Illness and Injury Leave
Academic Staff and Management and Professional Staff sick leave
Please confirm your eligibility in your collective agreement or terms and conditions of employment.
Most Academic Staff and Management and Professional Staff are eligible for 20 consecutive days of illness leave due to your own injury or illness, or to attend medical or dental appointments.
If sufficient medical documentation is provided, an eligible staff member can access up to 26 weeks of illness leave per calendar year for injury or illness that extends an absence beyond 20 days.
Support Staff sick leave
Please confirm your eligibility in your collective agreement.
Casual illnesses are absences of three days or less due to your own injury or illness, or for medical or dental appointments. Most support staff are eligible for 10 days of casual illness per year.
General illnesses are medically documented absences of more than three and up to 10 consecutive work days due to your own injury or illness. If sufficient medical documentation is provided, an eligible staff member can access up to 130 days of general illness leave per calendar year, of which 10 can be used as casual illness.
Mental health support
You have confidential access to the Employment and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) to deal with personal, family or work related issues. Call them anytime at 780-428-7587. Learn more about the Employee and Family Assistance Program. Also, see our Mental Health resources for staff.
Access to services for dependents is contingent on those who are covered under the University's Supplementary Health Care Plan.
If you become disabled and are unable to work because of a prolonged injury or illness, the University of Alberta long-term disability plan provides you with 70% of your basic monthly earnings while you remain disabled. You may also be eligible for the Canadian Pension Plan Disability Pension.
Academic staff and management and professional staff: The plan covers your benefits and payment of your UAPP contributions. Required deductions are made from this income, including income tax as well as CPP and EI premiums. Read about the Academic Disability Leave Program, Management and Professional Staff and Academic Administrators Disability Leave Program or contact a consultant at recovery@ualberta.ca to learn more.
Support staff: The plan covers your benefits and payment of your PSPP contributions. Required deductions are made from this income, including income tax as well as CPP and EI premiums. Read the Support Staff Long Term Disability Plan.
Please confirm your eligibility in your collective agreement or terms and conditions of employment.
Return to Work Consultants
Human Resource Services return to work consultants help staff make a plan to return to work after an illness or injury.
Homewood Health
The University of Alberta partners with Homewood Health to help ill or injured staff recover and continue to work, by providing access to resources, rehabilitation or other services. As a University of Alberta staff member, you are eligible for health recovery support services from a Homewood Health Support Consultant.
Your consultant can coordinate and often expedite access to rehabilitative and assessment services sooner than a physician referral. When working with the consultant, many of these costs may be covered by the University.
To initiate a self-referral, you may reach out to them anytime at rtwsreferral@homewoodhealth.com and request assistance. Include your name, phone number and department. We do not recommend you provide medical information via email.
Homewood Health holds medical information on a secure site and server separate from the University of Alberta. Homewood Health meets all provincial and federal privacy legislation for the protection of personal health information.
You may consent for Homewood Health to communicate directly with your physician, otherwise, you’ll be responsible for faxing information from your physician to Homewood Health and seeking clarification from your physician if necessary. Call Homewood Health at 519-824-1010 ext. 2443 if you would like to discuss consent before you provide it. If you consent, fill out either the Support Staff Consent for Release of Health Information or Academic Staff Consent for Relase of Health Information form and bring it with you to the physician.