Uniform Collective Agreement – Article RPT3 Short Term Sickness Plan

RPT3.01

An employee who is unable to attend to their duties due to sickness or injury is entitled to leave-of-absence with pay as follows:

(i) with regular salary for the portion of six (6) working days that the ratio of the employee’s weekly hours of work bear to full time employment.
(ii) with 75% of regular salary for an additional period of that portion of one hundred and twenty four (124) working days that the ratio of the employee’s weekly hours of work bear to full time employment.

RPT3.02

An employee is not entitled to leave-of-absence with pay under Section RPT3.01 of this Article until after completion of all regularly scheduled hours of work within a period of four (4) consecutive weeks.

RPT3.03

An employee who is on leave-of-absence with pay under this Article that commences in one (1) calendar year and continues into the next calendar year is not entitled to leave-of-absence with pay under Section RPT3.01 of this article for more than the number of days provided in RPT 3.01 in the two (2) calendar years until the employee has completed the service requirement in RPT3.02.

RPT3.04.01

An employee who has used leave-of-absence with pay for the total number of days provided in RPT3.01 in a calendar year must complete the service requirement of RPT3.02 before the employee is entitled to further leave under Section RPT3.01 of this Article in the next calendar year.

RPT3.04.02

For the purposes of this Article where an employee, due to an accommodation measure or a return to work plan, works on a temporarily modified schedule, regularly scheduled hours of work shall refer to the modified schedule for that employee.

RPT3.05

The pay of an employee under this Article is subject to deductions for insurance coverage and pension contributions and contributions that would normally be made by the Employer as though the employee were receiving his/her regular salary.

RPT3.06

An employee who is on leave-of-absence with pay under Section RPT3.01(ii) of the Article may, at the employee’s option, have one quarter (1/4) of a day deducted from the employee’s accumulated credits (attendance, vacation, statutory holiday bank or overtime credits) for each day of leave to which Section RPT3.01(ii) applies and receive salary for each such day.

RPT3.07

An employee who is absent from employment due to sickness or injury beyond the total number of days leave-of-absence with pay provided for in Section RPT3.01 of this Article shall have their accumulated attendance credits reduced by a number of days equal to the number of days of such absence and is entitled to leave-of-absence with pay for each such day.

RPT3.08

Section RPT3.07 does not apply to an employee who qualifies for and elects to receive benefits under a long term disability plan provided by the Employer.

RPT3.09

(a) If an employee is absent for more than a calendar week due to sickness, no leave with pay shall be allowed unless a certificate of a legally qualified medical practitioner (i.e., physician, dentist who is a member of the Royal College of Dental Surgeons, or nurse practitioner, practicing within their respective scope of practice) is forwarded to the Commissioner or, the Commissioner’s designee, certifying that the employee is unable to attend to official duties.

(b) Notwithstanding (a) above, the Employer may accept a certificate of a psychologist (i.e. a member of the College of Psychologists of Ontario who holds a certificate of registration for a psychologist authorizing autonomous practice, or an individual who has a similar status in another province or territory of Canada).

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section RPT3.09(a), the Commissioner or the Commissioner’s designee, who shall be a Commissioned Officer, may require an employee to submit the certificate required by Section RPT3.09(a) for a period of absence of less than a calendar week. The cost of the certificate requested shall be borne by the employer.

RPT3.10

While on sick leave or Workplace Safety and Insurance leave, it is the employee’s responsibility to report to the employee’s supervisor, at the earliest opportunity, any change in the employee’s medical situation that would permit the employee to return to full duties or return to work in a limited capacity.

RPT3.11

An employee appointed prior to April 1, 1979, will be entitled to benefits provided by the Short Term Sickness Plan effective from May 1, 1979.

RPT3.12

Notwithstanding Section RPT3.11 and an employee who has qualified for or is receiving benefits provided under a long term disability plan provided by the Employer must complete the regularly scheduled hours of four (4) consecutive weeks of employment to qualify for benefits under the Short Term Sickness Plan.

RPT3.13

Employees appointed on or after April 1, 1979, must complete the regularly scheduled hours of four (4) consecutive weeks to qualify for benefits under the Short Term Sickness Plan.

RPT3.14

An employee shall have the attendance credits earned and unused to April 30, 1979, from those credits advanced on October 1, 1978, added to the employee’s total of accumulated credits. An employee shall retain all credits earned and unused prior to May 1, 1979, for use as specified under Section RPT3.06 of this Article, or, where the member is eligible, under Article RPT4 upon termination.

RPT3.15

For the purposes of this Article the regular scheduled hours of four (4) consecutive weeks shall not include vacation leave-of-absence or any leave-of-absence without pay, but days worked before and after such leave shall be considered consecutive. Notwithstanding the above, where an employee is unable to attend to their duties due to sickness or injury, the days worked before and after such absence shall not be considered consecutive.