Parental Leave Policy.
Leave status enables members to retain their membership with the CAA when they need to be away from avalanche-related work and maintain their practice for a significant period. Parental leave is specifically for new parents to take time away from the industry. Provided the member complies with the CPD and leave policies, they remain a member in good standing of the Association.
Eligibility
The provisions of this policy are available to members who are in good standing in the following categories:
- Basic Avalanche Educator
- Avalanche Practitioner
- Avalanche Professional
- Advanced Avalanche Educator
Eligibility includes:
- Members who have had or are about to have a child.
- Members who are becoming new legal parents or legal guardians and need time for adjustment.
Requirements
A member who has applied for and been approved to be on leave shall:
- submit a request (through the online application form) to the Membership Chair stating the date from which the member wishes to be considered on leave;
- declare a start and approximate end date of the parental leave of up to 12 months; if a longer leave is required, the member may apply to the Membership Committee for an extension up to another 12 months; at this time, additional information may be requested;
- not be undertaking full-time avalanche work and all of their regular duties; members on leave are permitted to work up to 40 hours or five days per month, whichever is greater;
- inform the CAA of any work they intend to do in advance of starting the work; a plan including the number of hours to be worked and an outline of the responsibilities must be provided;
- upon applying for leave, the member must demonstrate that they have maintained CPD by submitting their CPD recording sheet for the time they have been a member or the past three calendar years, whichever is shorter;
- maintain CPD in accordance with this document and the CPD Policy:
- if a member takes leave during the season (November to April), their CPD requirement is scaled down to match how much of the season they were actually active for; ask Membership Services for help with calculating an adjusted CPD requirement;
- the three-year running total would be adjusted to reflect the reduced points; and
- all carry-forward points will still apply while on leave;
- declare they have resumed their practice if resuming avalanche-related activities prior to the originally declared end date;
- have their membership fee waived and replaced with an administrative fee of $85/year;
- be listed in the CAA Member Directory with the added notation “On Leave;”
- retain voting rights within the CAA and other benefits, with the exception of practice suitable to a practicing member, subject to future bylaw changes; and
- be referred to the Complaint Investigation Committee if any breaches of practice or this policy occur.
Limitations
- There are no limits to the number of leaves a member may take over their career.
- A member should not be on leave, or any combination of leaves, for longer than 24 consecutive months for each child,
Appeals
The Membership Chair has the discretion to approve, review and, if required, remove leave status from a member as deemed appropriate. Where the member believes the Membership Chair has erred in judgment, a written appeal can be made to the Board of Directors to review the decision. The decision of the Board of Directors in such cases is final.
