The policy applies to non-union employees.
Vacation entitlement for employees is as follows:
Current year entitlement is based on service in the previous year. Vacation entitlement is not reduced for the duration of an employee’s pregnancy and/or parental leave. When an employee is on no-pay status because of sickness or injury for more than twenty-six (26) consecutive full pay periods, the employee’s vacation entitlement shall be reduced by 1/26th for each consecutive pay period.
Employees who have completed six months of their first year of service may apply to their executive director/general manager/division heador designate for up to one week of vacation before their anniversary date. If granted, the employee will receive their second and third week of vacation after their anniversary date. If the employee leaves the service of the city before completing one year of service, the value of the vacation granted will be recovered from vacation pay owing upon termination.
Employees who have completed one year of service and qualified for three weeks vacation entitlement, will subsequently receive their annual vacation entitlement on January 1st of each calendar year.
Employees are eligible to receive vacation at any time after January 1st in the year in which increased vacation entitlement occurs. However, the city is entitled to recover the value of the increased portion of the vacation taken prior to entitlement, where the employee leaves the service of the city, other than by death or retirement.
Vacation is approved by divisional executive director/general manager/division head or designate. Employees should submit requests for vacation in writing to their supervisor.
Each division is responsible for the preparation of its own vacation schedules and may specify periods when vacations may not be scheduled because of operational requirements. Employees are expected to schedule their vacations as far in advance as possible. Every effort will be made to grant annual vacations on the dates requested by employees and supervisors are responsible for managing vacation schedules to ensure employees use their vacation before year-end.
(As approved by SMT December 11, 1998)
The approval of the executive director/general manager/division head or designate is necessary to carry over vacation. A maximum of one year’s vacation entitlement may be carried over.
The vacation days that are carried over must be used in the year into which they are carried over.
In unusual circumstances, when vacation that is carried over cannot be used, for example, where an employee has been asked to forego vacation for operational reasons, requests for extension to the following year will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the divisional executive director, general manager or division head.
It is the employee’s responsibility to use any vacation days that are carried over before the year-end.
Employees must submit their requests to carry over vacation in writing or e-mail to their supervisors/managers for approval by the executive director/general manager/division head or designate.
Each individual request must be balanced with the operational impact of that employee taking additional vacation the following year.
To facilitate vacation planning, requests to carry over less than four weeks vacation must be submitted by November 1st. Requests to carry over more than four weeks vacation must be submitted by September 1st. The authorized request is then forwarded to your payroll services representative for processing.
The vacation entitlement for part-time employees is pro-rated based on their work schedules.
The employee’s anniversary date is retained for the purpose of calculating vacation pay at the time of termination. The employee’s start date is used to calculate the anniversary date which is subject to any leave of absence related adjustment.
Vacation pay is at the regular base salary at the time vacation is taken or paid out.
If an employee leaves before completing one year’s service his/her vacation entitlement is based on four percent of salary.
When an employee who has completed one year of service leaves employment after January 1st in any calendar year before receiving vacation in that year, the employee is paid any vacation owing from his/her previous year’s service.
Where the anniversary date of an employee falls earlier in the calendar year than the date on which his/her employment ceases, the employee is entitled to receive vacation pay for the period between the anniversary date and the date employment ceases. The amount depends on the employee’s vacation entitlement, as follows:
Examples of payout upon termination (assumes no vacation days have been used)
| Start Date | Termination Date | Vacation Pay-out |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 1999 | May 1, 2002 | 15 days + 6% vacation pay from Jan 1 to May 1 |
| Feb 1, 1999 | May 1, 2002 | 15 days + 6% vacation pay from Feb 1 to May 1 |
| Mar 1, 1999 | May 1, 2002 | 15 days + 6% vacation pay from Mar 1 to May 1 |
| Apr 1, 1999 | May 1, 2002 | 15 days + 6% vacation pay from Apr 1 to May 1 |
| May 1, 1999 | May 1, 2002 | 15 days + 0% vacation pay |
| Jun 1, 1999 | May 1, 2002 | 15 days + 0% vacation pay |
| Dec 1, 1999 | May 1, 2002 | 15 days + 0% vacation pay |
When an employee retires, he/she receives the current year’s vacation entitlement balance that he/she has earned plus any balance carried forward from previous years plus an additional amount for the current year’s service. This additional amount is pro-rated from January 1st in the year the employee retires to his/her final working day at the city. The employee receives 6,8,10 or 12 percent of basic salary depending on his/her vacation entitlement.
Examples of pay out upon retirement (assumes no vacation days have been used)
| Start Date | Termination Date | Vacation Pay-out |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 1999 | May 1, 2002 | 15 days + 6% vacation pay from Jan 1 to May 1 |
| Feb 1, 1999 | May 1, 2002 | 15 days + 6% vacation pay from Jan 1 to May 1 |
| Mar 1, 1999 | May 1, 2002 | 15 days + 6% vacation pay from Jan 1 to May 1 |
| Apr 1, 1999 | May 1, 2002 | 15 days + 6% vacation pay from Jan 1 to May 1 |
| May 1, 1999 | May 1, 2002 | 15 days + 6% vacation pay from Jan 1 to May 1 |
| Jun 1, 1999 | May 1, 2002 | 15 days + 6% vacation pay from Jan 1 to May 1 |
| Dec 1, 1999 | May 1, 2002 | 15 days + 6% vacation pay from Jan 1 to May 1 |
The payment will be calculated as if the employee had retired.
Employees who are on scheduled vacations may postpone those vacations in the following circumstances:
Employees must submit proof of illness or jury duty/witness service to their divisional executive directors/general managers/division heads or designates in order to receive approval for the postponement of the vacation and the vacation credits to be restored.
If the death of a family member occurs during an employee’s vacation, the employee is granted bereavement leave with pay and the vacation credits are restored.
For the purpose of determining future vacation entitlement, the original start date as a temporary will be used, provided that the employee had continuous service between the original start date as a temporary and the date permanent status was granted.
Employees are eligible for two floating holidays in each calendar year which can be taken at a time that is compatible with the operational requirements of the division in which the employee works. Floating holidays cannot be carried over.
Some employees from the former municipalities currently receive vacation benefits in excess of the conditions of the new vacation policy. These employees retain their current entitlement. Employees who are eligible for a greater vacation benefit under the policy of their former municipality within the notice period (to January 1, 2002), will receive the increased entitlement. Further, employees will retain any greater vacation benefit that they earn during the notice period. Employees who would have received greater vacation entitlement after January 1, 2002 will receive vacation entitlement according to the new policy.
Human Resources
October 3, 2000