Canadian Blood Services (Technical) Collective Agreement 2021-2024

Article 7: Work Schedules

1.  
   1. Employees shall be aware that, in the course of their regular duties, they may be required to work (a) various hours throughout the twenty-four (24) hour period of the day, (b) any of the seven (7) days of the week, and (c) out-of-town mobile clinics.
   2. All shifts shall be assigned on an equitable rotation basis within the department and/or section between the same classifications unless otherwise mutually agreed by the Employee and the Employer, provided that in the event of an emergency or where unusual circumstances exist, an Employee may be assigned to such shifts as may be necessary.
2. Shift Scheduling Standards and Premiums for Non-Compliance
   1. Except in cases of emergency or by mutual agreement between the Employer and the Employee, shift schedules shall provide for:
      1. regular full time, temporary full time, regular part-time, and temporary part-time Employees shall be scheduled four (4) days off in a two (2) week period and at least two (2) of the scheduled days off to be consecutive in each two (2) week period;
      2. regular full-time and temporary full-time Employees shall be scheduled one (1) weekend off in each two (2) week period but, in any event, two (2) weekends off in each five (5) week period;
      3. Weekends (as defined herein) off for regular part-time and temporary part-time Employees shall be scheduled in such a way as to equally distribute weekends off over an eight (8) week period, excepting those regular and temporary part-time Employees employed specifically for weekend work or who request weekend work;
      4. at least fifteen (15) consecutive hours off duty between the end of one shift and the commencement of the next shift for Technologists; and at least twelve (12) consecutive hours off duty between the end of one shift and the commencement of the next shift for all other Employees except staff working on donor clinics, who shall have at least ten (10) consecutive hours off duty between the end of one shift and the commencement of the next shift;
      5. not more than seven (7) consecutive scheduled days of work.

   2. Where the Employer is unable to provide the provisions of Article 7.02(a)(i), (ii), or (iv) and an emergency has not occurred, nor has it been mutually agreed otherwise, the following conditions shall apply:

      1. failure to provide days off in accordance with Article 7.02(a)(i), shall result in the payment to each affected employee of two times (2x) their basic rate of pay for one (1) regular shift worked during the two (2) week period.
      2. failure to provide both of the required two (2) weekends off duty in accordance with Article 7.02 (a)(ii) shall result in payment to each affected employee of two times (2x) their basic rate of pay for each of four (4) regular shifts worked during the five (5) week period.
      3. failure to provide one (1) of the two (2) required weekends off duty in accordance with Article 7.02 (a)(ii) shall result in payment to each affected employee of two times (2x) their basic rate of pay for each of two (2) regular shifts worked during the five (5) week period.
      4. When an Employee is required to work without being given the consecutive hours off duty as described in Article 7.02(a)(iv) above, they shall be entitled to two times (2x) their basic rate of pay for all hours encroached on the off-duty period on that shift.

      For the purpose of Article 7.02 (b), “regular shift” shall mean seven and one half (7.5) hours.

   3. For the purpose of 7.02 (a)(ii) and (iii) and 7.02 (b), “weekend” shall mean a consecutive Saturday and Sunday assuring a minimum of fifty-five and a half (55.5) consecutive hours off duty.
3. Schedule Posting and Changes
   1. Shift schedules shall be posted twelve (12) weeks in advance. A casual Employee who is working in a relief capacity will be scheduled in accordance with this Article.
   2. If, in the course of a posted schedule, the Employer changes the Employee’s shift start time by three (3) hours or more they shall be paid a premium of two times (2x) the basic rate of pay for the equivalent number of hours that the shift was changed by unless fourteen (14) calendar days’ notice of such change has been given or unless such change is at the Employee’s request.   This article shall not apply when regular or temporary part-time employees pick up additional hours, shifts, or if they exchange shifts.   
   3. Unless a full time Employee is given at least fourteen (14) calendar days’ notice of a change of their scheduled day(s) off they shall be paid two times (2X) their basic rate of pay for all hours worked on such day(s) unless such change is at the Employee’s request.
   4. For the purposes of 7.03, notice of schedule changes will be communicated to affected Employees, in a manner to ensure receipt of such message.
4. In the event that an Employee reports for work as scheduled and is required by the Employer not to commence work or return to duty at a later hour, they shall be compensated for that inconvenience by receiving three (3) hours pay at their basic rate of pay.
5. Should an Employee report and commence work as scheduled and be required by the Employer to cease work prior to completion of their scheduled shift or return to duty at a later hour, they shall receive their basic hourly rate of pay for all hours worked with an addition of three (3) hours pay at their basic rate of pay for that inconvenience.
6. In the event that an Employee works a shift as scheduled and is required by the Employer to complete their shift and then return at a later hour to work a portion of another shift, they shall be paid in addition to pay for the scheduled shift, three (3) hours’ pay for the inconvenience at their basic rate of pay.
7. Employee Shift Exchange/Give Away 
   Where operational requirements permit, Employees may exchange or give away scheduled hours or work among themselves providing that:
   1. the exchange or the give away is agreed to, in writing, between the affected Employees and provided to the immediate supervisor five (5) calendar days or such shorter period as may be agreed upon by the employee and Employer before the start of the shift in question;
   2. prior approval of such exchange or give away has been given by the Employee’s immediate supervisor by initialing the request made under 7.07 (a);
   3. there is no increased cost to the Employer as a result of the exchange or give away
   4. such exchange or give away shall not be considered a violation of the scheduling provisions of Article 7.