Vacation and Holidays
1. How much vacation do I receive in a year?
2. Can my program deny my vacation request?
3. Can I bank vacation?
4. What days should not count as vacation?
1. How much vacation do I receive in a year?
Article 12.01 states "Resident Physicians earn vacation at the rate of one and two-thirds (1 2/3) days per month of service." In twelve months on service, resident physicians earn 20 days of vacation. Vacation days can only be consumed by weekdays.
2. Can my program deny my vacation request?
Article 12.01 states "Vacation shall be taken at a time that is mutually agreed to between the Resident Physician and the Program Director provided that, if a mutually agreed time cannot be identified, the Program Director shall schedule the vacation period." Article 12.02 indicates that "application for vacation shall be made in writing to the Program Director a minimum of eight (8) weeks in advance" and that "the Program Director shall confirm approval or disapproval of the request in writing within two weeks." Resident physicians can expect to be told the reason for their request being denied and reasonable efforts should be made to facilitate rescheduling.
3. Can I bank vacation?
Vacation is intended to be taken in the contract year in which it is earned.
If this is not possible, Article 12.05 states "Provided the Program Director and the appropriate representative of the Authority gives prior approval, if a Resident Physician is unable to take their vacation in one year because of service commitments, the unused time may be banked except in the situation where the Resident Physician is in their final year of training, in which case the resident will be paid in lieu of vacation time." As such, the banking of vacation requires prior (before academic year end) documented approval by the Program Director and engagement of Alberta Health Services.
4. What days should not count as vacation?
As Article 12.06 indicates "vacation days will only be consumed by weekdays taken off that are not:"
- Named holidays
- Weekdays during an emergency medicine rotation or other shift-based rotation where no shift has been scheduled
- Educational leave
- Sick and Special leave
- Maternity/Parental leave
- Days for PARA business
- Days off during the Christmas or New Year's break in accordance with Article 13.03(a)
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