Canadian Blood Services (Transport Unit) Collective Agreement 2017-2021

Article 16: Sick Leave

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. All regular Employees and 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.
   
   If an Employee is unable to resume duty at the expiration of an authorized leave of absence, their service may be terminated without prejudice to any rights the Employee may have under the terms of the Long Term Disability Plan and the Pension Plan of Canadian Blood Services.
    
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. Employees who become sick on out-of-town mobiles must report this illness to the Supervisor or designate. Should their illness require the Employee to leave the mobile, transportation to the Centre from the out-of-town mobile shall be provided by the Employer.  If the Employee’s residence is closer to the mobile clinic than the Centre, and if the Employee chooses to go directly home, transportation to their residence shall be provided by the Employer.   
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.  (NOTE: Reference to days herein below means working days.)
   
                                                               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. When at the time sick leave commences an Employee has, through earlier use of sick leave, less than seventy-five (75) working days of credit in their sick leave bank, additional sick leave will be provided, if required, to bring the total period of sick leave available to a maximum of seventy-five (75) working days at 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 16.06 above, credits up to a maximum of seventy-five (75) working days at sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66 2/3%) 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;
   2. three (3) months after return to active employment in the case of a recurrence of the same disability.
8. Nothing in this plan shall be construed as providing in any instance anything less than the minimum benefit necessary to meet Employment Insurance requirements, nor shall it be construed other than as outlined above as providing benefits in excess of Employment Insurance basic requirements of a sick leave plan.
9. Upon termination of employment, all sick leave credits shall be cancelled and no payment shall be due therefore.
10. 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 and such days will be converted into hours when placed in the Employee’s sick leave bank.
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 theyhave accrued prior to their disability and 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 to accrue vacation as set out in (a) above and based their on employment status upon return.  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 16.12 (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 16.12 (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 the Employee.  If there is no mutual agreement, such vacation days shall be scheduled by the Employer.

    3. Notwithstanding the provision of Article 16.12(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.