Article 18 - Sick Leave

Sick leave means the period of time an employee is absent from work with full pay by virtue of being sick or disabled, under quarantine or under examination or treatment by a physician or other licensed medical practitioner including donation of organs, chiropractor, dentist, donating blood, or because of an accident for which compensation is not payable under The Workers' Compensation Act.

18.1.1 Two Week Waiting Period

Subject to the availability of sick leave credits, sick leave may be used to offset the two (2) week waiting period for eligibility of receipt of Federal Employment Insurance (EI) maternity leave benefits for the birth mother or primary caregiver (see Article 15.8.3)

Full-time employees, other than casual, recurring relief and students, will accumulate sick leave up to a maximum of one hundred and twenty (120) days on the regular hours stated for that classification on an hours per month basis as follows:

Part-time employees will accumulate credits on a pro-rata basis.

Where an employee commences employment on other than the first day of the month, sick leave accrual shall be pro-rated based upon the hours worked in the month.

All unused portions of sick leave will be cumulative to a maximum of one hundred and twenty (120) days. No further accumulation will occur until an employee falls below the cap.

18.4.1

Upon approval of the Dean, Administrative Head or designate, an employee shall be granted up to two (2) days personal leave per year (to be deducted from the employee's sick leave accrual). This leave is intended for situations that need to be attended to but may or may not normally be scheduled in advance. In emergent situations, the employee will inform their supervisor as soon as possible regarding the need to take such a leave. In non-emergent situations, the employee shall consult in advance with their supervisor to obtain approval.

18.4.2

Where no one other than the employee can provide for the needs of a member of the employee's immediate family during a serious illness, the employee may apply (by email or telephone, confirmed later in writing) to their Dean, Administrative Head or designate for permission to have up to five (5) days of accumulated sick leave per illness for this purpose. Serious illness need not mean life threatening and it is understood the seriousness of the illness may be related to the age of the family member. The employee may be required to provide medical evidence of the serious illness.

Deduction from Sick Leave Accumulation Absence on account of illness will be deducted from sick leave accumulation based on actual hours absent to the maximum hours of work for that position. Usage of paid sick leave on each occasion of disability is limited to a period of one-hundred and twelve (112) calendar days.

In accordance with The Saskatchewan Employment Act, if the employee has been absent for more than five (5) consecutive working days or has had non-consecutive absences of two (2) or more working days in the preceding twelve (12) months, the Employer, and/or third party designate reserves the right to request the employee to submit medical documentation signed by a medical doctor certifying that the employee was unable to carry out duties due to illness,. The Employer will not unreasonably request a proof of illness from the employee.

In addition, and in accordance with The Saskatchewan Employment Act, the Employer is not precluded from requesting proof of illness where it can be demonstrated that the employee has a record of absenteeism and there is no reasonable expectation of improved attendance.

The costs associated with submitting medical notes or forms required from a medical professional for paid sick leave, Short-Term Disability and/or Long-Term Disability is the responsibility of the employee. Eligible expenses may be submitted to the employee’s Health Spending Account (HSA) for reimbursement.

In certain circumstances, the University may require the employee to provide satisfactory medical evidence through an independent medical examination (IME), and such examination shall be at the University’s expense.

When an employee is granted leave of absence without pay or receives layoff, and such absence exceeds thirty-one (31) days, the employee shall maintain but not accrue sick leave credits.

Every employee who is absent from duty on account of injury or sickness shall notify the immediate supervisor as soon as possible indicating the probable length of absence. If the supervisor is unavailable, notification should be made to the appropriate person in the department.

When an employee is involved in an accident away from work or any other action that involves the possibility of reimbursement for lost wages or damages from a third party (including no fault, package policy, tort, etc.) the employee shall, as soon as possible, notify Wellness Resources to advise of the injury.

The employee shall provide documentation outlining the amount of compensation received from a third party and shall turn over, or cause to be turned over to the Employer, any monies paid to them by any third party as a result of a claim for lost wages and Employer benefit plan costs. A percentage of sick leave will be reinstated upon payment of these monies to the Employer.

It is understood and agreed that the amount an employee is required to repay to the Employer for a claim of lost wages shall be net of verified expenses incurred by the employee to recover that claim.

If an employee does not comply with the provisions of this Article, the Employer will cease payment of any further sick leave benefits. Further, the Employer will recover the repayment of lost wages from the employee's salary upon the employee's return to work or, if the employee does not or is unable to return to work under any circumstances, the Employer will recover the repayment of lost wages from any monies owing to the employee for salary, vacation, overtime, or unused Earned Days Off (EDOs).

Where an employee is injured or becomes injured at work, the employee shall, as soon as reasonably possible, notify their supervisor and Safety Resources to advise of the injury.

18.10.1 Workers Compensation

Where an employee is injured at work the provisions of The Workers' Compensation Act, 2013 will apply.

18.10.2 Injury Pay Provisions

An employee who is injured at work and is unable to fulfill their regular work duties, should seek medical attention as soon as possible, where required. The employee will have the medical provider complete the Employer Injured Worker Assessment (IWA) and return to their supervisor. The employee shall receive payment for the remainder of the shift. An employee who has received payment under this section shall receive pay for time necessarily spent for further medical treatment of the injury during regularly scheduled working hours, subsequent to the day of the injury.

18.10.3 Transportation

Transportation to the nearest medical provider, or to hospital or home will be provided at the expense of the Employer for employees incapable of using their normal form of transportation except when compensated for transportation by a third party.