• Workforce adjustment and SERLO
• Affected employees
• Surplus employees
• Opting employees
• Alternation and the ACFO-ACAF Alternation Network
• Pensions

Workforce adjustment and SERLO

Will workforce adjustment occur in my department, and if so, what are the timelines involved?

While we certainly empathize with the fact that the potential for workplace adjustment in your department is stressful, unfortunately, it can happen at any given time and there’s no set timeline for when it must occur.

At this time, we aren’t in a position to confirm which departments will undergo workforce adjustment exercises. ACFO-ACAF is, however, looking at different ways of keeping members informed as information becomes available.

However, bargaining agents of affected employees must be notified at least two working days before employees are notified. They must, however, keep this information in confidence in accordance with the NJC Work Force Adjustment Directive.

Will a change in government affect the likelihood of workforce adjustment occurring?

A change in government could potentially lead to a change in strategy on resource management within the public service, but so much is still up in the air, as many departments have not heard back from Treasury Board about their plans to manage the deficit under the current government.

As your union, we’re committed to keeping you informed as we obtain information, but we’re currently not in a position to provide any insights on any future government’s plans.

What is SERLO?

The Public Service Employment Act gives the Public Service Commission the authority to create regulations that determine the process for laying people off. A Selection of Employees for Retention and Lay-off (SERLO) process is a process the employer uses for deciding which employees will be retained and selected for lay-off in periods of workforce adjustment, where some but not all employees will be declared surplus.

The process is outlined in the Public Service Commission’s Guide on the Selection of Employees for Retention and Lay-off.

How does it get decided which positions become affected, surplus, opting, or unaffected?

Deputy heads determine which positions are deemed affected based on which roles may be impacted by organizational change. They hold the discretion regarding merit criteria, the assessing of positions, and essential qualifications to determine which positions will be retained based on current and future operational requirements and organizational needs, as well as the current and future needs of the public service.

Also, workforce adjustment exercises are based on positions and the nature of the work, not based on the people who fill them. It’s likely that all employees doing similar work on a similar team will be affected. The workforce adjustment process should not be used to target ‘problem’ employees or push out any particular individuals.

Is the CT Community more or less likely than other groups to be affected by workforce adjustment?

It is difficult to predict the breadth and impact of a workforce adjustment exercise. We believe, however, that financial accountability, internal controls, and resource management are important even more important during times of austerity. The CT classification also remain a group in high demand throughout the public service. We hope that these considerations will assist in lessening the scope of potential work force adjustment on the CT Community.

Will things like seniority, being on leave, language profile, or a designation factor into the SERLO process?

The impact of qualifications like your language proficiency or having a designation on the decision of your position depends on the current or future needs of your organization, as well as the current eligibility requirements for your position.

For example, if your position’s linguistic profile is BBB, but your language proficiency is CBC and it’s believed a CBC proficiency is what will be required for the role going forward, having a CBC profile or higher will benefit you. However, if your position’s linguistic profile is BBB and moving forward, they expect it will stay BBB, then having a CBC proficiency may not have an impact.

However, for seniority, while merit is the criteria in the SERLO process and more time spent in the department may mean you’ve gained additional skills and experience, seniority itself is not something that’s considered in the SERLO process. For example, if you have ten years of service, that doesn’t necessarily mean that your colleague who has five years of service is more likely to be deemed surplus than you are.

Being on leave is also not a factor, since it isn’t a merit criterion. Employees who are on leave can participate in the SERLO process if they are fit to do so and can also be accommodated so that they can participate.

Is being part of an equity-seeking group (ex. women, racialized group, etc.) a factor in the SERLO process and is an EDI lens being applied?

Employment equity is linked to obligations under the Employment Equity Act for the four designated groups:

• women
• Aboriginal peoples (now referred to as Indigenous Peoples)
• persons with disabilities
• members of visible minorities 

When a gap in the representation of members of one or more of the employment equity designated groups has been identified, delegated managers can include belonging to one or more of the employment equity groups as a relevant current or future organizational need for the SERLO process.

Are employees in the regions more vulnerable to workforce adjustment?

We’re not aware of whether the regions will be more impacted by WFA. However, ensuring that members are proportionally affected in the regions vs. the NCR is a priority for us, and with a president from the regions who understands the realities of regional members, we will advocate on the membership’s behalf to ensure regional members aren’t disproportionately affected.

