Sabbatical and Leave Request Form
Sabbatical and Leave Request Form
Handbook
For Planning a Sabbatical
Introduction
Prepared to assist members who are planning a sabbatical, this handbook is not intended to be
an interpretation of the
relevant Articles of the Collective Agreement . CUASA members
are urged to familiarize themselves with those clauses.
The information contained herein highlights the relevant clauses of
Article 21 and provides a 'checklist' of points to consider
when planning a sabbatical.
This information is based on the CUASA Collective
Agreement, Guides prepared by the Windsor University Faculty Association, Memorial University Faculty Association and the Association of Academic Staff, University
of Alberta and questions asked by members planning a sabbatical.
The Collective Agreement is available on CUASA's web site. The Benefits Booklet is available on Carleton's Human
Resources web site and linked through the Benefits page of CUASA's web site. These web
sites provide immediate, easily
accessible information and are an excellent resource when away on sabbatical.
The detailed provisions regarding sabbatical may be found in the CUASA Collective Agreement.
This handbook highlights the various items. Consequently, the description it provides has no
legal significance, except insofar as it accurately reflects
the terms of the Collective Agreement.
Table of Contents
Sabbatical
Before submitting written notice of intention to take a sabbatical, a clear understanding of the relevant articles of the current Collective Agreement, Article 21 is advisable. These clauses should be read carefully in conjunction with this guide.
1. Eligibility
[Article 21.1]
1.1 All members of the bargaining unit enjoy the right to sabbaticals.
1.2 Full year sabbatical [Article 21.1(a)]
All tenured or confirmed members are entitled to a sabbatical of twelve (12) months after every six (6) years of full-time on-campus service at Carleton University. In the event that a member is entitled to a sabbatical but has not been granted tenure or confirmation, the sabbatical to which the member is entitled shall be delayed until tenure or confirmation is granted. In such an event, all service in excess of six (6) years accumulated prior to achieving tenure or confirmation may be carried over towards the employee's next sabbatical.
1.3 Half year sabbatical [Article 21.1(b)]
Tenured or confirmed members may elect, as an alternative to a full-year sabbatical, to take a six-month sabbatical after three (3) years of full-time on-campus service at Carleton.
1.4 Extended sabbatical and/or study leave [Article 21.5]
By application to and approval of the employer a two-year sabbatical and/or study leave may
be granted.
1.5 Credit for service before joining Carleton [Article 21.1(f)]
All faculty, Instructor and professional librarian members shall automatically gain one (1)
year of sabbatical entitlement for
every two (2) years of full-time equivalent service in a university teaching or librarian
position elsewhere since their last
sabbatical, if any, prior to their appointment at Carleton provided that such service was
continuous and contiguous to the
appointment at Carleton, and was credited service towards a sabbatical at the other university
or would have been credited
service at Carleton had the service been at Carleton. Any credit for prior service should form
part of your letter of
appointment. If this was not done, you should contact Pat
Finn CUASA for advice on how to resolve the problem.
1.6 Early sabbatical [Article 21.4(d)]
Subject to the approval of the appropriate dean/University Librarian and of the President, a
sabbatical may be taken after
five (5) years but this option will require seven (7) year's full-time, on campus service at
Carleton University before the next sabbatical.
1.7 Delayed sabbatical [Articles 21.1(g) and 21.2(b) and (c)]
You may, at your discretion, delay your sabbatical. [Article 21.1(h)]
When making your decision to delay, you should consider that when an employee takes a sabbatical, all prior accumulated years of entitlement are exhausted and that you are forfeiting that service credit. You should also carefully review your years of service between now and the date you choose for retirement to see whether any delay will cause the loss of a sabbatical. [Article 21.4(e)]
The employer may request that you postpone your sabbatical (for at most one (1) year). The following inducements are provided to encourage employees to agree to a delay: [Article 21.3(b)(iii) and (iv)]
Upon request, the employer and CUASA have agreed to coordinate sabbaticals between spouses by transferring service credits between them. Application for coordination should be made to the dean and CUASA.
