Article 30 : various paid and unpaid leaves

30.1 In view of the circumstances underlying the following holiday leaves, the employee requires the written consent of the dean or service directors, or their delegates.

30.2 Special leave with pay cannot be granted for periods during which the University is closed.

30.3 Bereavement leave with pay

An employee is granted paid leave of five (5) working days for the death of an immediate family member. The term "immediate family" is limited to the father, mother, step-parent, foster parent, brother, sister, spouse, child, spouse's child, ward, father-in-law or mother-in-law.
An employee is granted paid leave of three (3) working days for the death of a grandchild of the employee or his spouse. When the funeral following the death takes place more than three hundred and twenty (320) kilometres from Ottawa (200 miles), the employee gets one (1) day of additional paid leave.
An employee is granted one (1) working day of paid leave for the death of his sister-in-law, brother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparent, uncle or aunt, or that of his spouse.
When the funeral following the death takes place more than three hundred and twenty (320) kilometres from Ottawa (200 miles), the employee receives one (1) day of additional paid leave.

30.4 Marriage leave

Once during his employment at the University, an employee is granted five (5) working days of paid leave for his own wedding. The employee must submit this request at least four (4) weeks in advance.

30.5 Moving leave

At most once per calendar year, an employee is granted one (1) working day of paid leave for moving his own permanent place of residence.

30.6 Leave for medical appointments and treatments

Employees endeavour at all times to schedule their medical appointments outside of work hours or at the beginning or end of the work day to minimize the impact of their absence on their work sector.
Employees give their supervisor reasonable advance warning when they have to take leave for a medical appointment or treatment.
A maximum period of three point five (3.5) hours is granted for preventive or diagnostic appointments with a doctor, dentist or optometrist. If an absence of more than three point five (3.5) hours is required, this period is accounted for and treated as sick leave unless the time is made up for in hours of work.
All appointments for medical treatment purposes are accounted for and treated as sick leave and validated by the Health, Wellness and Leave Sector. Employees accumulate hours approved for appointments and enter them into the University's electronic leave management system as half-days or full days of sick leave.

30.7 Leave for family obligations or for circumstances deemed exceptional

An employee is entitled to maximum of twenty-one (21) hours of paid leave per calendar year under the following circumstances:

For a medical or dental appointment for a family member who is incapable of attending the appointment without accompaniment, or for appointments with appropriate school authorities or at an adoption agency when alternate arrangements are not possible. An employee is expected to make every reasonable effort to schedule medical or dental appointments for family members so as to minimize or preclude the employee's absence from work;
- For the purpose of 30.7 a), family includes a spouse, children of the spouse, foster children, parents, step-parents and foster parents as well as any other relative permanently residing in the employee's household or with whom the employee permanently resides;
- An employee requesting a leave under this provision must obtain prior authorization from the immediate supervisor. The supervisor's approval must not be unreasonably withheld.
To provide for the immediate and temporary care of a sick member of the employee's family or an elderly member of the employee's family and to provide an employee with time to make alternate care arrangements where the illness is of a longer duration;
When exceptional circumstances prevent the employee from reporting to work, circumstances such as hospitalization of a family member or fire, flood or break-in at the employee's residence.

The employee advises the immediate supervisor as soon as possible of any circumstances listed in 30.7 b) and c).

Time used is counted in hours but recorded by the employee in the electronic leave management system in blocks of half or full days.

30.8 Special leave without pay

In addition to the leave provided under 30.7, a regular or term employee can also be granted a maximum of 10 days special leave without pay as set out in the Employment Standards Act for any of the following reasons:

personal injury, illness or medical emergency;
the death, sickness, injury or medical emergency of a close relative or dependant; or
an urgent matter concerning a close relative or dependant.

A partial day of leave taken under this Article counts as one full day of leave. Reasonable proof of the circumstances for the leave must be provided to the immediate supervisor.

30.9 Family medical leave

As outlined in the Ontario Employment Standards Act, employees are entitled to family leave for medical reasons of up to eight (8) calendar weeks to provide care or support to a close family member if a qualified health practitioner issues a certificate stating that the individual has a serious medical condition with a significant risk of death occurring within a period of twenty-six (26) weeks or such shorter period as may be prescribed. The employee can claim federal Employment Insurance, provided that he meets the conditions.

30.10 Court leave

Paid leave is granted to employees for the period when they must:

be available for jury selection;
serve on a jury; or
attend, by subpoena or summons, as a witness in any proceeding in which the employee is not a party.

To be granted court leave, the employee must inform the dean or service director in writing as soon as possible and substantiate the court appearance with appropriate documents.

Pay received during court leave is decreased by any amount paid by the court for jury duty.