If I’m in an acting position, how might workforce adjustment affect me?

Workforce adjustment is based on your substantive position. If you’re currently in an acting position, on assignment, or on secondment, any decision that’s taken regarding your employment would be related to your substantive position.

If your substantive position was deemed surplus or opting, you would likely return to your substantive position and proceed with the workforce adjustment process.

If your acting position was impacted due to workforce adjustments, you would typically return to your substantive position.

Should I avoid taking a secondment or assignment during this time?

You do not need to stop yourself from taking an assignment or secondment. While on secondment or assignment, you maintain your substantive position. If the team you were seconded/assigned to was impacted by workforce adjustment, your secondment or assignment would likely simply come to an end.

If your substantive position was impacted by workforce adjustment, an assignment or secondment should not prevent you from participating in a SERLO process should one occur. 

In addition, work force adjustment situations can last a significant period. For example, the Deficit Reduction Action Plan (DRAP) lasted from 2012 to 2015, so you do not need to limit yourself in terms of career opportunities for a process that could last for multiple years.

Can a workforce adjustment situation due to relocation of function be triggered if I can perform the duties of my position virtually?

Yes. The employer has significant discretion in determining how and where work is completed. While some tasks can be done remotely, the employer often has the discretionary authority to require that duties be performed from a specific location.

Affected employees

How will I know if my position has been affected?

You will be formally notified that changes are being considered in your department and that those changes may impact your position. This notice will likely be delivered via email or letter following an in-person or virtual meeting with a representative of your management. 

If I’m affected, what happens next?

If you receive are deemed affected, you may be asked to participate in a SERLO process or Voluntary Departure Program. 

Following a SERLO process, you will be provided with written notice that one of three things will happen:

1. Your position is eliminated and you will be deemed surplus with the guarantee of a reasonable job offer (GRJO);
2. Your position is eliminated and you are declared an opting employee, where you will have 120 days to choose one of the three options found in Appendix D of the Work Force Adjustment Directive; or
3. You are deemed to no longer be an affected employee, where after review, it has been decided you will be retained within the public service. This may be in your current or a new position. For example, if a SERLO process occurs, reducing a team’s CT-FIN-03s from six employees to four, the six positions may get eliminated with four new positions encompassing the duties of the government’s new direction. It’s also possible that the four employees retained continue in their previous positions.

What is the difference between an affected employee and an opting employee?

While an affected employee receives a notification from their deputy head that changes are being considered in their department and that those changes may impact their position, an opting employee has been notified that their position is being eliminated and that they don’t have a guarantee of a reasonable job offer (GRJO).

It’s important to note that being affected does not mean that your employment will be terminated. Many employees classified as affected will be retained.

How long will it be after being notified of my affected status before I’m notified if I’m a surplus, opting, or no longer an affected employee?

Many affected employees will never become a surplus or opting employee, since the notification of affected status only indicates that their services may no longer be required.

However, it could be anywhere from weeks to years before you are notified that you are a surplus, opting, or unaffected employee. For example, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) workforce adjustment exercise announced in January 2025 is taking place until the end of the 2027-28 fiscal year.

Also, per the Work Force Adjustment Directive, your organization will review an affected employee’s status annually, or earlier, from the date of their initial notification of affected status and determine whether the employee will remain on affected status or not.

Do I continue to work if I’ve been affected?

Yes, you’re still an employee continuing with your current duties and accumulating pensionable time after receiving an affected letter.

What is the voluntary departure program?

If more than five employees working at the same group and level in the same work unit are affected and guarantees of a reasonable job offer (GRJOs) cannot be offered, departments are required to establish a voluntary departure program. The program must be established after affected letters have been delivered but before the SERLO process has begun.

If they have less than five affected employees, the department may optionally establish a voluntary departure program, but they are not required to do so.

Volunteers can select Options B or C (see definitions of each option below under Opting employees), but not Option A.

Surplus employees

What will happen if I’m deemed a surplus employee?

You will receive a notice in writing informing you that your position has been eliminated and your services are no longer required. You will either be provided with a guarantee of a reasonable job offer (GRJO) or declared an opting employee, where you will have 120 days to choose one of the three options found in Part VI of the Work Force Adjustment Directive.

The notice will also tell you the reason your position has been eliminated, whether due to a lack of work, the discontinuance of a function, a relocation in which the employee does not wish to relocate, or an alternative delivery initiative.

