D-160-AR Appendix 1: Support Staff Transfers
Special Edition for Support Staff
Placement Procedures and Timelines for Support Staff
When a support staff position is eliminated or a reduction in hours occurs, principals/supervisors must identify the incumbent staff member for division placement or layoff. The following procedures apply.
1. Definitions
Division Placement: Division placement occurs when a regular (continuous) employee is placed by the human resources department/student services supervisor in a position within the division. There are two types of division placements:
1.1. Phase 1: A Phase 1 Division Placement occurs when a regular (continuous) employee who is without a position is placed by the human resources department/student services supervisor in a vacant position in the division, without that position being posted.
1.2. Phase 2: A Phase 2 Division Placement occurs when a regular (continuous) employee who is without a position, after phase 1, chooses to ask human resources to facilitate their placement according to seniority rights as outlined below.
1.2.1. Consistent with the philosophy of layoff, the position of the least senior staff member (clause 9.1 of the collective agreement) will be made available as the placement for the individual requiring a Phase 2 Division Placement, provided that the individual is qualified and capable of doing the work.
1.2.2. It is noted that procedure 3.6 provides additional detail as to how the seniority is to be considered.
2. Guidelines
2.1. Staff placement forms (survey) are sent to all staff via email in February, requesting information on their intentions and requests for the next school year. The requests for staff initiated transfers will be gathered through this process. When the surveys are completed, human resources compiles and distributes the information to principals for use in the staff placement process. This is a confidential document and the information will not be shared with staff or the public.
2.2. School administrators will be given an opportunity to recommend a staff member for a transfer (admin. Initiated transfer), after having personally stated their intent to the individual.
2.3. Central office administrators will, where necessary, initiate the transfer of staff (central office initiated transfer).
2.4. In the spring, the human resources department/student services supervisor will work with schools to identify support staff positions for the coming school year. Principals/supervisors will inform the human resources department/student services supervisor of any change in support staff classification or FTE.
2.4.1. Every effort will be made by the human resources department/student services supervisor to maintain employee assignments from the previous school year.
2.5. Overall, the projected staffing level will be aligned with the budget by the end of the first week in June. If this is not possible, the principals/supervisors will require the approval of the associate superintendent to vary from the budget. Should the situation necessitate, principals/supervisor will identify staff for Phase 1 Division Placement, by the end of the second week of June.
2.6. If a position is reduced by one (1.0) or more hours, the incumbent in the position will be given the choice of accepting the reduction in their assignment, or be considered for Phase 1 Division Placement.
2.7. The human resources department/student services supervisor will work with schools to place those individuals who are being considered for division placement in vacant positions for which they are qualified.
2.8. Those staff who have not been placed by June 15 will have the choice of:
2.8.1. asking the human resources department to facilitate a Phase 2 Division Placement
2.8.2. accept lay off (effective the last operational day of the current school year for 10-month employees and the first operational day of the next school year for 12-month staff).
3. Placement Procedures
3.1. When a change in need occurs, or a reduction in staff is necessary at a school/site, the principal/supervisor will consider division seniority (where appropriate), program needs, required support (PD), and the division’s commitment to try to maintain assignments from the previous school year to identify the surplus staff member in the classification where the reduction is to occur.
3.2. The principal/supervisor (with the approval of the human resources department) shall consult with the identified staff member privately and confirm with the human resources department/student services supervisor the need for a Phase 1 Division Placement for the affected individual.
3.2.1. If the individual’s position is reduced in hours, the individual may choose to accept the lesser hours or ask to be considered for Phase 1 Division Placement. Lesser hours refers to a decrease of one (1.0) or more hour reduction than what was assigned at the start of the school year. For example: if the assigned hours, at the start of the school year were 4.5 hours per day and over the course of the year the hours were increased to 5.5 hours per day, and the new school year assignment is for 4.0 hours per day. This would be considered a decrease of 0.5 hours per day (4.5 – 4.0) therefore does not qualify for Phase 1 Division Placement.
3.3. Individuals requiring Phase 1 Division Placement:
3.3.1. Employee will be notified by their principal to call the human resources department. Human resources will offer a position or choice of positions, within their classification level, from those vacancies that are available, provided that they meet the desired criteria for the position(s).
