Article 15 : leaves

15.1.1 The term “paid leave” refers to an authorized leave during which Employees are paid at full salary.

15.2.1 Employees shall request in writing a personal emergency leave as provided by the Employment Standards of Ontario.

15.3.1 An Employee who is unable to perform her or his regular work duties as a result of an accident or illness shall notify the Employer of their need to take a sick leave.

15.3.2 Periods of sick leave lasting three (3) work days or more must be supported by a medical certificate from a qualified health practitioner.

15.3.3 An Employee who is teaching may accrue an equivalent of one (1) work day of sick leave for each Term of employment.

15.4.1 In the event of a death within the Employee’s immediate family, she or he shall be granted one (1) working day of leave without loss of compensation.

15.4.2 Immediate family is defined as spouse (including common-law and/or same sex spouse), child (including child of common-law and/or same sex spouse), grandchild, grandparent, parent, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, and any relative with whom the Employee permanently resides.

15.4.3 An Employee shall notify the Employer in writing of the need to take the leave.

15.5.1 Upon the request of an Employee who provides a medical certificate indicating the expected birth date, the Employer shall grant the Employee unpaid pregnancy leave as per the Ontario Employment Standard Act, or up to the expiry of the employment contract, whichever is less.

15.5.2 The Employee shall make a written request for pregnancy leave to the Employer at least four (4) weeks prior to the commencement of the leave.

15.5.3 The four (4) weeks-notice shall not apply if the Employee stops working because of complications due to the pregnancy, birth, stillbirth, or miscarriage that happens earlier. In such circumstances the Employee shall give such notice of the commencement of the leave as is reasonably possible.

15.6.1 All Employees who have completed thirteen (13) weeks of employment are entitled to parental leave without pay following the birth of the child or the coming of the child into the custody, care, and control of a parent for the first time. The parental leave may begin no later than fifty-two (52) weeks after the day the child is born or comes into the Employee's custody, care and control for the first time, except that an Employee who has taken pregnancy leave must begin the parental leave when the pregnancy leave ends unless the child has not yet come into their custody, care and control for the first time.

15.6.2 An Employee’s parental leave may end thirty-five (35) weeks after it began if the Employee also took pregnancy leave and thirty-seven (37) weeks after it began.

15.6.3 An Employee shall give written notice to the Employer of her or his intention to take a parental leave, at least four (4) weeks prior to the commencement of such a leave.

15.6.4 Except where the Employee is taking a parental leave immediately after a pregnancy leave, the Employee shall provide Human Resources with a statutory declaration that the Employee is the primary caregiver of the child.

15.6.5 Where an Employee qualifies for such leave as a result of adoption and where the child comes into the care, custody, and control earlier than expected, the Employee shall give reasonable written notice thereof.