I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e . . .

I want to take this Summer edition of the Impact as an opportunity to give a brief update on the results of the survey

we conducted with the Membership in May 2017. A more detailed report will be released in the Fall. Of note, not as many CEU Members completed this survey compared to the participation rate of our last survey, conducted in 2011. In 2011, 1,348 of 2,000 Members contacted completed the survey questionnaire. Th is year, 2,660 Members were sent a survey and 835 Members completed the questionnaire. We are disappointed by the response rate as it leaves us with a margin of error of 2.8%, and a confi dence level of 95%. In addition, the survey company cautioned that as online surveys are self-selecting, the respondents who did complete the survey may or may not be fully representative of their group.

I have requested a further analysis from Ipsos based on responses from specifi c classifi cations that had higher rates of return. Th is may give us some more reliable data on certain topics. Again, this information will come out in the Fall, 2017.

Despite the lower response rate, the survey company results can provide some conclusions and implications as noted in the Executive Summary: • Overall job satisfaction is high among CEU

members but is being supressed by concerns about workloads that are considered unreasonable or unevenly distributed. Th is is a recurring theme throughout the survey results, appearing unprompted as both the top issue that members would most like the CEU to focus on, as well as the workforce change they would most like to see. Job satisfaction could also be improved if members felt they were being given more opportunities for job training and growth.

• Despite having generally positive perceptions of their work environment, members are less convinced that threats of violence are eff ectively

addressed, that their workplace promotes psychological well being, or that WCB’s processes and procedures improve job performance.

• CEU members do not have a high degree of trust or confi dence in the managers and Senior Executive at WCB. Th is may be due in part to a perception that changes in their workplace are not being handled well. Less than 1/3 of survey participants believe that changes are well managed, and even fewer believe that the changes themselves lead to improvements in the state of things.

• Members largely believe the CEU is eff ective in keeping them informed, relevant to them, and that they understand the CEU’s role. At the same time, there is room for improving workplace conditions, addressing harassment and discrimination, and a better understanding of the needs of the members.

Th is high-level analysis tells me your CEU Executive has some work to do! Although 66% of respondents say they are satisfi ed with the job the CEU is doing, there are clearly some areas where we need to improve. Your Executive has been aware of these problems, and have been working on them. Th e survey results confi rm for us that these are the areas in which we should focus.

We need to continue to press Employer Representatives to take action on workload concerns and implement meaningful changes. We need to re-examine the Harassment processes and threats of violence responses to see what changes can be made to better represent you. Look for more detailed information on the survey results later this year.

we conducted with the Membership in May 2017. A more

I m p a c t AUGUST 2017 COMPENSATION EMPLOYEES’ UNION

Message from the PresidentAugust 2017

What you should know about Sick Leave..... 2

Steward spotlight - Ron Woodland ............... 4

You should become familiar with your rights and obligations regarding sick leave so that you know what to do when you are ill, regardless of whether your condition is short or long-term. Th is column provides information on Article 34 of the Collective Agreement. Article 34 contains the “rules” on taking sick leave. Th is column also provides information on related policies and processes. How am I required to notify my Manager when I’m sick?

When you can’t attend work because you are sick, injured, or quarantined, you must notify your Manager according to the Board’s “Notifi cation of Absences Policy”. It says that “Employees unable to attend work, as scheduled, must attempt to personally contact their Manager (or designated alternate) by telephone as soon as possible before their next scheduled shift . If such Employees are unable to personally contact their Manager, they may leave a voice mail…”What must I tell my Manager when I phone in sick?

You are only required to tell your Manager:• Th at you are sick, injured, or quarantined;• Your expected return to work date; and,• A telephone number at which you can be

contacted. Is my Manager permitted to call me when I’m sick?

Your Manager may call you to:• Obtain urgent work-related information; and,• Find out when you expect to return to work, if you

did not specify earlier, or if you did not return to work on the date stated.

Sometimes a Manager may call you at home out of genuine concern for your well-being. (For example, a Manager might call someone who lives alone because they are concerned the person may need help.) However, if your Manager calls you at home and you feel the calls are intrusive, you can (respectfully) ask your Manager to stop calling you at home while you are ill. If you

feel uncomfortable speaking to your Manager about this, contact your Shop Steward or the CEU Offi ce for assistance.

