6-410 VACATION LEAVE
Approved September 2008

POLICY

It is the policy of the Agency to grant annual vacations with pay to all permanent full time staff.

PROCEDURE

The established vacation year is the Agency's fiscal year (April 1 to March 31 each year).  Vacations are earned based on the staff's permanent full time start date and time accrued during the current year.  Vacation entitlement will be calculated from the start date of permanent full time employment for the staff.

Full time staff will earn paid vacation based on an 8-hour workday and will be accumulated according to the following schedule:

Service Period                                                             Paid Vacation

Fiscal years 1 through 5                                              1.25 working days per month worked

Fiscal years 6 through 10                                            1.67 working days per month worked

Fiscal years 11 through 15                                          2.08 working days per month worked           

Fiscal years 16 through 20                                          2.5 working days per month worked

Fiscal years 21 and over                                              2.92 working days per month worked

Vacation entitlement for staff will increase on the start date of permanent full time employment in the applicable fiscal year.

Pay for the vacation period for full time staff will consist of the staff's regular rate of pay for that period.

Staff must plan to use his/her vacation entitlement within the fiscal year.  Where this is not possible, staff will be entitled to carry over unused vacation time up to a maximum of 5 days into the next fiscal year.  Staff are required to submit his/her written request to his/her Director prior to March 1st in any fiscal year.  Staff not meeting this requirement will forfeit any unused vacation days.

Staff whose employment is terminated for any reason other than just cause or resignation without proper notice, after completing one year of service with the Agency, or who are laid off for more than 30 days, will receive vacation pay for any unused vacation accrued at the time of termination or lay off.  If a staff dies, pay for accrued and unused vacation will be paid in a lump sum to the staff’s estate.  If a terminated staff has taken vacation days in excess of days earned to the date of termination, the days owing to the Agency will be deducted from the final pay.

If a paid holiday falls within a staff’s vacation period, an additional day of vacation will be granted.  This additional day may be taken at the beginning or end of the staff’s vacation period or at any other time during the vacation year so long as the Supervisor’s prior approval is obtained on the Vacation Request Form.   No allowances will be made for sickness or other compensable types of absence occurring during a scheduled vacation.

Staff absent on WSIB because of injury, who return to work within 2 years after the injury has occurred will be entitled upon return to work to the same amount of vacation leave they would have been entitled to if they had worked during the period of absence.

Staff must submit a written request for vacation time to his/her Manager/Service Director for approval. (see Vacation Request Form, Appendix 18).  Vacation schedules for the fiscal year must be forwarded to the Manager or Designate each year by May 1st for the first six months to September 30th, and by October 1st for the next six months to March 31st for approval. 

While staff are on vacation, the Agency will ensure there is continuous, uninterrupted, on site or On-Call supervisory support for all staff.  The Executive Director and Service Directors will collaborate to ensure whenever possible, that they are not on vacation simultaneously.  While on vacation, the Executive Director may delegate some of his/her responsibilities to the Director of Finance, and/or to one or more Service Directors and/or the President of the Board.

Service Directors and Managers will collaborate to ensure they are not on vacation simultaneously.  Managers, or in the absence of a Manager, the Service Director, will collaborate with departmental Supervisors to ensure there is continuous, uninterrupted, on site or on- call supervisory support for all staff in his/her department.  For example, when the regular Supervisor is scheduled to be away on vacation, his/her supervisory responsibilities may be assumed by the Manager or, in the Manager’s absence, be temporarily delegated to an On-Call Supervisor or designated shift coordinator (shift in charge person).

A Management Master Vacation Schedule for Service Directors, Managers and Supervisors will be maintained on the intranet to plan and prevent scheduling conflicts.

In the case of a scheduling conflict, the Payroll Administrator will notify the Executive Director, Finance Director, Service Director and/or Manager who will be given an opportunity to resolve the conflict.  Once resolved, the vacation will be recorded on the Management Master Vacation Schedule and filed in the Payroll Department.

No staff will take a vacation of more than three consecutive weeks without the permission of the Executive Director or Delegate.

Upon approval, a copy of the Vacation Request Form will be returned to the staff and the original will be forwarded to the Payroll Administrator.

The Executive Director will approve the annual vacation schedule for Service Directors.  The annual vacation schedule for other staff will be approved by the respective Manager/Service Director who will try to resolve scheduling conflicts on a consensual basis.  If this is not possible, conflicts will be resolved on a seniority basis. 

Changes to the annual vacation schedule must be submitted in writing by the staff using the Vacation Request Form (Appendix 18) to the Manager or delegate for approval, who will forward to the Service Director for final approval.

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