Job description - Program and Services Delivery Clerk (PSDC) - FAQ

The Program Services Delivery Clerk (PSDC) job description was originally developed as part of Service Canada’s Service Management Structural Model (SMSM), with an effective date of September 14, 2006.

Following the implementation of the job description in 2008, job content grievances were filed against the PSDC job description in 2008 by a number of employees who worked in Pensions and Integrity operations.

Since that time, the Department worked with the union to resolve the grievance. Following a third level grievance hearing on the job content grievances in 2012, management committed in March 2013 to revise the job description and to submit the revised version for a classification evaluation.

The new job descriptions are the result of the Department’s commitment to revise and issue a new job description. This has been done with staff through consultations across the country through a Job Validation Review exercise as well as with the union and management.

No. The job content grievance was specifically related to PSDCs in these two business lines.

Grievance processes can be complex exercises that can take time to address in a comprehensive and fair manner. The Department regrets that this process has taken much longer than we would have liked.

The Department committed to develop a new job description at the final level of the grievance process. The Department took a fair and principled approach to decision making and has worked collaboratively with employees and the union to ensure the finalized job description accurately reflects the work that you do.

The Department has heard employee input through job validation exercises that were held with both Pensions and Integrity employees across the country, and appreciates the time and effort staff dedicated to this effort.

The Department has also been working closely with the union to get its input on the job description, and will continue to do so in terms of the next steps.

The Department consulted with managers, employees and the union in the development of the new job descriptions.

In particular, job validation reviews were undertaken with employees in Pensions and Integrity operations across the country.

The Government of Canada’s Directive on Classification require that organizations must ensure that all classification decisions are arrived at in a transparent, equitable and consistent manner, and that these decisions are appropriate and supportable.

As such, the job descriptions were evaluated by classification committees comprised of senior classification experts. Members of the classification committees all have experience and expertise in classification as well as knowledge of service delivery roles within the Public Service.

Management representatives with extensive knowledge of the work performed in Pensions and Integrity operations supported the evaluation of the job descriptions by providing an overview of the functions of the Pensions and Integrity operations PSDCs, and answering any questions of clarification.

As per standard procedure, the job descriptions were evaluated against existing Government of Canada classification standards while considering the relativity of similar jobs and the organizational context.

Additional information about the job evaluation tools used as part of the classification program for the core public administration of the federal public service and for executives.

Based on the Job Validation Reviews and information provided by management, the committee noted that there are a number of PSDC positions which do not make decisions in regard to eligibility and entitlement.

As a result, the committee observed that there were in fact two different streams of work being performed by PSDCs in Pensions and Integrity operations.

The Department agreed with the committee’s observations and decided to move forward with two job descriptions: the initial job description shared with the committee and a second job description that will apply to those positions that provide administrative functions to support business stream activities throughout Service Canada (and do not perform the first two key activities).

As per standard procedure, each job description was evaluated against a job evaluation standard that includes the types of functions defined in the job description.

The Program Services Officer job description, which includes functions relating to making and reviewing decisions on issues regarding eligibility and entitlement, subsequent account revisions, and possible sanctions, was evaluated by the classification committee against the existing classification standards as a PM-01 position.

The Program Support Clerk job description, which includes administrative functions that support business stream activities, was evaluated as a CR-04 position.

• 9. Which employees are covered by the new job descriptions?

  The job descriptions apply specifically to current employees who are incumbents of PSDC positions (including indeterminate, term, acting) within Pensions and Integrity operations, on or after September 13, 2018 (the date that the new Program Services Officer job description was approved by the Chief Operating Officer).

• 10. How were current employees mapped between the two job descriptions?

  A detailed exercise was conducted in partnership between the Human Resource Services Branch and management in the Pensions and Integrity business lines.

  Management was given lists of positions with employees who performed functions in their respective areas on or after September 13, 2018, in the existing Program and Service Delivery Clerk positions. Management then mapped each position, based on the work performed, to either the program services or the program support functions.

  Employees who performed program service functions were mapped to the Program Services Officer job description. Employees who performed program support functions were mapped to the Program Support Clerk job description.

• 11. Where can I find the job descriptions?

  The job descriptions are posted on the National Work Description Bank on the Department’s Intranet site.