1.9 Calculating sabbatical entitlement [Article 21.1(a) and (f)]
Normal Entitlement
Sabbatical entitlement is derived from full-time on-campus service at Carleton University. Full-time on-campus service includes:
Enhanced Entitlement
Chairs and Directors of Departments, Institutes, Schools or Colleges and the President and Grievance Chair of CUASA all receive one additional year of service towards sabbatical for each complete two years of such service or two additional years of credit for each complete three years of service. If you serve as Chair for two years you gain an additional year of credit, serving for three years gains an additional two years credit. [Article 25.1(b) and 18.8(b)] For example, if you became a Chair immediately following a sabbatical, at the end of your three years of service as Chair you would have five years of sabbatical entitlement. Additional entitlement beyond the required 6 years to take a sabbatical may be used to increase the sabbatical stipend at a rate of 5% for each additional year up to a maximum stipend of 95% (or for a combined two year sabbatical/study leave, by 2.5% for each additional year to a maximum of 72.5%) [Article 21.1(b)(iii)]. Or, you may elect to carry forward one year of service toward the next sabbatical after the one being taken and use any remaining years to increase the applicable stipend.
As the Collective Agreement only provides options for up to 4 extra years of credited service, those asked by the employer to provide long service as Chairs, or those becoming Chairs with six years of credited service toward a sabbatical, need to come to an arrangement with management as to how service credits in excess of the four contemplated in the collective agreement will be dealt with --especially as all prior credit is lost once a sabbatical is taken. It is preferable to do this in advance, but CUASA does have experience of working through such cases to find a mutually acceptable manner of dealing with the excess credits.
Entitlement Caveat
Anyone contemplating taking a leave that does not count towards sabbatical or trying to figure out what to do with extra entitlement should map out their sabbaticals to retirement before making any decisions. At the point you decide to retire, all sabbatical credit is lost so there will be no pay accruing to the employee. Delaying a sabbatical could have the effect of pushing your final sabbatical beyond the date you wish to retire.
Calculating sabbatical when on part-time [Article 21.3(h)]
Service is calculated based on the pro-rated status compared to full-time status. If you work
half-time then you need 12 years of service in order to qualify for a full year sabbatical or 6
years of service to qualify for a half sabbatical. You may elect to take a sabbatical before
achieving the full number of years of service but the stipend is reduced using the following
formula:
Full year sabbatical: 1/6 (number of years of full time equivalent service) X 80%
Half year sabbatical: 1/3 (number of years of full time equivalent service) X 70%
where the maximum value for the number equivalent of years
service is 3
2. When and how to provide notice of intent to take a sabbatical
2.1 Green Form
[Article 21.1(d)]
Members must inform, in writing, the departmental chairperson or equivalent and the
appropriate dean or University Librarian of the intention to take a sabbatical no later than
October 31st in the year prior to the academic year in which the planned
sabbatical is to take place. The employer may, at its discretion, extend this deadline.
Departmental administrators also have copies of the green form.
2.2 Withdrawing notice of intent to take a sabbatical [Article 21.1(d)]
Such statements of intent may be withdrawn by the member up to six (6) months prior to the beginning of the academic year (July 1st) of the intended sabbatical but subsequently only with the agreement of the appropriate dean/University Librarian and the President.
2.3 Statement on the sabbatical activities [Article 21.1(e)]
If no detailed statement is provided or if the dean or University Librarian is dissatisfied
with the statement, he/she, in consultation with the department, may seek revision of the
statement; if no satisfactory revisions of the statement are forthcoming, the dean or University
Librarian may recommend to the President that the sabbatical be denied for that year.
3. Salary while on sabbatical
3.1 Remuneration [Article 21.3]
First Sabbatical: 100% of nominal salary for faculty
employees only* taking a 6 month or 12 month sabbatical within the first 15 years of academic career
Full year sabbatical: 80% of nominal salary
**Delayed full-year sabbatical: 85% of nominal or may elect to have the delay period credited towards next sabbatical
Half sabbatical: 70% of nominal salary
**Delayed half sabbatical: Members required by the employer to delay a six-month sabbatical to the next year are credited with one (1) year of service on July 1st following completion of the sabbatical
Extended sabbatical/study: 65% of nominal in each of the two years [Article 21.5]
3.2 Other Income [Article 21.3(g)]
The total of sabbatical stipend plus grant and/or income received from employment with another employer during the sabbatical may not exceed 150% of nominal salary for the period of the sabbatical.
