205 Sick Leave, Support Staff

Sick leave provides continued University income to employees who cannot perform their work due to disability or illness.

1. If illness prevents support staff who have completed the probationary period, including any extension, from performing their duties, the University will provide sufficient sick leave to continue full regular pay, without any pay premium, through, but not beyond, the required waiting period for long term disability benefits.

Sick leave for probationary employees is as follows:

  • 3 working days in the first three month's employment;
  • an additional 10 working days after 3 months of employment

Sick leave for temporary full-time employees is as follows:

  • 3 working days in the first three month's employment;
  • an additional 10 working days after 3 months of employment;
  • 13 days sick leave - renewable on the employee's anniversary date.

3. Employees who will, after 90 days, become entitled by reason of disability to receive income protection at 66-2/3% of their salary rate at the time of commencement of the disability, will receive an additional 13-1/3% of their basic wages for up to 4 months from the commencement of the time for which income protection payments are received or until the disability ceases, whichever is sooner.

4. If an employee cannot report to work due to illness, they are responsible for notifying their supervisor as soon as possible. For absences of over 3 days, an employee must inform their supervisor of their intended return to work at least 24 hours in advance.

5. For absences of five (5) days or more, an employee shall provide medical evidence to Occupational Health and Wellness verifying the illness. The University may require such evidence for shorter absences.

6. During lengthy absences an employee should inform their supervisor of their condition at least every 2 weeks.

7. When the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act compensates an employee, the University will continue the employee's salary up to eligibility for long term disability (or, in the case of a temporary employee, to the limit of accumulated sick leave). The employee must reimburse the University for compensation received under the Act for which the University paid full salary. When a temporary employee returns to work, the University will reinstate the sick leave used during the period payable under the Act.

8. No University employee may claim sick leave during a period of unpaid status. Unpaid status is when an employee remains on the University payroll but receives no pay.

9. Termination of employment, for whatever reason, does not entitle an employee to compensation for unused sick leave credits.

10. Supervisors must inform Human Resources of the length of sick leave of all employees granted such leave.

11. If a department anticipates that an employee on sick leave will be away from work for more than 30 days, it must inform Human Resources, to allow for the timely application for disability benefits, should it become necessary.

12. When possible, employees should make medical and dental appointments outside of normal working hours. When not possible, employees may be granted 1 hour off work without loss of sick leave. Time off after 1 hour shall be accumulated and charged against sick leave credits.

13. If a paid holiday occurs in a period of paid sick leave, the University will record it as a paid holiday, not as a day of sick leave, provided that the employee worked one full shift in the week immediately before the holiday and one full shift in the week immediately following.

14. For sick leave for those covered by the collective agreement with United Steelworkers, Local 4120, see the collective agreement.