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    You are here: Home / Negotiations / Contract 2014 Negotiations Blog / Q&A: How does my leave impact my 480 requirement?

    Q&A: How does my leave impact my 480 requirement?

    November 21, 2014 18:40

    A:  If you are on a leave of absence and coordinating with sick leave then that month is not counted as part of the calendar year look-back under TA2. The look-back would extend into the previous year to capture additional months of flying to count towards the 480 TFP. This provision is a more favorable application than what is in place today as you are currently credited with only the minimal amount of sick leave (11.3 today, 9.0 or 9.3 under TA2).

    Example: FA is on MLOA in May 2015 and chooses to coordinate 9.3 TFP of SL in order to stay on payroll while on their leave.  If this same example happened in May 2014 under the current book, that FA would have received only the 11.3 TFP credit in May 2014 towards their 480 requirement in 2014.  However, under TA2, May 2015 would be excluded and thus would require a one month look back into the last full month on active duty in the previous calendar year (2014) in order to calculate the 480 requirement in 2015.

    You are eligible to accrue vacation while on a leave but if you have no paid time in a month, you would receive a 1/12 reduction to your vacation entitlement, same as current book. On any unpaid leave you would receive a 1.333 credit towards the 480 TFP for each day of the leave.

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    Filed Under: Contract 2014 Negotiations Blog, Latest News, Negotiations

    Comments

    1. LeiLauni Hixssen says

      November 24, 2014 at 16:57

      In TA2 if you review Section 15 (Leaves of Absence), paragraph N. it discusses taking a leave without coordination for accrual of benefits. If you were on leave for 365 days without coordination (January 1, 2015-December 31, 2015) you would receive a credit of 1.333 per day for a total of 486 TFP earning your vacation in 2016. The 480 TFP provisions of TA2 will take effect January 1st 2015, for 2016 benefits. Under the current agreement your 480 TFP is reduced by 1.333 per day (January 1st 2014 – December 31, 2014).

      Is this correct? It states, if I am reading it right, that if I am on an un-paid leave for a year….I would still earn my vacation for the following year. I thought for vacation, it had to be ” hard time”.

      • Jeffrey Peterson (MEC President) says

        November 25, 2014 at 20:19

        You have to fly 480 TFP not including vacation or sick leave (“hard time” for the purposes of this discussion) but you also get to include an unpaid 1.333 TFP credit per day toward the 480 threshold for each on an unpaid leave. In your example, you have the right train of thought but what you’re missing is that your vacation entitlement also gets reduced by 1/12 for each month in which you have no paid time. That is the same application as in today’s contract.

        See Section 14.A.2. of TA2 (or the same citation in the current contract): “A Flight Attendant who does not have any paid time during that month will have her/his vacation entitlement reduced by one-twelfth (1/12) the annual entitlement for each such month.”

        So…if you are on an unpaid leave for an entire year you would not be eligible for vacation days in the following year because of the 1/12 reduction, not because of the 480 “hard time” requirement. Let’s assume that somehow you were able to keep a turn in each month and the rest of the month you were on an unpaid leave. I can’t think of a situation in which this would be possible but I’m simply using it to illustrate the difference between the provisions. You would still receive 1.333 TFP credit each day on an unpaid leave, so 353 days (365 – 12 turns) x 1.333 TFP = 470.5 TFP. If you add that credit to the credit for each turn, say 5.0 TFP apiece times 12 turns in the year (one per month), that would be 470.5 TFP + 60 TFP = 530.5 TFP. In that case, you would exceed the 480 threshold and be eligible for full paid vacation in the following year.

    2. Courtney says

      November 23, 2014 at 14:57

      Do you have to have worked 12 months before the look back? For example, return from leave January 2015 and start different leave August 2015. Can you look back for August? Or do you need to fly a certain amount of time to get the benefit of the look back?

      • Lisa Pinkston (ANC LEC Vice President/Negotiating Committee Member) says

        November 24, 2014 at 07:15

        Courtney,

        There is no flying requirement to be eligible to use the look back provision as it relates to the 480 requirement for benefits. If you are on a leave in Aug 2015 and coordinating with sick leave, those months will be skipped and the look back will go back as needed to capture 12 full months of work during which you were not coordinating a leave. If you are on an unpaid leave the 480 requirement is reduced by the 1.33 TFP/day credit same as current book.

    3. Gwendolyn says

      November 21, 2014 at 19:36

      does my vacation count towards paid time?. Example: If I choose not to work during the month of May because I have a week of vacation would that be considered not being paid or not on payroll? So if I take a week of vacation and do not fly for the entire month of May because I’m using my vacation will I lose half of my vacation days and all my vacation pay? Because I was not on payroll? Or since I’m getting a paycheck am I considered on payroll?

      • Jake Jones (SEA LEC Vice President/Negotiating Committee Member) says

        November 21, 2014 at 22:26

        Hi Gwendolyn,

        Vacation will count as paid time in a month for the 1/12 accrual. In TA2 Section 14 Vacation, paragraph A.2. you will see the language is consistent with the current collective bargaining agreement. There is no change to this practice.

    4. Danni Peterson says

      November 21, 2014 at 19:10

      Just want to 100% clarify and understand. If your out on a unpaid leave accruing 1.33 a day and meet 480, you will receive benefits. Will you accrue vacation since you didn’t work a hard 480 cause of bring out on leave. Example maternity leave January 2014- January 2015 unpaid leave accruing 480… Vacation? Thanks

      • Jake Jones (SEA LEC Vice President/Negotiating Committee Member) says

        November 21, 2014 at 22:33

        Hi Danni,

        In TA2 if you review Section 15 (Leaves of Absence), paragraph N. it discusses taking a leave without coordination for accrual of benefits. If you were on leave for 365 days without coordination (January 1, 2015-December 31, 2015) you would receive a credit of 1.333 per day for a total of 486 TFP earning your vacation in 2016. The 480 TFP provisions of TA2 will take effect January 1st 2015, for 2016 benefits. Under the current agreement your 480 TFP is reduced by 1.333 per day (January 1st 2014 – December 31, 2014).

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