1. I haven’t been paid since I started. What should I do?
   • We trust you have initiated steps to attempt to resolve this matter, but if not, you should first check if your department is served by the Pay Centre. If it is, ask your manager if all the necessary paperwork has been sent to the Pay Centre (letter of offer, the employee questionnaire, a completed and signed oath, income tax forms, and a completed Direct Deposit enrolment form). You can request “priority pay” from your Department (see Priority Schedule for Resolving Employee Pay Issues). You can also request an Emergency Salary Advance. Your case will be escalated if you have not received your regular pay within 21 days from the first or last day of work (see Service Standards, Pay Centre Escalation Process).
2. I submitted a Pay Action Request, now what?
   • You should have received a confirmation number after submitting a PAR. If your pay issue has not been resolved, we suggest contacting us to work with the Client Satisfaction Bureau on your behalf. Please see contact information below.
3. What recourse do I have?
   • Most students are not in a unionized position, but some are. This is sometimes indicated in your letter of offer of employment. If you are, contact your union steward to discuss options. If you are not, PIPSC is readily available as a resource to help you with pay-related concerns. Please see contact information below.

For further assistance, contact Catherine Wright, Labour Relations Associate, by email at: cwright@pipsc.ca, or phone: 613-228-6310 x 4742.

Sample Language

Below are examples of language that could be used for submitting written requests to your direct manager regarding pay issues.

No Pay

Dear ,
I was not paid for the period of (DATES). I have contacted the Pay Centre and have been unsuccessful in attempting to have the matter corrected in a timely manner. This situation is causing me financial problems and stress. I request that my case be referred to the Pay Centre with Priority 1 status, and that the Employer immediately correct my pay system issue.
Sincerely,

Incorrect / Incomplete Pay

Dear ,
My pay of (DATE) was not properly calculated and the amount deposited in my bank account was inaccurate. I have contacted the Pay Centre and have been unsuccessful in attempting to have the matter corrected in a timely manner. This situation is causing me financial problems and stress. I request that the Employer immediately correct my pay system issue.
Sincerely,

Seeking Reimbursement for Incurred Costs and/or Lost Interest:

If you have incurred costs as a result of your pay being delayed or withheld, we suggest writing your direct manager to request reimbursement of these costs. Below is an example of such a request:

Dear ,

I was (NOT PAID and/or MY PAY WAS INCORRECT) for the period of (DATES). I have contacted the Pay Centre and have been unsuccessful in attempting to have the matter corrected in a timely manner. This situation is causing me financial problems and stress.

Specifically, I have incurred undue costs of $____ to (DATE) by way of interest on (LOAN / LINE OF CREDIT / CREDIT CARD / ETC.) payments, which otherwise would have been mitigated by the timely disbursement of my pay. I have also lost interest on contributions to savings accounts which otherwise would have been made. I request that I be reimbursed for these costs and any future costs. I am prepared to provide evidence of these losses on a confidential basis.
Sincerely,

For Immediate Release

OTTAWA, August 4, 2016 - The union of public service professionals is offering help to students in the federal public service who are facing Phoenix pay problems.

"Students in the federal public service are some of the most vulnerable victims of the Phoenix pay problems," said PIPSC President Debi Daviau. "They often have student loans to deal with, little savings to tap into or lines of credit to rely on. Worse still, as non-unionized workers, they don't have much support in dealing with the impact of Phoenix pay problems."

The union will offer tips and advice on how to pursue a resolution to Phoenix cases. It will refer critical cases to the government for prioritized resolution.

Students facing Phoenix pay problems are invited to contact the union through a webform.

"At a time when the government should be attracting a new generation of professionals to the public service, this terrible experience with Phoenix is a problem," said Daviau. "We hope our initiative can alleviate some of the pain caused by Phoenix."

PIPSC represents some 55,000 public-sector scientists and other professionals across the country, most of them employed by the federal government.

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For further information:
Johanne Fillion
(613) 228-6310 ext 4953 (office) (613) 883-4900 (cell) jfillion@pipsc.ca

PIPSC is reaching out to students hard hit by the federal government’s Phoenix pay problems

by offering guidance and advice on navigating the government’s existing processes to ensure they get paid. While we cannot represent these young workers, we do feel it is vital to offer what assistance we can to the next generation of federal public service employees. This assistance in no way interferes with the assistance we are currently offering members faced with similar problems.

Members who know of students facing Phoenix pay problems are encouraged to direct these student workers to www.pipsc.ca/students for assistance. No one’s work should go unpaid.

We have created a poster to promote this initiative in your worksite. You can download it here or request copies from HelpDesk@pipsc.ca.

Better Together!

Debi Daviau
President

Download the poster

For Immediate Release

OTTAWA, July 28, 2016 – PIPSC President Debi Daviau will attend the emergency committee meeting on Phoenix today on Parliament Hill at 2 p.m.

