COVID-19 has put unprecedented stress on members like you. Balancing work and life responsibilities, setting up workspaces at home, dealing with school and daycare closures, and caring for loved ones has been a very difficult transition. 

The vast majority of federal public servants have been able to work through this crisis requiring no extra leave. However, those who needed more flexibility to attend to caregiving duties or deal with health risks, or those who could not perform their tasks at home when their offices closed, accessed ‘Other Leave With Pay (Code 699).’

To date, the use of Code 699 has been minimal. When it's needed – it's needed

Women, caregivers and those with health risks still need access to Code 699 leave to cope with the pandemic. 

It is a great disappointment that the Treasury Board has decided to change its guidance for management on the use of Code 699.  Even after conducting a GBA+ analysis on this change – identifying that the burden of child care and financial repercussions in the COVID era has disproportionately fallen on women – they decided to move forward. 

This updated guidance, which will be effective November 9, 2020, sets up new barriers that make this type of leave less accessible to employees. It emphasizes that Code 699 should be granted on a case-by-case basis, and only after remote or alternate work, or flexible work hours have been considered, and generally only after other relevant paid leave has first been used by the employee. 

Once all available options have been considered, and managers have consulted with their Labour Relations advisors, Code 699 could be available to an employee. 

However, this leaves it up to individual managers to force employees to exhaust other forms of leave, such as vacation, sick leave, or leave without pay, inappropriately. 

Get the help you need

We’re extremely concerned about the decision and limited access to Code 699. 

If you have been denied access to Code 699 or forced to use inappropriate leave such as vacation, sick leave, or leave without pay, please reach out for support: 

COVID-19 HELP FORM 

We’re fighting back

Public servants are fundamental to a successful recovery from the pandemic. We must support these workers to support Canadians. 

Last week we sent a letter to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, and Minister for Women and Gender Equality, The Honourable Maryam Monsef, urging them to insist that this decision is reversed. The government’s response to the pandemic and its treatment of federal workers has been very commendable so far – this approach must not be changed now to the detriment of women and families. 

Throughout this pandemic, you have fought for Canadians, and your union has fought for you. For months, we have pushed back against the Treasury Board when they initially proposed to eliminate Code 699 entirely. Though progressive changes have been made we are disappointed with the conclusion they’ve come to and we are ready to push back again.

There is still time for key government ministers or the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer to step in and stop this change. 

If this policy is implemented as is, we will take legal action by filing a policy grievance to demand this change be halted.

Code 699 is rarely used – we must ensure those who need to access it are provided with fair access. We must protect those who are vulnerable to discrimination.

Women are being pushed out of the labour market across the globe, we cannot allow that to happen here. We must stand up for each other through this crisis.

 PIPSC members who are paid by the failed Phoenix pay system have experienced overpayments to their paycheques, as well as miscalculated pension contributions.

In April 2020, the pay centre suspended the recovery of salary overpayments and missed pension contributions as a temporary measure due to COVID-19.

The recovery of overpayments is resuming in October 2020. If you are facing financial difficulties, you may request that recovery payments be established at less than 10% of your gross bi-weekly pay when establishing a repayment plan. The repayment period of pension arrears can also be made over a period equal to three times the period of the deficiency. Call the government’s Client Contact Centre at 1-855-686-4729 for more information.

We’re continuing our advocacy to get you the compensation you deserve for Phoenix’s failures. Learn more about the Phoenix compensation that’s already available and expected, as well as what to do if you have a pay issue. Learn more about the days of leave that PIPSC members received in 2019 as compensation for damage done.

You know your pension is important. You work hard now, and your pension is your deferred salary working to protect your future.

But do you completely understand how your pension works? Do you know what type of pension you have? How can we make sure that your pension is going to be there for you when you retire?

In this video our experts from the PIPSC Compensation Team will share how your Public Service Pension works, as well as the basics of retirement security.

You know your pension is important. You work hard now, and your pension is your deferred salary working to protect your future.

But do you completely understand how your pension works? Do you know what type of pension you have? How can we make sure that your pension is going to be there for you when you retire?

In this video our experts from the PIPSC Compensation Team will share how your defined contribution pension plan works, as well as the basics of retirement security.

Please note that in 2023, members at CRPEG, WPEG, and WTEG moved to the CAAT DB plus pension plan -  a variable formula defined benefits pension plan.

If you’re not sure what type of pension you have, visit our pension webpage.

You know your pension is important. You work hard now, and your pension is your deferred salary working to protect your future.

But do you completely understand how your pension works? Do you know what type of pension you have? How can we make sure that your pension is going to be there for you when you retire?

In this video our experts from the PIPSC Compensation Team will share how your target benefit pension plan works, as well as the basics of retirement security.

If you’re not sure what type of pension you have, visit our pension webpage.

This week the federal government announced an important new phase of the NextGen HR and Pay project, the long-awaited successor to the failed Phoenix pay system.

