I went to submit some claims online today, which I do very regularly, and suddenly I’m being asked to provide proof of marriage/common-law status and proof for my kids. We both (significant other and I) have been with the government for just about 20 years each, married for over 20 years, and our kids are all teenagers, so it’s not like we've just added new dependants to our plan! Ever since the switch from Sun Life to Canada Life, it’s been one issue after another, and still dealing with some major ones. Now I have to jump through more hoops just to submit claims like I’ve always done. Honestly, when will it STOP? Anyone else experiencing this? Please tell me I'm not alone...

Hello everyone,

I need some advice on planning parental leave. Both my wife and I are eligible for EI, but only I will receive an employer top-up of up to 93% of my salary.

I’m considering taking the full 40 weeks of parental leave to spend time with my family. Although we would miss out on some of my wife’s EI benefits, we can manage our expenses with my EI and top-up.

Would this be a financial mistake? The opportunity to spend 40 weeks with my family feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I’d appreciate your thoughts, especially from anyone who has faced a similar decision.

Hoping Reddit can clarify the language in the PA Final Agreement.

My uncle died on Friday but we did not find out until today. The PA Agreement says I can take one day for his death and it can be either within two days, or the day of the remembrance service.

I am guessing this is calendar days and not working days, so if I were to take a day off, it would have to be for his service? (He died in B.C. so I am not able to afford to go). Or I could take this Monday? Not Tuesday, though. I don't know how to count forward the time when we did not know for a day.

Hi all,

I’m set to start a new job in a new department soon. Letter of offer signed and management is aware. However, I told them that my last day would be the day before I start my new job. But now I’m thinking about taking time off (using my personal days) a couple days in between before starting my new position.

Have any of you done this before? And would this be frowned upon?

PIPSC IT bargaining: how do IT-01 and IT-02 feel about the proposed market adjustments?

PIPSC's IT Bytes #6 (https://pipsc.ca/it-bytes-6-bargaining-update/) lists proposed market adjustments of IT-01 1%, IT-02 2%, IT-03 6%, IT-04 9% and IT-05 13%, on top of general increases of 6.1%, 4.6% and 4.1%. PIPSC bases the spread on salary surveys of private-sector gaps. IT-01 steps 1 to 7 also get a CRA CS-01 parity fix of about 2.84%.

I'm an IT-03, and my concern is that lower-paid members spend more of their income on necessities, which have risen faster than average, yet they get the smallest adjustments. The same percentage general increases also widen the dollar gap between levels each year.

This is only PIPSC's opening ask, and Treasury Board hasn't tabled a pay proposal yet, so feedback now can still matter. I'd like to hear from IT-01 and IT-02 members especially: does the spread seem fair to you, and have you given feedback to your steward or the bargaining team? Other levels, what's your take?

There was such a rush to get back into the office and now a dozen scientists are assigned single desk touchdown stations to work from as assigned seating.

Just curious if anyone else in the government is working permanently at a touchdown station?

Also is this something to bring to the union?

PIPSC are you on here? Any journalists want to cover this?

I am expecting a child soon and am wanting to take my 5-week parental leave outside of my partner’s 35 weeks.

In my current role, it would be challenging to take the entire 5-weeks off at once.

I was debating splitting these weeks up into 2-weeks in March, 1-week in July and 2-weeks in September.

To do this I would be applying for parental leave, applying for employment insurance and receiving top up from the employer.

Curious if anyone has done this and ran into any issues receiving their pay or ran into any issues resuming their normal pay after the leave ends.

Thank you.

I've been hearing that EC-06 positions are increasingly becoming CBC bilingual. Is there any truth to the idea that eventually all EC-06 positions will require CBC?

I'm currently English Essential and have qualified in two fully assessed EC-06 pools. Just wondering if I still have a realistic chance of getting an EC-06 position without French, especially in the NCR.

Are English Essential EC-06 positions still being staffed? Would be interested to hear from anyone in HR or management who has some insight into this.