"Public service professionals expect to see a deadline for resolution of the Phoenix problem," said Daviau. "People are having a hard time making ends meet. They're going into debt. They can't pay their mortgages. Their credit rating is taking a hit. They need to know when they can put this problem behind them."

Daviau urges the committee to also seek answers to the following questions:

• Why is emergency pay not being processed faster?
• How did a so-called off the shelf product get approved without adequate testing?
• To what extent was the testing and implementation of this transition outsourced to IBM or other companies?
• Was there a contingency plan in place if Phoenix failed?

Daviau will be available for media interviews following the committee meeting.

PIPSC represents some 55,000 public-sector scientists and other professionals across the country, most of them employed by the federal government.

Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter (@pipsc_ipfpc)

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For further information: Johanne Fillion (613) 228-6310 ext 4953 (office) or (613) 883-4900 (cell) jfillion@pipsc.ca.

The Parliamentary Committee on Government Operations will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday, July 28, 2016, 2-4 p.m. to discuss the Phoenix Pay System. The Committee meeting will stream live from http://parlvu.parl.gc.ca

Click on OGGO Meeting No 24.

(This link will take you to an external website. Please note some employers may restrict access to external websites.)

Dear Members,

As most of you are no doubt already aware, serious problems persist with the government’s Phoenix pay system and many PIPSC members continue to go without pay or are missing significant parts of their pay. Despite recognition of the problem by senior officials and an apology from the government we remain without a solution and with no clear timeline for a remedy.

Now, we are faced with news of a potential privacy breach. I have written to Treasury Board President Brison and Minister Foote asking for details of the breach. I have also reinforced the need for unions and employees to be notified and provided with details when these situations arise.

The Institute remains vigilant and continues to find ways to assist and pressure the government for a solution. PIPSC staff, stewards and volunteers are focused on assisting members to access help from the pay centre and their own departments. In addition, the PIPSC Board of Directors instituted a loan program for those members hardest-hit by pay problems. By doing so, we hope to alleviate the stress and genuine harm being done to our members by this poorly-executed transition to a new pay system.

Members and stewards are encouraged to read the guidelines for the loan program and can obtain an application here.

I have also written to the President of the Treasury Board and to the Minister for Public Services and Procurement on many previous occasions and in June met with Minister Brison and senior officials to express our frustration and to demand a remedy. We recently received this response from the Treasury Board on our demand to have mitigated the financial penalties public servants are experiencing due to problems with Phoenix pay. We are now working with Treasury Board to establish concrete steps to ensure our members are repaid. We are also sending urgent cases directly to the Treasury Board Secretariat and have seen some resolved but not nearly enough.

If you are experiencing any Phoenix pay-related problems please inform your local Employment Relations Officer (ERO) in the regional office nearest to you so we can assist and monitor all problems. We recommend that you also contact the president or any member of your Consultation Team who is working with management in your Department/Agency to address specific problems.

I will continue to look for every opportunity to pressure this government to act quickly and effectively to solve pay issues.

Debi Daviau
President

For Immediate Release

Ottawa, July 6, 2016 – The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) is calling on the federal government to pay interest on delayed or underpaid paycheques due to problems with its Phoenix pay system.

“Some of our members have had to dig into their savings or use their credit cards or lines of credit just to make ends meet”, said PIPSC President Debi Daviau. “I agree with Scott Brison that 'this is totally unacceptable.’”

PIPSC's recommendation would see the government mitigate the interest fees that public service professionals have had to incur due to pay problems.

PIPSC is also calling on the government to immediately contact all of Canada’s major financial institutions and utilities and urge them to show flexibility towards individuals who are experiencing cash flow issues caused by Phoenix.

“No one should be penalized for missed payments or for having insufficient funds due to circumstances completely beyond their control," said Daviau. "Hard working public service professionals should not be paying the price for the failure of the new pay system.”

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada represents some 55,000 scientists and other professionals across Canada’s public sector, all of whom deserve and expect to be paid on time.

Follow us on Facebook and on Twitter (@pipsc_ipfpc)

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For further information: Pierre Villon 613-228-6310 ext 4928 (office) or 613-794-9369 (cell.) pvillon@pipsc.ca

Re: Loans to Members facing financial hardship due to pay transformation system

Dear Members,

Your Institute’s Board of Directors has approved a loan program for members experiencing financial hardship caused by problems with the new Phoenix pay system. As your union we feel we can help members in this time of need and uncertainty.

Attached are the guidelines for the loan program and an application.

As with any workplace issue you are having please contact your local Employment Relations Officer (ERO) in the regional office nearest to you.

Debi Daviau

Guidelines

Guidelines on Loans to Members Facing Financial Difficulties as a Result of the Pay Transformation

This policy is effective June 14, 2016.

