Board  of  Education  September  29,  2015

Employment  Practices  Liability  Program  

� The  Program  is  modeled  after  the  School  Protection  Program  (SPP)  

� A  litigation  pool  with  a  coverage  agreement  to  determine  access  to  the  pool

� BCPSEA  will  administer  the  Program  and  provide  services  directly  to  school  districts  on  behalf  of  the  SPP  and  the  Ministry  of  Education

� Effective  July  1,  2015

Coverage  � The  coverage  agreement  is  designed  to  protect  the  school  districts  from  legal  expenses  arising  from  losses  in  four  different  areas:  � Employment  Practices  Wrongful  Acts� Grievance  Management� Exempt  Employee  Litigation  � Legal  Action  (initiated  by  BCPSEA)  

Coverage  – Employment  Practices  Wrongful  Acts� Wrongful  termination  of  employment� Harassment� Discrimination� Violation  of  Human  Rights  Statutes� Wrongful  deprivation  of  career  opportunity  (failure  to  promote)

� Invasion  of  privacy,  employment  related  defamation� Failure  to  create,  apply  or  enforce  employment  related  policies  or  procedures  at  work

Coverage  – Grievance  Management� Defense  costs  arising  from  any  grievance    where  the  district  has  provided  written  notice  to  BCPSEA  of  � The  step  in  the  process  immediately  preceding  referral  to  arbitration

� Or  the  actual  referral  to  arbitration  if  the  matter  proceeds  directly  to  arbitration

� For  all  employees  subject  to  a  collective  agreement� Legal  services  to  manage  provincial  or  local  grievances

Coverage  – Exempt  Employee  Litigation� Covers  any  civil  action  pertaining  to  the  terms  and  conditions  of  employment  with  any  school  district  by  any  employee  who  is  not  governed  by  a  collective  agreement

� Does  not  include  wrongful  dismissal  of  employment

Legal  Action� Program  covers  legal  costs  related  to  any  grievance  once  BCPSEA  or  a  District  initiates  written  notice  of� The  step  in  the  process  immediately  preceding  referral  to  arbitration

� Or  the  actual  referral  to  arbitration  if  the  matter  proceeds  directly  to  arbitration

� Legal  costs  for  any  civil  action  or  Labour  Relation  Board  application  filed  by  BCPSEA  in  response  to  actions  or  inactions  by  a  bargaining  unit  which  threatens  management  rights

District  submits  web  form,  litigation  anticipated

(trigger   event)

District  Liaison  Activity

BCPSEA  district  liaison  triages   activity  (e.g.  urgent)

General   Counsel  manages  and  coordinates  human  rights,  excluded  litigation  and  all  outside legal  advice

Litigation  Activity

Litigation  proceeds

Employment  Practices  Liability  Program Labour  Relations  Process

for  Human  Rights  and  Excluded  Litigation

*  This  can  occur  anytime  through  the  current  BCPSEA /  School  District Labour Relations  Process

Resolve  or  decision

As  per  current  practice,  email/phone  from  school  district  to  district  liaison*

District  submits  web  form,  grievance anticipated

(trigger   event)

District  Liaison  Activity

Employment  Practices  Liability  Program Labour  Relations  Process  

for  Grievances  and  Arbitrations

General   Counsel  manages  and  coordinates  referrals   to  arbitrations  and  

all  outside  legal  adviceLitigation  Activity

District  liaison  assists  school  district

Grievance   withdrawn  or  arbitration  settled

Arbitration  proceeds;  district  liaison  may/may not attend  hearing;  General   Counsel  attends  

provincially  significant arbitrations

Grievance   not  resolved,  referred   to  arbitration

Grievance  identified  to  

require  legal  advice

Grievance  resolved  in  grievance  procedure

Decision

* This  can  occur anytime through  the current  BCPSEA /  School  District Labour Relations  Process

BCPSEA  district  liaison  triages  activity  (e.g.  urgent, not  urgent)

As  per  current  practice,  email/phone  from  district  to  district  

liaison*

Proposed  Work  Flow  -­‐ Grievance  � District  continues  normal  work  with  their  employees  prior  to  any  legal  issue  or  grievance  arising  -­‐ this  may  include  accessing  legal  services  for  advice  

� Districts  in  consultation  with  BCPSEA  (as  is  current  practice)  are  in  charge  of  their  own  labour  relations  

Proposed  Work  Flow  -­‐ Grievance  

� When  a  step  3  is  advanced,  an  incident  form  is  submitted  online  similar  to  the  SPP  form  

� The  incident  form  reserves  rights  to  coverage  under  the  Program  

� Contact  BCPSEA  if  labour  relations  assistance  is  needed  (as  is  current  practice)  -­‐ BCPSEA  will  coordinate  the  claim  through  the  Program  

� Work  through  the  process  to  conclusion  

Benefits  � Co-­‐ordinated  approach  to  manage  employment-­‐related  litigation  matters  and  arbitrations  

� Enhanced  support  for  all  districts  to  see  through  collective  agreement  issues  on  principle  that  would  set  precedent  

� All  arbitration  covered  –provincially  significant,  as  well  as  those  not  deemedprovincially  significant  

� Savings  to  system  through  aggregation  of  experience  /  knowledge  and  reduced  rates  

Benefits� Develop  a  knowledge  base  

and  inventory  of  labour  and  employment  matters,  including  legal  opinions  

� Continued  development  of  a  sector  expertise  lawyer  pool  

� Labour  costs  shared  and  actuarially  determined  

� Improved  predictability  when  budgeting  cost  for  dealing  with  employment  practices  for  the  long  term  

Financial  Impact  on  Districts� No  cost  for  2015/2016� Expect  reduced  legal  fees  -­‐ $40,000  put  into  admin  savings  plan  

� Future  premiums� Based  on  covered  losses  and  administrative  costs� Factors

� Size  of  District� Number  of  collective  agreements,  employees  or  students� Historical  cost  of  labour  litigation� Number  of  losses  reported

Program  Exclusions  – losses  arising  from� Fraudulent,  criminal,  malicious  and  dishonest  acts� An  occurrence  prior  to  July  1,  2015� Any  actual  or  alleged  failure  or  refusal  of  a  district  to:

� Collect  and  pay  employee  benefit  contributions� Pay  any  form  of  remuneration  

� Punitive  or  other  damages,  fines,  taxes  or  penalties� Provincial  Government  initiatives,  policies,  practices  or  legislation  which  result  in  grievances  between  parties  to  collective  agreements

� Legal  costs  or  defense  costs  incurred  by  BCPSEA  relating  to  collective  bargaining