May 10, 2021
This is the information being communicated by GM: Infectious Disease Emergency Leave (IDEL)
Eligibility for Paid Leave for Reasons Related to COVID-19
This communication is meant to:
• Provide guidance to Group Leaders that manage represented employees, around the eligibility of paid leave related to COVID-19
• Provide information to represented (hourly) employees about the eligibility of paid leave related to COVID-19
Who is entitled?
Employees who currently do not receive paid sick time off will be entitled to three (3) paid days of leave for certain reasons related to COVID-19.
When is an employee eligible for IDEL?
Employees are entitled to three (3) days of paid leave if they are themselves, or are providing care or support to an eligible dependent who is:
• Under medical investigation, supervision or treatment related to COVID-19;
• Going to get vaccinated;
• Experiencing a side effect from a COVID-19 vaccination;
• Under a direction from their employer, medical practitioner or other authority to self-isolate.
Eligible ‘dependents’ an employee can take paid IDEL for:
• The employee’s spouse
• A parent, stepparent, or foster parent of the employee or the employee’s spouse
• A child, stepchild, or foster child of the employee or the employee’s spouse
• A child who is under legal guardianship of the employee or the employee’s spouse
• A brother, stepbrother, sister, or stepsister of the employee
• A grandparent, step-grandparent, grandchild or step-grandchild of the employee or the employee’s spouse
• A brother-in-law, step-brother-in-law, sister-in-law, or step-sister-in-law of the employee
• A son-in-law or daughter-in-law of the employee or the employee’s spouse
• An uncle or aunt of the employee or the employee’s spouse
• A nephew or niece of the employee or the employee’s spouse
• The spouse of the employee’s grandchild, uncle, aunt, nephew or niece
Substantiation of IDEL
Employees are not required to provide a medical note in order to qualify for this leave.
However, employers may request that employees provide “evidence reasonable in the circumstances” that they are entitled to the leave. However, the employer “shall not require an employee to provide a certificate from a qualified health practitioner as evidence”. When an employee requests paid IDEL leave, the employer can ask the employee for the reason they are taking the leave to confirm that they qualify (are they sick, caring for a family member, quarantined, etc.) Any requests for evidence will depend on the reason for the leave.
Examples include:
• Provide your vaccination card or email of appointment booking for yourself or eligible dependents
• Provide copy of Public Health notice to isolate
• Health Center will provide notice to isolate, employees are still required to contact the Health Center to advise of any COVID related symptoms as outlined in the GM COVID policy
Calculation of IDEL Paid Leave Benefit
The paid IDEL leave is the lesser of:
A. $200.00
B. The wages the employee would have earned had they not taken the leave, excluding shift premiums and overtime
Eligible Absences
Any absences between April 19, 2021 and September 25, 2021 meeting the qualifications for IDEL under the ‘When is an Employee eligible for IDEL’ section above.
Leave deemed to be taken in full days
Similar to the ESA Emergency Leave Days (ELD), there are no partial paid IDEL days. Partial days of absence will be treated as one of the employee’s three (3) days of entitlement.
Compensation for partial paid days will be calculated as described in the Calculation of IDEL Paid Leave Benefit section above.
How to Apply for IDEL at GM of Canada
• Employees electing to take their IDEL leave are required to notify their Group Leader of the IDEL leave and specific situation relating to the reason for the leave.
• Group Leaders will complete a G80 for the date and time in question – please note in the comment section this is for the paid IDEL leave and specific reason of absence. Payroll will track occurrences and payments.
The GM Canada HR/LR Team
Issued by,
Tim McKinnon, GM Unit Chairperson
On behalf of the Bargaining Committee
Paul Dortono, Trevor Longpre, Ken Naldjieff, Glenn Currie, Kevan Anderson
UNIFOR Local 199