Finally, it will usually give you a date as to when your services are no longer needed.

What is a GRJO?

A guarantee of a reasonable job offer (GRJO) is the first avenue for the employer to consider, as the purpose of the Workforce Adjustment Directive is to maximize employment opportunities for indeterminate employees affected by work force adjustment situations. Therefore, they first look to employ people in a different role, and if they can, they have an obligation to offer a GRJO.

With a GRJO, while that employee’s position is eliminated, they are being guaranteed an offer of indeterminate employment in a new position within the core public administration. The employee will continue to work and be compensated within the organization in the interim of offering them a new position. 

An employee who receives a GRJO won’t be laid off unless they decline a reasonable job offer. They will also have to adhere to their responsibilities under the Work Force Adjustment Directive, including actively seeking alternative employment opportunities.

Will I be offered a GRJO in a different region than I’m willing to work?

Generally, no, as this does not fulfill the “reasonable” aspect of a GRJO. The employer must first look at your area and make a reasonable effort to find you a position in your area. A reasonable job offer doesn’t mean that if you’re working in Vancouver, you’ll be offered a job in Winnipeg. Typically, a reasonable job offer will be in your current area unless you’ve identified that you’re willing to look at jobs in other areas or cities.

That said, after having spent as much time as operations permit looking for a reasonable job offer in the employee’s location preference area, a department or organization may offer a relocated position to an employee who is in receipt of a guarantee of a reasonable job offer.

How are GRJO positions assigned? Is it a competition, based on order of priority, or something else?

Employees who receive a GRJO will have surplus priority entitlements for appointment to other positions in the core public administration. They will be ‘statutory’ priority in their own departments/organizations and ‘regulatory’ priority in other departments/organizations.

Employees with statutory priority entitlements must be appointed ahead of all others. There are four types of statutory priorities with an order of priority between them. The statutory surplus priority is the second highest priority entitlement (after Canadian Armed Forces members) in the public service. 

Employees with regulatory priorities are considered after employees with statutory priorities. There are seven types of regulatory priorities with no specific entitlement order between the regulatory priority types.

Employees with a GRJO maintain their priority status until they’re appointed or deployed to another indeterminate position, refuse a reasonable job offer, are laid off, or choose to resign.

 Employees who receive a guarantee of a reasonable job offer are responsible for:

1. actively seeking alternative employment in cooperation with their departments or organizations and the PSC, unless they have advised the department or organization and the PSC, in writing, that they are not available for appointment;
2. seeking information about their entitlements and obligations;
3. providing timely information to the home department or organization and to the PSC to assist them in their appointment activities (including curriculum vitae or résumés);
4. ensuring that they can be easily contacted by the PSC and appointing departments or organizations;
5. attending appointments made for referrals; and
6. seriously considering job opportunities presented to them (referrals within the home department or organization, referrals from the PSC, and job offers made by departments or organizations), including retraining and relocation possibilities, specified-period appointments and lower-level appointments.

For additional information regarding priority status and how that impacts appointments, please refer to the Public Service Commission’s Guide on Priority Entitlements.

Will I continue to get paid as a surplus employee?

If you have been given a guarantee of a reasonable job offer (GRJO) or selected option A (as an opting employee), you will continue to work and be paid until you accept a job offer or your priority entitlement ends.

Note that if you were offered a GRJO and refuse a reasonable job offer, you will be laid off not sooner than six months from the beginning of your surplus period, in which case you will be paid until the date you are laid off.

How can I improve my chances of finding employment as a surplus employee?

While the Public Service Commission will provide you with resources and assistance, employees equally share the responsibility of finding a new position. This means that you should actively participate in seeking a new position.

While the employer is responsible for appointing a counselor to help you and keep you informed along the way, and while we will be providing additional resources to the CT Community in the coming weeks, some additional tips for surplus employees include:

• Being available for job interviews;
• Actively networking and building your personal brand;
• Giving serious and thoughtful consideration to all job opportunities (and not just holding out for ‘the perfect job’), including lower-level positions;
• Being aware of your entitlements and obligations associated with your priority status; and
• Using departmental resources such as managers, HR advisors, and the Career Transition Centres.

If I’m given a GRJO, am I eligible to alternate?

No. Employees who receive a GRJO are not eligible for the options available to opting employees and therefore cannot alternate.