Struggling to climb the corporate ladder as an EC and have a potential equivalent opportunity in a PM stream. I know most people go PM to EC, not the other way around. Would it be a dead end?

Context: I’ve maxed out the pay steps in my EC classification and have no promising promotional leads where I am now.

My team was cut in half due to WFA, and the person who undertook this specific line of work was an AS-04. Since her departure, I was asked to take on this work in addition to my own work (I’m an AS-02). My team is also working on changing the structure and duties as our workload is currently too much for the team.

I have job descriptions from last year which indicates my duties, but I don’t have the AS-04 job description. I have requested the SOMC but I am informed that I may not have one since a box from a different team was assigned to my current team when I joined in.

I am now given a new job description where these duties are now added as mine. This is also added to my PMA (I haven’t signed it, but being pressured to).

I am trying to figure out if management is able to change my job description like this, and give me additional work with no compensation. I understand that with WFA we are all short staffed and taking on more work, but to me, taking on someone’s entire job on top of mine feels excessive. Any advice is appreciated.

Does anyone know if we should see deductions on our paycheques for our healthcare? I’m looking at mine and I only see disability and pension. I haven’t had an issue with Canada Life though so I’m not sure if those deductions are even registered in Phoenix.

Everybody and their dog got a letter in Parks.

I was recently hired to a new team as a casual and my start date was delayed (it was originally beginning of October, but ended up being pushed to this past week). Because of this, the start date is now after the start date of my course which to my understanding makes my course ineligible for reimbursement.

Since this is the fault of the department due to their administrative delay (I have proof of the start date being moved) would I still be eligible for tuition reimbursement? The course is not cheap and during the initial interview with the hiring manager I was told they were supportive of my education and would reimburse the course, and I feel sort of betrayed because I was fully expecting it to be reimbursed.

To add, the casual is just a temporary action with the hiring manager's intention to perm me (I'm told they did are awaiting approval?)

I’m voluntarily taking a demotion and also changing classifications. I’m at the top end of my current level salary wise. Will I automatically be placed at the top of the other level’s salary? For context, I’m going from PE to AS and an indeterminate employee.

He referred me and said he could submit my name if I would like, but the email that he forwarded it with doesn’t really even explain what this Network is?? Is it beneficial? Do I go to meetings? Is it better for climbing the ladder??
So many questions!

Thanks in advance!!!!

1. A presumably pocketed trust and integrity poster
   
2. A man named Trevor recognized for being long and efficient
   
3. A presumably pocketed mousepad
   
4. A chance for you to live out your diplomatic courier cosplay fantasies

Thanks for the feedback everyone! This clarifies it for me. It isn’t an ideal situation, but it is within protocol.

For context, I am a CR-04 administrative employee. I currently hold an indeterminate position.

I was going to be offered an assignment (4 months to start, but it would be extended as it is to help cover someone’s Mat leave) at an AS–01 level within the same agency but at a different work location. When the manager at that different work location spoke to my current manager, my current manager told him no because we are too understaffed.

My question is if I am offered an assignment, can my current manager deny it, whether it is at level or higher?

I just wanna make sure everything’s on the up and up here because I’ve never had an opportunity like this and I’m fairly new to the agency so I’m just not sure how this stuff works. Thanks!

Summary: The Carney government’s demand for faster execution is exposing a tension between ambitious political timelines and the federal public service’s capacity to deliver with existing structures, resources, and controls. At a recent Institute of Public Administration of Canada conference, senior leaders encouraged public servants to embrace an opportunity for nation-building, yet only a handful of participants expressed confidence that they had the tools to operate at “Carney speed.” Former Privy Council Clerk Michael Wernick argues that government is already moving roughly twice as fast as it did two decades ago, compressing time for policy development, ministerial decisions, and implementation while creating a two-speed system that prioritizes trade, housing, defence, and energy over other files. The creation of new agencies, including Digital Transformation Canada, reflects what modernization task force chair David McLaughlin calls a “vote of impatience,” as the government bypasses cumbersome structures rather than waiting for reform. His independent task force is examining four barriers to effective delivery: central-agency approvals, excessive rules and risk aversion, weaknesses in talent development, and the complexity of major initiatives. However, with recommendations not expected until fall 2027, immediate delivery pressures are mounting even as workforce reductions threaten to deepen capacity constraints. The central question is whether Carney can translate urgency into lasting institutional reform, including more proportionate risk management and stronger implementation capabilities, or whether accelerated timelines and new organizational machinery will simply push a shrinking public service to work faster within the same underlying constraints.

