Spotlight: Do you have to post 75% of vacation requests in the vacation planner?

Some Employees of Alberta Health Services have been told that they must submit 75% of their vacation on the Vacation Planner.

Provincial Agreement Employers have agreed that Employees cannot be forced to put 75% of their vacation requests for a year in the vacation schedule planner. They have also agreed there will be no discipline if this information is not placed in the plan by the Employer’s self-imposed deadline. 

Scheduling vacations is covered by Article 17.03 of the Provincial Collective Agreement.

Article 17.03 (b) (i) states that the Employer shall post the vacation schedule planner by Jan. 1 each year.

“Where an Employee submits their vacation preference by March 15th of that year, the employer shall indicate approval or disapproval of that vacation request and shall post the resulting vacation schedule by April 30th of the same year”

The Employer has an obligation to provide guidance as to the reasonable number of Employees for each unit, program or site who may be granted vacation at the same time.