Resignations, Terminations, Work Hours

22. Resignations and Terminations

22.01   An employee is expected to give reasonable notice of the employee’s intention to resign, having in mind the nature of the employee’s duties and responsibilities and the probable time required to secure a suitable replacement. Such notice should not in any case be less than two (2) weeks.

22.02   If an employee leaves the employment of the University without proper notice of termination, as provided for by these rules or during the period of such notice, the employee’s salary shall cease as from the date on which the employee last performed the employee’s duties at the University.

Subject to Article 19 (Seniority) the appointment of an employee who has been confirmed in an established post may be terminated with reasonable notice for any reason related to the closure of a Department or Section, or change in Departmental or University structure, which negates the function of the employee’s appointment or involves an adjustment in employees performing such functions. The University agrees to consult the Union prior to taking such action.

In the case of such terminations, every effort will be made to place the employee in a suitable post for which the employee is qualified by education, training, or experience. The employee shall be given three (3) months’ notice of such action. Where the appointment of an employee is terminated under this Clause, the employee shall receive a severance grant of:

  1. In the case of an employee with at least one (1) year’s continuous service but not in excess of five (5) years’ continuous service — two (2) days’ pay for each year of service.
  2. In the case of an employee with continuous service in excess of five (5) years but not in excess of ten (10) years’ continuous service — five (5) days’ pay for each year of service.
  3. In the case of an employee with continuous service in excess of ten (10) years — seven (7) days’ pay for each year of service.

Fractions of a year of service shall be computed to the nearest 1/2 day of severance grant.

22.04   For the purpose of this Article, periods of Long Term Disability or other periods of authorized leave without pay provided for under the terms of the Collective Agreement, shall not be regarded as a break in continuous service and shall be counted as service in determining whether or not the employee has achieved the threshold defined in Article 22.03 (1), (2) or (3); Periods of Long Term Disability or authorized leave without pay up to a maximum of fifty-two (52) weeks shall be counted as service in the calculation of the severance grant. Periods of layoff shall not be counted as service in the calculation of the severance grant nor shall it interrupt the accumulation of service accrued to that point, or in determining the threshold.

23. Severance Pay

23.01   Effective June 30, 2019, there shall be no further accumulation of service for severance pay purposes

24. Hours of Work

24.01   The standard work week shall be from 00:01 Monday to the following Sunday at 24:00 hours.

24.02   Except as provided in 24:07 (a) the scheduled work day and work week for Administrative, Instructional, Technical, and Technical Support Personnel shall be seven hours per day and thirty-five (35) hours per week exclusive of lunch periods.

24.03   The principle of “Averaging” daily hours over a work week may be applied where the averaging of hours is part of the employee’s regular work schedule.

24.04   It is the intention of the Employer that the current working schedules will be maintained. Where it becomes necessary to schedule hours outside these hours, the Employer, except in cases of emergency, will consult in advance with the Union on such hours of work; and in such consultation, will establish that such hours are required to meet the needs of the public and/or the efficient operation of the University.

24.05

  1. Each employee shall be allowed one twenty (20) minute break during the first half of each shift at a time scheduled by the Department Head.
  2. Where a regular posted shift exceeds seven hours any employee so scheduled shall be entitled to a second twenty minute rest period.

24.06   Employees shall not be required to layoff during regular hours to equalize overtime.

24.07   Summer Hours

  1. Summer hours for all Administrative, Instructional, Technical and Technical Support Personnel shall be 32 1/2 hours. Summer hours shall commence on the first Monday of June in each year and continue for thirteen (13) weeks. Time worked in excess of seven (7) hours per day or thirty-five (35) hours per week during this period shall be considered overtime and payment will be made in accordance with the overtime rates set out in Article 26.The employees in the Bonne Bay Aquarium and research Station and other seasonal employees that are employed from June to September shall be exempt from the Summer Hours as listed in Article 24.07 a-d.
  2. In the case of flexible work schedules, overtime will only be paid for time worked in excess of thirty-five (35) hours per week.
    1. When an employee takes the whole day off it will be recorded as seven (7) hours (i.e. 9 – 5 p.m. – actual hours paid)
    2. When an employee takes the whole afternoon off, it will be recorded to include the half hour paid, but not worked, during the summer (i.e. 2 – 4:30 p.m. will be recorded as three hours)
    3. When an employee takes less than the whole afternoon, it will be recorded as actual hours absent from work, excluding the half hour paid but not worked (i.e. 3 – 4:30 p.m. will be recorded as 1 1/2 hours).
  4. For Flexible work schedules, employees who take a full day or an afternoon off will be charged for the half hour paid but not worked.