Teachers are responsible for understanding and monitoring their own assignable and instructional time.

The collective agreement is clear:
• Assignable time is capped at 1,200 hours per school year
• Instructional time (included within the 1,200 hours) is capped at 916 hours per school year

These are maximums, not targets.

While these limits provide important protections, they also require active attention. Time is calculated over the entire school year, and its accumulation can vary significantly depending on assignments, supervision and scheduling.

It is not as simple as stopping work once the 1,200-hour cap is reached. Reaching or approaching the cap requires early conversations with school leadership to ensure appropriate adjustments can be made.

Failing to proactively address time concerns may lead to employment difficulties. Members are encouraged to continue reading for a detailed explanation of how time is calculated, what counts and how to manage potential overages effectively.

If you have questions about how your time is being calculated, or if you believe you may exceed the maximum limits, contact Teacher Employment Membership Support (TEMS) at 1-800-2327208.

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To view previous Worth Knowing documents, please visit this link.

Keep reading for important information about your rights, responsibilities and potential risks.

WORTH KNOWING
Understanding the Time Language
Article 8 of the collective agreement establishes clear limits on teacher time:
• 1,200 hours of assignable time per school year
• 916 hours of instructional time per school year Instructional time is included in assignable time, not in addition to it.

Assignable time includes all employer-directed duties, such as instruction, supervision, meetings, professional development and assigned school activities.

These limits are annual caps, calculated over the entire school year. They are not applied evenly day-to-day or term-by-term, so a teacher’s workload may fluctuate throughout the year.

Maximum Means Maximum
The 1,200-hour cap is not flexible.

A teacher may not be assigned more than 1,200 hours, and a school division cannot provide additional compensation to exceed that limit.

This is a critical point: The language protects teachers from over-assignment, but it also removes the option of “working beyond the cap for extra pay.”

As a result, school divisions are expected to build schedules with sufficient flexibility to prevent overages.

Why Tracking Your Time Matters 

Assignable and instructional time is not always intuitive. Time can be added in ways that are not immediately obvious, such as
• supervision during unassigned time;
• required meetings or professional development;
• covering for absent colleagues (increases your current instructional time amount); and
• assigned activities outside the regular school day.

Once time is worked, it cannot be removed or “given back.” The clock only moves forward, though it can be paused in certain situations.

Because of this, teachers should
• track their time throughout the year;
• pay attention to how duties are assigned; and
• monitor projections as the year progresses.

Managing Potential Overages

If a teacher is approaching the maximum time caps, the most important step is to engage early. Waiting until the cap has been reached significantly limits available options. Teachers who anticipate a potential overage should
• review their time calculations carefully;
• initiate a conversation with their principal; and
• seek clarity on how assigned duties are being counted.

This approach creates the opportunity to adjust schedules, redistribute duties or pause additional assignments before a problem develops.

A Critical Clarification
​
It may appear that once a teacher reaches 1,200 hours, they can simply stop reporting to work.

That is not what the language says.

The collective agreement limits what a school division can assign, but it does not provide a mechanism for unilateral withdrawal of services by a teacher.

Choosing not to attend work without prior resolution and agreement may result in employment consequences, even where time calculations are in dispute.

This is why proactive communication is essential.

Shared Responsibility 

Assignable and instructional time is a shared responsibility:
• School divisions must assign work within collective agreement limits 
• Teachers must understand, monitor and raise concerns about their time
When both sides engage early and in good faith, issues can typically be resolved before they escalate.

Support is Available
If you have questions about how your time is being calculated, or if you believe you may exceed the maximum limits, contact Teacher Employment Membership Support (TEMS) at 1-800-2327208.

Early advice often makes the difference between a manageable adjustment and a more complex employment issue.

To view previous Worth Knowing documents, please visit this link. 

The recent Alberta teachers’ strike has had a real financial impact on Alberta Teachers’ Association (Association) members. Members are also concerned about how their Association is managing its resources. While the strike resulted in reduced revenues and unexpected costs, your Association remains financially stable. At the same time, your Association is taking a careful and restrained approach to spending. These measures will remain in place as we continue to navigate the financial impacts of the strike together.

#WeAreATA
To view previous Worth Knowing documents, please visit this link.
Keep reading for important information about your rights, responsibilities and potential risks.

WORTH KNOWING
The financial impact of the recent Alberta teachers’ strike has been felt across the membership of the Alberta Teachers’ Association. For many, the loss of pay has created real and continuing strain. Members are concerned about not only their personal finances but also how their Association is managing its own resources during this time. While the strike resulted in reduced revenues and required unplanned expenditures, particularly to sustain member group benefits, your Association remains financially stable and able to meet its obligations. At the same time, your Association understands the importance of demonstrating care, restraint and accountability.

