Providence I.C.U.: Vacation Leave Guidelines for Unionized Staff

Purpose:

To ensure consistent and equitable vacation scheduling, carryover and payout practices;
To maintain a consistent number of regular staff on the work unit at all times;
To ensure staff receive vacation in accordance with the collective agreements;
To ensure all approved vacation is taken with a minimum of disruption to patient care;
Where relief is required, to relieve vacation at straight time, not overtime;
To ensure sufficient vacation relief lines are built into every unit/department or service as appropriate.

Definitions

Baseline positions are regular full time and regular part time staff necessary to provide daily coverage (e.g. daily coverage is 5/4/3)

Vacation relief lines (VRLs) are additional regular positions:

used to replace staff in baseline positions when they go on vacation
that are not supernumerary (i.e. staff work in one of the 5/4/3 positions)
which are funded through the unit/department/service's relief budget (Note that incumbents in these lines are regular staff - i.e. paid sick, vacation and stat holiday pay compared to casuals who are paid 12.2% for vacation and stat holiday pay and no sick)
all nursing units/programs will have vacation relief lines that cover at least 80% of the unit/programs vacation.
Other departments/services will have vacation relief lines as appropriate.

1. VACATION LEAVE

Vacation leave is granted to regular employees based upon the operational requirements of the unit/department/service and the terms of the collective agreement(s).
Vacation entitlement is to be taken in full by December 31, except as otherwise specified in the collective agreement(s).
There is no carry over of vacation for Facilities Bargaining unit staff.
There is no carry over of vacation for Nurses Bargaining Association staff except for operational reasons. When this occurs every effort will be made to reschedule based on a date that is mutually satisfactory.
There is no carry over of vacation for Paramedical staff except for operational reasons or as requested by an employee and approved by the Employer.

Concern for the health and wellness of PHC employees precludes the pay out of vacation leave, except on termination or for employees on sick leave who have exhausted all sick leave credits and are not in receipt of other income replacement (i.e. LTD, WCB). In this case they are permitted to request a payout of earned vacation leave credits from their vacation bank.
Employees on WCB, Maternity Leave, or extended illness at the end of their leave take their vacation or may have their vacation paid out.

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PRINCIPLES OF VACATION SCHEDULING

Each unit/department/service has a coordinated plan for vacation coverage in place well in advance that provides appropriate coverage.
Approximately 10 - 15% of staff in each job category in a unit/department/service scheduled in a 24-hour period should be on vacation at any point in time. (Unless bed/program closures allow staff to be off without replacement)
Vacation should be scheduled in blocks.
Banked overtime is approved sparingly in the summer months and is not approved unless it is part of the staff guideline quota and there is the ability to relieve at straight time.

GUIDELINES RE: NBA (NURSING BARGAINING UNIT) STAFF

Vacation should be smoothed throughout the year.
The selection of vacation and the posting of the approved vacation are to be completed by December 31 of each calendar year.
Approximately 10 - 15% of staff in each job category in a unit scheduled in a 24-hour period should be on vacation at any point in time. (Unless bed/program closures allow staff to be off without replacement) for example:

o    if you have 1-10 shifts scheduled in 24 hour period, there can be 1 - 2 off at a time
o    if you have 11 - 20 shifts scheduled in a 24 hour period, there can be 2-3 off at a time
o    if you have 21 - 30 shifts members scheduled in a 24 hour period, 3 -4 can be off at a time
the exact number is dependent upon amount of vacation to be given, ability to replace at regular rates and the requirements of the collective agreement(s).

GUIDELINES RE: ALLIED (PARAMEDICAL BARGAINING UNIT) STAFF

The Paramedical Professional Bargaining Association contract requires that each staff member have the opportunity to have 2 consecutive weeks off between June and September unless this unduly interrupts the Employer's services.
Devolved Allied staff (OT,PT,SW) vacation requests should be considered collectively (site or program rather than individual unit).
The selection of vacation and the posting of the approved vacation are to be completed by January 31 of each calendar year.

GUIDELINES RE: FACILITIES BARGAINING UNIT (HEU) STAFF

The Facilities collective agreement requires that 60% of staff have the opportunity to take vacation between June and September.
Facilities staff working in nursing units/departments will submit their first, second and third choices for their vacation requests on or before January 31 in each calendar year.
All other areas/departments/services will submit all three of their vacation requests on or before March 31, in each calendar year.

VACATION REQUEST PROCESS

Vacation planning begins in September/October of each year
Payroll distributes a leave entitlement report to all leaders/managers for planning purposes in late September/early October;
Staff are required to indicate their preferred choices according to established dates;
Staff must request 80% - 100% of their vacation entitlement by the deadlines provided by their leader, otherwise vacation may be assigned by the leader;
Vacation choices are granted according to seniority as per each collective agreement;
The approved unit/department/service vacation will be posted by December 31 for the NBA, by January 31 for Allied and Facilities staff working in nursing units/departments, and by March 31, for the remaining Facilities staff.

CHANGES TO APPROVED VACATION

1.    In the event of changes to a staff member's position or rotation, every attempt will be made to honor previously approved vacation.
2.    Staff may submit incidental requests for vacation during the calendar year. Requests will be considered based on operational requirements of the unit/department including the number of relief staff available to backfill vacation at regular rates.
3.    Changes to previously approved vacation will be considered in exceptional circumstances only.

Collective Agreement Articles:
Facilities Bargaining Association - Article 28 - Vacations
Nurses Bargaining Association - Article 45 - Leave - Vacation
Paramedical Professional Bargaining Association - Article 23 - Leave - Vacation