Casual illness leave directive

Overview

​This directive describes employee entitlements and administrative requirements for casual illness leave taken by managers and opted out and excluded employees.

Entitlements for bargaining unit employees are contained in the ​Colle​ctive Agreement.

Casual illness means a sickness, injury, disability, or quarantine restriction that causes an employee to be absent from work for three consecutive work days or less. Casual illness includes a medical, optical, dental, or physiotherapy appointment. Employees must attempt to schedule such appointments when they least interfere with the Employer's operations.

Entitlements

Employees are entitled to casual illness leave of up to 10 work days in any one year of employment, subject to deputy head approval. Year of employment means each consecutive period of 12 months from the date an employee last started work, including continuous wage service.

Employees are not eligible to receive casual illness benefits if:

• they are absent because of an injury that is covered by workers' compensation and they qualify for benefits
• they were injured while working for another employer
• they have subsequent absences caused by that injury and these absences qualify for workers' compensation benefits

Administration

If employees become ill at work and have worked at least one hour in the half day, they will be paid for the half day and no deduction will be made from their casual illness entitlement. A half day is the time between 8:15 am and 12:00 pm or between 1:00 pm and 4:30 pm.

Proof of illness

Employees may be required to produce a medical certificate for any period of casual illness leave they take.

Where an employee must pay a fee for a proper medical certificate or other satisfactory proof of illness, the Employer shall reimburse the employee to a maximum of fifty dollars ($50.00).

While balancing an Employee’s right to privacy, a proper medical certificate or other satisfactory proof of illness should generally include:

• a certification by a licensed physician, psychiatrist or midwife that the Employee is unable to attend work for medical reasons
• the dates on which the Employee is unable to attend work due to the medical reason
• if the illness is continuing, the Employee’s prognosis and estimate as to the earliest date the Employee is expected to return to work and/or next medical assessment date

Where appropriate, medical certificates should also generally include:

• if the Employee can return to work but with some restrictions or limitations, a statement of those restrictions or limitations
• whether the illness is anticipated to be temporary, chronic or permanent
• whether the Employee is under a treatment plan

About this directive