Retroactive Update of Relocation Allowances
This message is directed to all members who have or may be relocated by the Employer in the course of their duties.
If you move under the provisions of the National Joint Council (NJC) Relocation Directive, part of your entitlements is defined as follows: “Transfer Allowance equivalent to two (2) weeks salary. The allowance is based on the annual salary effective on the date of appointment at the new location.” Recent case law has established that this allowance must be retroactively adjusted for any negotiated increase in salary, but we have found that implementation of this has remained uneven. We would therefore encourage all members who relocated in the period where the most recent collective agreement was expired (between 1 October 2018 and 30 August 2019) to follow up with their management and their PIPSC stewards to ensure this adjustment is made once the new collective agreement takes effect. PIPSC has recently settled several grievances on this issue in the Department of National Defence with our members receiving the monies owed, although unfortunately no new process guidance has been issued to mitigate the likelihood of the problem recurring.
It is also worth emphasizing that the directive refers to the salary effective on the date of appointment at the new location, not when the relocation letter was issued. PIPSC has also seen cases where the allowance was based on the salary the member was receiving when the relocation file was open, rather than their salary when the move took place (usually several months later). If you receive an increment prior to your move, please also ensure that your relocation specialist makes the adjustment accordingly.
Published on 27 November 2019