Procedures: Collective Agreement-Based Leaves

Leave Request Procedures – Collective Agreement-Based Leaves

Leave Request Forms

There are no specific “leave request forms” for any of these leaves.

Staff have developed templates that are can be shared with members to make email leave requests. Sometimes members make the request themselves through their hiring unit, or staff do so on their behalf. When the request is made on the member’s behalf, it is made to Faculty Relations and the Chair of the hiring unit. We recommend the same Employer contact if members are making the requests themselves (i.e., Faculty Relations and the Chair of the hiring unit).

Supporting documentation is only sent to one Faculty Relations contact, unless the Employee Well-Being (EWB) office is involved in some way (for instance when workplace accommodations are impacted by the leave). In that case, medical documentation goes to EWB.

If members require unpaid leave after the paid leave has finished, this can be part of the original request or sent as a later request.

Supporting Documentation

Documentation varies as follows:

Sick leave – Medical note. To be sent directly to the Employer contact; members may have a Staff member review it first. The “Medical Absence Accommodation Certificate” (MAAC) may be used instead of a medical note. If a member is seeking a combination of accommodations and a leave, it is sometimes useful to use this one, so that only 1 form/letter needs to be issued. (See also Accommodations Procedures)

Maternity, Caregiver, Adoption – Estimate Due Date (EDD) letter from the primary healthcare provider (midwife or doctor). In case of adoption, there is no clear standard piece of proof required.

Compassionate & Bereavement – There is no clear standard piece of proof required.

Trans Leave – Medical note. To be sent directly to the Employer contact.

Approval

Once the request is submitted, the trend is that the Employer does not respond, yet the request is approved. Sometimes no response means the request is denied or has not been acted on. Members must generally follow up or have staff do so, to get confirmation of approval.

Employment Insurance (EI) and Long-term Disability (LTD)

In the case of most leaves that go beyond the paid period provided for in the CA, members that are eligible may apply for EI and – in the case of a sick leave – LTD.

When members are eligible for EI, at the time of sick, maternity or caregiver leave request, it is important to note in their leave request that they wish their paid leave entitlement to be paid out as a supplemental benefit to EI.

It’s also advisable that members requesting sick leave who foresee the need for LTD notify the Employer and the LTD carrier in the same request period, as it takes some time to process.  Members eligible for the 6 weeks paid CA leave, as well as medical EI, will therefore be without income until LTD eligibility starts (at 17 weeks from the start of a sick leave). Staff facilitate this for members. LTD information can be found on the Union’s website here.

For more information on EI eligibility please see the CUPE 3903 Member’s Manual.