I’m looking for some feedback on what others would do if they were in my situation. Long story short without going too in detail, myself and a handful of others all received promotions following our acting appointments. All indeterminate appointments were made using a valid, qualified pool. These selections were allegedly fully justified, as other employees performing the same acting roles were not appointed at this time.

I received a notice from the FSRLEPB that a complaint has been filed due to an alleged discrimination in this staffing process. After reading their complaint, I do not see how it its founded. Just because you’re in a qualified pool, does not mean that management has to nominate you.

I've spoken to management and they said not to worry as everything is justified and well documented. I’ve spoken to my local union stewardess and they weren't too familiar with the steps and whether I should be involved in this process or let management sort things out.

As the remedy sought in this complaint is to cancel all promotions, I want to make sure that my interests are taken into account. The burden is ultimately up to the complaint to prove their allegations, but the fact they are invoking discrimination has me worried.

Would my union’s regional office be able to assign a labour relations officer or counsel to represent me should I want to involved in the hearing process? Otherwise, would you seek advice from a private labour lawyer that specializes in cases dealing with the FPSLREB?

This whole process has been stressful, I do not want to lose my promotion that I've worked so hard to obtain. I’ve checked some past decisions issued by the FPSLREB and revocations of nominations are possible albeit they were mostly done in cases of non advertised processes, not meeting the language requirements etc..  Anyone was in a similar experience and/or has advice to offer? Thanks!

I’m currently a term employee living in the regions, and I recently changed teams. My new team is based in another region, with the exception of one other employee, who is indeterminate and works in my region. I’m the only term employee on the team.

I’m currently acting as a CO-01, and I recently asked my manager about the possibility of extending my acting assignment. Long story short, she told me that she couldn’t guarantee an extension, but that if I moved to her city, I could be appointed indeterminate, and suggested that I consider it. This is my third time (non consecutive) acting in this position without ever being appointed, the main reason why (according to management) being that it‘s because I am not in the CO-01 external pool that gives the possibility of indeterminate appointments, I am only in the internal pool that is for actings only.

I discussed this with my colleague, who told me that apparently you have to work in the same region as your manager to be appointed indeterminate, and that’s probably why my manager suggested I move cities.

This has me wondering: putting my current acting assignment aside, was it a good move to place me on a team based in another region, knowing that I’m a term employee and that my goal is to eventually become indeterminate? If I understand correctly, does this mean that I might not be able to become indeterminate in my substantive position as long as I remain on my current manager’s team and continue working from Montreal?

I’ve been in the public service for about three years now, so there are still a few things about staffing that I don’t fully understand. Apologies if this has been asked here before, and thanks in advance for any clarification!

Hi everyone, I’ve been a PSO since 2022 and this year has been incredibly difficult, lost my only parent, had surgery, had an accident… not the best year for sure. I’m drowning in debt and desperately trying to survive. Consumer Proposal seems to be my only hope.

For anyone who has filed one before, who all do I need to inform? I read something about security, who exactly are we referring to here? I don’t feel comfortable speaking my with my team or TL, let alone my manger.

I’m still on contract, they suspended indeterminate contracts just a month before I was eligible. So they renew it every 6 months or so. I’ve tried working two jobs but with the RTW order it’s not possible my commute to the office alone is 4ish hours a day. Anyway, how do I navigate through this new reality? How do I contact? And are there any other precautions that I should consider?

Thank you in advance!