  After filtering by occupational group, you can find the two job descriptions by their job number:

  • Program Services Officer (PM-01): Job Number 00103969
  • Program Support Clerk (CR-04): Job Number 00103968
• 12. What period is covered by the job descriptions?

  The date on the new job descriptions show an effective date of September 14, 2006. This represents the date when the original PSDC job description was implemented.

• 13. Is there retroactive pay?

  Yes. Salary retroactivity applies for those employees who have been mapped to the Program Services Officer job description and who:

  • Are a current incumbent (on or after September 13, 2018), of the PSDC position in Pensions or Integrity who have been mapped to the Program Services Officer new job description or,
  • Grieved the content of the job description for PSDCs in Pensions and Integrity between 2008 and September 13, 2018, even if they have since left their position.
• 14. What period will the retroactivity cover?

  Given that a MOU was signed with the union in 2008, in particular circumstances retroactivity may extend back to September 14, 2006 when the job description came into effect.

  Employees’ individual retroactive pay will be based on actual time spent performing the duties of these jobs based on their most recent effective appointment date in their current position. As such, salary retroactivity will vary between employees.

• 15. Will former incumbents of PSDC positions in Pensions and Integrity (prior to September 13, 2018) be entitled to any retroactivity?

  Former incumbents will not be eligible for retroactive pay (except those that filed a grievance on the PSDC job description).

• 16. Why are former incumbents of the PSDC position not entitled to retroactive pay if they left the position prior to September 13, 2018?

  The decision to apply retroactivity is at the discretion of the Department as per Treasury Board Policy and is further confirmed in a 2011 Bulletin on reclassifications. For this exercise, a decision was taken that it would apply to current incumbents only occupying a Pension or Integrity job, mapped to the Program Service Officer job description, as of September 13, 2018.

• 17. Will former PSDCs (prior to September 13, 2018) who filed a job content grievance between 2008 and September 13, 2018, receive a new job description?

  Yes. PSDCs who grieved the content of the job description between 2008 and September 13, 2018, will receive one of the new job descriptions based on the work they performed (program support or program services).

• 18. When will employees receive any retroactive payments owed to them?

  Over the next few months, management will work to ensure that the mapping and employment histories of staff are accurately captured.

  It will take time to determine and process any retroactive payments. We are working with the PSPC Pay Centre and will keep employees informed as more details are confirmed. 

• 19. How will this affect my pension?

  When a revision to an employee’s salary is made, the Pension Centre is notified and will recalculate the pension based on the new salaries. There is no need to contact the Pension Centre or submit any documentation to them.

• 20. How will this affect my taxes?

  The Department does not provide tax-related advice to employees. Should an employee have a question, they should contact the Canada Revenue Agency.

• 21. Will employees in positions mapped to the Program Support Clerk job description require an appointment to this position?

  No. Employees in positions mapped to the Program Support Clerk do not require an appointment. They will continue to be incumbents of their current position and a review and update of their position will be done to apply the new job description.

• 22. Will employees in positions mapped to the Program Services Officer job description require an appointment based on their positions being reclassified?

  Yes, substantive incumbents of positions that have been mapped to the Program Services Officer job description will require a reclassification (non-advertised) appointment and will receive retroactive pay back to their most recent effective appointment date in their position.

• 23. Will an assessment be required to appoint employees whose positions have been reclassified?

  Yes. An assessment against the Statement of Merit Criteria is required. This narrative assessment will be paper based and employees will not need to undergo any assessments of their knowledge or experience through interviews or exams.

• 24.What if an employee in a bilingual position being reclassified to the Program Services Officer job description has expired second language evaluation (SLE) results, which are required for appointment to bilingual positions?

  In this case, where a bilingual incumbent of a bilingual position is being appointed to his or her own reclassified position, as per the PSC’s Guidance on Official Languages in an Appointment process, SLE results that are over five years old will be deemed valid. As such, employees with expired results will not need to be re-tested and have valid SLE results prior to appointment.

• 25. What if an employee in a position that is mapped to one of the new job descriptions has expired security clearance, which is required as a condition of employment for the positions?  

  Employees are expected to maintain security as a condition of employment. If an employee’s security clearance is expired, they will be required to complete the required security forms to ensure their security clearance is revalidated.

