Covenant Health Collective Agreement 2020-2024

LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING #9

BETWEEN

COVENANT HEALTH 
(hereinafter referred to as the Employer)

- and -

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

RE:  INCREASING OR DECREASING FULL-TIME EQUIVALENCY

WHEREAS the Parties agree that it may be of mutual benefit to Regular Employees and the Employer to allow Regular Employees, who request to do so, to reduce or increase their regular hours of work; and 

WHEREAS the Parties agree that increases and/or decreases to established FTEs can have the following positive effects on the workplace:

• Promoting a better work/life balance for Regular Employees by allowing them the opportunity to adjust their FTE as their lifestyle or personal circumstances change.
• Decreases to FTEs can provide increased choice to an Employee who gradually wants to phase or bridge into retirement and may create opportunities for formal succession or mentoring programs.

NOW THEREFORE the Parties agree as follows:

1. Regular Employees may submit requests to the Employer to increase or decrease their FTE. The Employer shall have the right to accept or reject any request for alteration of the Regular Employee’s FTE based upon operational requirements.

   1. All requests by Regular Employees to adjust FTE’s must be made in writing to the supervisor/manager and must state whether the FTE adjustment is permanent or temporary. The Union must be notified at the time the request is made. The Employer shall indicate approval or disapproval in writing within fourteen (14) days of the request and such request shall not be unreasonably denied, subject to operational requirements. If the request is denied, a reason shall be provided in writing at the time the decision is communicated to the Employee.

   2. If a Regular Employee requests to decrease their FTE by zero point three seven (0.37) or less, the resulting FTE may be posted in accordance with Article 29: Promotions, Transfers and Vacancies or reallocated amongst Regular Employees within the bargaining unit in accordance with this Letter of Understanding and the Employer shall advise the Union of the allocation of the residual FTE.

   3. If a Regular Employee requests to decrease their FTE by more than a zero point three seven (0.37), the resulting FTE will be posted in accordance with Article 29: Promotions, Transfers and Vacancies.

2. The Employer may approach Regular Part-time Employees with opportunities to increase their FTE’s. Such additional FTE’s may become available either as a result of a vacancy or through operational changes resulting in small FTE enhancements.

   1. The maximum increase that can be offered by the Employer is a zero point three seven (0.37) FTE.

3. FTE’s may be reallocated amongst Regular Employees within a Functional work area within the bargaining unit. The Employer will advise the Union of the scope of the Functional work area.

   1. FTE changes can occur between two (2) individual Regular Employees or can involve one (1) Regular Employee who initiates the request and a larger group of Regular Employees in the Functional work area who participate in the reallocation of FTE’s.

   2. The reallocation of FTE’s is most effective in Functional work areas where there are a significant number of working-level positions in the same classification. This allows the Employer to designate the Regular Employees in the Functional work area who are “pre-qualified” or assessed to meet a minimum threshold to accept FTE adjustments that become available. Where more than one (1) Regular Employee is pre-qualified or meets the minimum threshold, the job is offered to the most senior Employee.

4. Regular positions that are changed as a result of an FTE increase or decrease must comply with Article 11: Work Schedules and Shifts.

5. Adjustments to FTE can be either permanent or temporary in nature. The Regular Employee who has temporarily reduced their FTE may return to their regular FTE prior to the end of the temporary period by providing a minimum of six (6) weeks written notice.

6. When a Regular Employee reduces their FTE on a temporary basis, their pre-reduction FTE will be maintained. A Regular Employee who has been granted a temporary reduction in FTE through this Letter of Understanding will accrue benefits and entitlements under the Collective Agreement based on the reduced FTE during the temporary period. At the completion of the term of the temporary reduction, the Employee will be reinstated into their pre-reduction FTE.

7. The manager and Regular Employee may discuss whether the Regular Employee's request can be best met through a reciprocal “exchange” in FTE’s between two (2) individuals or a reallocation to other Regular Employee within the Functional work area.

   1. Individual-to-Individual Exchange

      1. An individual Regular Employee initiates the process by identifying a “partner” with a corresponding FTE who is willing to “exchange” FTE’s.

      2. The partners must make a joint application to the manager.

      3. If there are other Regular Employees in the Functional work area who hold the FTE which the initiating Regular Employees desire, the Employer will ask these Employees if they would like the opportunity to exchange their FTE with the initiating Employees.

      4. The manager determines if all affected Regular Employees are pre-qualified to exchange FTE’s.

      5. Where multiple Regular Employees wish to exchange their FTE with the initiating Regular Employee, seniority will be the determining factor.

   2. Individual-to-Group Reallocation

      1. An individual Regular Employee initiates the process by making a request to adjust their FTE without having identified a “partner”.

      2. Regular Employees are asked to advise their manager in writing of their desired FTE (this list will be updated as needed).

      3. The Employer can designate the Regular Employees in the Functional work area as “pre-qualified” to move into positions that become available.

      4. The Employer reviews the “wish list” and identifies opportunities for FTE changes.

      5. Regular Employees are made aware (e.g. fact sheet) of the impact that adjusting their FTE has upon their benefits, pension etc. and then are asked to confirm whether or not they accept the proposed FTE adjustment.

      6. The Employer may establish a limit defining how often an individual Regular Employee in a Functional work area can initiate a request to adjust their FTE.

8. Evaluation
   
   The Joint Committee agrees to review and amend the Joint Guidelines on Staffing Initiatives no later than one hundred and twenty (120) days following ratification of the Collective Agreement.

9. This Letter of Understanding has no application to situations requiring a Duty To Accommodate. 

This Letter of Understanding will expire March 31, 2024, or upon the date of ratification of the next Collective Agreement, whichever is later.