Policy 46a

Adoption:

Date: April 29, 1992
Instance of Approval: Administration Committee

Modifications:

Date: December 14, 2022
Instance of Approval: Administration Committee

Responsible Service: Human Resources

1. PURPOSE:
   1. The purpose of the Policy is to outline the principles by which eligible staff members may be provided with an opportunity to apply for a leave of absence without additional pay through a deferral of the staff member’s salary to finance the leave.
       
2. DEFINITIONS:

   1. The following words and expressions have the corresponding meaning for the purposes of applying this Policy, the Procedures for Self-Funded Leave, and any other related Procedure:
      Deferred Salary: The portion of the staff member’s salary that is retained by the University and is then used to fund the staff member’s Self-Funded Leave.  

      Deferred Salary Period: The number of months and/or years of the Deferred Salary.

      Regular staff member:  Any part-time or full-time staff member who holds an indeterminate position.

      Self-Funded Leave:  a leave of absence (without additional pay) taken by a staff member and approved by the relevant Dean, Vice-Provost, or Associate Vice-President whereby during such leave, the staff member receives their Deferred Salary.

      Self-Funded Leave Period:  The duration of the Self-Funded Leave which can run from a minimum of six to a maximum of twelve consecutive months and must begin no more than six years after the date of the salary deduction for the Deferred Salary commenced.

3. APPLICATION:
   1. This Policy applies to regular staff members who have been employed by the University for a minimum of four continuous years of active employment or a tenured professor at the time of the leave request.
   2. This Policy is to be read and applied in conjunction with the Procedure for Self-Funded Leave.
4. PRINCIPLES:
   1. This policy supports the opportunity for the development and growth of staff members.
   2. he amount of the Deferred Salary, the duration of the Deferred Salary Period, and other related financial arrangements must be agreed to in writing and in advance by the staff member, the relevant Dean, Vice-Provost, Associate Vice-President, and Human Resources. Such agreement is at all times subject to the Procedure for Self-Funded Leave (procedure number and link to be added), to an applicable collective agreement, to the Income Tax Act, and to any other applicable law, as may be amended from time to time.
   3. The terms and conditions associated with Self-Funded Leave are set out in the Procedure for Self-Funded Leave.
   4. Upon returning from Self-Funded Leave, the staff member will be reinstated to the position they held at the commencement of the Self-funded Leave Period if the position exists at that time or to an equivalent position and is subject to any changes to the staff member’s status which would have occurred had they not been on a Self-Funded Leave.   If such a position no longer exists, the staff member may agree to accept an alternate position mutually agreed upon by Human Resources and the staff member and the relevant unit.    
5. RESPONSIBILITIES:
   1. Human Resources Service is responsible for the following:
      1. developing, maintaining, and implementing written administrative procedures for the approval of the Vice-President, Finance and Administration related to Self-Funded Leaves;
      2. ensuring that this Policy and Procedure for Self-Funded Leave are established and maintained in compliance with applicable law as may be amended from time to time (including without limitation to, the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000, the Ontario Human Rights Code, and the Income Tax Act).
          
   2. The Associate Vice-President, Human Resources has the authority to make final decisions over all related matters and disputes.
6. REVIEW AND IMPLEMENTATION:
   1. The Vice-President, Finance and Administration is responsible for ensuring a periodic review of this Policy every five years or as necessary.
   2. Human Resources is responsible for the implementation of the Policy.
7. APPROVAL AND AMENDMENTS:
   1. The Vice-President, Finance and Administration is responsible for recommending amendments to this Policy for approval by the Administration Committee.
   2. Notwithstanding clause 7.1 of this Policy, the Secretary-General may amend this Policy without the need to submit such amendment to the Administration Committee for approval if such amendment is required to,
      1. update or correct the name or title of a position, unit, law, regulation, policy, procedure or authority; or
      2. correct punctuation, grammar, typographical errors, revisions to format and other technical revisions, where appropriate, if the correction does not change the meaning of a provision or make such other correction if it is patent both that an error has been made and what the correction should be; or
      3. correct the form of expression of a provision in French or in English to be more compatible with its form of expression in the other language; or
      4. Make consequential amendments to conform with or arising from another University by-law, resolution, policy or procedure.
   3. The Vice-President, Finance and Administration may establish, amend, abrogate to procedures for purposes of the effective implementation of this Policy, provided that such procedures are consistent with the provisions of this Policy.