Background
There are circumstances in which an employee requires a leave of absence. In some circumstances leave may be granted at full pay, in some situations at partial pay, and in some cases as leave without pay.
Procedures
Support staff may be granted leave at full pay and bus drivers at basic pay for:
A. Sick Leave
An employee who is absent from work to obtain necessary personal medical or dental treatment or because of accident, disability, or sickness, shall be entitled to sick leave. For each month of service to the Board, an employee will be entitled to receive 1.5 days sick leave with pay per month. The maximum for 10-month employees is 15 days per year. For those who work 11 or 12 months, the maximum is 16.5 or 18 days, respectively. The unused portion of sick leave will be allowed to accumulate up to a maximum of 75 working days.
Part-time employees will receive sick leave benefits on a pro-rated basis.
Prior to the expiry of the extended disability qualifying period (90 calendar days) under the extended disability plan the employee will apply for extended disability benefits. After 90 calendar days of continuous sick leave absence, no further sick leave or benefit premiums shall be paid, and the extended disability plan shall take effect. If the extended disability claim is under adjudication by the plan provider after the 90th day, the employee will be placed on a leave without pay until a decision has been made.
An employee who is absent from work to obtain necessary medical or dental treatment or because of accident, disability or sickness shall provide:
- For sick leave of four (4) or less consecutive days, an absence must be recorded in the absence entry system.
- For sick leave for more than four (4) consecutive days, an absence must be recorded in the absence entry system. The employee may be required to present a medical certificate, approved by the Assistant Superintendent of Support Services, to their immediate supervisor.
- For sick leave for more than ten (10) consecutive days, an absence must be recorded in the absence entry system. The employee shall present a medical certificate, approved by the Assistant Superintendent of Support Services, to their immediate supervisor. Prior to returning to duties, a return-to-work authorization will be required.
Employees on continuous sick leave for 30 calendar days or more will not accrue additional sick leave during that period.
When an employee's employment with Grasslands is concluded, the employee is not entitled to payment of any unused sick days.
B. Family Medical
A support staff employee may be granted a maximum of three days per school year to attend to illness or the medical or dental needs of immediate family members (spouse, children, including guardian/foster, and parents.)
C. Compassionate/Bereavement Leave
A support staff employee may be granted temporary leave of absence with pay for not more than five working days, if necessary, due to a critical illness/death of a relative of the employee or of the employee's spouse, or other person if approved by the superintendent.
D. Personal Leave
Paid personal leave for not more than three working days in any school year shall be granted for attending to private concerns. Personal leave must be authorized by the principal/supervisor.
- For leaves involving 2 or more personal days within the same period of time, at least one-week advance notice is to be given. This leave may be taken as holidays or to extend holidays only with the approval of the principal/supervisor.
- The principal/supervisor shall determine whether or not such absences are going to compromise the operation of the school or department.
- Should the principal/supervisor determine a personal leave would compromise the operation of the school or department, the principal/supervisor may deny the request.
Part time employees will receive personal leave on a pro-rated basis.
E. Graduation/Convocation
Paid leave shall be granted, upon request, for a period of one workday, plus one workday for traveling, if necessary, per school year to attend the employee's convocation or graduation from a post-secondary institution.
Paid leave shall be granted, upon request, for the period of one workday, plus one workday for traveling, if necessary, to attend the convocation or graduation of his/her spouse or child from a post-secondary institution.
F. Birth/Adoption
Upon request, an employee shall be granted two days of leave to attend to the birth or adoption of his/her child.
G. Maternity Leave/Parental Leave
An employee is entitled to maternity and parental leaves in compliance with the provisions of the Employment Standards Code of Alberta and any regulations made thereto.
The most current provisions can be found at
https://www.alberta.ca/maternity-parental-leave.aspx
Maternity Leave
A pregnant employee shall provide the Board with at least six (6) weeks' notice in writing of the day on which she intends to commence maternity leave, accompanied by a medical statement from her physician certifying that she is pregnant and giving estimated date of delivery.
