Benefits
On this page provides very brief overviews or links to various benefits information. More detailed information is available from either the SD No. 91 board office or the union office.
Group Life Insurance
http://bctf.ca/uploadedFiles/Public/SalaryBenefits/PlanB.pdf
Membership in the BCTF/BCSTA Group Life Insurance Plan (Plan B) is compulsory for teachers. The Board pays 100% of the premium. Your coverage is equal to 3 times your annual salary rounded up to the next higher multiple of $1000. The brochure is available in the pdf above.
Maternity
a)BCTF http://www.bctf.ca/SalaryAndBenefits.aspx?id=4756
b) Employment Insurance: EI Maternity and Parental Benefits:
http://www.esdc.gc.ca/en/reports/ei/maternity_parental.page
c)Collective Agreement G. 22 Maternity Leave: *Local language and past practice apply
1. Short-term Maternity Leave:
A pregnant teacher shall be granted upon request a leave of absence:
a. As provided for in Part 6 of the Employment Standards Act, or
b. A teacher shall be granted a leave of up to one year (10 teaching months)
2. Supplemental Employment Benefits on Maternity Leave:
When a pregnant teacher takes the maternity leave to which she is entitled pursuant to the Employment Standards Act and Article G.22.1, the Board shall pay the teacher
a. 90 per cent of her normal weekly salary for the first two weeks of the leave.
3. Extended Maternity Leave:
a. Teachers granted leave under Article G.22.1 who choose not to return to work at the expiration of that leave may apply for extended maternity leave, five weeks prior to the
start of a semester or term or by April 15 in respect to leave expiring on June 30;
b. Leave shall be granted upon request for a period of up to a maximum of thirty school months;
c. Teachers returning from extended maternity leave shall do so at September 1st or January 1st or beginning of a semester and shall notify the Board five weeks in advance except in
respect to leave expiring June 30 where notice shall be given by May 31.
4. Use of Sick Leave:
If at the end of the agreed-upon period of leave, the teacher is unable to return to duty because of ill health, she shall present the Board with an acceptable medical certificate and shall qualify for
all normal sick leave provisions.
5. Early Return and Emergency Situation:
a. In the case of an incomplete pregnancy, death of the child, or other special situations, a teacher may return to duty earlier than provided in the agreed-upon leave;
b. The teacher intending to make an early return to duty will submit a written application and a medical certificate;
c. In emergency situations, the teacher's application for leave will be considered on shorter notice;
d. A terminated pregnancy shall be treated in the same manner as a birth under the Employment Standards Act and the maternity and extended maternity leave provisions of the Agreement.
6. Extended Maternity Leave Benefits:
When a teacher has been granted extended maternity leave beyond 30 weeks all benefit premiums during that period shall be paid by the teacher.
7. Adoption: In the case of adoption, maternity leave shall be granted on request and shall commence from the date of arrival of the child in the home. All the provisions of this section shall apply including all rights guaranteed under the Employment Standards Act. Paid leave shall be granted to either parent, or both, if both are employees of the Board, for mandatory interviews or travelling time to receive the child for three days upon letter of request and 5 days due to exceptional circumstances.
8. Reassignment:
a. A teacher returning from short-term leave within a school year shall be reassigned to the same position held prior to the leave; b. A teacher returning from extended leave shall be assigned to a comparable position within the district;
c. These items notwithstanding, a teacher may choose to apply for a transfer to another position.
d) Pension Implications:
During maternity leave, pension plan contributions are only made on supplemental benefits. On return from maternity leave, it is up to the teacher whether she will “buy back” the pensionable service lost while on leave. Often this seems too costly. Be aware that at retirement, the cost of “buying back” that time greater – the cost of the original contributions plus compound interest. Pension contributions that are not made, especially early in your career, have a huge effect on the retirement income that will be available to you. At the end of your maternity leave, you should contact the District payroll staff and arrange to make the missed pension contributions.
Illness:
a)Collective Agreement: Article G. 21 Sick Leave provides for the accumulation of 1.5 days of paid sick leave per month of employment. Sick leave is primarily intended to allow for common short term illnesses such as cold or the flu that may affect teachers during the school year. A maximum of 120 sick days may be used per year, even though more sick days may have been accumulated.
b)Salary Indemnity Plan (SIP)
The SIP is a teacher funded plan, managed by the BCTF, which provides long-term coverage for teachers on medical leave. It comes into effect when a teacher’s available sick days have been used up. There are two components to SIP: Short term; and Long term.
Short term information https://www.bctf.ca/SalaryAndBenefits.aspx?id=4782
Long term information https://www.bctf.ca/SalaryAndBenefits.aspx?id=24880
Medical Service Plan:
All members are covered through Pacific Blue Cross under Policy No. 20091. All benefit amounts for medical, audio, vision, and dental are available at
Teacher’s Pension Plan:
For individual information on your pension, please follow that link below.
http://www.pensionsbc.ca/portal/page/portal/PEN_CORP_HOME/TPP_HOME_PAGE/
Or call toll free: 1-800-665-6770 between 8 am and 4:30 pm
Employee and Family Assistance Plan (EFAP):
All district employees and their families have access to the plan. Counselling assistance is provided for both work and personal problems on a confidential basis. Each worksite has an EFAP representative available to help members to access the plan. Typically, staff rooms should also have EFAP posters and brochures available. The plan provider is Brown Crawshaw Inc.
1-800-668-2055
Employment Insurance and Teachers: Only posted in years where there have been lay offs from SD 91.