I. Purpose and Scope

This policy provides basic information about the paid time off which the university offers to its employees. The university provides eligible faculty and staff with paid time off, including paid sick time, vacation time, personal time, and others as described in this policy. This policy applies to all eligible university employees.

II. Definitions

For purposes of this policy,

Paid time off means paid sick time, vacation time, personal time, and other paid time off.

III. Policy

It is the policy of the university to pay employees at their regular rate of pay (or otherwise as required by statute) for certain absences or other time away from work.

The university reserves the right to change the amount of paid time off which it offers to its employees as a matter of policy and consistent with provincial and federal law.

A. Paid Sick Time

The university provides, within certain limits, compensation to employees at their regular rate of pay for absences due to their own medical condition(s) and other circumstances.

i. Use of Paid Sick Time

Paid sick time may only be used for absences relating to the employee’s medical condition(s) except as provided in paragraph III.B, Personal Time, and as set forth below.

Up to a maximum of forty (40) hours of sick time per year may be used for the following purposes:

a. To care for a physical or mental illness, injury, or medical condition that requires home care, professional medical diagnosis or care, or preventative medical care affecting the employee or the employee’s child, spouse (including common law partners), parent, or parent of a spouse;

b. To attend routine medical appointments of the employee or the employee’s child, spouse, parent, or parent of a spouse;

c. To travel to and from an appointment, a pharmacy, or other location related to the purpose for which earned sick time was taken; or

d. To address the psychological, physical, or legal effects of domestic violence on the employee or the employee’s dependent child.

Employees should notify their supervisors in advance if the need for earned sick time is foreseeable. If an employee anticipates a multi-day absence from work, employees must provide notification of the expected duration of the leave, or, if unknown, must provide notification on a daily basis, unless the circumstances make such notice unreasonable.

Use of earned sick time that is unforeseeable must be reported to employees’ supervisors as soon as is practicable. Both employees and supervisors are responsible for maintaining accurate paid sick time information.

Employees who are eligible for and use earned paid sick time may be required to submit documentation to the HR Leave Management Team documentation signed by a health care provider certifying that the use of earned paid sick time was for an authorized purpose when the absence:

1. exceeds twenty-four (24) consecutively scheduled work hours or three (3) consecutively scheduled workdays;

2. occurs within two (2) weeks prior to an employee’s final scheduled day of work before termination of employment, except in the case of temporary employees; or

3. occurs after four (4) unforeseeable and undocumented absences within a three (3) month period.

Employees who do not have a health care provider may provide a signed written statement evidencing the need for the use of earned paid sick time for an authorized purpose in lieu of certification by a health care provider in the event documentation is required.

The university may require employees to provide a fitness-for-duty certification, a work release, or other documentation from a medical provider before returning to work after an absence during which earned sick time was used.
If a benefits eligible employee is absent in excess of five (5) consecutive workdays due to a medical condition, the employee and/or the employee’s supervisor must contact the HR Leave Management Team as the employee may be eligible for leave. Please refer to the Policy on Leaves of Absence for more information.

Entitlement to paid sick days is not in addition to an employee’s entitlement (if any) to Personal Emergency Leave under the Employment Standards Act, 2000. To the extent permitted by law, any paid sick days that are taken will count against the employee’s entitlement (if any) to Personal Emergency Leave.

ii. Accrual of Sick Time for Benefits Eligible Employees

The accrual and use of paid sick leave is based on the employee’s date of hire/anniversary date of employment.

a. Accrual for Faculty and Salaried Administrative Professional Employees

Benefits eligible employees paid on a semi-monthly basis earn paid sick time based upon the number of years of service. The amount of paid sick time is allotted on the first day of employment and renewed each fiscal year. If an employee is on leave or inactive on the anniversary date, the renewal will occur when the employee returns to work. The following table gives the specific details. Employees paid semi-monthly who work less than full-time will accrue a pro-rated amount of paid sick time based upon their years of service and hours worked.

b. Accrual for Hourly Office and Support Employees

All benefits eligible personnel paid weekly earn paid sick time at the rate of one day for each complete month of service. Earned paid sick time may be carried forward from year to year up to a maximum of 150 workdays.

iii. Accrual of Sick Time for Eligible Part-time and Temporary Employees

The accrual and use of paid sick leave is based on the employee’s date of hire/anniversary date of employment.
Part-time and temporary employees are entitled to accrue one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked up to a maximum of 40 hours of paid sick time per year. Employees may carry over up to 40 hours of unused earned sick time to the next year. Employees, however, cannot use more than 40 hours of earned sick time in a year.

iv. Payout of Paid Sick Time

The university does not make a lump sum payment for unused earned paid sick time. Upon separation from employment, all accrued paid sick time is automatically forfeited.

