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Qualifying Period and Timelines The first 15 weeks of a health leave is known as the qualifying period. Members must make contributions on any employment earnings they receive from your organization during this period and employers must match contributions made by the member at the prevailing employer contribution rates. See section 7.3 Administrative Steps for further details about deducting contributions and the options that are available to members during this period.
If a member returns to work during the qualifying period for a period of 3 weeks or less and then is off work for the same illness, the health leave is considered to be continuous and should not be ended. If a member returns to work during the qualifying period for more than three weeks, or if the member returns to work and then goes off work on a health leave for a different illness, then the health leave should be ended on the date the member returned to work. A return to work during the 15 week qualifying period includes a return to work on an employer- approved rehabilitation or modified work program. A new 15 week qualifying period will begin if the member goes off work again on a subsequent employer-approved health leave. |
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Free accrual begins after the 15 week qualifying period if the member is determined by HOOPP to be partially, totally or totally and permanently disabled. If the member is partially disabled, free accrual can continue for up to four years from the date the health leave started, less the qualifying period. If the member is totally disabled or totally and permanently disabled the member may continue to qualify for free accrual past the four year limit until the member recovers, dies, retires, reaches age 65 or builds 35 years of contributory service, whichever occurs first.
Members who are within the first 15 weeks of an unpaid health leave during the period of the Ontario-declared emergency for COVID-19 will be provided with contributory service for the period of their unpaid leave that coincides with the declared emergency. The process for reporting these leaves remains unchanged. Additional information is in section 5.6. |
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