What happens if I get appointed to a lower-level position? Will I keep my current salary?

Surplus and laid-off employees appointed to a lower-level position will have their salary protected. This protection will apply until they are appointed or deployed to a position with a maximum rate of pay equal to or higher than the maximum rate of pay of the position from which they were declared surplus or laid off.

For example, if you are a CT-FIN-02 at Step 2 appointed to a CT-FIN-01 position, you will retain your rate of pay at the CT-FIN-02 level and continue along the steps of the CT-FIN-02 pay scale (despite being in a CT-FIN-01 position) until you are appointed to a position with a maximum rate of pay equal to or higher than the CT-FIN-02 maximum ($110,607 as of 2025).

If I were to obtain a position in another department and that position gets impacted, would I have to go through the WFA process all over again?

Unfortunately, yes. If you obtain a position in a different department that later decides to make their own workforce adjustments, there’s no protection provided to you from being affected again.

Opting employees

What are my options as an opting employee?

If you receive an opting letter notifying you that your services are no longer required and you are not guaranteed a position or continued employment, you have 120 days to pick one of three options:

1. 12-month surplus priority
2. Resignation with a Transitional Support Measure (TSM)
3. Resignation with a TSM and an Educational Allowance

Each of the three options are further defined below.

When does the 120-day opting period begin?

The 120-day opting period begins on the date the employee receives written notice they are an opting employee, not the date they are notified they are an affected employee.

For example, an employee could receive a letter notifying them that they are an affected employee in 2025. That employee could then work in their position for six months before receiving written notification that they are an opting employee because their position was eliminated and they did not receive a GRJO. The 120-day opting period would then begin at that time.

Will I continue to work and get paid as an opting employee?

Yes, you will continue to work, be paid, and earn pensionable time during your 120-day opting period. Employees selecting Option A (12-month surplus priority) will also continue to work and earn pensionable time.

Employees who choose Option C(ii) can delay their departure date and go on leave without pay for a maximum period of two years while they’re attending a learning institution. During their leave period, employees will not be paid but could continue to be public service benefit plan members and contribute both the employer and employee share to the benefits plans and the Public Service Superannuation Plan.

What happens if I don’t choose an option within the 120-day opting period?

Opting employees who fail to select an option within their 120-day opting period will be deemed to have selected Option A (12-month surplus priority period in which to secure a reasonable job offer).

What happens if I need to go on leave (sick leave, parental leave, etc.) after receiving an opting letter?

In general, an employee who is on leave can still be affected by workforce adjustment, but each situation will be approached on a case-by-case basis. If an employee’s role is affected due to a workforce adjustment while they’re on leave, they would still be notified and would likely be requested to participate in a selection for employee retention or lay-off (SERLO) process. Employees who are on leave can participate in a SERLO process if they are fit to do so and can also be accommodated in the process if necessary.

Employees who are on leave and are notified that they are an opting employee can also choose their option while they are on leave. Being on leave may not extend the 120-day opting period, and employees who do not select an option within their 120-day opting period may be deemed to have selected Option A. The implications of an employee’s leave may vary on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, we encourage members on leave to reach out to our Labour Relations team to discuss the specifics of their circumstances.

What do I do if I believe I have been unfairly made an opting employee due to favouritism or discrimination?

Please contact Labour Relations to discuss your rights, as each situation is unique and requires an evaluation of merit before determining the appropriate next steps or action to be taken.

Workforce adjustment forms part of the collective agreement and is therefore enforceable within the grievance procedure if the terms are violated.

An employee can claim discrimination if the employer has differentiated adversely against them on one of the prohibited grounds under the Canadian Human Rights Act. However, it should be noted that it is not simply enough to claim discrimination, and any claim must be proven.

What is the 12-month surplus priority list (Option A)?

If you’re an opting employee who chooses Option A, you have surplus priority entitlements for 12 months. You will be entitled to be considered for positions ahead of employees with no priority entitlements with statutory priority in your own department/organization and regulatory priority in other department/organization. 

Employees with statutory priority entitlements must be appointed ahead of all others. There are four types of statutory priorities with an order of priority between them. The statutory surplus priority is the second highest priority entitlement (after Canadian Armed Forces members) in the public service. 

Employees with regulatory priorities are considered after employees with statutory priorities. There are seven types of regulatory priorities with no specific entitlement order between the regulatory priority types.

