Voluntary Reduced Workweek

1:01 The VRW Program provides employees with an opportunity to request up to 10 days of leave of absence without pay (VRW days) during the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The reduction in pay will occur during the 24 pay periods from April 21, 2024 to March 22, 2025. Employees will continue to receive their adjusted bi-weekly pay during the pay period(s) when VRW days are being used.

2:01 The Voluntary Reduced Workweek (VRW) Program applies to the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2025.
2:02 Where operational requirements and services to the public permit, programs may be operated with reduced out of scope staffing levels by allowing employees who are scheduled to work to take up to 10 days of leave of absence without pay. However, no closures of facilities or offices will be permitted and your scope of responsibility will remain unchanged.
2:03 Pay reductions will be over the remaining 24 pay periods in the current fiscal year.
2:04 No increased overtime costs shall be incurred as a result of approving VRW days.
2:05 Where VRW days could otherwise result in unacceptable backlogs being created and/or excessive delays in service and/or a requirement to work staff on an overtime basis, supervisors/managers are expected to retain sufficient staff at work to avoid these problems.
2:06 Under this voluntary program, eligible employees may request up to 10 days of leave of absence without pay (VRW days).
2:07 The VRW program allows employees to request a VRW “day” off. A “day”, for the purposes of the VRW request, is considered to be an employee’s regular work day. The time is to be taken in full days, no half days.
2:08 Employees may request days to be taken at any time during the current fiscal year up to March 31, 2025.
However, employees will be approved to take their leaves of absence on days only when operational requirements permit.
2:09 An approved VRW day will be treated as a regular working day for the purposes of accumulated service calculations.
2:10 Employees will not be permitted to “cash out” vacation, overtime, compensatory leave or holidays to offset the impact of the VRW Program. Employees will also not be permitted to use any form of leave with pay to offset the impact of the Program; e.g. sick leave, compassionate leave, vacation, etc.
2:11 Once an employee has requested and been approved to take up to 10 VRW days, the employee must take the time off.

4:01 Employees may apply for up to 10 days leave of absence without pay (VRW days) to be used before March 31, 2025.
4:02 Request For Leave (RFL) forms specifying the number of days requested and the date of each VRW day must be submitted on the RFL form to the Manager/Director by April 5, 2024.
4:03 The Manager/Director will review each application and will approve all or part of the request subject to operational requirements and service to the public.
4:04 Applications received after April 5, 2024 can be considered by management subject to scheduling and operational requirements at the time of the request.
4:05 Managers/Directors will advise employees of their approved and/or denied VRW days by April 12, 2024.
4:06 Once an employee has requested and been approved to take up to 10 VRW days, the employee is required to take the time off. The employee cannot cancel or change the total number of approved VRW days. Subject to the approval of the Manager/Director, the specific dates of the approved leave may be varied.
4:07 With appropriate notice, an employee may be required to work on a scheduled VRW day. An alternate VRW day may be scheduled within the fiscal year with the agreement of the employee and the employer

5:01 Where an employee has been approved for between 1 and 10 VRW days, Payroll will determine the
appropriate pay reduction for each pay period between April 21, 2024 to March 22, 2025. This allows the financial impact of the VRW days to be spread out.
5:02 The pay reduction for the VRW program will be calculated based on an employee’s rate of pay as of April 1, 2024.
5:03 The reduction in pay will occur during the 24 pay periods from April 21, 2024 to March 22, 2025 Employees will continue to receive their adjusted bi-weekly pay during the pay period(s) when VRW days are being used.
5:04 If applicable, VRW pay reductions will be retroactively adjusted to reflect new rates of pay as a result of any general pay increase. The retroactive pay adjustment will occur at same time as implementation of any general pay increase.
5:05 If an employee’s pay is reduced on a bi-weekly basis due to participation in the VRW program, and the employee subsequently leaves the employ of Southern Health-Santé Sud any VRW-related overpayment or underpayment will be adjusted by Southern Health-Santé Sud.
5:06 If an employee incurs a reduction in their salary (not including layoff, termination or resignation), the
employee may cancel their participation in the current year’s program by submitting their request in writing to their Manager/Director and Payroll within two (2) weeks of incurring the reduction. All remaining VRW days will be cancelled and any VRW-related overpayment or underpayment will be adjusted by Payroll.

6:01 Approved VRW days will be treated as a regular working day for the purpose of accumulated service
calculations. Your pension benefits will be impacted as pension benefits are based on your pension contributions. There will be no pension contributions when you are on VRW days.