ARTICLE 19 LEAVES
OF ABSENCE WITH PAY
19.01 General Conditions
Leaves of absence with pay will be granted subject to the
following conditions:
(a) Continuation of salary and benefit plan
entitlements;
(b) No deduction of sick leave credits;
(c) A Teacher on any form of leave is not
eligible for any other form of leave until the expiry of the
initial leave period;
(d) The Superintendent of Human Resources may
request acceptable evidence verifying the need for the
absence.
19.02 Compassionate Leave
Teachers shall be granted leave with pay in the following
circumstances:
(a) Up to five (5) days in the event of the
death of any of the following: spouse, child, parent,
grandchild, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law,
daughter-in-law, a person in a direct in loco parentis relationship
or a person with whom the Teacher resides or resided;
(b) Up to three (3) days in the event of the
death of any of the following: grandparent, brother-in-law,
sister-in-law, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece;
(c) Up to one (1) day to attend the funeral of a
close personal friend;
(d) Up to three (3) days in the event of the
serious illness of a spouse, child, parent to arrange for alternate
care.
Additional leave without pay may be granted by the Principal in
extenuating circumstances.
19.03 Examinations for Professional
Development
The Board shall grant a leave of absence for writing an
examination to improve professional qualifications, when such
examination cannot reasonably be scheduled outside the Teacher's
normal working hours.
19.04 Religious Holy Days
Leave shall be granted by the Director of Education or
designate, without loss of pay, for recognized religious holy days
(maximum of three (3) days in any one school year).
19.05 Quarantine
Leave shall be granted in any case when, because of exposure to
a communicable disease, a Teacher is quarantined or otherwise
prevented by order of the Regional Medical Officer of Health or
designate from attending to his/her duties.
19.06 Court Leave
Leave of absence shall be granted to a Teacher who is
required:
(a) to serve on a jury; or
(b) by subpoena or summons to attend as a
witness in court or other legal proceeding to which the Teacher is
not a party or one of the persons charged provided the Teacher pays
to the Board any fee, exclusive of traveling allowances or living
expenses, that the Teacher receives.
19.07 Professional Activities/Community
Service
(a) Leave of absence shall be granted for
professional activities authorized by the Principal.
(b) Leave of absence may be granted for
community service at the discretion of the Principal and subject to
the approval of the Superintendent of Schools.
19.08 Personal Leave
(a) Up to three (3) days of personal leave
shall be granted in any school year by the Principal, for matters
of urgent or essential personal business.
(b) In extenuating circumstances, up to two (2)
additional days leave without pay may be granted by the
Principal.
19.09 Injury on Duty Leave
A Teacher who is absent as a result of an injury incurred in the
course of his/her normal duties which is compensable under the
Workplace Safety Insurance Act and who reports such injuries
immediately in accordance with procedures established by the Board,
shall be granted Injury on Duty Leave with pay for the period of
absence to a maximum of fifty (50) working days for any one (1)
incident.
Beyond fifty (50) working days, the provisions of the Workplace
Safety Insurance Act apply.
19.10 Negotiating Committee Leave
Up to six (6) members of the Ottawa Carleton ETFO/FEEO
Negotiating Team shall be released for time spent in negotiating
meetings with the Board, provided negotiations continue in a
mutually acceptable manner. The Board will pay the incurred
costs for up to three (3) Occasional Teachers as required, with the
Ottawa Carleton ETFO/FEEO agreeing to reimburse the Board for any
additional costs incurred for Occasional Teachers to replace
members of the Negotiating Team.
19.11 Local Federation Leave
(a) Officers of Ottawa Carleton ETFO/FEEO,
including the Chairperson of the Collective Bargaining Committee,
who are employed by the Board shall, on application to the Board,
be granted leave. Leaves of less than a full school year
shall be subject to Board approval. Ottawa Carleton ETFO/FEEO
shall notify the board prior to 30 April as to its intent
respecting the above and the names of possible incumbents and
formal application for leave shall be filed with the Board prior to
15 June for the following school year. Ottawa Carleton
ETFO/FEEO shall reimburse the Board for the salary and benefits of
the Teacher(s) granted this leave. Effective September 1,
2009, Ottawa Carleton ETFO/FEEO shall reimburse the Board as per
the salary for Category A3, Year 3 plus the full cost of benefits
and any salary or other allowances determined by the Union.
