4. The amount of credit an Employee has at a particular date is based on the Employee’s length of continuous service in completed years to that date, less any benefits that the Employee has received in the previous five (5) year period.
5. Based on continuous service, sick leave credits will accrue to each Employee as listed below:
                                              100%           75%        66 2/3%
   LENGTH OF SERVICE    SALARY    SALARY    SALARY
   
   On date of hire                   5 days       5 days
   
   On the 1st calendar day after
   three (3) months’ continuous                             65 days
   service has been completed
   
   One (1) year                   10 days       20 days     45 days
   Two (2) years                 15 days      35 days      25 days
   Three (3) years              20 days       50 days      5 days
   Four (4) years                25 days       65 days
   Five (5) years                 30 days       80 days
   Six (6) years                   35 days       95 days
   Seven (7) years              40 days      110 days
   Eight (8) years                45 days      125 days
   Nine (9) years                 50 days      140 days
   Ten (10) years                 55 days      155 days
   Eleven (11) years             60 days      170 days
   Twelve (12) years            65 days      185 days
   Thirteen (13) years          70 days      190 days
   Fourteen (14) years         75 days      185 days
   Fifteen (15) years             80 days     180 days
   Sixteen (16) years            85 days      175 days
   Seventeen (17) years       90 days      170 days
   Eighteen (18) years          95 days      165 days
   Nineteen (19) years         100 days     160 days
   Twenty (20) years            105 days     155 days
   Twenty-one (21) years     110 days     150 days
   Twenty-two (22) years     115 days     145 days
   Twenty-three (23) years  120 days     140 days
   Twenty-four (24) years     125 days     135 days
   Twenty-five (25) years     130 days     130 days
    
6. Where an Employee at time sick leave commences has, through earlier use of sick leave credits, less than fifteen (15) weeks of credits in their sick leave bank, additional sick leave will be provided, if required, in order to bring the total period available to fifteen (15) weeks of sick leave at not less than sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) pay.
7. When an Employee returns to active employment following a period of sick leave as provided under Article 15.06 above, credits up to a maximum of fifteen (15) weeks at sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) pay will again be made available after the following intervals:
   1. one (1) month after return to active employment in the case of a new disability; and
   2. three (3) months after return to active employment in the case of a recurrence of the same disability.
8.  
   1. Regular part-time and temporary full-time and temporary part-time Employees shall accrue sick leave credits on the basis of one and one-half (1 1/2) days per calendar month prorated to the number of hours the Employee worked during each calendar month to a maximum accumulation of one hundred and twenty (120) working days.
   2. Regular part-time and temporary full-time and temporary part-time Employees must observe the regulations outlined in Article 15.03 of this Agreement to be entitled to available sick leave benefits.
   3. Payment from sick leave banks will be made based on posted scheduled hours of work only for days on which Employees are required to work but cannot attend due to illness.  If the Employee’s illness continues beyond their posted scheduled hours of work (i.e., no further work is scheduled for them in the meantime because of their illness), payment from the sick leave banks will be based on the weekly average number of hours worked by the Employee in the two (2) calendar week period immediately preceding their sick absence.
   4. A regular full-time Employee who transfers to a regular part-time position shall retain their accumulated one hundred percent (100%) and seventy-five percent (75%) (to be converted proportionately to its one hundred percent (100%) equivalent) sick leave credits up to a maximum of one hundred and thirty (130) working days.
9. Except as otherwise specifically provided in this Collective Agreement, sick leave pay shall not be granted during any leave of absence.
10. Upon termination of employment, all sick leave credits shall be cancelled and no payment shall be due therefore.
11.  
    1. An Employee who is absent on LTD claim will not receive any remuneration from the Employer except during a modified return to work program.  The Employee will not accrue annual vacation, sick leave, service credits for salary increments nor will they be entitled to Named Holidays during the entire period of absence.  However, service credits for the purpose of calculating future vacation entitlement will continue to accrue.  If applicable, Employees will be entitled to insured benefits and pension in accordance with regulations under those plans during such absence.
    2. An Employee who has been receiving Long Term Disability benefits and who is able to return to work shall provide the Employer with at least four (4) weeks written notice of readiness to return to work when possible. Upon return to duty they shall be reinstated in the same or an alternate position if such is available. Upon reinstatement they shall be placed on the same step in the pay scale that they had occupied prior to their disability. At such time, the employee shall commence accruing sick leave credits based on service they had accrued prior to their disability and current employment status. At such time, they shall also be credited with any vacation days that they had accrued prior to their disability and shall commence accruing vacation based on service they had accrued prior to their disability and current employment status. Seniority will not be interrupted during such leave.
12.  
    1. No sick leave shall be granted for any illness which is incurred once an Employee commences their vacation; in this event, the Employee will be receiving vacation pay.  For the purposes of this Article, vacation is deemed to have commenced on the completion of the last regularly scheduled shift worked prior to the vacation period inclusive of scheduled days off.
    2. If an Employee becomes ill during their vacation period as stated in Article 15.12 (a), sick leave will be granted only after the expiry of the Employee’s vacation and provided the illness continues beyond the vacation.  Upon the request of the Employer, the Employee may be required to submit satisfactory proof of illness or accident from a qualified medical practitioner.
       
       Sick leave will be granted for the period of sick time falling within a scheduled vacation period, provided that the Employee becomes ill prior to the commencement of the scheduled vacation as stated in Article 15.12 (a). Upon the request of the Employer, the Employee may be required to submit satisfactory proof of illness or accident from a qualified medical practitioner.
       
       The number of sick days paid within the scheduled vacation period shall be considered as vacation days not taken and will be rescheduled to a later date which is mutually agreeable to the Employer and Employee.  If there is no mutual agreement, such vacation days shall be scheduled by the Employer.
    3. Notwithstanding the provision of Article 15.12(a), should an employee suffer an illness or injury which results in their hospitalization or which would otherwise have prevented the employee from attending work for three (3) consecutive working days or more, the employee shall be considered as being on sick leave for that period of hospitalization or that period that exceeds the three (3) consecutive working days provided the employee notifies the employer upon return from vacation and provides satisfactory proof of hospitalization, illness or injury and its duration. Vacation time not taken shall be rescheduled to a mutually agreeable time.
13. Upon written request, an employee who is applying for sick leave shall be provided information as to the level of their sick leave entitlements from their department manager or designate or from Human Resources.
14. Where the Employer requires completion of a Treatment Provider Form, the Employer shall reimburse the Employee for the full cost.