3.3 Sabbatical stipend as a research grant [Articles 21.3(c) and 46.2]
A portion of the sabbatical allowance (up to 100%) to which the member is entitled may be paid as a research grant in accordance with University policy for awarding research grants (i.e. funds sufficient to cover his/her approved research and travel expenses). Members should retain receipts for such expenditures as they will be necessary when filing their Income Tax Return.
3.4 Negotiated salary increases and benefits [Article 21.3(d)]
Members on sabbatical are eligible for career development increments and research/professional
achievement awards and are entitled to other increments to nominal salary and improvements to
fringe benefits that may become effective during their sabbatical period.
3.5 Pension Contributions [Article 21.3(e)(iii) and Article 13.7(a)]
Members on sabbatical have their pension contributions topped up by the employer. The employee contributes 6% of actual salary (6% of stipend) and the employer pays 6% of nominal plus the difference between 6% of actual and 6% of nominal that the employee is not paying.
A member on sabbatical will contribute to the Carleton University Retirement Plan in
accordance with the provisions of Article 13.7(a) . The
employee and the employer are both required to pay 6% of actual salary into the Carleton
Retirement Plan. When working full-time, actual salary is equal to nominal salary so the total
sum credited to pension is 12% of nominal salary shared equally by you and the employer. Since
the requirement is to pay pension premiums on the basis of actual salary, any reduction (up to
and including 100%) would have an impact on your pension at retirement. During sabbatical
periods, this is mitigated with the difference between 12% of nominal and 12% of actual being
paid into the plan. Revenue Canada limits the ability to make top-up contributions to pension
in this fashion to a maximum full-time equivalent of 5 years. If the sabbatical was at 80% of nominal, top-up during sabbaticals count
as 20% of a year. Other periods, when the actual salary
is less than nominal but pension is topped up by the individual, count in a similar pro-rated
fashion. Lengthy periods on reduced-time during which the employee elects to supplement the
pension should be carefully monitored to ensure that the maximum allowable period is not reached.
[Retirement Plan Text, sections 1.10, 4.05 and 17]
4. Benefits while on sabbatical [Article 21.3(e)]
4.1 All health benefits such as Group-Life Insurance Plan, Long-Term Disability Plan, Extended Health Care Plan, and Dental Plan shall be maintained on a member's behalf while on sabbatical as per Article 40 of the Collective Agreement.
Long-Term Disability Plan shall be maintained in relation to the member's nominal
salary.
4.2 Out-of-Province Health Coverage: [Benefits Booklet] [Benefits at a Glance]
If you are temporarily outside your province or Canada and require emergency treatment, the Extended Health Care Plan will reimburse you for 100% of eligible reasonable and customary charges over the amount paid by your provincial plan. CUASA members and their eligible dependants traveling on university business or on sabbatical leave are not limited to the 180 day maximum.
If you are planning a trip outside your province of residence and you have a medical condition that required treatment or had a change in medication in the three months prior to your departure, coverage may be denied if a problem related to that condition or change in medication arises while you are away. You may want to contact the plan carrier to clarify coverage before traveling outside of the province.
If your sabbatical will be spent out of Canada for an extended period of time, you should also purchase additional personal health insurance , since the Extended Health Benefits Travel Assistance portion covers only emergency care outside Ontario. Regular medical treatment of any injury or disease which existed before departure, or any non-emergency expenses are not covered, thus it is imperative that you think about purchasing separate coverage.
Although you will be covered by OHIP (if you live in Ontario), itemized bills are necessary to make a claim and you should make duplicates of all claims and receipts filed. You would be well advised to take an OHIP claim form with you on your sabbatical. The process becomes very cumbersome if you must make your claims after you have completed your sabbatical.