(b) Stewards/Health and Safety Representatives
and other Designated Reps for Ottawa Carleton ETFO/FEEO and Ottawa
Carleton ETFO/FEEO designated representatives may be granted short
term leaves of absence to perform local Ottawa Carleton ETFO/FEEO
business. Where such leave is not granted, the Superintendent
shall provide written reason(s) to Ottawa Carleton ETFO/FEEO, such
leaves shall be approved by the Executive of Ottawa Carleton
ETFO/FEEO prior to notification to the Board. Ottawa Carleton
ETFO/FEEO agrees to reimburse the Board for the costs of Occasional
Teachers for all such leaves.
These leaves (in ½ day or full day increments) shall not exceed
270 teaching days in total or 20 teaching days for any one
individual in any one school year.
19.12 Provincial Federation Leave
(a) Members of the Ottawa Carleton ETFO/FEEO
elected or selected to Union/Federation positions may be granted
short term leaves of absence (to a maximum of five [5] days per
occasion) provided that the Union/Federation pays the Occasional
Teacher costs to the Board.
(b) Members of the Ottawa Carleton ETFO/FEEO
elected to Union/Federation office which is full-time shall be
granted a leave without pay, on a secondment basis, if requested,
coinciding with the school term or year as applicable.
(c) Members granted leave under the provisions
of Article 19.12 (a) and (b) shall continue to accumulate seniority
and teaching experience during the period of leave.
19.13 Professional Development Committee
(a) The Board shall grant up to ten (10) days
leave per school year for programme preparation for the Ottawa
Carleton ETFO/FEEO Professional Development Day. These ten
(10) days may be used by the Chairperson or individual members of
the Professional Development Committee upon the written request of
the Ottawa Carleton ETFO/FEEO President to the Superintendent of
Human Resources. In unusual circumstances, the Superintendent
may grant additional days. Ottawa Carleton ETFO/FEEO will
reimburse the Board for the costs of any necessary Occasional
Teachers.
(b) Ottawa Carleton ETFO/FEEO will notify the
Superintendent of Human Resources of all absences under Article
19.13 above.
ARTICLE 20
LEAVE OF ABSENCE WITHOUT PAY
20.01 General
(a) The Board may grant a leave of absence
without pay of one school year, with possible annual extensions, to
Teachers after the completion of two (2) years of continuous
employment with the Board. A request for a leave of absence
shall not be unreasonably denied.
(b) Applications for leave are to be made in
writing to the Superintendent of Human Resources or
designate.
(c) In unusual personal circumstances, the
Director of Education or designate may grant such leaves of absence
for periods of less than one school year. Such leaves are not
intended to be used to extend a school break period.
(d) Teachers on leave shall be subject to the
transfer, placement and surplus/redundancy provisions of this
collective agreement.
20.02 It is agreed that when a Teacher
requests in writing a leave of absence without pay the Director of
Education or designate shall give the decision in writing.
20.03 Changes in terms of a leave of absence
under this Article may be made only by mutual consent of the
Teacher and the Board, must be in writing and must conform with the
requirements of this collective agreement.
20.04 Extensions
i) Normally, not more than four (4) extensions will be
granted on request;
ii) In extenuating circumstances additional extensions
may be granted
20.05 Where an extension beyond those in
20.04 results in a reduction of redundancies, such leaves shall be
granted on the basis of seniority.
20.06 Return From Leave
(a) On the expiration of such leaves of one
(1) year or more and subject to the transfer, placement, lay off
and recall procedures of this collective agreement, the Teacher
shall resume his/her former standing in respect to salary and
benefits and with seniority determined according to Article
25.04. The Director of Education or designate shall place
him/her in a position within the elementary school system
comparable to his/her former position provided the Teacher notifies
the Board in writing no later than March 31 of his/her intent to
return for placement for the following September.
(b) A Teacher returning from a leave of absence
without pay shall provide to the Board proof of status with the
Ontario College of Teachers prior to returning from the
leave.
20.07 In extenuating circumstances, the
requirement to resume duty may be waived on the written request of
the Teacher and with the written consent of the Board.
20.08 Failure To Return From Leave
In respect to leaves granted under this article, failure of the
Teacher to return at such time as has been stipulated when the
permission to be absent was granted may be considered a breach of
employment contract and may lead to immediate termination of
employment.
20.09 Benefit Provisions
All benefits held by a Teacher at the commencement of a leave
without pay may be continued during such authorized leave by the
Teacher with the Teacher paying all premium costs by pre-authorized
debit. Such coverage normally will be extended to a maximum
of one year with further extensions arranged through the
Board.
20.10 Leave to Seek Political Office
Leave without pay may, at the discretion of the Director or
designate, be granted to a Teacher seeking political office.