Member Handbook > Apprentice Leave of Absence
APPRENTICE LEAVE OF ABSENCE
WECA defines a Leave of Absence (LOA) as a period up to one year during which an
Apprentice cannot work for a Member Contractor (to obtain his/her required OJT hours), and cannot attend classroom instruction.
Except
for Military Leave an Apprentice will not be granted Leave if he/she has
previously had approved leave(s) and the current request would result in
a cumulative Leave time equal to 1 year during his/her term of
apprenticeship.
If an
Apprentice is granted an LOA, he/she will not be dispatched or allowed
to attend classes until the LOA has ended.
Apprentices are informed that they should first discuss the need for an LOA with their contractors before contacting the WECA Sacramento Office to start the LOA process.
Circumstances Considered for LOAs
- Temporary medical conditions (maximum cumulative absence of one (1) year
for entire program)
- Personal reasons (maximum cumulative absence of one (1) year for
entire program)
- Active military duty
If an LOA is granted, an Apprentice's entire Term of Apprenticeship may extend beyond the originally estimated Program completion date.
He/She
may be required to purchase new classroom materials as a result of
missed semesters.
If the
Apprentice's need for a LOA extends beyond one year, the Apprentice's
DAS 1 (Apprenticeship Agreement) will be cancelled. The apprentice may
reapply to the Program 1 year after the effective date of cancellation.
WECA will consider reasonable classroom and OJT accommodations
whenever feasible for an LOA that has been granted by the Apprentice’s
Member Contractor under the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
or the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), and/or a LOA that may be
necessary due to workplace injuries and/or disabilities recognized under
federal and/or state laws.
Contractors with Apprentices on leaves covered under the FMLA or the
CFRA are advised to seek legal advice as to their responsibility to
continue benefits as they existed at the start of the leave. |
