This document outlines the types of leaves that are available for full-time faculty, both probationary and non-probationary, as noted in the 2021-2024 CAAT–A collective agreement.

Please reach out to us at office@opseu354.org if you have any questions.

Contents

Short Term Disability, or STD/Sick Leave (Art. 17)

Long Term Disability, or LTD (Art. 18)

Professional Development Leave – Sabbatical (Art. 20)

Professional Development Days (Art. 11)

Leave of Absence, or LOA (Art. 21)

Pregnancy Leave (Art. 22)

Parental Leave (Art. 22)

Leave of Absence – Parental (Art. 22)

Prepaid Leave Plan, or PLP (Art. 23)

Short Term Disability, or STD/Sick Leave (Art. 17)

If you require time off for medical reasons or if you need to care for an immediate family member who is ill.

Entitlement

  • Faculty are credited 20 sick days upon hire, and then 20 sick days every September 1st thereafter.
  • Unused sick days carry forward until termination.
  • You may use up to 5 sick days (annually) to care for immediate family members

Pay and Benefits

  • Absences using sick days are paid at 100% of regular pay (i.e.: same as though you worked that day).
  • If your sick bank has been depleted, absences are paid at 75% of regular pay.
  • Benefits remain unchanged.
  • Vacation continues to accrue while on STD.

Additional details

  • Unused sick days are forfeit upon termination unless you were hired FT before April 1st, 1991. Faculty hired before this date are eligible for Sick Leave Buyout.
  • Generally, no doctor’s note is required for leaves of 1 – 3 days, but will likely be requested by the College for longer leaves.
  • You can use up to 130 sick days for personal medical concerns, at which time STD ends and LTD may begin – see Long Term Disability, or LTD (Art. 18).

Long Term Disability, or LTD (Art. 18)

LTD may be accessed after STD, if you require a longer leave of absence due to medical reasons, including medical treatments and recovery due to illness or accidents.

Eligibility

  • Must be under 65 years of age; anyone over 65 does not qualify for LTD.

Entitlement

  • After 130 days following your initial claim under STD, faculty may be eligible for LTD. The 130-day period is called the “elimination period.”.

Requirements

  • Submit your LTD application before the elimination period ends. The Senior Abilities & Accommodation Specialist can provide you with the application form.
    • Late filing of the application (up to 90 days after the elimination period ends) may result in being ineligible for LTD. After this 90-day window, you are ineligible for LTD and there is no appeal.

Pay and Benefits

  • If you qualify for LTD: you may opt to continue using your Humber sick days (if you have days remaining), or switch to SunLife’s LTD benefit. The transition to either option is immediate, following the 130-day elimination period.
    • Humber Sick Days:
      • Paid at 100% of regular salary (College pays).
      • Income is taxable.
      • Benefits remain unchanged.
      • Vacation days continue to accrue.
      • Once your sick days are depleted, you may switch to SunLife’s LTD benefit.
    • SunLife’s LTD benefit:
      • Paid at 60% of base salary (SunLife pays).
      • Income is non-taxable.
      • No health benefits; faculty may opt to continue health benefits and would bear all costs (employee and employer portions).
        • The LTD premium would be waived.
        • You can choose which benefits you would like to keep.
        • It is recommended that you maintain Critical Illness insurance, or you will need to requalify for it.
      • Vacation days do not accrue.
      • Time on LTD counts towards years of service, but pension contributions are waived for employee and employer.
      • Exempt from paying union dues, but still considered a member.
  • If you do not qualify for LTD:
    • You have accumulated some vacation time (paid) and can request to use that time immediately. Health benefits remain unchanged.
    • You can access up to 26 weeks of EI paid sick benefits.
      • faculty may opt to continue health benefits and would bear all costs (employee and employer portions).
    • You may consider retirement.
    • You may work with your practitioner to see if a modified/reduced workload is suitable for you.

Additional details

  • Upon return to work (in any capacity), you will have access to paid sick days for any new medical issues.
  • Upon return to FT work for at least 30 calendar days, you will have access to 130 sick days for all medical issues. For clarity, while sick time is available to you upon returning to work full-time, you will only be able to access sick time for the condition(s) leading to your LTD claim after 30 days.

Professional Development (PD) Leave – Sabbatical (Art. 20)

To pursue professional development outside of the college for up to 12 months.

Eligibility

  • Must have at least 6 years of seniority to be considered.

Process

  • The number of sabbatical positions available is based on a percentage of the FT complement at the College; for 2024/2025, a total of 13 positions were offered and filled.
  • Accepted applications are sorted by seniority, and positions are offered based on highest seniority. In 2024/2025, faculty with 12+ years of seniority were successful.

Requirements

  • Must return to work for the College for at least one year following this leave.

Pay and Benefits

  • Faculty on sabbatical receive a reduced salary; from 55% – 80%, depending on seniority.
  • Benefits remain unchanged.

Additional details

  • Faculty that have taken a sabbatical may be considered for a second sabbatical after 7 years.

Professional Development (PD) Days (Art. 11)

An annual allotment of professional development days.

