Phoenix chaos: Questions and answers

Jun 29, 2016

The challenges and frustrations with the Phoenix pay system continue to mount and we are hearing from more and more members of the FI Community who are being affected. We understand that there are still more questions than answers and we share your frustration with this unprecedented situation.

Getting paid the right amount for the work you do should be the bare minimum and the patience shown by the community during this time of upheaval is incredible. ACFO was not directly involved with the roll out of Phoenix and we are not directly involved in the attempts to fix it but we are committed to making sure the members of the FI Community are compensated appropriately in any way we can.

To that end, here’s what we can tell you at this point.

If you are in an emergency situation, call us immediately

There are contingencies in place for employees in emergency situations because of the Phoenix debacle. This includes escalation both at the pay centre and within your department. Some departments are managing this differently than others, though, so your best course of action is to contact ACFO’s labour relations team (labourrelations@acfo-acaf.com) and we can help you navigate the process.

If you are affected but not in an emergency situation, document everything

For obvious reasons, emergency situations are the highest priority for resolution. This means that non-emergency situations are taking longer to resolve. While the government has promised to hire additional personnel in the National Capital Region to clear the backlog, it will unfortunately still take time. If you’re among those waiting for adjustments related to promotions, acting assignments or other situations, or if you’re waiting for reimbursements or reconciliations, your best course of action is to take copious notes and document everything. We are happy to take your call and help you with this process but unfortunately there are very few options available to us for escalation at this time.

What ACFO is doing

ACFO Executive Vice President Dany Richard will be attending the Public Services and Procurement Canada national labour-management meeting on July 7 where he’ll raise the pay issues facing the FI Community. He’ll also be asking for a proper timeline for the resolution of non-emergency cases. We’ve also started preparing a policy grievance and we are committed to leaving all options on the table for future action including possible grievances at the individual and group level.

We understand that this situation is unsustainable, untenable and unacceptable. For now, our priority is on helping members get paid what they are due. We will continue to keep you updated as events warrant and, in the meantime, if you have questions, please contact us at labourrelations@acfo-acaf.com or by calling 1-877-728-0695.