WETASKIWIN COMMUNITY
TRANSPORTATION SOCIETY
PERSONNEL POLICY
1. INTRODUCTION
It is the intent and objective of this policy:
- That the Wetaskiwin Community Transportation Society (WCTS) and its
Employees provide efficient and effective operation of service to our clients.
- To promote a positive relationship between the WCTS and its Employees
- To establish conditions of employment to be observed and respected by both
parties.
The Alberta Employment Standards Act and any other laws shall govern personnel
matters not covered by these policies and those in contraventions of the law, where
applicable, and rules and regulations attached thereto-affecting residents of Alberta.
2. ARTICLES
A
INTERPRETATIONS & DEFINITIONS
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
B
“Employer” shall mean the Wetaskiwin Community Transportation
Society and include such personnel to whom the Board has delegated
certain authorities as specified in this Policy to carry out administrative
and managerial duties in respect to the operation of the organization.
“The Board” shall mean the Board of the Wetaskiwin Community
Transportation Society.
“Employee” shall mean an individual employed by the Wetaskiwin
Community Transportation Society to do work and who is in receipt of or
entitled to wages.
“Permanent Full-time Employee” shall mean anyone who is regularly
required to work an average of 37.5 hours per week as established in the
shift schedules and who has successfully completed their probation.
“Permanent part-time Employee” shall mean anyone who is regularly
required to work shifts as established by the shift schedule and whose
hours are less than 37.5 per week but greater than an average 30 hours per
week and has successfully completed their probation.
“Other Employee” shall include any casual, temporary, or part-time hire
with less than 30 hours per week.
“Probationary Employee” means an employee who has not completed
the required 6-month probationary period.
MANAGEMENT’S RIGHTS
(i)
The Wetaskiwin Community Transportation Society on its own behalf,
and on behalf of its Member Municipalities, hereby retains and reserves
unto itself, without limitation, all powers, rights, authority, duties, and
responsibilities conferred upon and vested it by the Laws of the Province
of Alberta, and Bylaws, and including all those historical, traditional,, and
residual rights of management not specifically limited by expressed terms
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within this policy, whether or not the same have been exercised, including
but not limited to the following:
The authority to:
(a) Establish and amend the organizational structure of the WCTS and its
management office.
(b) Approve changes to the position schedule established through prior
budgetary measures.
(c) Handle any personnel matter relating to the Transportation
Coordinator.
(d) Enter into any employment service or labour contract.
(e) Make a final and binding ruling on a grievance.
(f) Approve salary and wage schedule.
(g) Terminate the employment of employees.
(ii)
The Transportation Coordinator will be responsible for the management
and administration of the Personnel Policy. Some of the specific aspects
of that responsibility are but not limited to the following:
(a) Annually preparing a salary/pay grid for Board approval in line with
current competitive rates.
(b) Setting rates of pay for all employees within the schedule.
(c) Setting probationary period of all employees.
(d) Termination of employment, granting of leaves, personal days, &
granting carry-over of vacations to the next year.
(e) Approval of job descriptions and shifts.
(f) Final authority over any of the personnel matters of any and all
employees.
(g) Final disciplinary actions.
(iii)
Under the authority and supervision of the Transportation Coordinator, the
Dispatcher will be responsible for the following personnel matters relating
to drivers:
(a) Supervision of all drivers. Placement of advertisements of position
vacancies, evaluating applications, appointments, performance
evaluation, training and supervision, salary increases and decreases of
all employees.
(b) Development of shift schedules.
(c) Submission and verification of time sheets.
(d) Employee data sheets.
(e) Disciplinary action.
(f) Any other duties as assigned by the Transportation Coordinator.
(iv)
The Board will approve a schedule of rates of pay with a maximum and a
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minimum for all positions. The Transportation Coordinator may increase
the rate of pay of any employee within range of their position. Board
approval of yearly hours allocated for staffing will be given during the
annual budget process. A schedule and rationale of hours required for the
operation of the organization/each project must be submitted.
C
PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES
(i)
(ii)
D
New employees shall serve a probationary period of six (6) months.
A probationary employee may be discharged at any time during the
probationary period when WCTS considers it advisable to do so.
TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT
After probation has been completed, the following rules shall apply:
(i)
-
the WCTS and its employees shall adhere to the rules as set out in
Employment Standards with respect to notice for dismissal or leaving
employment.
