Additional compensation for those who suffered hardships: government
The federal government has launched a process allowing former employees to request general compensation for damages, as part of the joint agreement developed with federal public service unions in June.
It’s meant to compensate more than 140,000 current and former employees for damages caused by the Phoenix payroll system. The system was introduced in 2016 to replace the government’s outdated system but it caused major pay problems for many of the federal government’s 290,000 public servants through underpayments, over-payments and non-payments.
“We continue to take action on all fronts to resolve pay issues, including providing fair and practical compensation for the burden that the Phoenix pay system has placed on employees, and former employees,” said Jean-Yves Duclos, president of the Treasury Board.
The agreement includes additional compensation for those who experienced severe personal or financial hardship due to Phoenix, who experienced other financial costs or lost investment income and who took leave for health issues related to Phoenix. This compensation will be assessed on a case-by-case basis for eligible employees whose bargaining agents have signed the agreement, says the government.
Additional vacation days
Over the summer, federal organizations credited eligible current employees with additional vacation days for damages caused by Phoenix. The leave represents general compensation for financial or non-financial damages, including for general stress, aggravation and lost time, says the government.
About 125,000 employees were each credited with up to four days of additional annual leave that covers 2016, 2017 to 2018, 2019. Next summer, they will receive an additional one‑day leave credit for fiscal year 2019, 2020, says the government.
The agreement provided compensation to employees, former employees and the estates of deceased employees, for fiscal years 2016, 2017 and 2019 to 2020, says the Treasury Board.
Main Image Caption: The feds have launched a process allowing former employees to request general compensation for damages caused by the Phoenix pay system.