B. Use of Personal Time for benefits eligible employees

Eligible employees may use up to three days of earned paid sick time as personal days for personal matters including, but not limited to, parent/teacher conferences, and other personal appointments. This benefit allows the use of up to three days of accrued or allotted sick time annually each fiscal year. This time is not cumulative from year to year, cannot be carried forward, and must be pre-arranged with the manager.

C. Vacation

i. Use of Vacation Time for benefits eligible employees

The university encourages employees to use their accrued vacation time. Vacation time may only be taken with prior approval of the employee’s supervisor. Vacation days must be accrued before taken.

ii. Accrual, Rollover, and Payout of Accrued Vacation Time

The university’s vacation entitlement year in Ontario runs from July 1st to June 30th of each year. Vacation time is accrued monthly. Deadlines for taking vacation will be administered in accordance with applicable provincial employment standards legislation. The university has the right to schedule an employee’s vacation as well as an obligation to ensure that the vacation time is scheduled and taken by the applicable deadline. Any vacation time in excess of the statutorily prescribed minimum (currently 10 days) cannot be carried forward into subsequent vacation entitlement years.

While efforts will be made to honour vacation requests, employees are advised to provide their manager with as much notice as possible of their preferred vacation time. Vacation requests made with insufficient notice, and/or requests that conflict with the university’s business needs may be refused.

Any unused accrued vacation time will be paid with the employee’s last paycheque upon separation from the university. In the case of the death of an employee, vacation accrued and not taken will be paid to the estate of the employee. The university will not pay an employee for unused vacation days, except to the extent required by law. For rates of accrual, please see the Vacation Accrual Rate Addendum, attached to this policy or visit the HR Service Center . Employees who work less than full-time accrue vacation on a pro-rated basis.

D. Statutory Holidays

University employees are entitled to receive paid time off to celebrate provincially designated statutory holidays, in accordance with applicable employment standards legislation.
An employee is not entitled to holiday pay if he or she is on an unapproved absence from work on scheduled workdays immediately preceding or following the scheduled holidays, unless the day off was approved by the supervisor.

The holiday schedule is determined by the university and posted on the HR Service Center each year for the upcoming year.

E. Other Paid Time Off

The university provides for other paid time off, such as bereavement leave, payment for jury duty service, and other situations where an employee must be absent from work. Please refer to the Policy on Leaves of Absence and the HR Service Center for details.

IV. Additional Information

Each department is responsible for managing the records of its employees’ paid time off benefits.

More detailed information regarding paid time off in accordance with this policy is provided on the HR Service Center.

V. Contact Information

For questions about this policy, please contact the HR Service Center. HR Customer Service Center: 250 Columbus Place; 617-373-2230

Responsible Office/Department(s)

Human Resources

Related Policies

Policy on Leaves of Absence (CAN)

Policy on Timekeeping and Reporting

Policy on Paid Time Off

Related Procedures

Vacation Accrual Rate Addendum

Grades 101 to 108, Trades, Facilities, NUPD

• Accrue vacation on the basis of the number of months employed during each fiscal year (July 1-June 30).

• The number of days accrued is based on the employee’s length of service and maximums as detailed below.

Grades 109 to 119, full-time faculty*, POD

• Accumulate vacation time at the rate of two days per month

*Members of the full-time faculty in teaching or research who hold appointments on a 12-month basis are entitled to an annual vacation to be accrued at the rate of two work days per month up to a maximum of 24 days/year. Faculty, including coordinators, specialists, or lecturers, who are employed on a less than 12-month basis and are paid an annual salary do not accrue vacation during the periods when they are in service at Northeastern.

Supersedes

Policy on Paid Time Off

Keywords

Paid Time Off; Sick Time; Personal Time; Vacation Time; Holiday

Version History

Last Revision Date: January 1, 2022

Issued: September 1, 2016