Foothills Regional Emergency Services Commission Collective Agreement 2023-2025

Article 12: Hours of Work

1. Hours of Work shall consist of Communications Shift Schedule and the Shift Superintendent Shift Schedule.
2. 1. Communications Shift Schedule shall:
      1. Operate under a four (4) platoon system on the basis of four twelve (12) hour shifts which may comprise of day shifts (0700 -1900), night shifts (1900-0700) or a combination of both (Tour of Duty for Communications). The four shifts are followed by four days off.
      2. Average a maximum of forty-two (42) hours per week over one (1) complete cycle of the shift schedule (i.e. eight (8) weeks)
      3. Full-time Hours of Work for Communications shall consist of two thousand one hundred eighty-four (2184) Core Hours in each year of full-time employment and shall be compensated at the Employee's Basic Rate of Pay
   2. Shift Superintendent Shift Schedule shall:
      1. Operate as four twelve (12) hour shifts followed by four days off with on call responsibility.
      2. Average a maximum of forty-two (42) hours per week over one (1) complete cycle of the shift schedule.
      3. Full-time Hours of Work for a Communications Shift Superintendent shall consist of two thousand one hundred eighty-four (2184) Core Hours in each year of full-time employment and shall be compensated at the Employee’s Basic Rate of Pay
3. Rest Periods
   Regular hours of work shall include two (2) paid rest periods of twenty (20) minutes during each shift of twelve (12) hours.
4. Employee Shift Exchanges

   1. Employees may exchange shifts and/or days off with employees in the same classification provided that:

      1. both affected employees submit the request in writing, giving reasonable notice; and
      2. the Employer approves the exchange; and
      3. operational efficiency is not disrupted; and
      4. there is no increased cost to the Employer; and
      5. the shift schedule shall be amended by the Employer to reflect the shifts being exchanged.

      Such approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.

   2. Two employees may enter into a “permanent shift exchange” arrangement if both employees mutually agree. A permanent shift exchange is an arrangement where one employee agrees to work four day shifts for their Tour of Duty, while the other agrees to work four night shifts in their Tour of Duty. By providing 30 days notice to all parties, such an arrangement may be cancelled by either of the two employees, the Union or the Employer. 
      
      In the event that one of the permanent shift exchange partners leaves their position, or wishes to revert to the Tour of Duty in Article 12.02 (a), the remaining shift exchange partner and the employer shall share the onus to attempt to find a new permanent shift exchange partner. Should such an effort fail to find a suitable replacement, the remaining employee will also revert to the Tour of Duty in Article 12.02 (a).
5. Employees called in to work and not required to commence work and/or who work two (2) hours or less shall receive a minimum of two (2) hours at two times (2X) their Basic Rate of Pay.
6. Hours of Work shift for a Casual employee shall be:
   1. up to twelve (12) hours for a Communications Shift.
   2. overtime for a casual employee is as defined in Article 13 (Overtime).
7. Schedule Posting and Schedule Changes (not applicable to Casual employees)
   1. Unless otherwise agreed between the Union and the Employer, shift schedules shall be posted twelve (12) weeks in advance. If a shift schedule is changed after being posted, the affected employees shall be provided with fourteen (14) days notice of the new schedule.  In the event that an employee’s schedule is changed in the new shift schedule and they are not provided with fourteen (14) calendar days notice, they shall be entitled to premium payment subject to the provisions of Article 12.07 (b), (c), and (d).
   2. Unless an employee is given at least fourteen (14) calendar days notice of a change of their scheduled days 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.
   3. If, in the course of a posted schedule, the Employer changes the employee’s scheduled shift (i.e. days to evenings, days to nights or evenings to nights) but not their day off they shall be paid at the rate of two times (2X) their basic rate of pay for all hours worked on the first shift of the changed schedule unless fourteen (14) calendar day’s notice of such change has been provided.
   4. If, in the course of a posted schedule, the Employer changes the employee’s shift start time by two (2) hours or more they shall be paid at the rate of two times (2X) their basic rate of pay for all hours worked on this shift unless fourteen (14) calendar days notice of such change has been given.
8. In the event that an employee reports for work as scheduled and is required by the Employer not to commence work but to 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.
9. Should an employee report and commence work as scheduled and is required by the Employer to cease work prior to the completion of their scheduled shift and return to work at a later hour, they shall receive their basic hourly rate of pay for all hours worked with an addition of three (3) hours at their basic rate of pay for that inconvenience.
10. Modified Work Days
    1. The Parties may agree to implement a system of Modified Work Days in which the hours of work for a position or positions are modified from Article 12.02. Such agreement shall be evidenced by signing a document indicating those positions to which the agreement applies and indicating the regular hours of work. The list of positions may be amended from time to time by agreement of the Parties.
    2. Any agreement made pursuant to Article 12.10 may be terminated by either party to this Collective Agreement providing to the other party eight (8) weeks notice in writing of such intent.
    3. The Employer and the Union acknowledge and confirm that, with the exception of those amendments specifically detailed in the Modified Work Day agreement, all other Articles of this Collective Agreement shall remain in full force and effect as agreed to between the Parties.
11. The Parties recognize that there may be circumstances which create a need to modify or add to Article 12.02. Should such circumstances arise, the Parties agree to meet and discuss the issue.