Rescinded - Salary Administration Policy for the Career Assignment Programme Group - April 1, 2002 (Archived)
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Note to reader
Please note that as of April 2nd 2006, a new replaces the document below.Effective date
This policy will take effect on April 1, 2002.
Policy objectives
To provide consistent salary administration for members of the Career Assignment Programme Group (CA).
To support the Programme's goal to ensure that Career Assignment Programme (CAP) graduates attain the managerial and leadership excellence required for successful performance at pre-executive and executive levels.
Policy statement
It is government policy to appoint and pay employees of the CA Group according to their contribution to the organization and their attainment of performance goals. All pay increases shall be subject to the successful achievement of defined performance goals contained in the CAP Assignment Plan/Review, developed collaboratively by the participant, the departments and the PSC Learning Advisor. The specific knowledge, skills and competencies the participant needs to acquire for entry to each level in the Programme are defined by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) and the Public Service Commission of Canada (PSC) (as annexed to the CAP Policy). Performance awards are determined by departments (i.e. departmental managers) and promotions are determined by duly authorized promotion boards. The salary administration plan (Appendix A) provides the means to achieve this. The main provisions are:
- the salary component of the CA Group pay plan is based on two levels with an overall range and a minimum and maximum rate (Appendix B). Under the direction of TBS, individual rates will be adjusted whenever the overall range is modified;
- employees' promotions and performance awards depend on their achieving performance ratings of "fully satisfactory" or better. In addition, promotions will also depend on their meeting demonstrated knowledge, skill and competency requirements as annexed to the Career Assignment Programme Policy and verified by the individual employee's supervisor and promotion board;
- employees who are evaluated as less than "fully satisfactory", will not receive performance pay; and
- on exit from the Programme, an employee's pay rate shall be subject to the relevant terms and conditions for the group and level of appointment.
Application
This plan applies to employees in the Public Service as specified in Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Public Service Staff Relations Act who are not subject to a collective agreement and who are classified in the Career Assignment Programme Group (CA).
Policy requirements
Deputy heads must implement the salary administration plan (Appendix A) by:
- ensuring that the salaries of CA Group employees are administered according to the plan, based upon each employee's performance review, appraisal report as well as the promotion board's decision;
- providing all information, training advice and guidance required to implement and administer the plan; and
- obtaining prior written approval from TBS when the deputy head believes that the salary administration plan should be exceeded.
Monitoring
Departments are to submit reports to TBS on their application of the provisions of the plan in the format prescribed in Appendix C, by July 15 of each year.
The following performance indicators will be used to evaluate a department's adherence to the plan:
- the performance increase fund expenditure must not exceed the applicable percentage of payroll;
- performance awards are granted only to employees who are rated fully satisfactory or above; and
- performance awards do not exceed the percentage limits for each level of performance.
Reports on the administration of the plan will be monitored by TBS and will be used in the assessment of the administration practices of departmental personnel.
References
Financial Administration Act, section 11(2)(d)
Public Service Staff Relations Act, Part 1, Schedule 1
Career Assignment Programme Policy and Operating Principles
Enquiries
Enquiries about this policy should be referred to the responsible officers in departmental headquarters who in turn may direct questions regarding policy interpretation to:
Excluded Groups Compensation Directorate
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
L'Esplanade Laurier, 3rd Floor West Tower
300 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0R5
Fax: (613) 952-3279
Appendix A – Career Assignment Programme Group Salary Administration Plan
1. Purpose
This appendix presents guidelines for the consistent application of the Career Assignment Programme Group salary administration plan.
2. Glossary
Graduation award (prime de finissant) - a one-time lump sum award recognizing successful completion of the Career Assignment Programme.
Performance award (prime de rendement) - a lump sum award based on a fully satisfactory or better level of performance that does not increase base pay and is re-earned during each performance review period.
Performance review period (période d'évaluation du rendement) - for the purposes of determining a performance award, the period of service to be considered is from April 1 to March 31 of the following calendar year.
Promotion award (prime de promotion) - an increase in salary based on a formal assessment of performance level and levels of knowledge, skill and competency as annexed to the Career Assignment Programme Policy that results in movement to the next training level (not to exceed the level's maximum rate of pay).
Promotion board (conseil de promotion) - a board of review established under the CAP Policy which assesses CAP participants for the purpose of promotion.
Public Service (Fonction publique) - the departments and agencies listed in Part I, Schedule I of the Public Service Staff Relations Act.
Relevant occupational group (groupe professionnel pertinent) - the occupational group to which the employee is expected to enter when exiting or graduating from the Programme.
Retroactive period (période de rétroactivité) - the period commencing on the effective date of the retroactive upward revision in remuneration and ending on the day prior to implementation on an ongoing basis of the revision approved by the Treasury Board or ending on the last day of participation in the Programme.
