Paid Sick Leave Employees shall earn and be granted paid sick leave according to the following provisions:
Sick Leave The employee is eligible for long term disability benefits if provided for in the Collective Agreement. An employee will not receive pay for the first two (2) weeks of any period of absence due to a legitimate illness. The employee may utilize the paid holiday bank as income replacement for absences due to illness, as described in Article (c) above. An employee who is eligible may apply for Employment Insurance for weeks three (3) through seventeen (17) for any absence due to a legitimate illness. The Home will provide the employee with Disability Income Protection as per Article 14.01 (c) for weeks eighteen (18) through thirty (30) for any absence due to a legitimate illness. Employees may be required to provide medical proof of illness for any absence of a scheduled shift, which is neither vacation nor an approved leave of absence.
Sick Leave Bonus For every six (6) months of perfect sick leave attendance after July 1, 1987, the employee will receive eight (8) hours of bonus time. This bonus time will be prorated for part-time employees. Such bonus time can be used for any leave purpose covered by this Agreement. Such bonus time shall be counted as vacation leave credits for purposes of determining eligibility for carry- over and cash payments.
Sick Leave Pool a. The Sick Leave Pool is intended to provide security to supplement other insurance benefits by allowing employees to "buy" insurance for extended illness, or other disability. Pool Days may be used to "make an employee whole" if disability or Workers' Compensation benefits are less than normal base pay. When "buying" Pool Days, employees convert Earned Time days on a 1:3 basis. Similar to purchasing insurance, the employee may pick a given number of days to exchange for coverage in case of extended disability.