Court leave does not apply to members who are serving a prison sentence.

An employee called before a civil or criminal court or administrative tribunal in a case where he is involved is eligible for leave without pay or can use days of annual leave in order to attend.

30.11 Attendance at compulsory religious services

An employee is granted paid leave when the employee is required to attend a mandatory religious service taking place during work hours. The University sets the amount of time deemed adequate to attend the service.

30.12 Leave without pay

The dean or the service director, as appropriate, may authorize leave without pay with protection of the person's position for a regular employee who has five (5) years of continuous service for a up to one (1) year. The leave period may be extended after consultation with the Human Resources Service. In this case, any period in excess of twelve (12) months falls under 30.12f) in regards to the applicable benefits.
During an authorized leave without pay with protection of the person's position, the employee's position must be kept available, even when a replacement is hired.
Approval of a leave without pay without protection of the person's position is the responsibility of Human Resources Service management and must not be denied without a valid reason. Such leave is not to be approved for a period exceeding one (1) year. Under very exceptional circumstances, a request for leave of up to two years may be granted.
The authorization of a leave without pay with protection of the person's position is at the discretion of the dean or service director and takes into account the following criteria:
- the reason for the leave;
- the duration of the leave;
- the employee's seniority;
- the projected length of service after the return to work;
- the possibilities of obtaining a competent replacement on a temporary basis; and
- performance.
- Human Resources Service is available to all deans and service directors for advice.
A regular employee who is granted a leave without pay with protection of the person's position remains entitled to insured benefits as follows:
- For the first three (3) months of leave, the employee is covered for all of the insured benefits to which his salary normally gives entitlement, according to the distribution of costs just prior to the leave.
- The employee can continue participating in the insured benefits program of the University after the third (3rd) month of leave without pay, provided that the Human Resources Service is notified in writing at least thirty (30) days before the start of the leave and that the employee undertakes to pay the costs in full (employer and employee contributions).
- During the leave, the regular employee can continue contributing to the University pension plan provided that he pays both the employer and employee contributions.
A regular employee who is granted a leave without pay without protection of the person's position can, but is not required to, continue contributing to insured benefits as follows.
- For the first three (3) months of leave, the employee can be covered for all of the insured benefits to which his salary normally gives entitlement, according to the usual distribution of costs.
- The employee can continue participating in the insured benefits program of the University after the third (3rd) month of leave without pay, provided that the Human Resources Service is notified in writing at least thirty (30) days before the start of the leave and that the employee undertakes to pay the costs in full (employer and employee contributions).
- During the leave, the regular employee can continue contributing to the University pension plan provided that he pays both the employer and employee contributions.
- Access to the program for exemption from tuition fees for the employee and his dependents is not available during this type of leave.
- During the leave and for up to twelve (12) months thereafter, the employee may apply for any position for which he meets the essential requirements. The rules under 18.4 apply. An employee who is appointed to a position pursuant to Article 18 must be in that position by the date indicated on the notification of appointment. If the employee turns down the position, he is deemed to have abandoned his employment.
A regular employee who was granted leave without pay with protection of his position and who wants to return to his position before the end of his leave or the scheduled return date must notify the dean or service director in writing at least one (1) calendar month before the new scheduled return date and must obtain the dean or service director's authorization.
Progress-through-the-ranks (PTR) increases are not withheld for periods of leave of absence without pay of three months or less. In the event of a leave of absence without pay for a period exceeding three months, PTR increases are withheld on a prorated basis of the leave period. A full PTR increase is granted to a regular employee on leave of absence without pay when the activities during his leave are recognized as being experience or studies relevant to his position at the University. In such instances, the decision is taken jointly by the dean or service director and the Human Resources Service management.
A regular employee who was granted leave without pay with protection of his position and who returns to his position at the end of his leave receives the same basic salary that he was receiving just before his leave, adjusted for cost-of-living salary increases that would have been granted during his absence, as long as these adjustments do not put him above the maximum salary for his salary class.
Regular employees already on leave without pay are not eligible for the various leaves covered by the Agreement.

30.13 Leave without pay to hold public office

A leave without pay for the purpose of taking part in military or paramilitary activities for the Government of Canada is approved upon request in accordance with the terms and conditions of government agreements and programs in force.

A regular employee who is an official candidate for election to the Parliament of Canada, to a provincial legislature or assembly, or to the office of mayor of Ottawa or Gatineau or any similar office as determined by the University, may request a leave without pay for a maximum period of sixty (60) consecutive calendar days to campaign for office. A regular employee may request a leave of absence without pay without protection of his position for a maximum period equal to the duration of his first term if he is elected.