Your OHIP coverage also continues while you are temporarily residing in another province. If you plan to be out of Ontario for more than 6 months you need to apply to OHIP to maintain coverage on the basis of being on sabbatical. Medical payment rates may vary from province to province and these rate differences may not be covered by OHIP. Additional medical coverage may be purchased through a number of venues including CAA. The initial duration of coverage is limited to 180 days, but coverage may be extended by application through the mail.
If you become ill while on sabbatical such that the illness disrupts your sabbatical, you should immediately notify your dean/University Librarian. Your sabbatical will be converted into sick leave and the time lost to illness will be retained so that you may continue your sabbatical once you have recovered from the illness. Note that illnesses of more than 5 days duration require a medical certificate. [Article 20.5]
If you have/adopt a baby, that portion of your sabbatical to which maternity or parental leave applies may be retained and applied at the end of the maternity/parental leave, or rescheduled, or you may abandon the extra sabbatical time. As maternity/parental leave is remunerated at 95% of salary, it is usually financially advantageous to take maternity/parental leave. [Article 20.7]
6. Promotion [Article 21.3(f)]
Sabbatical periods count as full service towards promotion and academic staff are also eligible to apply for and receive promotion during their sabbatical.
7. Responsibilities upon Return from Sabbatical
7.1 Report on sabbatical [Article 21.4(c)]
A member returning from sabbatical must, no later than three (3) months after the end of the sabbatical, submit a report of scholarly/research activities undertaken during the sabbatical to the appropriate faculty dean or University Librarian. A statement certifying compliance with Article 21.3(g) of the Collective Agreement shall be attached (see item 3.2 above).
In February of each year, CAUT Bulletin publishes the CAUT Annual Tax Guide which provides helpful information. This may be accessed at www.caut.ca, under Publications and Research, Income Tax. Below are highlights relating to sabbaticals.
A Canadian resident is subject to Canadian Income Tax on his/her world income. A non-resident is only subject to tax for certain Canadian sources of income. Revenue Canada's Form IT-120R6 outlines an individual's primary residential ties, his/her dwelling place(s), spouse and dependents, personal property and social ties. If Canadian residence is established, an individual will be taxed by Canada on world income. If one is obligated to pay foreign income taxes on any part of world income, Canada normally permits a foreign tax credit for all or part of the foreign tax.
8.2 Research grants [Revenue Canada Bulletin IT-75R4]
A research grant is considered taxable income and, as such, must be included when income tax is filed. It is wise to inform the payroll department of how much you want issued in any one tax year. Research expenses are deductible in the tax year those expenses are incurred. Determining how much will be spent in each tax year and providing clear instructions to the payroll office as to how much and in which tax year the money is to be distributed is recommended. The Intrepretation Bulletin is available from Revenue Canada District Tax offices through the web site linked above.
Sums of money used to defray research expenses, while not taxable, are considered as taxable income. However, there are numerous deductions allowable with such a grant. It is incumbent on the individual to keep careful records and receipts of expenses to claim these deductions. Receipts are not required when you file your income tax, but should be available if questions arise, or if Revenue Canada decides to audit your claim.
Eligible Tax Deductions
If you relocate from Ottawa, all travel to and from your residence and your new temporary office or laboratory is deductible, as are temporary hotel expenses, research and publication assistance, etc. Such deductions are only available from grants, so get a grant large enough to cover at least the deductible expenses. Revenue Canada has taken the position that a taxpayer may not claim the travelling expenses of a spouse and children. However, this condition has not been uniformly applied. Since their travelling expenses are arguably a cost of carrying out research, researchers may include such costs, realizing they may not be allowed. More information is available in the CAUT Tax Guide and from the local Income Tax office.
Consultations with a tax accountant prior to beginning the sabbatical should be seriously considered. Such prior consultation could help in planning sabbatical expenditures so that tax exemptions are maximized. Waiting to consult a tax accountant until tax time may be akin to the proverbial late closing of the barn door and equally costly. Some accountants are better than others, so it probably pays to check with a few colleagues about their experience with taxes during sabbatical.
Please note that even though you may receive your grant over only half of a calendar year, the deductions are applicable for the entire calendar year.