If you do not secure a new position at the end of the 12-month period, you are laid off.

Note that any time remaining from your opting period can be added to your surplus priority entitlement period. For example, if you selected Option A ten days into your opting period, you would have 12 months plus 110 days total on the priority list to secure a reasonable job offer.

While your entitlement will begin once you’re deemed a priority employee, there will be steps for you to take to be added to the government’s priority list, including providing your consent.

Finally, you are also eligible to alternate under Option A (see Alternation section below).

What is retraining?

Surplus employees can request retraining or be retrained for existing or anticipated vacancies within the public service if there are no other qualified priority employees. If you are approved for retraining, your department is responsible for implementing a retraining plan, even if you are being retrained for a position in another department. Your department is also responsible for providing you with a meeting and explanation if your request for retraining is denied.

During retraining, you continue to be employed by your home department and are entitled to be paid in accordance with your current appointment, unless another hiring department is ready to make you a conditional offer. For example, say an employee who currently works in Department A is approved for retraining for a vacancy in Department B. The employee would continue to work in Department A while they completed their retraining, unless Department B offered the employee an indeterminate position conditional on their finishing the retraining (in which case, the employee would work in Department B and be paid at the rate of the new position that they were being hired into). 

If a retraining plan has been approved and you continue to be employed by your home department or organization, the date of your proposed lay-off will be extended if the end date of your training extends past your priority period. However, if you are unsuccessful in your retraining, you can still be laid off at the end of your surplus period.

How will ACFO-ACAF help me with finding another position?

If you are interested in alternating, you may choose to participate in the ACFO-ACAF Alternation Network. You can also reach out to ACFO-ACAF Labour Relations for any questions you may have along the way.

However, if you’ve selected Option A, it is ultimately your responsibility to actively seek another position in the federal government. You are responsible for:

• seeking information about your entitlements and obligations;
• providing timely information to assist the employer in their appointment activities;
• ensuring that you can be easily contacted by the Public Service Commission and appointing departments or organizations;
• attending appointments made for referrals; and
• seriously considering job opportunities presented to you, including retraining and relocation possibilities, specified-period appointments, and lower-level appointments

If I’m a CT-FIN, could I obtain a position as a CT-IAU or CT-EAV or vice-versa?

This would depend on whether you are qualified and meet the criteria for the position.

A reasonable job is normally an equivalent position, which is deemed as such if it meets two criteria:

1. It has similar or the same duties and responsibilities as your current position; and
2. The difference on the pay scale between the last steps of both positions is 6% or less.

If a CT-IAU or CT-EAV position met the criteria above, the employer could offer it to a CT-FIN as a reasonable job offer.

If you were to become a priority, you could be considered for a position in a different subgroup or classification if you were qualified. With the exception of reinstatement priorities, there are no limits to the occupational groups and levels that a person with a priority entitlement is entitled to be appointed, and employees with a priority entitlement can apply to any position being staffed they believe they’re qualified for.

If I believe I have been passed over for a position for someone who isn’t on the priority list, what are my rights?

If you have priority status and believe that the employer improperly passed you over, please contact ACFO Labour Relations so that we can discuss the situation and next steps.

For additional information regarding priority status, please refer to the Public Service Commission’s Guide on Priority Entitlements.

What is the Transition Support Measure (TSM) (Option B)?

The TSM is a cash payment based on your years of service that can be paid out in one or two payments over a maximum period of two years. The entitlement:

• increases between years 0 and 16 of service;
• maxes out (at 52 weeks) between years 16 and 29 of service; and
• gradually decreases between years 30 and 45 of service.

You must resign to be eligible for the TSM, but you will be considered laid off for purposes of severance pay, which is separate from the TSM. Severance pay entitlements are outlined in Article 25 of the CT collective agreement.

Employees who select Option B may be eligible for a pension reduction waiver if they are between the ages of 55-59 years old, have at least 10 years of service and became a Public Service Superannuation Plan member before January 1, 2013 or are between the ages of 60-64 years old, have at least 10 years of service and became a Public Service Superannuation Plan member on or after January 1, 2013. For more information, please refer to the Pensions section of this document.

You can find the exact TSM payments in weeks’ pay by year of service in the NJC’s Workforce Adjustment Directive (Appendix C).

Is the TSM taxable or pensionable?

Yes, the TSM is taxable, but no, it is not pensionable.