On June 9, 2016, the Institute’s Board of Directors passed a resolution giving the President the authority to approve loans to members facing financial difficulties as a result of the pay transformation.

The objective of these guidelines are to provide a framework for the provision and administration of loans to members whose base pay has stopped being issued or has been issued in a drastically reduced amount as a result of the Government’s pay transformation initiative.

The President shall be responsible for reviewing loan applications and providing approval in accordance with these Guidelines.

A member will be eligible for a loan under these Guidelines if he/she:

i) Is a member of a bargaining unit for which the Institute is the Bargaining Agent;

ii) Has provided sufficient information to establish that his/her pay has not been issued or has been significantly reduced for some time as a result of the Government’s pay transformation initiative;

iii) Has provided sufficient information to establish that the reduced pay or absence of pay is causing significant hardship;

iv) Signs a promissory note and repayment schedule in a form required by the Institute.

Upon request, the member will provide any financial or other information required to process the application and that may be required from time to time by the Institute.

The maximum loan granted shall not normally exceed $5,000 and will be interest free.

The loan will become payable immediately upon receipt by the member of backpay owed by the employer and, in any event, no later than 6 months from the issuance of the loan.

Dear Members,

As many of you know, we remain plagued with problems concerning the government’s new Phoenix pay system. Despite our continued efforts we still have members going without pay or experiencing discrepancies on their pay cheques. This seems especially true if they work shift work or have any irregularities to their pay. We know that in particular our nurses, who provide critical services to First Nations patients and who work long hours on shifts, are being disproportionately affected.

I had the opportunity this week to personally express our members’ concerns directly to Treasury Board President Scott Brison and senior officials from the Secretariat. He has asked us to send urgent and serious cases directly to his officials and they will work to provide help. As with any issue we encourage you to contact your local Employment Relations Officer (ERO) in the regional office nearest to you to relay this information.

I also took the time last week to again write Minister Brison and urged him to take urgent action.

In order to help you pursue pay problems please take the following steps so we can ensure timely follow up to resolve your case. We encourage members who have an issue with their pay to submit all requests by email to the Pay Centre (paycentre.centredepaye@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca), along with the required Pay Action Request (PAR) form. If a request is received without this form or mandatory fields are not completed, it will be rejected by the system automatically and returned to the sender.

To request a status of a Phoenix case that was previously submitted, please complete the Phoenix Case Status Request form. Please also inform your local Employment Relations Officer (ERO) in the regional office nearest to you so we can assist and monitor all problems. I will continue to look for every opportunity to pressure this government to act quickly and effectively to solve pay issues.

Debi Daviau,
President

June 3, 2016

Hon. Scott Brison
President of the Treasury Board
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Strategic Communications and Ministerial Affairs
90 Elgin Street, 8th Floor
Ottawa, ON K1A 0R5

By email: president@tbs-sct.gc.ca

Dear Minister Brison,

I am writing again today concerning the Phoenix Pay System and my members’ timely access to their pay. We have had the opportunity to meet recently with Treasury Board officials and the Deputy Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada to express our concerns. We urge you to continue to find ways to ensure public servants have access to responsive help when they discover problems with their pay.

I have heard from countless members of the pay problems they are facing. These include delayed pay (often over consecutive pay periods), overpayments, and much evidence of a system that is not meeting the multiple pay situations, such as shift work, our members experience. As you can imagine, irregular pay can result in direct payments for mortgages, utilities, childcare and other day-to-day expenses being bounced and resulting in direct costs to our members.

In particular, we are still hearing of cases where employees are not being paid for overtime or acting pay and delays for resumption of pay when they return from a leave such as maternity. Another issue that deserves your immediate attention concerns Records of Employment. We have a number of cases of members waiting for their ROE to be issued so they can apply for Disability Insurance. This problem needs to be given greater priority.

We believe ongoing attention is still required to ensure that all pay and administrative problems employees are facing receives swift action.

The current situation is unacceptable and must be fixed as soon as possible. I look forward to your prompt reply and to learn what steps your department is taking to continue to fix this situation.

Sincerely,
Debi Daviau
President PIPSC

On behalf of our members, the Institute continues to express our very serious concerns with the new Phoenix pay system. The government has acknowledged these concerns but insists there are steps in place to resolve them as outlined.

We encourage members who have an issue with their pay to submit all requests by email to the Pay Centre, along with the required Pay Action Request (PAR) Form. If a request is received without this form or mandatory fields are not completed, it will be rejected by the system automatically and returned to the sender.

To request a status of a Phoenix case that was previously submitted, please complete the Phoenix Case Status Request form.

We will continue to monitor this issue closely and to press the employer to resolve these issues quickly.

In the event that your pay issue is not resolved, we encourage you to contact your local Employment Relations Officer (ERO) in the regional office nearest to you to help resolve the issue and access emergency or priority pay where the situation warrants.