Canadian Blood Services (Technical) Collective Agreement 2021-2024

LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING #7

Between

CANADIAN BLOOD SERVICES
(hereinafter referred to as "the Employer”)

and

HEALTH SCIENCES ASSOCIATION OF ALBERTA
(hereinafter referred to as "the Union")

RE: DECREASING OR INCREASING FTE
 

The parties agree that it may be of mutual benefit to the Employees and the Employer to allow Regular Full Time and Regular Part Time Employees to decrease or increase their FTE within their classification and work area in the Centre/satellite site.

An Employee requesting to decrease or increase their regular hours of work shall make written application to their Supervisor, indicating the requested FTE and specifying whether the request is for a temporary or permanent decrease/increase. Where the request is for a temporary decrease or increase, the application shall specify the period for which it is made. The maximum time for such temporary decrease or increase is twelve (12) months. A request that has been e-mailed from the employee’s CBS e-mail account shall constitute written request.  

The Employer shall provide the Union with a copy of the employee’s request at the time it is submitted.

The Employer shall have the right to accept or reject any request to decrease or increase FTE based upon operational requirements including but not limited to staff skills mix, individual performance issues, etc.

The Employer shall indicate approval or disapproval in writing within 28 days of receipt of the Employee’s request, and such request shall not be unreasonably denied.

Where the number of Employees making such requests exceeds the number of requests that may be granted, the requests shall be granted in order of seniority. However, no Employee shall have an approved request rescinded as a result of another Employee exercising their seniority. If the Employee’s request cannot be granted, the Employer shall indicate to that Employee whether an alternate choice of FTE can be accommodated whereupon the Employee shall have the ability to amend their request.

The Employer may establish reasonable limits defining how often an individual Regular Employee in a work area can initiate a request to increase or decrease their regular hours of work.
Where a request for either reduction or increase in FTE is not approved by the Employer, the Employee may request that their submission be maintained on file for future consideration, for up to six (6) months.

Decreases in hours of work

No regular hours of work shall be eliminated due to an Employee’s decrease in regular hours of work. The regular hours vacated as a result of granting an Employee’s request to decrease regular hours of work may be offered, in order of seniority, to Regular Part-time Employees in the classification and work area, posted as a vacancy, or offered as additional hours in accordance with Article 6.02(c).

A Regular Full-time or Regular Part-time Employee can not decrease their regular hours of work to less than a .50 of the regular full-time hours pursuant to this Letter, unless otherwise agreed between the Employer, the Employee and the Union.

Increases in Regular Hours of Work

No Employee shall be permitted to increase their FTE pursuant to this letter while other Employees are on recall, as long as the laid off Employees can perform the work required.

The Employer may approach Regular Part Time Employees from within the classification and work area in the Centre/satellite site, in order of seniority, with opportunities to increase their regular hours of work. The maximum increase that can be offered is a .40 FTE.

This provision is not intended to circumvent the posting and recall provisions of Article 12: Promotions, Demotions, Transfers, and Vacancies or Article 23: Layoff, Displacement and Recall in circumstances where a position of greater than .40 FTE has become vacant. In such case, the Employer shall first attempt to fill the vacancy in accordance with Article 12: Promotions, Demotions, Transfers, and Vacancies and Article 23: Layoff, Displacement and Recall.

The parties shall, at the request of either party, discuss the provisions of this Letter of Understanding and assess potential modifications via the Joint Committee.