3. Salary ranges
This salary plan consists of two salary ranges. See Appendix B.
4. Salary range revisions
The Treasury Board or delegate will determine the timing and amount of salary range revisions for the CA Group. Departments will apply these revisions when notified by TBS. Salary ranges may be adjusted periodically pursuant to a decision of the Treasury Board.
The salary ranges consist of a minimum and a maximum rate of pay with no movement through the salary range. Lump sum performance awards are based solely on assessed performance.
5. Payment of retroactive remuneration
A retroactive upward revision in remuneration shall apply to employees, former employees, or in the case of death, the estates of former employees who were employed in the Public Service during the retroactive period.
Remuneration shall be paid in an amount equal to what would have been paid had the revision been implemented on the effective date.
The employer must advise current employees in the Programme of the retroactive revision. The employer must also advise former employees of the retroactive revision by letter sent by registered mail to the last known address. The former employee, or in the case of death, the former employee's representatives, shall have thirty (30) days from the date of receipt of this letter to request, in writing, a retroactive payment.
6. Salary adjustment for employees on leave without pay
The salary of an employee on such leave should be adjusted from time to time, for administrative purposes, to preserve the employee's position in the salary range at the time the absence began. Adjustments will occur when directions are given for revisions to the CA Group salary ranges by TBS.
As stated above, salary range revisions are determined by a decision of the Treasury Board.
Employees on leave without pay may be considered for performance awards. Please refer to the section below on performance pay application for guidelines.
7. Salary on appointment
The rate of pay on appointment to a level to which this plan applies shall be:
(a) established in accordance with the promotion/transfer rules, or
(b) the minimum rate of pay of the level of appointment.
To ensure consistency, the final salary figure should be rounded to the next higher multiple of $100.
The Special Assignment Pay Plan (SAPP) will provide flexibility to recruit employees whose certified group and level salary range exceeds the CA group salary range.
7.1 Rate of pay on promotion
Promotion boards will determine movement from CA-01 to CA-02. Promotion will be determined in accordance with the Career Assignment Programme Policy Appendix A - Programme Operating Principles. The effective date of the new level and rate of pay will be established by the board.
The rate of pay on promotion will be:
(a) determined by adding 4 per cent of the maximum rate of pay of the CA-02 level to the pay received immediately prior to the promotion, or
(b) the minimum rate of pay for CA-02 level, whichever results in the higher rate of pay.
To ensure consistency, the final salary figure should be rounded to the next higher multiple of $100.
Where a promotion board does not grant a promotion, the employee remains at the CA-01 level and rate of pay. Subsequent appearances before the promotion board are scheduled in consultation with the participant, the department and the PSC learning advisor.
7.2 Salary during completion of second language training
Employees completing second language training receive the rate of pay appropriate to the position they occupy as duly established under this policy.
Employees on second language training are eligible to receive performance pay (see below).
7.3 Salary for purposes of transfer, appointment or demotion from the CA Group
The rate of pay, excluding the value of the performance award and the graduation award, will be used for the purposes of salary calculations for transfer, appointment or demotion.
8. Performance pay administration
Deputy heads or their delegates approve the individual performance awards. Performance awards are to be administered on April 1 of each year. Performance pay is awarded in respect of performance during the previous performance cycle (April 1 to March 31).
8.1 Performance awards
A performance award may be granted to an employee whose performance has been assessed as at least "fully satisfactory" against their CAP Assignment Plan/Review and the knowledge, skills and competencies annexed to the Career Assignment Programme Policy and who is on strength on March 31st and April 1st. Employees who are on strength on those dates but on leave without pay may be considered for a pro-rated award for the portion of the year they worked, if that period was of sufficient duration to permit an appropriate assessment of performance. Appointments to the CA Group may occur at any time in the year, therefore, deputy heads or their delegates may apply pro-rated performance in the first year of an employee's participation in the Programme if the employee has been in the CA group for a minimum of 3 months. These lump sums must be re-earned each year. Lump sum payments should be round to the nearest dollar.
Employees who are on second language training for a period of 6 months or longer during the performance review cycle (April 1 – March 31) will be rated "Fully satisfactory" for the period of the training.
Increases are to be limited to:
| Outstanding performance during the year | up to 10% of salary |
| Superior performance during the year | up to 8% of salary |
| Fully Satisfactory performance during the year | up to 6% of salary |
| Satisfactory Needs Improvement Unable to Assess |
No Award |
The maximum permissible amount for the awards should not be automatically granted. Consideration must be given to factors such as the salary relationship with immediate supervisors or subordinates and the number of consecutive years of the level of performance.
