Benefits & Services

Vacation Entitlement

PDSs appointed for twelve months or more are entitled to paid vacation as follows:

• 1.25 days per month of service (15 days per year) from the start date to the beginning of the calendar year in which the employee completes 2 years of service; and,
• 1.83 days per month of service (22 days per year) in subsequent years.

PDSs appointed for less than 12 months will receive vacation pay in lieu of the above vacation entitlement. The above vacation entitlements will take effect retroactive to January 1, 2018.

Regulations

The following regulations apply to vacation for PDSs:

• Vacation credits are pro-rated for individuals on a reduced workload.
• Vacation credits accrue starting on January 1 of each year. Vacation credits accrue during maternity, adoption, and parental leaves, during the first 26 weeks on Long Term Disability, and during the first six months on WSIB benefits.
• Vacation must be used in the year it is earned and is scheduled in accordance with operating requirements in consultation with the PDS supervisor. With the approval of the PDS supervisor, a maximum of 10 days may be carried forward to a subsequent year.
• If an employee has certifiable short-term disability leave during a vacation, it is appropriate for the Department to record the time as short-term disability leave and reinstate the corresponding vacation credit.
• If an employee terminates, the University will deduct from the final pay any amount previously paid for used but unearned credits.

Ontario legislation requires that all employees with less than five (5) years of continuous service take at least two weeks of vacation per year when so entitled and employees with more than five (5) years of continuous service take at least three weeks of vacation per year when so entitled.

Note: There is no maximum on the number of days eligible to be carried over to 2019. This applies only to vacation earned in 2018.

PDSs appointed for more than six months with a workload of 35% or more participate in the University Extended Health Care, Life Insurance plans.
After two years of service, PDSs with a workload of 51% or more are also eligible for enrolment in the Dental Plan, the Long-Term Disability Plan and the Pension Plan.

Details are available on the Human Resources Benefits website. International PDSs are required to enroll in the University Health Insurance Plan.

Paid Holidays

All PDSs are entitled to paid holidays in accordance with HR Policy 502 - Paid Holidays.

Leaves of Absence

As applicable under the policies, PDSs are entitled to leaves in accordance with HR Policy 500 – Personal Emergency Leave and HR Policy 501 – Leaves of Absence.

Leaves of absence do not extend the term of a PDS’s contract with the University and those whose predetermined contract expires while on leave may not be entitled to return to a job.

Leave Entitlement

Should a PDS be prevented from performing their duties due to illness, the University shall provide the PDS with short-term disability (sick) leave on the following basis:

• 3 working days in the first three months of employment;
• an additional 10 working days after 3 months of employment;
• 13 days short term disability renewable on the employee’s anniversary date.

Regulations

• Short-term disability leave credits expire on an employee’s anniversary date.
• Termination of employment, for whatever reason, does not entitle an employee to compensation for unused short term medical leave credits
• In the event of an illness, the PDS should inform their faculty supervisor as soon as possible. For absences of five or more days, a PDS may be required to provide medical evidence to Occupational Health and Wellness verifying the illness. The University may require evidence for shorter absences.
• When a PDS is compensated by WSIB for a disability, the University will continue the PDS salary up to the limit of accumulated sick leave. The PDS must reimburse the University for compensation received for which the University paid the full salary. Upon return to work, sick leave used for the period payable under WSIB will be reinstated.
• If a paid holiday occurs in a period of paid sick leave, the University will record it as a paid holiday and not a day of sick leave.

The University of Guelph offers an Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) to eligible employees and their immediate family members in need of confidential, professional counselling for personal, family, relationship, and wellness issues.

• Effective September 1, 2019, access to the EFAP program will be extended to any temporary full-time (TFT) and part-time (PT) Postdoctoral Scholars and family members. To be eligible, PDS's will require appointments greater than 6 months and workloads greater than 35%.

• Under this program, access to confidential counselling is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for personal, family, relationship and wellness issues through the University's EFAP provider, Homewood Employee Health by calling 1-800-663-1142.

• Effective September 1, 2019, all faculty and staff will have access to a subsidized membership for use of the on-campus athletics facilities.

• This subsidy reduces the annual fee to 25% of the normal base fee.  This subsidy does not cover ancillary services and charges. 

• With the extension of this program to all faculty and staff on campus the 75% fee subsidy will no longer be considered a taxable benefit.