If you are assigned to the Winter Olympics and?do *not*?normally work out of the Vancouver bureau, you will work under the Overtime on Assignment provision of the collective agreement, which is contained in Letter of Agreement #10. Please read this language carefully so you understand your rights.
The agreement covers out of town assignments lasting for five or more days and only applies to scheduled events such as the Olympic Games. It does *not apply* to breaking news events.
HOW IT WORKS
Consultation between employees and their managers prior to going on the assignment about the schedule and coverage requirements is required. Make sure this happens; ask for it.
Normally, employees are paid overtime at time and one-half after working seven hours in a day. However, on assignment under this arrangement, employees work nine hours of straight time before receiving overtime at time and a half.
An employee’s time on assignment is averaged over a maximum of ten days. After ten days, a new averaging period begins. Payment for travel time is limited to seven hours each for time spent going to and returning from the assignment. Travel, if any, while working on the assignment is considered work time and will be paid.
CLAIMING OVERTIME
You must file daily reports of hours, by e-mail or phone, to help manage the time
spent working. The first day is a travel day. You claim a maximum of seven hours travelling time, even if the flight takes eight or more hours. The same holds true for the return trip.
Once you arrive, the averaging period begins on the first day you work.
Under this arrangement, the overtime is “owned” by both the employee and the manager. Each gets to determine how half of the overtime will be taken ? either in time or money.
You can elect to bank your half. The manager may request that you take the other half off at the end of the assignment. This is the only time the company has the right to tell you when to take banked time, directly after such an assignment.
This agreement allows the company to control costs and ensures staff are not working virtually unlimited hours without pay. Remember, if it’s not your time, it’s the company’s time and you should be paid for it.
Because this is not an out-of-town assignment for employees who work out of the Vancouver bureau, Letter #10 does not apply and the Collective Agreement simply applies in its entirety.
Again, please read the collective agreement and Letter #10 as not every detail is covered in this memo. If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Viner (kathy@cmg.ca) at the Guild National Office at (416) 591-5333 or 1-800-465-4149.