Employees will not progress through the CA salary ranges. Performance awards (lump sum payments) depend on a performance assessment of at least "fully satisfactory", and on demonstrating knowledge, skills and competencies as annexed to the Career Assignment Programme Policy and verified by the employee's supervisor and performance review committee.
There is to be no performance award for an employee who is evaluated as less than "fully satisfactory". Persons rated less than "fully satisfactory", if retained in the Programme, will not be eligible for another performance award until the end of the subsequent performance review period.
Deputy heads have flexibility to award the maximum award for each individual, so long as they have adequate funding in Departmental Reference levels to do so.
8.2 Graduation Award
The Graduation Award is provided in recognition of successful completion of the Career Assignment Programme. Successful completion of the Programme is determined in accordance with the Career Assignment Programme Policy Appendix A – Programme Operating Principles. The award is provided at the time of the employee's departure from the CA group. The graduation award is a lump sum and is not included in salary for the purpose of pension calculation or calculation of salary on appointment to a subsequent occupational group. The value of the award, effective April 1, 2000 is $3,200.
8.3 Salary-related benefits
A performance award will be included as part of the employee's salary for the period with respect to which it was paid. Performance awards are included in determining the best five-year average salary for public-service pension purposes. With respect to the long-term disability plans, a performance award forms part of salary for the period for which it is paid. Long-term disability benefits that became payable after March 1, 1993, are adjusted retroactively to reflect the increase in salary, provided the effective date of the increase is prior to the date benefits commenced. It will not be reflected, however, in the level of coverage under salary-related benefits such as supplementary death benefits and life insurance.
Performance awards will not be considered part of the employee's salary for the purposes of termination benefits such as severance pay and payment of vacation leave.
9. Authorization
The Deputy head is authorized to determine performance awards as prescribed in this plan, and authorize the graduation award unless otherwise directed by TBS.
10. Bilingualism bonus
Employees are eligible to receive the bilingualism bonus as stipulated in the Bilingualism Bonus Directive.
11. Exclusions
11.1 Acting pay
Employees of the CA Group are not entitled to acting pay.
11.2 Overtime
Employees of the CA Group are not entitled to overtime pay.
12. Appointment to other occupational groups
Participants moving to other occupational groups at or before the successful conclusion of their training Programme will be paid in accordance with the relevant collective agreement or terms and conditions of employment of the new position.
13. Confidentiality
As a matter of government policy, disclosure is restricted to information on salary ranges. The specific salary paid to persons in a performance pay plan may be disclosed only to the public servants whose work requires access to such information.
Appendix B – Salary Ranges (CA Group)
CA-01
| Effective Date | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| From | 61552 | 78912 |
| $) June 22, 2003 (2.5%) | 63091 | 80885 |
| $) June 22, 2004 (2.25%) | 64511 | 82705 |
| $) June 22, 2005 (2.25%) | 65962 | 84566 |
CA-02
| Effective Date | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| From | 72372 | 88259 |
| $) June 22, 2003 (2.5%) | 74181 | 90465 |
| $) June 22, 2004 (2.25%) | 75850 | 92500 |
| $) June 22, 2005 (2.25%) | 77557 | 94581 |
Appendix C of the Salary Administration Policy for the Career Assignment (CA) Group – Departmental Reporting Format
The President of the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada will monitor the application of the performance awards after their implementation. Departments will provide reports on their application of the plan by July 15 of each year to The Leadership Network. Reports should be e-mailed as a Microsoft Excel attachment to: tlncorres./corres.lrl@hrma-agrh.gc.ca. An explanation of the contents of the different fields is provided below.
| Field Name | Contents |
|---|---|
| DEPT | Department |
| PRI | PRI |
| NAME | Last name |
| INITIAL | Initial of first name |
| CLASSIFICATION | Group and level, e.g. CA-01 |
| MARCH 31 SALARY | Employee's March 31 salary |
| PERFORMANCE RATING | Performance rating: Outstanding = 5 Superior = 4 Fully satisfactory = 3 Satisfactory = 2 Needs improvement = 1 Unable to assess = 0 |
| Reason for Unable to assess | Provide reasons for unable to assess: 1) On LWOP or sick leave – period in work place is insufficient to assess performance 2) Appointed to CA less than three months during review period 3) On language training less than six months during review period 4) Has received graduation award 5) Has temporarily left CAP |
| PERFORMANCE AWARD PERCENTAGE | Performance award as a percentage of March 31 salary |
| PRO RATA | Number of months covered by assessment and award |
| PERF AWARD IN $ | Performance award in dollars |
| DATE OF APPOINTMENT TO CA GROUP | Provide appointment date of CA employee |
| DATE OF RECEIPT OF GRADUATION AWARD | Provide date that employee received graduation award (if applicable) |