What is the TSM with educational allowance (Option C)?

This option provides you with a TSM plus an educational allowance of no more than $17,000. The education allowance can cover expenses like tuition, cost of books, and other relevant equipment, but you must provide receipts for your related expenses.

Option C also provides you with the opportunity to go on leave without pay (LWOP) for a maximum of two years rather than resign and receive severance, where you can continue to contribute to your benefits plan and pension (you must pay the employee and employer portions).

However, you are not eligible for a pension reduction waiver under Option C (see Pensions section).

Will I continue to receive benefits (dental, medical, etc.) if I am laid off or resign?

This depends on a few factors, including:

• whether you are laid off or resign;
• the type of benefit in question; and
• whether you are at retirement age.

The Public service group insurance benefit plans page, particularly the “How are my group insurance benefits affected if I am in a workforce adjustment situation” section, outlines how group benefits will be affected by workforce adjustment situations.

If you have any additional questions after reviewing this information, contact ACFO Labour Relations.

If you have any questions specific to your pension or benefits, please contact the Pension Centre, as its advisors are the subject matter experts and are best able to inform you on this matter.

If I choose to resign through Option B or C, can I return to the public service later? If so, how long do I need to wait before I can return?

Yes, an employee who resigns and takes a TSM can return to the public service. While there’s no timeline they need to wait to return, it’s possible that you will have to reimburse a certain portion of the TSM.

An opting employee who has received pay in lieu of unfulfilled surplus period, a TSM, or an Education Allowance and is appointed to a position in the public service will be required to reimburse the Receiver General for Canada by an amount corresponding to the period from when they are hired to the end of the period for which the TSM or Education Allowance was paid. For example, if an employee received 52 weeks of TSM, but was subsequently reappointed 20 weeks after their lay-off, they would likely need to return 32 weeks of TSM.

If you return to the public service after receiving a TSM and are asked to return a portion of it, please contact us.

Alternation and the ACFO-ACAF Alternation Network

What is alternation?

Alternation provides employees who have been notified that their position is being eliminated and that they’re not being given a guarantee of a reasonable job offer (GRJO) with the opportunity to remain in the public service by swapping positions with an employee with the same qualifications who wishes to leave the public service.

Please note that only opting and surplus employees who have chosen Option A are eligible to alternate with a non-affected employee. Management approval is required (but not automatic) for an alternation to occur.

If I decide to alternate as an unaffected employee, what are my options?

If you were to alternate, you would have two options available to you:

• Option B – TSM and a pension penalty waiver (if applicable)
• Option C (i) – TSM plus reimbursement of up to $17,000 for receipted expenses for tuition fees, costs of books, and relevant equipment

For both options, you would resign and your departure date would be established by management.

A non-affected employee cannot select Option A (12-month surplus priority period to secure a reasonable job offer) or Option C (ii) (go on leave without pay for up to two years).

You may find additional details on the NJC’s Workforce Adjustment Directive in the flowchart here under the Alternation Program box in yellow.

If my department is unaffected by WFA or I want to alternate with someone in another department, can I still participate?

Yes. All departments and organizations must participate in the alternation process regardless of whether they have affected employees.

Note that the opting employee moving into the unaffected position must still meet the requirements of the position, including language requirements and the determination of applicable equivalencies for staffing purposes. The alternate moving into the opting position must also meet the requirements of the position, except if the alternate will not be performing the duties of the position and will be leaving the public service within five days of the alternation.

Additionally, alternation is only available during an opting employee’s 120-day opting period or during the 12-month surplus priority period of an opting employee having chosen option A, and all alternations require management approval. This means that even if you are able to secure an alternating match, it is still not a guarantee that your alternation will be approved.

How soon should I notify my manager that I’m interested in alternating?

There is no set time frame that you are required to notify your manager of your interest in alternating, but in general, we recommend providing them with as much notice as possible.

That said, we recommend considering the following around your discussion with your manager:

• Alternations may not occur for several months (as of February 2025)
• We do not know the potential impacts of the upcoming cost-cutting exercise on the CT Community, and there may be few opportunities to alternate out
• there may be more employees interested in alternating out than there are affected/opting employees, so some non-affected employees may be unable to alternate out of the public service

We would therefore advise framing the conversation around being interested in alternating if the opportunity arises, in case you are unable to find an opting/surplus employee to match with.