Alternatively, a Manager of Disability Health (“MDH”) may contact you while you are off sick to: inquire as to your wellbeing; request your return to work date; and/or, send you a medical form for your physician to fi ll out prior to your return to work (see discussion below). If you need any help in this regard, please contact a Steward or the CEU Offi ce for assistance.Can my Manager or MDH ask me to provide medical evidence if I’ve been off sick for a few days?

Normally, your Manager and/or the MDH should not ask you for a doctor’s note (or any other form of proof) if you are away for 5 days or less. Even if you are off for more than 5 consecutive work days, asking for a doctor’s note should be the exception, not the rule, for short term sick absences. When is it acceptable for my Manager or an MDH to ask for a doctor’s note?

Article 34.01 identifi es the types of circumstances that may give rise to an acceptable request for a doctor’s note. Th ese are:

• Where it appears that a pattern of consistent or frequent absence from work is developing;

• You have been off for more than 5 consecutive scheduled days of work; and,

• When at least 30 calendar days have elapsed since the last statement provided, and you have been on sick leave throughout that time.

If your Manager asks you to provide a doctor’s note or evidence of your illness, you can contact your Business Representative at the CEU Offi ce if you feel the sick note request is heavy-handed in the situation. Your Union Representative will clarify your rights and obligations depending on your current circumstances. When you are struggling to maintain or regain your health, your Union Representative can be an ally in protecting

Article 34 - what you should know about Sick Leave

8/9/2017 Word Art

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your rights and in meeting your obligations to the employer. It seems to me that one of my work colleagues is taking too much sick time.

Sometimes people are tempted to speculate about the use of sick leave by a colleague. We should all give our colleagues the same respect that we expect when we need sick leave. You should also keep in mind that many illnesses that are prevalent in our society today are invisible, such as chronic pain/fatigue and mental health illnesses. If I need a doctor’s note, what information should my doctor include in it?

While the Collective Agreement does not specify the information required, current Canadian Labour cases clarify that the Employer is entitled to collect different information from your physician depending on: the length of your sick absence from work; and/or, whether you require a change to your work duties or hours upon return to work (ie. an “accommodation”).

Generally, for short term sick absences of a few weeks or less, the Employer can ask you to have your doctor provide the following information:

• The date of your medical appointment with your doctor;

• The general nature of your illness – but not the diagnosis; and,

• Your prognosis and expected return to work date.A note written on a prescription pad is acceptable. If

your doctor charges for this, you must pay the fee.(See a sample note in the box below.)

After receiving the note, can my Manager ask for more proof?

No, not if the doctor’s note is complete – i.e., it contains all of the information listed above.

However, if the note isn’t complete; or your sick absence

has been longer term (more than a few weeks); or, you require an accommodation upon your return to work (to different duties or hours), the Board may require you to take a medical questionnaire form to your doctor to complete and return. The form asks for more information than is required on a doctor’s note (for example, whether you are following the physician’s recommended course of treatment; whether you are medically restricted from some work duties/hours, and if so, for how long etc.). If this type of form is required by the Board, an MDH will contact you to make the request. Again, feel free to contact the CEU Office if you would like to discuss your rights and obligations with regard to this form prior to meeting with your doctor. Who do I give my doctor’s note to when I return to work?

A doctor’s note (ie. the prescription pad note for short term absences) should be given to your Manager, unless the MDH requested that you return the note to them. If an MDH provides you with a form to fill out (because, for example, you have been on a longer term sick leave), please only return the form to the MDH who made the request. The MDH and Return to Work Coordinators (in the Return to Work Program) have been trained in the handling of confidential medical documentation.I brought the form to my doctor but she said to leave it with her. I’m worried she will forget to do the form or won’t complete it quickly.

It’s always best to have your physician complete the form with you during your medical appointment. This allows you to discuss your condition(s) fully with your doctor and then receive the completed form on the spot. Some doctors will tell patients to leave the form with them, as they prefer to do their paper work when they are not seeing patients. If this is the case, inform the MDH of the date you gave the form to your doctor and the expected completion date stated by your doctor. The Board will cover the cost of any fees associated with completion of these forms. If the MDH does not pay the physician directly, please ask for a receipt from your doctor’s office and submit it to the MDH. If I am off sick, but I think that I could do part of my job. What should I do?