At its meeting on Thursday, October 2, 2025, Provincial Executive Council was advised of the following steps, applying to both members of Council and Association staff, that were approved by Table Officers Committee. These measures were implemented immediately to manage expenditures and will continue until further notice: 

• All Association and Association committee meetings will be held online.
• Association staff meetings normally requiring travel by some or all attendees will be moved online or conducted in a hybrid fashion.
• District representative (DR) and staff fieldwork and representation-related travel will be restricted.
• Travel within a DR’s district will continue, at the discretion of the DR, but non-essential travel outside the district will be paused.
• Staff will provide representation and field presence using online formats, to the greatest degree possible.
• Association events will be reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis.
• Expense claims will be capped and, where possible, their submission delayed.
• Hosting must be authorized by a coordinator or the executive secretary (Association staff) or by a president or past president (Council).
• With few exceptions, professional development and training will be cancelled, paused or deferred.
• Program area budgets and programming will be actively managed to constrain expenditures.
• Use of external consultants will be suspended or reduced.
• IT subscriptions and licenses will be reviewed for potential cost savings.
• New hiring and backfilling of vacancies will be deferred.
• Facility costs will be reviewed and capital expenditures deferred, delayed or staged.
• Printing and mailing costs will be reduced.
• Requests for voluntary unpaid leaves or reduced hours of work will be welcomed.

Your Association is taking a measured and prudent approach to spending and is mindful of the levy on members that has been applied to replenish the Special Emergency Fund. These measures reflect a deliberate and responsible approach to managing your Association finances during a period of ongoing impact. Members are making difficult adjustments, and it is important that your Association demonstrates the same level of care and restraint. To support this commitment while meeting its ongoing obligations, the Association is targeting approximately 10 per cent in savings across core department and allocation budgets. These savings relate to controllable operating expenditures.

​This target does not include the approximately $22 million one-time unbudgeted expense related to paying members’ group health benefit (GHB) premiums during the October work stoppage. As a result, while the Association’s operating expenses are expected to come in below budget, total expenses for the year will reflect this additional obligation.

As the fiscal year ending August 31 progresses, Association finances will be closely monitored and adjustments will be made as needed in response to changing conditions.

These practices will remain in place for the time being, ensuring that your Association continues to safeguard its financial position while remaining aligned with the realities facing membership.

To view previous Worth Knowing documents, please visit this link. 

If you feel the WK does not fully address your question or you need clarification, don't hesitate to call Teacher Employment Membership Support (TEMS) directly at 1-800-232-7208.

TEMS remains committed to providing members with up-to-date, relevant information. If emergent issues arise, rest assured, we won't wait until next Wednesday to share.
​
To view all of the previous WKs, please click on this link to visit the Members Only Site.
If you have a WK topic idea, please send an email to [email protected] with the subject: Worth Knowing Topic Request.

Questions sometimes arise about whether teachers can or should provide medical services or administer medication to students. While these situations often stem from genuine concern for students’ well-being, they also raise important legal, professional, and safety issues.

The Alberta Teachers’ Association’s Position

The Alberta Teachers’ Association (Association) has a clear and long-standing position on this matter: teachers should not be responsible for providing medical services or administering medication to students on a regular or ongoing basis. These responsibilities are not part of educational duties and require specialized medical training, dedicated time, and appropriate supports.

Medical services in schools should be delivered by trained and competent health-care personnel, with suitable systems in place to ensure continuity, backup support, and safe administration.

Legal Framework: Education Act and Responsibilities

Under the Education Act, students in Alberta have the right to access education. In some cases, this may require school divisions to ensure that necessary medical supports are provided so that a student can attend and participate meaningfully in school.

However, it is critical to distinguish responsibilities:

• School divisions (employers) might need to provide medical supports when necessary to ensure access to education.
• Teachers, under the act, are responsible for instruction and supervision, including carrying out assigned duties; however, providing medical care is not an instructional function.

This distinction is fundamental. The obligation to ensure access to education may be present— but it is the responsibility of the school division, not individual teachers.

Duty of Care and Legal Risk

Canadian case law, including cited decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada, establishes that teachers owe students a “reasonably careful parent” standard of care, tailored to a student’s specific needs.