How many CTs are eligible for retirement or alternation?

Unfortunately, ACFO-ACAF does not keep track of retirement eligibility, since technically, employees could choose to retire at any time.

However, we have conducted surveys in the past where we’ve collected aggregate data on years of service in the federal public service and age. Our latest State of the Community survey from 2023 found the following statistics on the CT Community:

Years of service

• Fewer than 2 years of service: 5%
• 2 to 5 years: 15%
• 6 to 10 years: 15%
• 11 to 20 years: 40%
• More than 20 years: 25%

Age

• 18-34: 25%
• 35-44: 30%
• 45-54: 30%
• 55+: 15%

How does the ACFO-ACAF Alternation Network work?

If you are a non-affected or opting employee interested in alternating, you may contact Ben Streatch at bstreatch@acfo-acaf.com to add your name to the Alternation Network.

Both the list of non-affected employees and affected/opting employees interested in alternating are published to the my.ACFO-ACAF portal homepage which includes their contact information, department, classification, qualifications such as language requirements and security clearance, and when an employee is available to alternate. Some employees are ready to consider alternation immediately, while others have a set date when they would consider alternation (for example, a date later in 2025 after they have become eligible for a pension reduction waiver). The list is updated on a regular basis.

Opting/surplus employees may then contact non-affected employees on the list who match their current position within their opting/surplus period, and non-affected employees may contact opting/surplus employees on the list who match their current position. ACFO-ACAF does not facilitate contact between both groups via the Alternation Network and employees are responsible for finding their own alternation matches.

If both parties find a suitable match and meet the position requirements, they may then contact their respective managers for approval to alternate, which is required under the alternation program.

Do I need my manager’s permission to join the Alternation Network?

No, you do not need your manager’s permission. Having your name on the list only means that you may be contacted by an employee interested in alternating with you.

If I retire or change my mind about participating in the Alternation Network, can I withdraw my participation?

Yes. If you change your mind for any reason or are no longer eligible for alternation at any time, such as if you are retiring, you can withdraw your name from the Alternation Network, and we will remove your name from the list.

Am I guaranteed alternation by joining the Alternation Network?

No. Adding your name to our list does not guarantee that you will receive an alternation and does not mean that alternation is now mandatory for you.

It is your responsibility to contact members of the Alternation Network and secure a match.

Can I alternate with someone in another work location than me?

This would likely depend on the specifics of your position as well as management’s discretion. For example, if your position is on site in Winnipeg, management’s expectation may be that an opting employee alternating into your position would also work on site in Winnipeg.

Management must approve every requested alternation, and no employee is ever guaranteed an alternation. This means there is also the possibility that management would not support the alternation for other reasons as well.

What are my options if my alternation is denied by management?

Employees can request a meeting with management to discuss the rationale for the decision.

If you disagree with management’s rationale, please contact Labour Relations.

Am I still eligible to alternate as a non-affected employee if I’m not eligible for a pension reduction waiver?

Yes, you are eligible to alternate at any age as a non-affected employee, but you must meet the required criteria at the time of alternation in order to qualify for the pension reduction waiver under Option B.

Pensions

What is the pension reduction waiver?

This allows employees who select Option B to receive an unreduced pension provided they are at least 55 years old and have at least 10 years of service. Typically, taking your pension before your pension eligibility age (taking your pension at 55 when your pension eligibility age is 60, for example) results in a permanently reduced pension.

Therefore, employees who are at least 55 years old and have at least 10 years of service can receive a pension reduction waiver if they opt/alternate into Option B, which would allow them to take an annual allowance without permanently reducing their pension.  Please note that if you became a pension plan member on or after January 1, 2023, you must be at least 60 years old to be eligible for pension reduction waiver.

Additional details can be found on Treasury Board’s Public service pension options page.

For questions regarding your specific situation and pension calculations, please contact the Pension Centre, as its advisors are the subject matter experts best able to inform you.

How do I confirm my exact years of service and TSM payment?

For any specific questions about your years of service, or anything else regarding your pension, please contact the Pension Centre, as its advisors are the subject matter experts and are best able to inform you on your years of service. The Pension Centre would also be able to clarify if the transition support measure (TSM) payment under Option B impacts pension calculations and what impact alternation would have on retirement.

For specific questions or calculations regarding your TSM payment, please contact the Public Service Pay Centre.