(ii)
If your employment is terminated without cause you will be entitled to the
minimum notice as set out in Section 56 of the Employment Standards
Code:
One (1) week, if employed for more than six (6) months but less than two (2)
years.
Two (2) weeks, if employed for more than two (2) years but less than four (4)
years.
Four (4) weeks, if employed for more than four (4) years but less than six (6)
years.
Five (5) weeks, if employed for more than six (6) years but less than eight (8)
years.
Six (6) weeks, if employed for more than eight (8) years but less than ten (10)
years.
Eight (8) weeks, if employed for ten (10) years or more.
(iii) A probationary employee may be terminated at any time without notice.
(iv)
Employees subject to an employment contract other than outlined in this
policy must be terminated under the terms of that contract.
(v)
An employee who is absent from his/her position for one (1) day without
notifying the WCTS and obtaining permission may be terminated.
(vi)
The WCTS may give two (2) weeks pay at the employee’s normal rate in
lieu of notice.
(vii) The WCTS may fire an employee without notice for just cause. Just cause
includes but is not limited to:
(a)
Gross negligence (i.e. driving unsafe, not following policies as
outlined in the Driver’s handbook, etc.)
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(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
E
Drinking on the job, or working under the influence.
Drug abuse on the job, or working under the influence.
Violation of Policy (i.e. accepting/stealing money or effects from a
client, abuse of a client)
Abuse of company property.
HOURS OF WORK
(i)
Driver work shifts are arranged to provide service to the community from
Monday to Sunday.
(a)
Drivers who are ill, injured, or unable to make their designated
shift are to contact the Dispatcher or the designated authority
before their shift so that appropriate replacements may be found.
(ii)
Any employee with scheduled hours will be requested to sign an overtime
agreement to work overtime.
(iii) Driver rest and lunch breaks are as follows:
(a)
During each shift of seven (7) hours or more, a driver is entitled to
two (15) minute breaks and one sixty (60) minute non-paid lunch
break.
(b)
Breaks are not to be taken inside a Handi-van.
(iv)
All drivers shall keep a daily record of hours worked and submit this to the
Dispatcher at the end of each pay period.
(v)
The Dispatcher shall work Monday to Friday from 0800 to 1700 hours.
They shall have two (2) fifteen minute breaks and one sixty (60) minute
non-paid lunch break.
(vi)
At the end of each pay period, the Dispatcher will submit their timesheet
to the Transportation Coordinator.
(vii) Employees are to be ready to work at the start of their shift.
(a)
Failure to appear for your scheduled shift will be cause for
Management to replace you for the shift and may be cause for
dismissal.
(b)
Drivers shall not be allowed to exchange runs or shifts except by
permission of the Dispatcher.
(viii) If a driver is called in to work for trips he/she is not originally scheduled
for, the driver will be paid for three (3) hours work if the work time is less
than three (3) hours. If the work time is greater than three (3) hours, they
will be paid for the actual amount of time worked. The time required to
drive from home to work (and back) is not considered work time.
F
OVERTIME
-
(i)
Overtime is:
All time authorized and scheduled by the WCTS and worked by the employee
more than the eight (8) hours per day or forty (40) hours per week.
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-
G
The rate of pay for overtime shall be time and one-half.
There shall be no pyramiding of extra or overtime hours in the calculation of pay.
Employees shall not be entitled to more than time and one-half for any hours
worked except in the case of Statutory Holidays as outlined in Section H (iv).
WAGES AND PAY DAYS
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
H
Employees will be paid on a monthly basis.
Pay is deposited directly in the employees’ bank account. At the time of
hire, all new employees will be asked for their banking information for the
account they wish their pay to be deposited to. Any changes to an
employee’s account must be submitted two (2) weeks prior to payday to
avoid a two (2) week delay in receiving your pay.
Cut off day is the last of each month. Time sheets must be handed in to
the Dispatcher by the 1st day of the following month. Remuneration will
only be calculated for the time submitted.
Errors in pay must be reported within five (5) days after payday in order
for verification and correction on the following pay.
Final pay will be withheld until verified by the Transportation Coordinator
that all keys and property of the WCTS have been returned. Record of
Employment and T-4s will be mailed to the last known address unless
otherwise advised by the employee.