Phoenix has caused untold pay errors that have left tens of thousands of PIPSC members underpaid, overpaid, or not paid at all.

This phase will see a pilot department take the first steps towards designing, building and testing a viable alternative to Phoenix, as well as towards understanding the level of transformation required for an eventual rollout to other federal departments and agencies. The pilot will be developed over a period of 6 months based on an exploratory phase timeline.

At the formal kick-off event held on October 14, Shared Services Canada and Treasury Board Secretariat senior executives jointly announced that they chose Canadian Heritage as the pilot department. Canadian Heritage employees will not have their pay impacted by this decision, as a parallel pay system will be used during testing.

Although this project may not have always progressed as quickly as we would have liked, PIPSC remains committed to staying engaged in the process.

“PIPSC members are more than ready to help contribute to this important project,” said President Debi Daviau.

READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE

We are pleased to learn that the Government of Canada has reappointed Dr. Mona Nemer as the government’s Chief Science Advisor (CSA).

On September 10, PIPSC President Debi Daviau sent a letter to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry advocating for the reappointment of Dr. Nemer.

Read the letter

Public science plays a critical role in keeping people in Canada safe. It drives the innovation that sustains our economy and keeps our key industries globally competitive. The role of CSA in this regard, and in supporting our country’s scientific infrastructure and researchers, cannot be overstated.

We have an excellent working relationship with Dr. Nemer.

Her leadership and collaboration on the scientific integrity file have been instrumental in helping to embed scientific integrity within the federal government. This policy provides a framework for science-based decision-making in the federal government and ensures open public discussion of our members’ research.

The PIPSC 100^th Anniversary Committee is delighted to announce the publication of a new book, Leading Progress: The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada 1920–2020 by Dr. Jason Russell, Canadian labour historian.

Published on the centennial of PIPSC’s founding, Leading Progress is the definitive account of our evolution from 1920 to now – and a rare glimpse into an under-studied corner of North American labour history.

Author Dr. Jason Russell draws on a rich collection of sources, including archival material and oral history interviews with dozens of current and past PIPSC members. The story that unfolds is a complex one, filled with success and struggle, told with clarity and even-handedness.

We want you to join us for a stimulating virtual discussion of the past, present and future of work for Canada’s public service professionals. 

After decades of demographic and generational shifts, economic booms and busts, and political sea change, PIPSC members will look towards our next hundred years with the same important mission that has guided us thus far: to advocate for social and economic justice that benefits all Canadians.

Join our webinar

DATE: Monday, October 19, 2020

TIME:

4 PM PT
5 PM MT
6 PM CT
7 PM ET
8 PM AT
8:30 PM NT

PANELISTS: 

Dr. Jason Russell, author, Leading Progress: The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada 1920–2020

Hassan Yussuff, champion for Canadian workers and president of the Canadian Labour Congress

Jim Stanford, economist and director of the Centre for Future Work, founder of the Progress Economic Forum, author, Economics for Everyone

Moderator: to be confirmed

REGISTER NOW

Order your copy

Purchase a copy of Leading Progress: The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada 1920–2020 from the publisher, Between the Lines. 

Free copies of the book will be mailed to each PIPSC steward and 2020 AGM delegate.

About the book

The book has already garnered praise:

 “Jason Russell’s stirring and comprehensive history of the first century of PIPSC’s innovative organizing among public professionals tells a marvellous story about the power of unionism – not just to lift the standards of work, but to build a stronger economy and society.”

• Jim Stanford, Economist and Director, Centre for Future Work

“Public sector unions remain one of the most vital structures for the protection of workers’ rights, but they also underpin many important values of our democratic institutions, including independence, neutrality, the unbiased use of evidence, equal treatment, and inclusion. In this excellent history, Jason Russell reminds us that we cannot rely on politicians alone to protect the values of our democratic system, and PIPSC exists to defend not only their hard-won rights, but also the rights of all Canadians.”

• Ken Rasmussen, Director, Professor and Graduate Chair, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Regina

“Leading Progress fills an important gap in labour studies literature, as it considers public employees and professionals, two constituencies whose unions are often understudied. By looking at the history of PIPSC inside and out, it gives a voice to many staff, leaders, and members of the organization through extensive interviews, showing that a union is not only a structure but also the reflection of workers’ identities and the ways they relate to their jobs as well as their communities.”

• Thomas Collombat, Associate Professor of Political Science, Université du Québec en Outaouais

The Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) has temporarily extended certain deadlines for buybacks, financial decision making and transfers. This will give members more time to make important decisions about your pensions. The Treasury Board has extended most deadlines by 180 days. The details of the extensions are available on the notice page, along with deadlines that have not been extended.

The PSPP is a defined benefits pension plan that covers most members working in the Core Public Administration and at separate employers.  Members of other pension plans should contact their HR representative for information on their plans.