Alberta Health Services Collective Agreement 2020-2024

Local Conditions Applicable to EMS

ARTICLE 13:  ON-CALL DUTY

Replace Article 13 in its entirety with the following:

1. “The term “on-call duty” shall be deemed to mean any period during which an Employee is not on regular duty and during which the Employee is on-call and must be reasonably available to respond without undue delay to any request to return to duty.

   When an Employee, whose hours of work are in accordance with Article 10 is scheduled to work on a day shift they may also be assigned “on-call duty” during the following night shift, and when scheduled to work on a night shift, they may also be assigned “on-call duty”.

2. Unless otherwise agreed between the Employer and the Union, on-call periods shall be scheduled at least twelve (12) weeks in advance excepting in cases of emergency. Employees whose on-call schedule has been changed with less than fourteen (14) calendar days’ notice shall be paid at the higher on-call rate.

   If, in the course of a posted on-call duty roster, the Employer changes an Employee’s on-call period, the Employee shall be paid at two times (2X) the on-call rate for all hours in the first period of on-call affected by the change unless fourteen (14) days’ notice of such change has been given. The Employee shall be notified of the change and such change shall be recorded on the on-call duty roster.

3. 13.03 Regulations in respect of approval or authorization for on-call duty and electronic consultations and the procedures which are to be followed by an Employee shall be prescribed by the Employer.

4. On-Call Pay

   For each assigned hour or part thereof, of authorized on-call duty, an Employee shall be paid:

   1. on regularly scheduled days of work, the sum of three dollars and thirty cents ($3.30) per hour; and

   2. on days off and Named Holidays, the sum of four dollars and fifty cents ($4.50) per hour. A Named Holiday or non-work day shall run from zero zero zero one (0001) hours on the Named Holiday or non-work day to twenty-four hundred (2400) hours of the same day.

5. An Employee called-back to duty on a Named Holiday shall be:

   1. compensated in accordance with Article 13.06; and

   2. given compensating time off at their Basic Rate of Pay for actual hours worked on the call-back at a mutually agreeable time. Time not taken by the last day of March in any given year shall be paid out.

6. Call-Back Pay

   1. For each occasion that an Employee is called-back to duty during the Employee’s on-call period, in addition to the payment received for being on-call, the Employee shall be deemed to be working overtime and shall be paid for all hours worked during the on-call period or for three (3) hours, whichever is the longer, at the overtime rate of two times (2X) the Basic Rate of Pay. An Employee called-back to duty will notify the Employer designate prior to leaving the Site upon completion of the call for which they were called back. However, any further calls received by an Employee prior to leaving the Site following the initial call shall be considered one (1) call for the purpose of determining call-back pay.

   2. When a Regular or Temporary Employee who has not been assigned “on-call duty” is called and required to report for work on a call-back basis; they shall be paid for all hours worked, or for three (3) hours, whichever is greater, at two times (2X) their Basic Rate of Pay. Such Employee shall be entitled to the provisions of Article 13.08.

   3. Call-back at two times (2X) shall only apply to Employees working a core-flex shift when the call-back occurs following completion of all core and flex hours within a shift.

   4. Call-In Matrix

      This matrix reflects the agreed upon application of Articles 13.06(a), (b) and (c).

      Employee	Pay
      	called to work and canceled works less than three (3) hours immediate call-in prior to a schedule shift
      Full-time Employee (All Situations)	Shall receive a minimum of three (3) hours at two times (2X) their Basic Rate of Pay for each occasion.
      Casual Employee (On-call after completing a full-time shift as defined in Article 12.01)	Shall receive a minimum of three (3) hours at two times (2X) their Basic Rate of Pay for each occasion.
      Casual Employee	Shall receive a minimum of three (3) hours at the applicable rate of pay. Should the Casual Employee be cancelled, and recalled to work prior to the end of the three (3) hours, the Casual Employee shall not receive additional pay until the end of the three (3) hour period.

7. An Employee who is called-back for duty shall be reimbursed for reasonable, necessary and substantiated transportation expenses and, if the Employee travels for such purpose by private motor vehicle, reimbursement shall be at the rate of at least fifty point five cents ($0.505) or the kilometerage rate paid by the Government of Alberta, whichever is higher, per kilometre from the Employee’s residence and return. In those situations where Employer policy requires that the Employee use a taxi for call-back purposes, should the Employee commence their regular shift during the call-back, the Employer will pay the taxi fare from the Site to their place of residence upon completion of the shift providing the Employee uses this mode of transportation.

8. The Employer shall endeavour to ensure the Employees do not work more than fourteen (14) hours in a twenty-four (24) hour period. An Employee who is required to work more than fourteen (14) hours in a twenty-four (24) hour period shall be entitled to eight (8) consecutive hours rest, exclusive of travel time to a maximum of two (2) hours, before commencing their next scheduled shift, without loss of earnings. Due to operational circumstances where an Employee cannot be provided eight (8) consecutive hours of rest:

   1. The Employee in the above situation will advise their Supervisor in advance of the fact that they will not be reporting for duty at their scheduled time.

   2. The Employee shall be paid at two times (2X) their Basic Rate of Pay for all hours worked during what would have been the eight (8) hour rest period.

   3. This provision is waived if the Employee is granted a request for a shift exchange.

9. Electronic Consultation

   When an Employee is consulted by electronic means and is authorized and required to handle matters directly related to urgent operational requirements without returning to the workplace, the following will apply:

   1. An Employee who has not completed their shift in the day or their tour of duty during the week shall be paid at their Basic Rate of Pay for the total accumulated time spent on electronic consultation(s), and corresponding required documentation, during the period between scheduled shifts. If the total accumulated time spent on electronic consultation(s), and corresponding required documentation, during the period between scheduled shifts is less than thirty (30) minutes, the Employee shall be compensated at their Basic Rate of Pay for thirty (30) minutes.

   2. An Employee who has completed their shift in the day or their tour of duty during the week shall be paid at the applicable overtime rate for the total accumulated time spent on electronic consultation(s), and corresponding required documentation, during the period between scheduled shifts. If the total accumulated time spent on electronic consultation(s), and corresponding required documentation, during the period between scheduled shifts is less than thirty (30) minutes, the Employee shall be compensated at the applicable overtime rate for thirty (30) minutes.”