8.4 Filing Your Income Tax Return
If departing on a January to July leave, you may file your income tax return early, indicating "estimate only", and file a revised form on your return. There is no penalty for late filing if you do not owe any taxes to Revenue Canada. In this case, records may be kept or left until your return from sabbatical when filing should be easier.
Make arrangements with a reliable colleague or departmental administrator to sort and forward your mail regularly. Ask that person too, if s/he would mind highlighting matters needing your attention. E-mail can usually be forwarded automatically to a new e-mail address.
There is no automatic right of office retention during sabbatical at Carleton. Different departments have different customs regarding allocation of office space for those spending their sabbatical at Carleton. The Provost and Vice-President (Academic)'s office will pay costs associated with packing and moving office effects and storage space on campus will be found in exceptional cases of dire need for office space and where a faculty member who will be away from Ottawa is required to vacate his/her office space (JCAA Minutes 2007 11 15). However, members should take care to label their belongings as some members have reported that some stored items have never been seen again.
If you have school-aged children, obtain a signed record of their immunizations from your physician before you leave. If your child needs special classes, take something official from your school principal detailing those special needs. Contact the school board at your destination requesting maps showing locations of their schools. These will help in the selection of housing. When out of the country, you may still be eligible to receive the Government of Canada Child Credit for eligible children. Contact the Income Security Program and make arrangements to have the cheques directly deposited to a bank account while you are away.
You may wish to have someone act on your behalf regarding personal matters of a legal nature while you are on sabbatical. You can make prior arrangements for this by assigning someone "Power of Attorney". Consult with a lawyer before you do so and, perhaps, draw up a specific Power of Attorney form assigning an individual limited powers, such as might be required in overseeing a lease agreement. The individual to whom you assign Power of Attorney must be both responsible and trustworthy. The most obvious, albeit expensive, choice is your lawyer.
If you leave the country, you will be faced with converting Canadian to foreign funds. Meet with your local Bank Manager to discuss the best means to access funds.
Bank and credit cards have made international banking much easier but if you will be in a country that does not have reliable or accessible bank machines you may want to purchase traveler's' cheques and US cash. In any case, purchase some local currency to get you started when you arrive. Make sure your credit cards are up-to-date or, if they will expire while you are away, arrange to have the new cards sent on to you. Make arrangements, such as automatic deductions, for paying utility and other accounts. If you plan to continue to receive credit card statements and the mail is slow, be prepared to pay interest on outstanding balances.
Some countries have regulations regarding the amount of currency you can take into and out of the country. Being aware of this in advance may save some headaches later. On the other hand, if you save receipts on European purchases, you should be able to obtain, on departure, a refund of value-added tax (VAT) paid.
Make sure you store stocks, bonds, certificates, and other valuables in a safety deposit box before you leave.
Allow plenty of time to find a tenant for your home. It is a good idea to ask the prospective tenants for letters of reference.
Advertising your home for rent:
Some academic publications and web sites provide advertising service at no cost. You might also make use of similar publications outside Canada.
It is possible to find a person with whom to "exchange" homes for the duration of your leave. Links to some exchange organizations.
Calling or visiting the Provincial Government Landlord Tenant Relations Office to obtain a copy of the Residential Tenancies Act so that you fully understand your obligations and those of your tenant. Remember that regardless of the length of your lease, it may be necessary to provide a notice of termination date to your tenant some months in advance. Post-dated cheques deposited to your bank are usually the most reliable trouble-free means of payment of rent.
If you plan to rent your home to a tenant, visit your insurance agent or broker several months before your departure. There is usually an additional cost to insure your home as a rental property. Some insurance companies will not insure your home as a rental property. Some insurance companies will not insure your household effects. Try to find an agent/broker willing to cover both the property and contents.
Property Protection
It is a good idea to take a videotape or photographs of the rooms and the property just before you leave. It is also a good idea to photograph the valuables that you will be taking. Photographs will expedite insurance claims if valuables are lost, stolen, or damaged--leave the photos with a relative or friend.
