500 Sick Leave, All Staff

Revised: January 2019

Sick leave provides continued University income to employees who cannot perform their work due to illness, injury or medical emergency.

In accordance with the Employment Standards Act, 2000, all employees who have been employed with the University for at least two consecutive weeks are entitled to a leave of absence because of personal illness, injury or medical emergency.  Unless a greater benefit is provided below or by the employee’s applicable collective agreement or compact, an employee’s entitlement to paid sick leave is limited to a total of two (2) paid days in each calendar year. For the purpose of this provision, a “paid day” is defined as the payment of an employee’s regular wage rate multiplied by the number of scheduled hours that they did not work as a result of taking the sick leave.

No University employee may claim sick leave during a period of unpaid status.  Unpaid status occurs when an employee remains on the University payroll but receives no pay.

Termination of employment, for whatever reason, does not entitle an employee to compensation for unused sick leave credits.

Initial Entitlement

Professional & Managerial Staff

If illness, injury or medical emergency prevents regular full time professional and managerial staff from performing their duties, the University will provide sufficient sick leave to continue full regular pay through, but not beyond, the required waiting period for long term disability benefits.

The University will credit a person employed on a temporary or contractually limited basis with up to thirteen (13) days of sick leave for potential use, as follows:

• Three (3) working days in the first three (3) months of employment;
• An additional ten (10) working days after three (3) months of employment;
• Thirteen (13) days sick leave – renewable upon the employee’s anniversary date.

Support Staff

If illness, injury or medical emergency prevents a regular full time support staff who have completed the probationary period, including any extension, from performing their duties, the University will provide sufficient sick leave to continue full regular pay, without any premium, through, but not beyond, the required waiting period for long term disability benefits.

Sick leave for probationary employees are as follows:

• Three (3) working days in the first three (3) months of employment;
• An additional ten (10) working days after three (3) months of employment.

Sick leave for temporary full-time employees is as follows:

• Three (3) working days in the first three (3) months of employment;
• An additional ten (10) working days after three (3) months of employment;
• Thirteen (13) days sick leave – renewable upon the employee’s anniversary date.

Entitlement Beyond 90 Days

Regular Full Time employees who will, after 90 days, become entitled by reason of disability to receive income protection at 66-2/3% of their salary rate at the time of commencement of the disability, will receive an additional 13-1/3% of their basic wages for up to 4 months from the commencement of the time for which income protection payments are received for until the disability ceases, whichever is sooner.

Employee Notification Requirements

Support Staff

If an employee cannot report to work due to an illness, injury or medical emergency, they are responsible for notifying their supervisor as soon as possible.  For absences of over three (3) days, an employee must inform their supervisor of their intended return to work date at least 24 hours in advance.

During lengthy absences, an employee should provide an update to their supervisor with respect to their condition at least every two (2) weeks.

Professional & Managerial Staff

If an employee cannot report to work due to an illness, injury or medical emergency, they are responsible for notifying their Department Head as per Departmental practice, as soon as possible. 

Supervisor / Department Notification Requirements

Supervisors must inform Human Resources and Occupational Health and Wellness of the length of sick leave of all employees granted such leave.

If a Department anticipates that an employee on sick leave will be away from work for more than 30 days, it must inform Human Resources, to allow for the timely application for disability benefits, should it become necessary.

Medical Documentation Requirements

For absences of five (5) or more days, an employee must provide medical evidence to Occupational Health and Wellness, verifying the illness.  The University may require evidence for shorter absences.

Paid Holidays and Sick Leave

If a paid holiday occurs in a period of paid sick leave, the University will record it as a paid holiday, not as a day of sick leave, provided the employee worked one full shift in the week immediately before the public holiday and one full shift in the week immediately following the public holiday. 

WSIB Benefits and Sick Leave

When the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (WSIA) compensates an employee, the University will continue the employee’s salary up to eligibility for long term disability (or, in the case of a temporary employee, to the limit of accumulated sick leave).  The employee must reimburse the University for compensation received pursuant to the WSIA for which the University paid full salary.  When a temporary employee returns to work, the University will reinstate the sick leave used for the period payable under the WSIA.

Note: For sick leave for those employees covered by a collective agreement, please refer to the relevant agreement.