****UPDATE***
Below is what has been posted on CPC’s website with regards to Special Leave(Child Care) and Quarantine Leave. Please review. These are CPC’s procedures. At this time I do not know if the National Union was involved in discussion or agreed with this process. I will keep the members up-to-date as information becomes available.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Update on Special Leave changes, Quarantine Leave and other important information – March 15, 2020
2020/03/15
Audience: All employees
We understand the current climate and public response to COVID-19 continues to change rapidly, causing increased concern and questions. As the situation evolves, we are working hard to provide information and make changes as quickly as possible to support and protect our people. Our primary goal is to ensure we are doing everything possible to keep employees safe, following the guidance of the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the Government of Canada’s lead for COVID-19.
Over the weekend, we have worked to provide greater clarity and support employees who find themselves under quarantine or struggling with childcare and school closures.
Special Leave (Child Care)
We understand that some parents are dealing with the sudden challenge of school and daycare closures. These circumstances are outside their control and will clearly add stress during an already stressful time.
We want to ensure we are supporting employees to help provide some peace of mind as they seek child-care alternatives. We’ve therefore implemented an immediate three-stage approach which combines existing personal days, special leave provisions and a streamlined process for special cases that require additional leave.
Employees in this situation should talk to their team leaders and continue seeking alternative child-care arrangements. If needed, the following three-stage approach is now in place to help.
- 1. First use any remaining personal days
- 2. Team Leader may approve up to 5 additional days of Special Leave
- 3. If further Special Leave is required following the additional leave, the Team Leader will escalate to their respective General Managers for review and receive a timely decision.
Employees who work in an office setting are encouraged to continue seeking alternative child-care arrangements and talk with their Team Leaders. If needed:
- Discuss the option of working from home with their Team Leader
- This needs to be approved by your General Manager via email, copying your Human Resources Business Partner (HRBP).
Quarantine Leave
We are working to ensure the process for quarantined employees is as simple as possible so those who need it can access paid leave without delay. This applies to the following:
- 1. An employee who exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 or has been in contact with someone exhibiting symptoms – whether they have travelled or not – and must self-quarantine for 14 days.
- 2. An employee who has returned from any international travel, or has been in contact with someone who has returned from international travel and must self-quarantine for 14 days.
Employees are asked to advise their team leader who will open a case with Canada Life and provide further instructions. Canada Life will monitor the case and advise when the employee can safely return to work. In the event the illness persists, the employee may be eligible for STDP.
Please note, on March 13, 2020 the Government of Canada directed all Canadians to cancel non-essential international travel. Therefore, if an employee decided to depart the country following this directive (on or after March 16, 2020) they will not be eligible for paid quarantine leave and will be expected to use other leave available to them such as personal days, annual leave and/or leave without pay.
Thank you for your continued patience and impressive efforts to serve Canadians. These are challenging times and we are working to ensure you are safe and supported. As this situation evolves, so too will our approach.
We will continue to keep you updated on important information and changes. Please go to canadapost.ca and click on I’m an employee at the bottom of the page. We’ve created a dedicated COVID-19 site you can view on any device. You can also visit the Keep wellness in mind site if you feel you need support or contact information for our Employee and Family Assistance Program.