RULE 117. LEAVES OF ABSENCE.  (a) Leaves of absence of fifteen (15) days or less must be approved by the Crew Dispatcher or other designated representative of the Company at the terminal of the district where the engineer is employed.  Leaves of absence shall not be granted for periods of less than twenty-four (24) hours, except that engineers holding regular assignments, or holding a regular turn in pool freight service, will be permitted to go out on their own assignments in less than twenty-four (24) hours.  

(b) Leaves of absence exceeding fifteen (15) days but not exceeding ninety (90) days must be approved by the Division Superintendent. Leaves of absence exceeding ninety (90) days must be approved by the General Manager. The standard leave of absence form (Form 153) shall be executed for all leaves of absence exceeding fifteen (15) days.  

(c) Leaves of absence exceeding ninety (90) days shall not be granted except for sickness, disability, committee work or by permission of the General Manager.  

(d) Engineers accepting official positions in the service of the Company or the Brotherhood shall be considered as on leave of absence while holding such positions.  

(e) Leaves of absence will be granted only at the employee's home terminal or the terminal of his assignment, except in emergency. Employees shall not report for work following leaves of absence at points other than their home terminal or the terminal of their assignment, advance notice thereof to be given as provided in Section (g).  

(f) Engineers shall not absent themselves from service without proper authority.  

(g) Employees reporting for duty after having been granted permission to be absent shall give advance notice of the time they will report for duty as follows:  

1. Engineers holding assignments which work at or out of a point where an extra board is maintained shall give the Crew Dispatcher     at least three (3) hours' advance notice;    

2. At points where extra boards are not maintained, engineers shall report for duty at least twelve (12)   hours in advance of the on-duty time of their assignment.

               TAKE NOTE OF: (RE: Memorandum - IDE-5539): "When seniority is exercised to a position held by a junior engineer, or when marking up from vacation or layoff when an extra engineer is filling the regular assignment, at a point where no extra board is maintained, such seniority must be exercised not less than  twelve (12) hours in advance of the starting time of the position.  The junior or extra engineer working the vacancy will be notified of his displacement release prior to his tie-up on that working day."                               

  (h) Extra engineers granted leaves of absence shall be placed at the foot of the extra list at the time they report for duty.  

(1) An extra engineer who misses a call for service shall be taken off the working list for a period of twenty-four (24) hours, and he shall then be placed at the foot of the extra list, except that if the call missed was for an assignment at an outside point the engineer shall be required to go to such outside point on his own time and without deadhead pay in either direction. This will also apply to extra engineers laying off on calls to outside points. This provision shall not be construed as restricting the Company's right to apply discipline to employees for non-compliance with Company rules or regulations.  

(j) Engineers who fail to report for duty at the expiration of the period for which their absence has been authorized, unless request for additional leave is pending, shall automatically terminate their seniority rights and employee relationship with the Company and such rights shall not be restored except by written agreement between the General Manager and the General Chairman.  

(k) Engineers on assignments with layover days at outside points will, upon request, be permitted to go home on such layover days when practicable.