EMPLOYMENT SECURITY FAQS
FOR PIPSC MEMBERS AT DEER LODGE CENTRE
November 2017
1. If I have NOT been deleted, should I opt into the Employment Security Process?
If you have NOT been deleted, you may choose to not opt into the process. If you do not opt in, you will retain your current position UNLESS you are bumped by a deleted nurse who is more senior than you and selects your position at his/her selection meeting.
It is possible for you to be bumped regardless of whether you opt into the process or not - if a deleted nurse who is more senior to you selects your position, you get bumped. Once you have been bumped, you are notified immediately and are slotted in for a selection meeting according to where you are in the seniority list. At this selection meeting, you may choose from available positions Centre-wide.
If you choose to opt into the process, you must do so prior to 4:00pm on Friday, November 10. Once you have opted in, you will be scheduled for a selection meeting on either November 16 or 17. If you opt in, at your selection meeting, you will have the opportunity to choose from vacant positions only.
If you choose to opt into the process and end up NOT getting bumped prior to your selection meeting, you will only have the opportunity to select from vacant positions at your selection meeting, or you may choose to retain your current position at your selection meeting.
The Bottom Line: If you have opted in and attend your selection meeting, you will have the option of selecting a new position from the available vacant positions, or you may choose to retain your current position. If you do not opt in but get bumped and therefore have to attend a selection meeting, you will be able to select from positions Centre-wide. You cannot get bumped after making your selection because at the time of your selection meeting, you are at the top of the list and everyone who will be selecting positions after you has less seniority - the selection meetings are scheduled in order of seniority.
PIPSC Employment Relations Officers will be on hand during the selection meetings on November 16 and 17 to help assist you.
2. If I opt in, when will I be notified of my selection meeting date and time?
If you opt in, the Employer will provide you with your selection meeting date and time. The Employer has stated that you will be notified of your meeting at least 24 hours’ in advance of your meeting. The time of your selection meeting may be subject to change depending on how quickly or slowly the selection meetings ahead of you are completed. Nevertheless, opting into the process affords you a degree of certainty and opportunity to plan your day since you are given a selection meeting date and time, as opposed to being notified last minute of your selection meeting time if you happen to be bumped during the selections. If you are bumped and have not opted in, you will be notified immediately that you have been bumped and will be given a selection meeting date and time according to your seniority.
We highly recommend that you pay close attention to your email and phone during the selection meeting time (November 16 and 17), in case the Employer needs to reach you.
3. Do I have to prepare anything before going into my selection meeting?
Yes. In advance of going into your selection meeting, please use the “Multi Position Selection Form for Meeting” a form that was given to you in your information session package (these forms are also available at Human Resources). Review the finalized schedules that have been posted as of November 6 and select your preferred positions, ranked in order of preference. You may write down as many positions as you like – the form has given space for 20 choices. At your selection meeting (or even before), you will be able to see which positions have already been selected by more senior nurses and therefore crossed out from the schedules. When you go into your selection meeting, you will run through your ranked preferred positions and make your selection.
We highly recommend that you show up at least an hour early for your selection meeting, especially if you are lower on the seniority list. This is because you will need to see what positions have already been crossed out from the schedules as the selections take place, and adjust your ranked preferred positions accordingly.
4. What if I cannot attend my selection meeting?
We very highly recommend attending your selection meeting in person. However, if despite your best efforts you cannot attend your selection meeting in person, you may fill out and submit the Proxy Authorization Form. This form allows you to designate someone else (such as a colleague) to attend your selection meeting and make your selection on your behalf. You will need to go over your instructions regarding your preferred positions with your proxy in advance of your selection meeting. You cannot designate a PIPSC Employment Relations Officer as your proxy. You may call in over the phone during this meeting in order to instruct your proxy in real time. If you want to call in, you must get in touch with a PIPSC Employment Relations Officer in advance in order to make the appropriate arrangements. If you choose not to call in, you will need to ensure that you clearly instruct your proxy in advance regarding your preferences. If you require childcare during your selection meeting time and cannot locate appropriate childcare, please feel free to bring your child(ren) with you to your selection meeting.
5. Is there a limit of only going up or down .2 EFT for any position I select?
No, there is no limit of any kind as to how much EFT you can go up or down when you select your new position.
6. What if I have a current accommodation which may affect my new position?
If you have a current approved accommodation, you are entitled to a position that suits this accommodation. You must get in contact with us and show us the documentation pertaining to your accommodation, and we will ensure that your accommodation is honoured.
7. What if I think I may need an accommodation?
An accommodation is always driven by medical documentation that proves your need for an accommodation. You must obtain documentation from your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional that states your medical restrictions and clarifies the type of accommodation that would be most suitable for you. The Employer has a duty to accommodate you when you are unable to fulfill a job requirement or expectation due to a physical or mental disability. The Employer is required to accommodate you to the point of undue hardship, meaning the Employer must make every reasonable effort to accommodate you. Please get in touch with us if you feel that you may need an accommodation in your new position.
8. What happens to my vacation days or my existing approved vacation?
The Employer has stated that it will make every effort to honour existing approved vacation. Since the implementation of the new rotations will be December 1, there may be some winter vacations that are affected since the Employer may end up with units that have too many nurses scheduled for vacations at the same time. In that case, the Employer has asked that nurses work together to ensure that nurses who have already booked trips or extensive vacations are able to keep those vacations, and that other nurses who are able to reschedule their vacations do so (i.e. have not booked a trip to Mexico but are perhaps just using up some vacation days). There also may be an opportunity for laid off nurses to help fill in for nurses on vacation, as laid off nurses will have an opportunity to pick up additional available shifts.
9. Will the Employer still allow shift exchanges?
Yes. The Collective Agreement states in Article 10.11 the following:
Requests for interchanges in posted shifts shall be submitted in writing co-signed by the Nurse willing to exchange shifts with the applicant and shall be granted where reasonably possible. Interchanges in posted shifts are to be completed within the posted shift schedule. It is understood that any change in shifts or days off initiated by the nurses and approved by the Employer shall not result in overtime costs to the Employer. A decision shall be communicated to the Nurse as soon as scheduling is completed.
The Employer has reassured PIPSC that it intends to fully honour its shift exchange commitment. In the event that you feel you have a request that was not dealt with in a fair manner, please contact PIPSC.
10. What is the Group Self-Scheduling Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and when does it take effect?
The Group Self-Scheduling MOU is an additional benefit that we have added to your current Collective Agreement. It is designed to allow for members to work co-operatively in generating their own schedules based on common interest. The MOU is in the process of being uploaded to http://www.pipsc.ca within the DLC-NU Group next to your current Collective Agreement so that you can review it more fully. The scheduling process is a very democratic system that allows nurses to opt in or out of the program and it contains language to ensure that the schedule that is created does not result in additional costs to the Employer. We have a “gentleperson’s agreement” with the Employer that this group self-scheduling process will NOT be utilized for the first 4-week schedule because it is simply too risky to add this new tool while still managing to honour vacation requests and holiday demands. If the first 4-week schedule goes well, it is possible that the first self-scheduling groups would be underway in early 2018.
PIPSC EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS OFFICERS WILL BE ONSITE AND AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS ON THE FOLLOWING DAYS:
November 8 7:00am-4:00pm
November 9: 7:00am-4:00pm
November 10: 7:00am-4:00pm
Location: Conference Room across from the Learning Centre