NLLS Policies

STATEMENT OF POLICY AND PROCEDURE

Section: NLLS Employee(s) | Chapter: Conditions of Employment | Page(s): 2 Subject: VACATION | Sec 1, 1J

Reviewed 2023-04-03 | Revised: 2025-08-25 | Effective: 2017/05/13

SECTION 1 - 1.J

VACATION

1. Permanent employees shall be entitled to annual vacation days with pay. Temporary employees shall receive vacation pay on each pay cheque. In accordance with the Alberta Employment Standards Code, vacation time and payment will not accrue during unpaid leaves of absence, including job protected leaves of absence such as maternity, parental, sickness, long term disability, etc.
2. The vacation entitlement is calculated on a calendar year using a common anniversary date of January 1st.
3. Vacation entitlement is as follows:
   1. Vacation entitlement is pro-rated monthly upon hire date to Dec 31
   2. Considering experience and qualifications and to attract qualified employees, the Executive Director has the discretion to offer additional vacation entitlement up to one additional week.
   3. All permanent Employee(s) excluding management:
      1. Three (3) weeks paid vacation earned within one (1) year's employment.
      2. Four (4) weeks paid vacation after four (4) year's employment.
      3. After ten (10) years of continued employment, the employee will gain one (1) vacation day for each additional year to a maximum of five (5) weeks paid vacation.
   4. Management:
      1. Four (4) weeks paid vacation earned within one (1) year's employment.
      2. Five (5) weeks paid vacation after four (4) year's employment.
   5. Executive Director:
      1. As per negotiated contract.

4. Should an employee leave before the end of the year after having taken vacation, the salary paid for the unearned vacation shall be deducted from the employee’s final pay cheque.
5. Vacation time is scheduled by the Executive Director or the Department Manager and allotted on a first come, first served basis.
6. Scheduling conflicts unable to be resolved by a supervisor will be resolved with the employee(s) and the Executive Director.
7. To maintain services at an acceptable level, vacation taken during prime vacation periods must be planned in advance.
   1. 1. A tentative vacation schedule for the months of June, July, and August will be created by March 31st of that year.
      2. A tentative vacation schedule for the month of December will be created by September 30th of that year.
8. Northern Lights Library System (NLLS) will follow Alberta Employment Standards rates for calculating vacation pay for all employees.

9. NLLS is required to provide annual vacations to employees. NLLS is to provide vacations in one (1) unbroken period, however, an employee can request, in writing, for the vacation to be broken into shorter periods and if the request can accommodated. Vacation time is allowed to be taken in half-day increments if agreed to by NLLS and the employee.

10. An employee may carry over a maximum of two (2) weeks (10 days) of vacation leave into the next calendar year with the approval of the Executive Director, upon the recommendation of the Department Manager. Requests in writing to the Department Manager should be made by November 1st of the current year.

11. A minimum of two (2) week(s) vacation time must be used during the year.

12. Any unused vacation days that have not been taken within the calendar year, or have not been carried over into the next calendar year, will be paid out in the final December payroll of the current calendar year.
13. Carried over vacation from the previous year must be used by the sixth (6) month of the following year unless an exception is given with the approval of the Executive Director.
14. If serious injury or illness should occur during an employee's vacation, the employee may apply to have the time lost assigned to available sick leave rather than vacation. In this case, the employee will submit a medical certificate to the Department Manager within three (3) days of returning to work.

15. Statutory or declared holidays will not be included in the vacation period.

16. NLLS management is allowed to deny requests for vacation at specific times for operational reasons. If NLLS management and the employee cannot agree on the employee’s vacation time, NLLS management can decide when it will be taken. However, the NLLS management must provide two (2) weeks written notice to the employee of the new vacation start date.