Call a Return to Work (RTW) Coordinator to work with you to gather medical information and explore the possibility of modified duties. For more information on the RTW program, you can go to WSN; speak with a RTW Coordinator; or, call the CEU Office. I’m ready to return to work after a lengthy illness, but my doctor doesn’t think I’m able to do full-time work. What should I do?

As above, call a RTW Coordinator to work with you to gather medical information and explore the possibility of modified hours of work.

Dr. B. Well, M.B.,B.Ch.Suite 104, Healthee Medical Bldg, 55 Illness Way,

Delta, B.C.604 444-4444

August 11, 2017

I assessed Jane Doe today. She is recovering from surgery and is under my care. She is currently experiencing pain and fatigue rendering her unable to work at this time. I expect she will be able to return-to-work (to her full hours and duties) on August 25, 2017.

B. Well,, M.D.

Your Executive MembersSandra Wright, President Michael Hess, Director

Adele Peters, Vice-President Toni Murray, Director Laura Snow, Treasurer Paul Bergin, Director Vacant , Secretary Daryn Brousseau, Director Howard Lin, Chair Shop Stewards Adam Andrews, Director

Q: What did you do prior to coming to the Board in 2004?

A: I graduated from U Vic in 1980 with a Bachelor’s Degree in History and I started working for the Federal Government in the Labour Department in Vancouver that summer. I was a Labour Aff airs Offi cer. In 1984, I started law school at UBC and graduated in 1987. I articled at the Board. Th en between 1988 and 2004, I was in private practice (initially as an associate, then as a partner, and fi nally as a sole practitioner) mainly doing personal injury and some real estate conveyancing.

Q: What made you interested in Unions, generally?

A: I come from a working-class background. My Mom was a single mother of 4 kids in the 1960s. Th ere was little social support for her. Even then, it seemed to me that the world was “us vs. them” and that never seemed right to me. Later, my Mom married my step-Dad. He was a logger with a union job with union wages and benefi ts. Our living standard improved dramatically. In university, whenever the opportunity arose, I studied labour issues and the rise of unionism in Canada. When I worked for the Federal Government, I was an executive member of our union local in the Public Service Alliance of Canada, as Recording Secretary, even though I couldn’t type. A friend would type out my handwritten Minutes and I would take them down to the printers.

Q: How long have you been a Steward with CEU?A: About 11 ½ years – since January 2006. Previously,

in our department, I understand Members would take one year turns as the steward. My turn has not ended yet.

Q: What do you currently do at the Board?A: I am still a lawyer. My title is Legal Offi cer III.

Q: Why do you think Unions are important?A: Unions level the playing fi eld and provide an element

of fairness in the workplace and ensure there is no arbitrariness. Th e Board is a good employer but I believe this is because of our Union and the interest we as members take in the issues. Generally I believe that without unions, baby boomers (of which I am one) wouldn’t have the material wealth that we have. I believe this is one of the future tasks of unions – to

ensure that our members specifi cally, and wage earners in Canada generally, continue to have a good life, with living wages, access to benefi ts and a pension at the end of it all. For these reasons, I encourage my younger colleagues to become involved in our Union.Q: Why do you like being a Steward?A: I feel that people deserve to be treated with respect and in a fair manner. Being a steward allows me to participate in this

process by providing information, understanding and representation to the members I deal with. I hope I have done this. I also enjoy the camaraderie of my fellow stewards with whom I share similar values and a common purpose. I feel like they are “my people”.

Q: What part of the Collective Agreement are you most proud of?

A: My friends outside the Board look at our Collective Agreement and are generally impressed especially with the leave provisions. When I was in my own practice, I once worked 6 weeks straight without a day off . Our ETO and other leave provisions are important to me. Also, the pension is now very important to me, and I am sure, to other baby boomers as well. I believe we have a superior Collective Agreement and we are the “little Union that could”. We have our leadership to thank for that – the leadership era of Frank Lanzarotta and Sandra Wright. I am sure there is a new era on the horizon which will keep up the good work.

Steward Spotlight – Ron Woodland

IMPACT is a publication of the CEU#120-13775 Commerce Parkway, Richmond, BC, V6V 2V4 Ph:(604) 278-4050 Fax: (604) 278-5002 www.ceu.bc.ca

Printed on paper with 30% recycled post consumer waste.Th e interpretation in this document are provided on a without prejudice to errors and omissions basis to any positions

the Union may take in any arbitral proceedings or any other forum.