What you need to know – Administrative Services (AS) to Comptrollership-Internal Audit (CT-IAU) sub-group conversion

General Updates

Feb 10, 2023

We are on track for the conversion to occur on September 28, 2023. Over the last several months, ACFO-ACAF has been working with Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) to ensure the conversion process from AS to CT-IAU is as smooth as possible.

We anticipate a total of approximately 600 AS positions for which the primary purpose is internal audit will be converted from AS to CT-IAU. TBS and departments are finalizing the mapping exercise that identifies which AS positions will be converted to the CT-IAU group. The proposed/anticipated notional mapping of positions is as follows:

For accessibility purposes, the image above shows the proposed/anticipated mapping (Note: SJD = Standardized Job Descriptions; IA = Internal Auditor; TL = Team Leader, PL = Project Leader):

AS-02 and AS-03 (SJD), Internal Auditor Dev, should become CT-IAU-01 (proposed), Int. Auditor
AS-04 (SJD), Internal Auditor, and AS-05 (SJD), Senior Internal Aud., should become
CT-IAU-02 (proposed), Internal Auditor
AS-06 (SJD), IA Project Leader, should become CT-IAU-03 (proposed), IA, TL, or PL
AS-07 (SJD), IA Principal, should become CT-IAU-04 (proposed), IA Principal

Advanced Personal Notification (APN)

As a next step, AS positions being converted to the CT-IAU group will receive an Advanced Personal Notification (APN) in April 2023. At this time, you will be notified that your position is impacted by the conversion and being mapped to a proposed CT-IAU classification level and the proposed standardized job description.

Review this information carefully and speak to your manager if you have questions or concerns.

Keep in mind that a job description is not meant to contain a detailed listing of all activities. If there are core activities not reflected in the job description, you may wish to request a desk audit (also known as job validation review) of your work responsibilities. A desk audit is an on-site process where a classification advisor meets with and gathers information from both you and your manager(s) about the work being performed to determine whether the duties assigned to your position are representative of, and consistent with, the work outlined in your job description. A desk audit is not a review of your classification nor point rating of your position. The classification advisor will produce a final report of the duties and responsibilities that correspond to the position and provide recommendations arising from the duties being performed. It important to ensure your job description is accurate and up-to-date, otherwise it could lead to an inappropriate classification and compensation upon conversion.

Overall, the period between the APN and the Official Personal Notification (OPN) will allow you to discuss your proposed CT-IAU classification and job description with your manager and ACFO-ACAF should you have any questions or concerns. The APN is an advanced notification which allows you to have discussions with your manager on the proposed mapping of your positions. You cannot grieve your proposed classification at the APN, rather, information on recourse and classification grievance timelines will be explained and will begin following receipt of the OPN.

Official Personal Notification (OPN)

Following the APN, an Official Personal Notification (OPN) will be issued on September 28, 2023 (conversion date), or shortly after. The OPN is a letter which will include the level, salary band of your converted position, grievance rights, and the conversion date. ACFO-ACAF and TBS have agreed to a 120-calendar day grace period in addition to the regular 35-calendar day timeline to file a classification grievance upon receipt of the OPN. More information will follow on the OPN and next steps.

If you haven’t already, please make sure to register your membership with ACFO-ACAF to stay informed: https://www.acfo-acaf.com/your-membership/membership-admin/

Common Questions and Answers

How can I confirm if I am an AS impacted by conversion?

If you are in a substantive position that will be converted, you will receive two notifications advising you of changes to your position due to conversion.

The first notification will occur in April 2023, called the Advance Personal Notification (APN) which will inform you of the proposed classification (group and level) of your position upon conversion and applicable job description.

In September 2023, you will receive a second notification called the Official Personal Notification (OPN). This notification identifies the date the new classification will be applied to your position (i.e., conversion date). This notification will also identify the salary band of your converted position and provide information on your recourse/grievance rights.