3.3.2. A twenty-four (24) hour time period will be provided for the individual to talk to principals/supervisors (or others) regarding the choice(s) made available to them. The individual will be asked to contact the human resources department within the allowed time period to indicate their decision. Any support staff member not replying with the time period allowed may be placed without consultation, unless an extension is granted.
3.4. By mid-June, staff not yet placed for the coming school year are responsible for completing, and returning to the human resources department, a Support Staff Information Form indicating whether they will request a Phase 2 Division Placement or to accept lay-off. The form is available from the human resources department.
3.5. Individuals requesting lay-off will be held on the recall list. The human resources department will advise them of the recall process and procedures.
3.6. An individual asking human resources to facilitate a Phase 2 Division Placement may be considered for replacing staff members with the least seniority on the seniority list who have the same FTE (hours), classification level, and 10 or 12-month status.
3.6.1. The individual must have the qualifications, experience and ability to fulfill the normal requirements of the position.
3.6.2. Individuals not accepting the position will forfeit their recall rights and have their employment terminated immediately.
3.7. Those individuals who have not been placed by the end of the second week of school will be laid off and placed on the recall list.
4. Recall of Support Staff from Layoff
4.1. Individuals on layoff will be offered, in order of seniority, positions from the same seniority list that are of equal FTE (hours), 10 or 12 month status and of the same classification level provided they are qualified and capable to do the work.
4.2. Individuals who refuse recall to a position that is equal on the seniority list, FTE (hours), and 10 or 12 month status will forfeit their recall rights and have their employment terminated immediately.
4.2.1. If an individual has worked their entire career in one sector (K-6 or 7-12) and is offered a position in the other sector, consideration may be given to allow the employee to refuse the position and to maintain their recall rights and employment. This, however, would have no effect on the deadline referred to in procedure 4.4.
4.3. No new employees will be hired for a position that could be filled by someone on the layoff list until those individuals have been considered for the position. (Note: This does not mean they must be interviewed.)
4.4. Individuals not securing a permanent position by the end of their 12-month recall period will have their employment with the division terminated.
5. Special Circumstances
5.1. In certain circumstances, support staff who are at the end of their career may be considered by division administrators for a special contractual arrangement whereby they continue to be employed, on a part-time basis for one year, after resigning from their full-time contracts.
5.2. Only in these special situations, that are approved by the superintendent or designate, will the temporary part-time positions not be considered as open positions and, as such, will not be posted/advertised.
5.3. The deadline for support staff who would like to be considered for a special temporary contractual arrangement whereby they continue to be employed, on a part-time basis, after resigning from their full-time contract is March 1 st . The employee must make a request, in writing to the superintendent or designate, on or before March 1 st of the current school year.
5.4. In deciding whether such special contractual arrangements will be offered for the next school year, the following factors will be taken into consideration by division administration:
5.4.1. division staffing needs; and
5.4.2. the division’s ability to cover the related additional costs (i.e. benefits).
5.5. Should division administration decide to proceed, no more than 2 special contractual positions will be offered for the school year and, as was the case in the past, the positions will not be considered as open positions and will not be posted/ advertised.
5.6. Under extraordinary circumstances, the superintendent or designate may approve additional special contractual positions.
6. Personal Leaves
6.1. As per Administration Regulation D-640, the Board of Trustees authorizes the superintendent, or designate, to grant extended leaves for the purposes of personal and professional growth and development, secondment and exchange programs.
6.1.1. Extended leaves are for a period of one year; however, at the discretion of the superintendent or designate and at the request of the staff member, such leaves may be extended to a maximum of two years.
6.1.2. An extended leave will:
6.1.2.1. have no detrimental effect on the provision of programs and services to students;
6.1.2.2. be at no cost to the division; and
6.1.2.3. be considered only if an employee has permanent status and has been employed with the division for at least three years.
6.1.3. Support staff returning from extended leaves are not guaranteed a return to their previous assignment or school.
6.1.4. Employees requesting an extended leave for the upcoming school year must make a request in writing to the superintendent or designate on or before March 31 st of the current school year.
6.1.5. Employees currently on leave shall notify the superintendent or designate in writing of their intent to return from an extended leave or to request a further extended leave for the upcoming year on or before March 31 st of the current school year.
References
Board/CUPE Collective Agreement, clauses 9 and 10
Board Policy D-160, Support Staff Transfers
Administration Regulations D-160-AR, Support Staff Transfers