Know Your Contract
The NTA strives for transparency and clarity around our contract. Each week as we send out the EBulletin, we will share easy to understand information about our contract in a section titled "Know Your Contract". You can find all of those helpful blurbs housed on this page!
Sick Leave
Sick leave days, also known as personal illness days, are for the injury or illness of the employee. From your sick days, you may use up to 14 per year for the illness or injury of a family member or dear friend. These are called family illness days. You DO NOT have to ask for permission to use a personal illness or family illness day. If you will be out, you should simply report your absence in the Frontline Absence Management System and follow any other building or program based instructions for reporting your absence. You cannot be asked for documentation regarding such an absence unless you have been out for six or more consecutive days. If you are out for six or more days, you MAY be asked for documentation. While HR might send you the FMLA forms in this instance, our contract allows for you to submit a letter instead of the FMLA form. It is often simpler for you and for your medical provider to supply a letter rather than fill out the FMLA form. The letter must be on letterhead, and have the medical provider’s signature. It must contain the following information: - Employee’s name - Approximate date the illness or injury commenced - A description of the injury, illness or medical condition - A statement that the employee is not able to perform his/her position - The expected return to work date
Other Paid Leave
Personal Days: Each year, you are allocated two days that can be used for “urgent personal business" as judged by the employee. - You do not have to ask permission to use your personal days. - If you will be out, you should report that in the Frontline Absence Management System and follow any other building or program based instructions for reporting your absence. - You cannot be asked to say why you are using a personal day. - The only contractual restriction: personal days cannot be used to “extend a holiday or vacation or facilitate travel plans.” - To be perfectly clear: You CAN use your personal days for urgent personal business adjacent to a holiday or vacation; you CANNOT use them to extend that holiday or vacation or to facilitate travel plans. - When you take a personal day on a day that is adjacent to a holiday or vacation time, you CAN be asked to confirm that you are not taking it to extend the holiday or vacation or facilitate travel plans. That is the only question you can be asked. - You CANNOT be asked to provide the specific use of those days. “Other” Days: You have up to four (4) paid leave days that can be used for specific purposes as set out in the contract. You do not have to ask for permission to use these days, but may in some instances be asked for supporting documentation: - Bereavement related to the death of a close family member or dear friend. - Holy Days - Court Appearance by Summons - Commencement exercises: Limited to those where the employee or their spouse or child will be awarded a degree or diploma. - Absence caused by an automobile accident on your way to work. Limited to the day of the accident only. - Up to two (2) days if your attendance is required by an educational institution where you are enrolled. There are certain restrictions and this leave must be approved by the Superintendent. - Selective Service examination - To attend the MTA Annual meeting Accumulation of sick, personal, and other days: - Unused Personal Illness Days accumulate year over year; - Unused Family illness days do not accumulate; you may use only fourteen in any given year; - Unused Personal Days accumulate as Personal Illness Days; - Unused "Other" Days do not accumulate.
Workplace Injuries
The City of Newton is exempt from Workers Compensations Laws, but the NTA has made sure our members are protected by negotiating for and winning contractual rights around workplace injuries. In order to protect your rights, If you are injured at work, first of all: be sure to complete an incident report to record the fact and circumstances of your injury. Additionally, email HR and request that they provide you with a letter for your doctor/insurance company that states that you are not covered by Workers Compensation for this workplace injury. There are two primary benefits related to workplace injuries that are provided by our contracts: - No "out-of-pocket" medical expenses. You will be reimbursed for “co-pays for office visits, emergency room visits, and prescription drugs, as well as physical and occupational therapy appointments that are not covered by insurance incurred due to physical injury/accident to the employee arising out of and in the course of employment.” You need to keep receipts and careful records of these expenses for submission. - No use of personal sick days while absent from a work related injury. You do not have to use your own sick time for days missed from work due to a workplace injury: “Individuals who are absent as a result of an on the job accident or personal injury suffered during the workday shall not lose pay because of such absence. The parties agree that sick leave bank days may be utilized for such purposes.”