The following are critical points:

• When teachers assume responsibility for students with medical needs, the standard of care naturally increases.
• This increased responsibility requires being more vigilant in preventing and responding to foreseeable medical issues.
• If a teacher becomes involved in administering treatment or managing a medical regime, they might face extra legal liability. In practical terms, this creates a significant risk exposure when teachers take on roles for which they are neither trained nor employed. Emergency Versus Ongoing Medical Care There is a significant legal difference between emergency and ongoing medical care:
• In an unforeseen emergency, teachers are expected to act reasonably, as any prudent person would. Good Samaritan protections (for example, under emergency aid legislation) may apply. However, having certification in a specific area, such as first aid, could increase the level of accountability since the member has received training and is expected to use it reasonably.
• Ongoing or foreseeable medical needs entail greater liability, particularly when a known condition requires planned intervention, monitoring, or medication.

What Should a Teacher Do?

When a teacher is directed or expected to provide medical services, they should follow these steps:

1. Raise concerns with the principal about the suitability of the assignment.
2. Request that qualified personnel be assigned to address the student’s medical needs.
3. Contact Teacher Employment Membership Support (TEMS) if the issue remains unresolved or if further guidance is needed.
4. Where necessary, clarify the scope of responsibility, especially if appropriate medical supports are not available.

Minimizing Risk and Liability

Teachers can lessen exposure by

• avoiding involvement in administering medication or medical treatment unless properly trained, supported and directed within an appropriate framework;
• ensuring that clear protocols, training and consent are in place where any involvement is expected; and
• recognizing that accepting responsibility, whether explicitly or implicitly, may heighten legal obligations and expectations of care.

WORTH SHARING

Teachers are dedicated to supporting students, but providing medical care is not part of their professional responsibilities. Although school divisions may be responsible for ensuring students have access to education, including arranging necessary medical supports, this duty does not fall on teachers.

When teachers perform medical duties, even informally, they may be subject to a higher legal standard of care and face increased liability. The Association’s position is clear: medical services should be provided by trained health professionals, with appropriate supports in place. Teachers asked to carry out such services should raise concerns and seek help through TEMS (1-800-2327208) to ensure both student safety and their own professional protection.

Read the full Worth Knowing.
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The collective agreement aims to encompass all members of a bargaining unit and ensure they receive fair provisions. Sometimes, clauses within the agreement require decision making and may necessitate an arbitrator to interpret the language. These clauses can cause issues, especially if they lead to conflicts among members of the same bargaining unit by limiting their entitlements under the agreement. 

In a school setting, the principal holds a significant level of responsibility, as they oversee the school’s operation. In general, or in unionized environments, those in high-responsibility roles typically make decisions about their employees’ working conditions, rather than just implementing relevant policies. However, such a “manager” role is not consistent with the collegial environment that should be promoted in Alberta schools. In a school setting, school leaders (including principals, vice-principals, and assistant principals) can be seen as having a similar role since they oversee the school’s operations. Nevertheless, school leaders are teachers’ colleagues, not their managers.

While school leaders play a key role in guiding decisions about their schools, being the final decision maker can put them in a tough position, potentially causing conflicts with other bargaining unit members because of their role as agents of the division.

A common area where this occurs is with leaves of absence. Inclement weather language is a specific example. It is not uncommon to find language that states “in the opinion of the teacher” or “after making reasonable efforts” in clauses that require members to assess their situation and make decisions. While some language grants full autonomy to the teacher, other clauses specify that the final decision rests with someone else.

While the language of the collective agreement will specify who makes the decision on an entitlement, as previously mentioned, it should not have bargaining unit members making sole entitlement decisions for other members of the same bargaining unit. Even in cases where the language delegates authority, that delegation should not place a school leader in the role of manager and sole decision maker. 

The Association has an arbitration award from an Edmonton Public grievance regarding leave of absence decisions that supports this stance. The main responsibility of a school leader should be to inform the decision, not to act as the final authority on entitlement. However, some agreements include language that gives the administrator a more prominent decision-making role than is ideal.

If the language clearly states that the decision maker is the superintendent or other central office personnel, but they have arbitrarily assigned that responsibility to an administrator, this process should be challenged. If the language identifies the “Superintendent or designate” as the decision-maker and an administrator has been appointed as the final decider, the Edmonton Public arbitration decision should be submitted to the employer, and efforts should be made to resolve the issue based on the award. When the language explicitly lists the administrator as the decision maker, we must adhere to that language until it can be negotiated out of the collective agreement. 

​No matter who the decision maker is, they act as an agent of the division and must make decisions reasonably. The grievance-arbitration process is available to address any clause in the collective agreement where a breach is believed to have occurred, regardless of who made the decision.

WORTH SHARING

Collective agreement language details entitlements and provisions for teachers. Whenever possible and when the language requires, the employer should make decisions. School leaders should inform staff of their decisions but should not be responsible for final decisions on entitlements for colleagues because colleagues are not managers. Members with concerns should contact Teacher Employment Membership Support at 1-800-232-7208. 

Read the full Worth Knowing.
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