Entitlement

  • May take a minimum of 10 working days for PD annually, including a period of at least 5 consecutive days.
  • Days and activities are subject to agreement by faculty and supervisor, and agreement shall not be unreasonably withheld.
  • No specific blackout days.

Pay and Benefits

  • The cost of any PD may be (fully or partially) reimbursed by the College, but not required. For clarity, faculty may claim expenses if pre-approved by supervisor.
  • Salary is not reduced.
  • Benefits remain unchanged.
  • May claim up to $100 for PD reimbursement directly from the College before August 31, 2025.

 

Leave of Absence, or LOA (Art. 21)

When you need to take time off for any reason, including Statutory Leaves (Employment Standards Act) and non-Statutory Leaves (i.e.: religious leaves, jury duty, personal leaves).

College’s rights/discretion

  • Allow or deny the leave.
  • Duration of the leave, including the start and end dates.
  • Paid/unpaid leave (outside of ESA requirements).

Benefits

  • For paid leaves, all benefits remain unchanged.
  • For unpaid leaves:
    • faculty may opt to continue health benefits and would bear all costs (employee and employer portions).
    • Faculty may choose to purchase missed pension contributions:
      • for non-statutory leaves, faculty would bear all costs (employee and employer portions).
      • for statutory leaves, if repurchased within six (6) months of return to work, faculty would only contribute the employee’s portion. After 6 months, they would bear all costs (employee and employer portions).

Pregnancy Leave (Art. 22)

If you require time off due to being pregnant, and/or have recently given birth to a child, you may be eligible for pregnancy leave.

Eligibility

  • Must be employed for at least 13 weeks before the expected date of delivery.

Entitlement

  • Up to 17 weeks.

Requirements

  • Must give at least 2 weeks notice (ESA standard), although the College wants 8 weeks notice.
  • May return to work with 4 weeks written notice.

Pay and Benefits

  • Top up to 93% (standard leave), if you qualify for EI.
  • For extended leave, the 93% top up is pro-rated for the duration of the extended leave.
  • Seniority and sick days continue to accrue.
  • Benefits remain unchanged.
  • Health coverage for your child may be added up to 31 days after its birth.

Additional details

  • Vacation time may be taken or forfeit.
  • Following pregnancy leave, faculty is eligible to take up to 35-weeks of standard parental leave or up to 61 weeks of extended parental leave (see parental leave and leave of absence – parental).

Parental Leave (Art. 22)

If you are expecting to be a parent of a new child (includes adoption), you may be eligible for parental leave.

Eligibility

  • Must be employed for at least 13 weeks.
  • Leave must be taken within 52 weeks of the child coming into your care/custody.

Entitlement

  • Up to 37 weeks (standard) or up to 63 weeks (extended) parental leave.

Requirements

  • Must give at least 2 weeks notice (ESA standard), although the College wants 8 weeks notice; notice is not required if taken immediately after pregnancy leave.
  • May return to work with 4 weeks written notice.

Pay and Benefits

  • Top up to 93% (standard leave), if you qualify for EI.
  • For extended leave, the 93% top up is pro-rated for the duration of the extended leave.
  • Seniority and sick days continue to accrue.
  • Benefits remain unchanged.
  • Health coverage for your child may be added up to 31 days after its birth.

Additional details

  • Vacation time may be taken or forfeit.

 

Leave of Absence – Parental (Art. 22)

If you take pregnancy and/or parental leave, you may be eligible to take additional time off. This leave is different than Leave of Absence (Art. 21).

Eligibility

  • Must currently be on a pregnancy or parental leave with at least 2 weeks remaining in the leave.

Entitlement

  • Up to 52 weeks (inclusive of pregnancy/parental leave).

Requirements

  • Request for leave must be made in writing, at least 2 weeks before the end of pregnancy or parental leave.

Pay and Benefits

  • Unpaid.
  • Service credits and sick credits continue to accrue.
  • Benefits remain unchanged.

Additional details

  • Employee determines duration of leave, start and end dates.

Prepaid Leave Plan, or PLP (Art. 23)

Up to one-year leave of absence whereby income is paid by deferred salary.

Eligibility

  • 3 years seniority.

PLP options

  • 1 over 2: 50% salary deferral (no more than 33 1/3% will be taken in any calendar year).
  • 2 over 3: 33% salary deferral.
  • 3 over 4: 25% salary deferral.
  • 4 over 5: 20% salary deferral.
  • 5 over 6: 17% salary deferral.
  • Customized period (must be less than 6 years).

Requirements

  • A written request must be sent to the College President before January 31st and a response will be given by the College by May 1st.
  • Leave period must be 6 – 12 months in duration.
  • Following the leave, faculty must return to work for a duration equal or greater than the duration of the leave.

Pay and Benefits

  • Deferred salary includes interest.
  • Faculty may opt to continue health benefits and would bear all costs (employee and employer portions).
  • Sick credits do not accumulate during leave.

Credit: Humber Faculty Union for sharing the posted content in this web page