STATUTORY HOLIDAYS
(i)
(ii)
All employees who have completed thirty (30) working days of
employment shall be entitled to the following holidays:
 New Year’s Day
 Family Day
 Good Friday
 Easter Monday
 Victoria Day
 Canada Day
 Heritage Day
 Labour Day
 Thanksgiving Day
 Remembrance Day
 Christmas Day
 Boxing Day
If a Statutory or named holiday falls on a day that would normally have
been a working day and the employee does not work on that day, if they
have worked 5 of the prior 9 of those days, they will receive remuneration
for the averaged hours for that day.
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(iii)
(iv)
(v)
I
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)
(vii)
J
The employee must have worked their last scheduled shift before the
holiday and the first scheduled shift after the holiday, except where an
absence is permitted by the WCTS, and must have worked for the WCTS
for thirty (30) working days during the last twelve (12) months.
Upon meeting the requirements for working the stat, a casual or part-time
employee will be paid time and a half for working a statutory holiday.
If a Statutory holiday falls on a permanent full-time staff member’s
regularly scheduled day off, the employee will get a day off with pay
within thirty (30) days of the holiday.
A ‘Leave of Absence’ is a written authorization for any employee to be
absent from work without pay for a defined period. This is to be approved
in advance by the Transportation Coordinator (or if the Transportation
Coordinator is the one requesting, the Board).
All requests for leave shall be made in writing and at least one (1) month
in advance before the beginning of the leave. In situations of an
unforeseen or emergency nature, the employee’s request shall be made as
soon as possible after the need is noted.
Any employee who is on leave of absence and fails to return to work on
the date granted by the WCTS shall be deemed to have abandoned his/her
position.
In leaves of absence for periods of greater than three (3) months, the
Transportation Coordinator (or the Board, if the requestor is the
Transportation Coordinator) may find it necessary to fill the vacancy
created on an interim or permanent basis.
During the course of a leave of absence the employee’s seniority will
remain at the same position as if he/she were at work. Any benefits will
continue but at the total expense/responsibility of the employee who must
pay the WCTS with post-dated cheques for the duration of the leave.
Vacation time, accumulated statutory holiday time, and personal days or
overtime days for the year must be used before a leave of absence.
Leave of absence is not to be assumed without the express written consent
of the Transportation Coordinator (or the Board, if the requestor is the
Transportation Coordinator).
MATERNITY AND PATERNITY LEAVE
(i)
(ii)
Maternity/Paternity leave without pay or benefits will be granted for
pregnancy to full-time and part-time employees.
An employee who is pregnant shall not be retained on staff during the
eight (8) weeks prior to delivery or after such time as her ability to carry
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(iii)
(iv)
(v)
K
EDUCATIONAL LEAVE
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
L
out her work becomes limited in the opinion of the Transportation
Coordinator (or the Board, if the requestor is the Transportation
Coordinator).
The employee must give the employer two weeks notice of intention to
return to work and shall be reinstated in the position and rate of pay she/he
occupied at the time her/his maternity/paternity leave commenced.
During the course of maternity/paternity leave the employee’s seniority
will remain at the same position as if she/he were at work. A Record of
Employment will be issued for the employee to obtain government
benefits. Any benefits with the WCTS will be suspended during the leave
and will be reinstated upon returning to work.
A one-day leave will be granted to the father to attend the birth of his
child. In addition, a one-day leave will be granted to either a father or a
mother to attend the adoption of their child.
The Transportation Coordinator (or the Board, if the requestor is the
Transportation Coordinator) may approve absence with pay for courses
that are deemed to benefit the WCTS.
Cost of registration or materials for a course may be approved by the
Transportation Coordinator (or the Board, if the requestor is the
Transportation Coordinator) subject to the budget.
Mileage and expenses will be covered at the current rates subject to the
budget.
Experience and academics go hand in hand no matter where you are
employed and the WCTS feels training on the job as well as off the job is
important. Therefore, all employees are urged to attend all available
training opportunities.
All employees are required to hold and keep current the following:
(a)
Emergency First Aid and CPR
(b)
AED
(c)
Suicide Prevention
CIVIC OBLIGATIONS
(i)
(ii)
Time off without loss of pay will be granted when necessary for the
fulfilling of civic obligations such as jury duty or voting.
WCTS will only reimburse an employee for the difference between any
fees or moneys he/she received for obligations such as jury duty and the
regular wage he/she would have received.