Other Suggestions
Please keep in mind that when you rent your house or sublease your apartment, the new tenants have the same rights you would expect if you were renting an apartment from a corporate landlord. The fact that you will not be renewing the tenant's lease and that you consider the property your permanent residence is irrelevant as far as tenant rights are concerned.
Thus, any goods you leave behind are technically unavailable to you until the lease expires. Furthermore, you are responsible for all maintenance and upkeep, including lawn mowing and snow shovelling, unless specified in the lease.
If you take pride in your lawn and garden, you might consider hiring a professional lawn care service. Otherwise, you will inevitably be disappointed when you return.
Be careful about leaving tools, records, books, kitchen utensils, and other small items in their normal places. These items have a tendency to become mixed up with the tenant's property over the course of the lease period and may be moved with other items when the lease expires. It is often difficult to remember who owns what after 12 months.
You have little control over the presence of pets in your rented home, although you may add a pet clause to your lease. It pays to ask about pets when interviewing prospective tenants. One recommendation you might consider is to obtain at least a verbal agreement from the tenants that if they have a pet, they will have the carpets cleaned before they leave.
It is also a good idea to state explicitly what areas in your house or apartment can or cannot be remodelled, painted, or changed in some way. You may return and find a room redecorated if you don't specifically prohibit it before you leave.
Utilities should be notified of a change of name when you call in a final reading prior to your departure. Then, if your tenants do not pay these bills, the utility companies will have no claim on you and will have to collect only from your tenants.
A final note. You are dependent on the good will of your tenants and are well advised to take a positive but firm approach to all aspects of the lease agreement.
13.4 Tax Deductions Revenue Canada's Rental Income Tax Guide
Copies of the Rental Income Tax Guide are available on the link above or from the local Revenue Canada Office. The Guide is helpful in setting out eligible deductions from rental income. For example, all repairs required to maintain the rental property (or prepare it for the renters) are deductible from the gross rent. Insurance, property taxes, utilities, and interest on mortgage payments are also deductible from rental income. You may also depreciate your furniture (20% capital cost allowance) if you rent it furnished. If you take a capital cost allowance on the furniture, it is probably advisable to have an independent estimate of the value of the furniture completed before you leave. Please note that if you take a capital cost allowance on the house itself, you are then liable for taxes on any appreciation in the value of the property during that time. Specific deductions should, of course, be confirmed with a reliable tax accountant.
While your house is rented, your income tax returns should contain a letter stating that you are temporarily absent and that it remains your principal residence (quote sub-section 45(2) of the Income Tax Act); this protects you from capital-gains tax on the increase in the value of the house while it is rented.
Also see CAUT Tax Guide
When you move for a year, it's an advantage to move to a furnished apartment or house. However, you may still need to take some necessities. Think in terms of items you use at home at least once a week. If you take unfurnished accommodation, consider renting the necessities and check into the availability of furniture rental shops at your destination.
15.1 Re-entry for Permanent Residents:
If you are non-citizen, permanent resident (formerly Landed Immigrant) in Canada, you must obtain a permanent resident card from the Immigration Office (effective 2003 12 31 this card will be required for re-entry). Details and application forms are available from Citizenship and Immigration Canada and though the web site linked above. You should also be aware of the rules regarding length of absence from Canada as extended periods away can jeopardize your immigration status.
Some countries require visas. Contact the consulates of relevant countries for application forms and details of regulations pertaining to various time periods for which the visa is required. (If you have more than one citizenship, ask about each one as the rules and charges may be different depending upon the country of citizenship.) If paid employment is planned, a work visa must be obtained. Complete this process well in advance of your planned departure. Requests for prolonged periods of residence may require that visas be processed in that country rather than at the Consulate, a process that can take quite some time. Check that your entry stamp agrees with the length of your visa as some countries will stamp a lengthy visa with a much shorter date and you will find yourself in violation to your length of stay even though you purchased a more expensive longer term visa. In such cases, it is advisable to have a letter from an authority in the country stating that customs and immigration should provide all assistance to you.
If you leave the country, you will be required to provide Customs with an itemized list of goods you are taking and plan to bring back. The forms are available at Canada Customs and Excise and should be filled out in advance to avoid delays when you move, and to facilitate your re-entry.