FAQ: Phoenix damages compensation *UPDATED*
MARCH 3, 2021
Phoenix general damages for retired and former PSAC members
MARCH 2, 2021
To find out if you are eligible for Phoenix damages as a retired or former PSAC member, check out our FAQs under “Who is eligible for Phoenix compensation?”Now that current PSAC members will be receiving Phoenix general damages on March 3, retired and former PSAC members may be wondering when they will receive their portion.
Retired or former employees who meet the eligibility criteria will receive financial compensation for each fiscal year in which they are eligible. However, you will not receive compensation automatically. To receive Phoenix general damages, retired or former employees will have to file a separate claim form through Treasury Board. This will include the estates of deceased employees.
Despite numerous requests by PSAC, Treasury Board has yet to set up this claims process. We are continuing to press them for information on the implementation plan and will post the information on our website and social media accounts once the form is available.
Late last year, some members were misdirected to fill out a form titled “Claim for general compensation for former employees: Payment equivalent to additional leave”, however this is not the correct form for PSAC members. This form is to request the financial equivalent of up to 5 days of leave, which was the settlement signed by other federal bargaining agents, not PSAC.
Phoenix general damages: Did you receive the correct amount?
MARCH 1, 2021
PSAC members will receive their Phoenix general damages in one lump sum payment on March 3 with their regular pay and it will be taxed at source. PSAC is deeply disappointed with the government’s decision to move ahead without a decision from CRA on taxability and continues to pursue the issue with CRA directly. We have also raised the recurring issue of not separating special payments from regular pay – as was recently the case with retro payments.
Individual details about your Phoenix general compensation payment will be available in MyGCPay (only available on the Government of Canada’s internal network).
If you have any questions about your Phoenix damages payment amount, please first contact your Human Resources specialist for the payment breakdown. If members still have concerns, they can reach out to the Client Contact Centre. For other information about Phoenix general damages, please visit our frequently asked questions.
Current PSAC members who were granted compensatory time under another union’s Phoenix settlement agreement may not receive the full amount ($2,500) on March 3 and may receive additional payments at a later date. Consult the federal government’s webpage for more information on how your Phoenix damages payment may be calculated if you were under multiple bargaining agents or an excluded employee during any of the fiscal years of the Phoenix agreement.
PSAC will monitor the situation closely to ensure that all our members receive complete and detailed information about the settlement implementation.