Contract Benefits & Leaves

Benefits

Contract faculty members are eligible for the following benefits:

• Health Spending Account ($500)
• Extended Health Care
• Dental Care
• Basic Life Insurance ($25,000)

The total cost of benefits premiums (excluding the Health Spending Account) is shared between the Board and the contract faculty member.  The contract faculty member will pay no more than 50% of the total cost of the dental premium and no more than 25% of the total cost of the extended health care premium.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the specific category of contract work:

Lecturer:  Minimum teaching load of 96 SICH (generally equal to 2 sections) during each of the fall and winter semesters in a continuous 12-month period; eligible for benefits at the start of the third consecutive semester, as long as the teaching load is 96 SICH or more.  If the third consecutive semester is the spring or summer semester, the required minimum teaching load is 48 SICH (generally equal to 1 section). Further details provided in Article 16.

Librarian:  Minimum workload of 25 hours per week during consecutive semesters in a continuous 12-month period; eligible for benefits at the start of the third consecutive semester, as long as the workload is 25 hours or more.  Further details provided in Article 16.

Counsellor or Clinical Instructor:  Minimum combined teaching load of clinical and SICH of 95 per semester for fall and winter semesters in a continuous 12-month period; eligible for benefits at the start of the third consecutive semester, as long as the combined teaching load of clinical and SICH is 95 or more.  Further details provided in Article 16.

Laboratory Instructor:  Minimum teaching load per semester of 225 lab SICH during each of the fall and winter semesters in a continuous 12-month period; eligible for benefits at the start of the third consecutive semester, as long as the teaching load is 225 lab SICH or more.  If the third consecutive semester is the spring or summer semester, the required minimum teach load is 112.5 lab SICH.  Further details provided in Article 16.  Need to verify the “section equivalent”

Contract faculty may continue benefits over the spring and summer semesters as follows:

• Those who qualified for benefits in the winter semester and can produce a contract signed by the dean indicating their qualification for the summer semester, may continue their benefits over the spring semester as long as they remain on all enrolled plans and prepay 100% of the benefit premiums.
• Those who qualified for benefits in the spring semester and can produce a contract signed by the dean indicating their qualification for the fall semester, may continue their benefits over the summer semester as long as they remain on all enrolled plans and prepay 100% of the benefit premiums.

Contract faculty members are not entitled to vacation; however, they receive no less than 8% of their gross salary as vacation pay.

Leaves

Illness:  A contract faculty member is entitled to full salary during illness for a maximum of 4 SICH for each 16 SICH contracted per semester (generally equal to 4 weeks per semester).

 Bereavement and Compassionate Care:  In the event of the death of a spouse or other immediate family member, a contract faculty member is allowed bereavement leave with pay for a period of seven consecutive days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays).  The dean may grant additional leave when warranted (on a case-by-case basis).

Compassionate Care:  Contract faculty who qualify for Compassionate Care Benefits per the provisions of the Employment Insurance Compassionate Care Benefits plan are entitled to a leave of up to 28 weeks.  They have the right to return to their position either before or after the end of the 28-week period as long as their contract has not expired.