Good Samaritan Society Collective Agreement 2020-2024

Article 18: Sick Leave

1. Sick Leave is provided by the Employer for an illness, quarantine by a Medical Officer of Health, or because of an accident for which compensation is not payable under the Workers’ Compensation Act.
   
   The Employer recognizes that alcoholism, drug addiction and mental illness are illnesses which can respond to therapy and treatment, and that absence from work due to such therapy shall be considered sick leave.
2. After an Employee has completed their probationary period, they shall be allowed a credit for sick leave from the date of employment provided however that an Employee shall not be entitled to apply sick leave credits to the completion of their probationary period. Sick leave credits shall not accrue during any period of sick leave in excess of one (1) month.
3. An Employee granted sick leave shall be paid for the period of such leave at their Basic Rate of Pay, and the number of days thus paid shall be deducted from their accumulated sick leave credits up to the total amount of the regular Employee’s accumulated credits at the time sick leave commenced.
4. From time to time, an Employee may require a short period of absence from work with pay to attend to medical/dental/therapy services and/or appointments, immediate spousal and/or child illness, which cannot be undertaken after working hours.
   
   Provided they have been given prior authorization by the Employer, such absence shall neither be charged against their accumulated sick leave, nor shall they suffer any loss of income provided such absence does not exceed two (2) hours during one (1) work day.  If the absence is longer than two (2) hours, the whole period of absence shall be charged against their accumulated sick leave.
5. Employees may be required to submit satisfactory proof to the Employer of any illness, non-occupational accident or quarantine, or proof of appointment. Where the Employee must pay a fee for such proof, the full fee shall be reimbursed by the Employer.
6. When an Employee has accrued the maximum sick leave credits, they shall no longer accrue sick leave credits until such time as their total accumulation is reduced below the maximum. At that time, they shall recommence accumulating sick leave credits.
7. An Employee reporting sick shall do so to the Employer as soon as possible in order that a replacement may be arranged for or duties redistributed.
8. Sick leave credits for a full-time Employee shall be earned and computed at the rate of one and one half (1 1/2) working days for each full month of employment up to a maximum credit of one hundred and twenty (120) days.
9. 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.
   2. Sick leave shall be granted:
      1. if an Employee becomes ill during their vacation period as stated in Article 18.09 above, only after the expiry of the Employee’s vacation and provided the illness continues beyond the vacation;
      2. 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.  If the Employee so wishes, the number of sick days paid within the scheduled vacation period shall be considered as vacation days not taken and may be rescheduled to a later date.
   3. Notwithstanding the provision of Article 18.09 (a), should an Employee be admitted to hospital on an “in-patient” or “out-patient” basis during the course of their vacation, they shall be considered as being on sick leave for the period of hospitalization and subsequent period of recovery provided they notify their Employer upon return from vacation and provides satisfactory proof of their hospitalization.  Vacation time not taken as a result of such stay in hospital shall be rescheduled to a mutually agreeable time.
10. 1. An Employee who has been receiving Long Term Disability benefits and who is able to return to work and who is capable of performing the duties of their former position, shall provide the Employer with two (2) weeks’ written notice of readiness to return to work.  The Employer shall then reinstate them in the same position held by them immediately prior to their disability at not less than the same step in the pay scale and other benefits that accrued to them prior to disability.
    2. An Employee who does not qualify for Long Term Disability benefits and who exhausts their sick leave credits during the course of an illness shall be considered as remaining on sick leave without pay or benefits for the duration of the illness or up to a further eighteen (18) months, whichever is the lesser.  Upon the Employee’s readiness to return to work following such leave, they shall provide the Employer with two (2) weeks written notice of their intention to return to work.
    3. When an Employee is on sick leave without pay, the provisions of Clause 23.01 shall apply.
11. Upon termination of employment, all sick leave credits shall be cancelled and no payment shall be due therefor.
12. Information on an Employee’s sick leave shall be confidential unless the Employee consents in writing to such release.
13. An Employee who commences employment within six (6) months of the date that they voluntarily terminated employment with either the same Employer or an Employer signatory to a Collective Agreement containing identical sick leave provisions shall retain to their benefit, in accordance with the provisions of this Article, entitlement to the balance of accumulated sick leave credits at the time of said termination. Otherwise, sick leave credits will be cancelled and no payment will be due therefor.  The Employee shall be provided with a written statement of such entitlement upon their termination.