The Board of Trustees recognizes the right of female employees to be granted a maternity leave, a portion of which may be health related. Further, the Board will maintain a Supplemental Unemployment Benefit Plan (Sub Plan) under the regulation of Canada Employment and Immigration, Coverage and Premium Policy Division, to be accessed by eligible employees granted maternity leave under this policy, for the health-related portion of the maternity leave. Details of the Sub Plan may be obtained from the Human Resources/Payroll Department.
Parental Leave
An employee entitled to parental leave shall provide the Board with at least six (6) weeks' notice in writing of the day on which they intend to commence parental leave unless the date of the child's placement with the adoptive parent was not foreseeable.
Prior to or during a maternity leave or parental leave, an employee may be granted an additional leave of absence, without pay or Board contributions to benefit premiums, for such period as is mutually agreed to by the Superintendent and the employee.
An employee who wishes to resume working on the expiration of a maternity leave or parental leave shall the Board at least four (4) weeks' written notice of the date on which the employee intends to resume work.
Upon expiration of the leave the employee shall be entitled to return to the position occupied at the time the maternity leave commenced or be provided with an alternative position of a comparable nature.
H. Inclement Weather/Impassable Roads
An employee who, despite reasonable efforts is unable to travel to his/her place of work because of inclement weather, impassable road conditions or failure of transportation facilities other than his/her own, is entitled to his/her salary for such period of absence. Impassable roads do not include an employee's driveway, lane or private road.
Staff are expected to attend work as soon as the inclement weather, impassable road conditions or failure of transportation facilities, other than his/her own, be remedied to allow for travel.
I. Long Service Incentive
Support staff shall receive one (1) lieu day in each of their 25th and 35th years of continuous service and two (2) lieu days in their 35th year of continuous service.
Continuous service for this incentive will not include a leave of absence without pay, without pay and benefits, or extending disability.
Continuous years of service shall be determined in each school year as of September 1. Once a support staff member attains the required years of continuous service, the long service incentive must be used within that school year and will not be carried forward or paid out.
The long-term incentive lieu days cannot be combined with personal leaves.
J. Short Term Leaves
- The principal/supervisor may approve requests for leaves without pay (LWOP) to a maximum of 5 working days.
- The principal/supervisor shall determine whether or not such absences are going to compromise the operation of the school or department prior to approval.
- Should the principal/supervisor determine a LWOP would compromise the operation of the school or department, the principal/supervisor may deny the request.
- Requests for leaves exceeding 5 consecutive working days, using any combination of personal days, leave without pay (LWOP), and/or superintendent approved leaves must be approved by the Assistant Superintendent of Support Services.
- This request shall be writing, at least two weeks prior to the start of the leave.
- Staff shall ensure their request is approved prior to making personal plans, booking flights, etc.
- The principal/supervisor shall determine whether or not such absences are going to compromise the operation of the school or department prior to approval by the Assistant Superintendent of Support Services.
- Should the principal/supervisor determine such a leave would compromise the operation of the school or department, the principal/supervisor may deny the request.
K. Superintendent Approved Leaves
Upon application, the Assistant Superintendent of Support Services may grant leave with full, partial, or without pay to an employee.
- Superintendent approved leaves will be considered when a support staff employee has exhausted all applicable leaves in this administrative procedure.
- This request shall be in writing.
- Staff shall ensure their request is approved prior to making personal plans, booking flights, etc. except in emergency situations (ex. Death of a family member).
- The Assistant Superintendent of Support Services will provide the employee with a letter indicating approval or denial of the request. The principal/supervisor will receive a carbon copy of the letter.
- Support staff employees may request an unpaid leave of absence for a full or partial school year.
- This request shall be in writing.
- This leave is at no cost to the board.
- The Assistant Superintendent of Support Services will provide the employee with a letter indicating approval or denial of the request. The principal/supervisor will receive a carbon copy of the letter.