Further, in 2021, an initial letter was distributed to incumbents of positions that were tentatively identified as being impacted by the conversion exercise and for which ACFO-ACAF was identified as the bargaining agent. Since this time, a review of the positions being mapped was undertaken by TBS and departments to confirm and finalize the list of positions subject to conversion. This means, some impacted incumbents may not have received this initial letter while others may have received it in error. Rest assured that if impacted by the conversion, you will receive the APN (April 2023) and OPN (September 2023) which serves as official notification. If you do not receive the APN and OPN your position is likely not part of the CT-IAU conversion.

Your Employer has the delegated authority to determine which positions are impacted by the CT conversion and is responsible for notifying employees in this regard.

Which collective agreement applies to me?

The CT Collective agreement applies to you and can be found here.

How will the conversion impact my pay?

Appendix “A” of the CT collective agreement provides a breakdown of the new rates of pay from 2020 to 2025 for the AS incumbents impacted by conversion.

At the time of conversion (September 28, 2023), we anticipate that all internal auditors converted to the CT-IAU wage grid will be slotted into the pay increment closest to but not less than the incumbent’s annual rate of pay at conversion. ACFO-ACAF cannot confirm where you will be slotted in the new CT-IAU pay grid. This will be confirmed by your department upon receipt of the Official Personal Notification in September 2023.

See question 4 on information about wage increases and retroactive adjustments.

When will I receive my wage increase and retroactive adjustment?

We anticipate that the pay increases will appear on your paycheck in February 2023 followed by the retroactive adjustments and one time allowance being paid at a later date that is yet to be determined. These dates are tentative and may change during the implementation process. In cases where manual processing of a pay file is required, retroactive wage adjustments may be delayed. For all updates on wage increase and retroactive adjustments implementation, contact your department and the Pay Center.

Why are CT-IAU members making less than CT-FIN and CT-EAV?

While ACFO is actively engaged in discussions with OCG and TBS to increase wages for the CT-IAU group it will take more than a single round of bargaining to bridge the wage gap. The current lack of recognition for internal auditors is a product of decades of no recognition, undervaluing internal auditing work and little targeted representation. The new rates of pay under the CT collective agreement result in significant increases for many CT-IAU members and represents a significant incremental step that will position the CT-IAU group well next round to get reach parity with the other groups.

ACFO has struck a working group on CT-IAU compensation with the purpose of building a business case for better compensation for CT-IAU members. If you wish to participate and get involved in this working group, please contact Scott Chamberlain, Director of Labour Relations and General Council at schamberlain@acfo-acaf.com and provide the following : full name, department, AS level and email and telephone number.

Who’s my union? Why am I receiving communication from PSAC on voting and strike action?

If you occupy an AS position for which the primary purpose is internal audit and your position is being mapped to the CT-IAU group, you are represented by ACFO-ACAF. If your position is being mapped to CT-IAU, you are not impacted by a job action or strike involving the PA group being represented by PSAC. Should PSAC proceed to a strike, impacted PA group employees will be clearly identified by departments. If at any point you are unsure or concerned, speak to your manager who can provide the required confirmation from your department. You may also request to be removed from the PSAC notification and distribution list by contacting PSAC.

When will my union dues be reconciled?

ACFO-ACAF is actively in communication with OCHRO and PSPC to rectify the dues issue. ACFO’s priority is to stop membership dues payments being made by our members to PSAC and we anticipate that our members will cease paying dues to PSAC very soon. However, a full reconciliation of membership dues likely won’t be resolved until after September 2023.

Are my health and dental benefits impacted by the conversion?

No. Coverage or eligibility aren’t impacted by this conversion exercise. The Public Service Health Care Plan and Public Service Dental Care Plan apply to all federal public service employees.

More information

For more information, you can also access the following resources:

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat resources

These links to TBS’s information are on your intranet accessible through your work network. If you have any problems accessing the intranet page, please contact your service desk.

You can access the page here: https://uat-intranet.canada.ca/hr-rh/pss-dfp/oew-oet/cr-rc-fra.asp.