Teachers on call are often frustrated that they cannot access the same benefits as contract teachers. Not only do TOCs missout on employer paid medical and dental benefits, we can’t access the various paid leaves that contract teachers can.
The good news is, one day you will have a contract and the benefits that come with it. Here is a summary* of only some of the paid leaves contract teachers in Surrey can access:
* this is an edited summary. To see the specific language read our collective agreement at http://www.surreyteachers.org/documents/CA2006-2011.pdf
PERSONAL NEED LEAVES
A. Bereavement And Funeral- no loss of pay to attend the funeral of a spouse, child, sibling, parent or legal guardian, spouse’s parent or sibling, grandparent, or grandchild. Between 3 and 5 days of paid leave can be taken depending on how far you have to travel for the funeral.
B. Personal Discretionary: Up to five days per school year, without pay, for personal matters.
C. Family: One day’s paid leave to assist or provide support to a parent, spouse or child as a result of an accident or medical problem. One day of leave as a result of an employee’s unexpected home displacement (e.g., fire).
D. Marital: One day’s leave will be granted without pay to enable an employee to attend the employee’s own marriage ceremony.
E. Pregnancy / Parental: Employees shall be granted, upon request, a parental leave of absence as provided for in the Employment Standards Act. An employee returning from pregnancy / parental leave will be reassigned to the same position held prior to the leave.
Pay during Maternity Leave
For the first two weeks of Mat leave a contract teacher gets 95% of her salary. For the 15 weeks following that, she gets 70% of her salary. After those 17 weeks the teacher is paid by E.I. benefits. The monthly pay for a teacher on EI is approximately $1800.
F. Paternity: One day paid leave and one day unpaid leave will be granted to permit an employee to attend the birth of a child and/or to bring the new-born child home from hospital.
G: Adoption: One day paid leave and one day unpaid leave.
H. Parenthood: A leave of absence without pay for up to one school year to enable the employee to spend full-time with the employee’s natural or adopted children.
J. Religious: Up to three days leave at cost of subsitute to participate in specific religious holidays.
K. Transportation Failure: Where an employee is unable to report for duty because of a breakdown in public transportation services normally used by the employee or because of closure of public services (e.g., roads), leave will be granted with no loss of pay for up to a full day’s absence.