April 1 Consolidation of NASA Casual Categories - Employee FAQ

As part of the renewal collective agreement between the university and the Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA), the parties agreed to consolidate all casual categories into one. Effective April 1, 2026 current Casual Level 1, Casual Level 1 Full Time Student, and Casual Level 2 categories will be consolidated into a single Casual category. The new Casual category will align with what is currently reflected in the Casual Level 2 provisions and will be based on a 40-hour work week.

The consolidation is intended to streamline administration, clarify entitlements and ensure consistent treatment of casual employees across the institution.

Current employees will be automatically transitioned to the new "Casual" category, including pay and entitlement structure on April 1, as appropriate. 

Summary of Changes

Beginning April 1, all university employees in Casual categories included in the NASA collective agreement will consolidate to one category, simply called “Casual.” Terms and conditions of this new Casual category are the same as the current Casual Level 2 category. 

Casual 2 employees:

No changes to terms and conditions. 

Casual 1 employees: 

Will be automatically moved to the new Casual category on April 1.

Casual Full Time Student employees:

Student employees will be moved to either Casual, Auxiliary Hourly or Auxiliary Salary based on a review of their hours.

Additional Resources

Collective Agreements + Handbooks 

Updates and information will continue to be provided through Employee Digests and the HRHSE web pages. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Consolidation of casual categories will have different impacts depending on the current casual category an employee is in. Please see below for more information on changes for specific categories and to entitlements.

Student Employees

Each Casual Full Time Student employee’s current hour balance and employment history will be reviewed manually to determine if they will be moved to the Casual or Auxiliary category:

• New Casual Category: employees who have worked fewer than 1707 hours. 
• Auxiliary Hourly: employees who have accumulated 1707 or more hours by working in one or more positions.
• Auxiliary Salaried: eligibility determined upon appointment extension.

Employees who will be moved into the Auxiliary Hourly or Auxiliary Salaried categories will receive a direct email.

Will Casual Level 1 Full Time Student employees still receive the 1.5% premium to their pay?

No. The premium had been provided because Full Time Student employees could not progress beyond Casual Level 1. This will no longer apply as of April 1, 2026. 

Casual Level 1 Employees

What are the impacts to current Casual Level 1 employees?

The system will automatically move these employees to the new "Casual" class and entitlement structure on April 1, 2026.

Will the minimum 75% pay rule for Casual Level 1 employees still apply?

No. The provision in Article 8.02 requiring Casual Level 1 employees to be paid no less than 75% of the base rate no longer applies under the consolidated casual structure. This means that if a casual employee is not currently being paid at 100% of the base rate pay, their pay will automatically be adjusted to the full step assigned.

Current Casual Level 2 Employees

What are the impacts to current Casual Level 2 employees?

There are no changes to the terms and conditions for Casual Level 2 employees. As of April 1, 2026 they will be referred to as “Casual” employees and all previous Casual Level 2 employees will be placed on a 40 hour work week. 

For Casual Level 2 employees previously placed on a 35 hour or 37.5 hour work week, overtime provisions will not apply until they have worked 40 hours in a week.

Entitlements for Casual Employees Effective April 1, 2026

Do Casual employees receive the protective footwear allowance?

Yes. Effective April 1, 2026, all casual employees will be entitled to the provisions as noted in Article 7.06(d)(i) which includes $12 per month where protective footwear is required but is not provided by the university.

Are Casual employees eligible for bereavement and compassionate care leave?

Yes. All Casual employees are eligible for bereavement leave and compassionate care leave starting April 1, 2026 as per the provisions in Articles 27.03 and 27.04.

What maternity-related provisions apply to Casual employees?

• Any accrued sick leave will be paid out when a Casual employee begins maternity leave.
• Maternity leave provisions apply to Casual employees, including:
  • Eligibility for 6–8 weeks of maternity leave.
  • There is no guarantee of a position being available at the conclusion of the leave.

What benefits are available to Casual employees?

All Casual employees are entitled to:

• Occupational Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance.
• Access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP).

Can Casual employees access professional development funding?

Yes. Casual employees may apply for up to $500 per fiscal year from the Human Resource Development Fund to support learning opportunities.

Which hours-of-work provisions apply to Casual employees?

The full Hours of Work articles (Articles A2/B2) now apply to all Casual employees as of April 1, 2026. Casual employees will continue to work the hours set out in their appointment letter; however, the standard weekly hours is set at 40 hours per week. As a result, overtime provisions will not apply until a Casual employee has worked more than 40 hours in a week.

Are Casual employees eligible for overtime?

Yes. Overtime provisions in Articles A5/B3 apply to all Casual employees in accordance with the collective agreement as of April 1, 2026. Overtime provisions will not apply until a Casual employee has worked more than 40 hours in a week.

Do Casual employees earn illness leave?
Yes. Casual employees accrue illness leave at a rate of 0.049296 hours of illness leave for each hour worked.

For example, if a Casual employee works 10 hours per week for two weeks and 20 hours are paid for the pay period, the system would calculate and add to their leave accrual balance as follows:

20 hours x 0.049296 = 0.98592 hours