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M
MISCELLANEOUS
(i)
Employees are to carry out the objectives of the WCTS and follow the
rules and regulations established by the Society.
(ii)
Employees are prohibited from conducting business with clients of WCTS
resulting in the possibility of financial or material gain for themselves or
their relatives.
(iii) Employees are prohibited from receiving gifts or gratuities from clients or
firms with which the WCTS conducts business.
(iv)
Christmas gifts may be accepted.
(v)
Employees shall address each other and clients in a courteous manner.
Foul language, obscene comments and gestures are not permitted. Staff
and clients should be addressed by name and not by endearments such as
‘honey’, ‘sweetie’, etc.
(vi)
Mandatory staff meetings are paid meetings and form part of each
employee’s job. Failure to attend may be deemed as failure to show up for
work and will be reflected upon in the annual performance appraisal and
could also lead to termination of employment.
(vii) Workplace safety and risk management are of the highest priority for the
WCTS. All employees are to be careful and alert. Keep everything in its
proper place, keep all equipment in good condition, handle all equipment
properly and intelligently at all times. Any defect or disrepair of
equipment should be reported promptly.
(viii) The borrowing of WCTS property for personal use is prohibited without
written permission from the Transportation Coordinator. Any damage or
loss incurred during personal use will be billed directly to the employee.
(ix)
No personal telephone calls or personal meetings are allowed while on
duty except in an emergency. Personal long distance calls on WCTS cell
phones are prohibited. Any personal long distance calls made from a
WCTS land line or received on a WCTS cell phone will be charged back
to the employee making or receiving the calls in question. Personal cell
phones may be carried but are not to be used during the work period.
Personal cell phones are to be silenced while on duty and responded to
only during scheduled breaks.
N
DRESS/ATTIRE
(i)
(ii)
All staff shall present themselves in a respectable manner:
Clean clothes, no holes, rips and tears
No offensive slogans or graphics on their clothing
No offensive jewelry or other accessories
All staff shall avoid the use of excessive colognes or other scented
products out of respect for any clients who may have any allergy issues.
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O
EMPLOYEE CONDUCT
(i)
All staff shall treat other staff, clients, and members of the general public
with courtesy and respect.
Zero tolerance will be given for physical and/or verbal abuse of other
staff, clients, and members of the general public.
(a) Violation of this directive shall result in immediate termination
(ii)
P
GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
(i)
(ii)
-
-
-
Q
PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
R
A grievance is defined as any difference arising out of the interpretation,
application, administration, or alleged violation of this policy.
The following steps shall be followed in an effort to resolve a grievance in
an expeditious manner:
Step One: Any grievance of an employee shall first be taken up between
such employee and the Transportation Coordinator within fourteen (14)
days of the occurrence.
Step Two: Failing settlement in Step One, and within fourteen (14) days
of the Transportation Coordinator’s written response, the grievance may
be reduced to writing and presented at a meeting between the employee,
the Transportation Coordinator, and the President of WCTS.
Step Three: Failing settlement in Step Two, and within fourteen (14) days
of the President’s written response, the grievance may be taken to a
meeting f the Board of Directors. Board decision is final.
A performance evaluation for each employee shall be completed at the end
of an employee’s probation and annually in November of each year (or as
performance dictates).
The performance evaluation may result in the extension of existing
probation or the implementation of a special probationary period.
The WCTS Board may approve wage increases based on the employees’
performance evaluations as presented by the Transportation Coordinator.
ACTING PAY
(i)
An employee required to serve temporarily in a position of higher
authority for greater than 5 business days will be paid at the minimum rate
of that position for the duration of the temporary role. Remuneration must
be equal or higher than the normal rate of pay for the employee and will
include a mix of regular and expanded duties.
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S
NEW EMPLOYEES
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
All employees must complete the following forms on their first day of
employment:
(a)
Letter of Acceptance or Change of Position
(b)
Agreement to Conditions of Employment
(c)
Keys/Security Access Issue & Control Receipt
(d)
TD1
(e)
Direct Deposit (with a void cheque)
All employees are required to produce a Criminal Record Check in
compliance with the “Protection for Persons In Care” Act.
All drivers are required to produce a current Driver’s Abstract.
All vacant permanent positions will be advertised and posted.
When filling vacant positions, preference may be given to present
employees, subject to seniority, suitability, and qualifications.
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