Occupational Continuity

Date

November 1, 1972

Revision Date

January 1, 2006

Number

AD 9-18

Revision No.

H

  1. Subject: Occupational Continuity
    (Applies to administrative and professional staff only.)

  2. General Policy Statement
    The University accepts that it has a responsibility to continuing employees who have given good job performance and who suffer a loss of employment as a result of a departmental reorganization or the elimination of their positions.

  3. Definitions

    3.01 Continuing Employee - an employee with an appointment with no end date.

    3.02 Full-time Employee - a continuing or a temporary employee appointed to work seventy-two (72) hours bi-weekly on a regular basis.

    3.03 Part-time Employee - a continuing or a temporary employee appointed to work less than seventy-two (72) hours bi-weekly on a regular basis.

  4. Entitlement

    4.01 Continuing employees whose positions are discontinued shall be given a minimum of one (1) month's notice of termination.

    4.02 The University shall do all that is reasonably possible to find other administrative and professional positions for those individuals who have given good job performance.

    4.03 If no workable solution can be found after a review of alternatives the employee will be terminated at the end of the notice period and will be offered relocation counselling and will be given severance pay of one (1) month's salary for each full year of service to a maximum of twenty (20) months' salary.

  5. Eligibility

     

    All continuing full-time and part-time employees are eligible.

  6. Procedure

    6.01 An employee whose position is discontinued shall be notified, in writing, by his/her department and shall be given the reason(s) why the position is being discontinued. Notice will be given as far in advance as possible; but in no circumstances will it be less than one (1) month.

    6.02 An employee whose position is discontinued shall be mailed a copy of each Administrative/Professional posting occurring during the notice period and shall automatically be a candidate for each such posting. The employee should review his/her employment file and resumé with the Manager, Staffing Development and Systems in Human Resources in order to ensure that all appropriate skills, qualifications, and abilities are noted.

    6.03 The selection of such employees for other positions will be subject to the normal competition process; considering past performance, and current qualifications and skills. The employee shall be eligible for up to three months of training in the period from the beginning of the notice period to the date of completion of the first year on the job in order to assist him/her in meeting the job requirements. Such decisions will be made by the department in which the vacancy exists and the cost of training will be funded centrally. An additional three months training may be provided on the joint request of the employee and the supervisor and the approval of the appropriate vice-president.

    6.04 No employee will be expected to take a reduction in salary as a result of being the successful applicant to a position in a lower salary grade than he/she previously occupied. In such cases the employee's salary will be frozen unless and until the position occupied has a salary range which is greater than the salary currently received by the employee.

    6.05 Any movement of employees as a result of a selection process will take effect as soon as the departments involved can make mutually acceptable arrangements.

    6.06 An employee who refuses a position within one (1) salary grade of his/her current position will be terminated at the end of the notice period without severance pay.

    6.07 If during the notice period, the employee has not been selected to fill a vacancy or has refused a position more than one (1) salary grade below his/her former position then:


    1. relocation counselling by an external consultant will be offered to the employee (at no expense to the employee), and

    2. the employee shall be terminated at the end of the notice period and will receive severance pay of one (1) month's salary for each full year of service to a maximum of twenty (20) months' salary.

    6.08 The severance pay will normally be paid out to the individual in bi-weekly installments; however, a lump sum payment can be arranged if so requested.

    6.09 For the twelve (12) month period following termination:


    1. the individual may request that notices of all administrative and professional vacancies which are posted be sent to his/her address and will be considered as an internal candidate for any vacancy for which he/she applies.

    2. if an individual is re-employed as a continuing administrative and professional employee he/she shall have his/her original vacation service date restored.

    3. the individual may elect to carry group medical and dental coverage provided all employer and employee portions of premiums are prepaid by the individual.

    4. if the individual is re-employed by the University in a continuing position, severance pay will cease (i.e. bi-weekly installments will terminate or lump sum payments will be prorated against the length of the absence and any balance will be due to the University).

    6.10 If a position has been discontinued and the same position is re-established within one year, the displaced incumbent will be offered the position prior to posting.