• 26. Are priorities eligible for these appointments?

  No. As per the PSC’s Guide on Priority Entitlements (section 1.5.1), reclassifications do not require seeking priority clearance.

• 27.What recourse is available to employees if they do not agree with the classification group rating of their new job description?

  Employees can file a classification grievance within 35 days of being made aware of a classification decision. Employees are encouraged to speak with their union representative for advice and guidance.

• 28. What recourse is available to employees if they do not agree with the content of their new job description?

  Employees can file a content grievance. Employees are strongly encouraged to speak with their union representative for advice and guidance on filing grievances.

• 29. What happens to an employee who is on an acting assignment elsewhere, but whose substantive position is a Program Services Officer?

  An employee whose substantive position has been mapped to the Program Services Officer will be reclassified (appointed) and should they continue their acting assignment elsewhere, their acting pay will be recalculated accordingly.

• 30. I may have grieved the content of my job description.  How do I validate if I am on the list of grievors?

  The Human Resources Services Branch is working closely with National CEIU Representatives to identify and validate the list of grievors for this exercise. This list will be available shortly and you will be able to validate if your name is found on it.

• Section 1: General questions

  • 1. What is the amount that I will receive for my retroactive payment?

    As retroactive payment calculations and payment issuance are handled by the Pay Centre, the Compensation Services Directorate is currently unable to provide you with this information. However, once your reclassification case has been completed by the Pay Centre, a Pay Specialist from ESDC’s Compensation Services Directorate will contact you. The Pay Specialist will guide you through the details of your retroactive payment and help you understand the pay actions that were taken on your file. The Pay Specialist will also be responsible for answering your pay related questions regarding your retroactive payment and, if applicable, salary step adjustment(s).

  • 2. What is retroactive pay?

    This is the payment that is owed to an affected employee going ‘back’ to the start of their reclassification.

    Note that although the new work description is retroactive effective September 14, 2006, the reclassification effective date for each employee will vary. For more details, see What period will the retroactivity cover?

  • 3. As this reclassification is retroactive, will my salary step be adjusted as well?

    Yes. Salary step adjustments will be reviewed and processed, along with retroactive payments, by a Compensation Advisor at the Public Service Pay Centre.

  • 4. How will I receive my retroactive pay?

    Employees will receive their retroactive pay with their regular pay. Please note that you may receive multiple paycheques/deposits. An example of this would be if you were owed payments for an acting period.

  • 5. How do I know whether I have received retroactive pay?

    Once your request has been actioned by the Public Service Pay Centre, and a Compensation Advisor has processed your retroactive payment, you will receive a notification from the ESDC Compensation Services Directorate.

    You can then access your pay stub to see your information via the Pay Stubs and Archived Tax Slips link on the Compensation Web Applications web page. Alternatively, you can view your retroactive pay by accessing Phoenix Self-Service and by selecting ‘View Paycheque’.

  • 6. What do I do if I think my retroactive payments/salary step adjustment are incorrect?

    Once your reclassification case has been completed by the Public Service Pay Centre, a Pay Specialist from ESDC’s Compensation Services Directorate will contact you. The Pay Specialist will guide you through the details of your retroactive payment and help you better understand the pay actions that were taken on your file. The Pay Specialist will also be responsible for answering your pay related questions regarding your retroactive payment and salary step adjustment. Therefore, you do not have to submit a Pay Escalation Issue request through the HRSC Web Application.

  • 7. Will I receive retroactive pay for overtime I worked?

    Yes. When your salary rate has been revised and your retroactive pay issued, this will include any corresponding adjusted payments for your eligible overtime.

• Section 2: Salary Considerations

  • 8. I was in an acting situation during the reclassification. Will the salary step in my acting (s) be adjusted?

    Yes. Once a Compensation Advisor at the Public Service Pay Centre is assigned to your reclassification case, they will also review acting records and adjust the salary step accordingly, if applicable. You will then receive a retro pay for amounts owed due to the salary step adjustment in the acting record, in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of Employment.

• Section 3: Tax Implications

  • 1. What year should we put on the tax waiver form(s)?

    Due to application processing times and year end deadlines, employees are asked to contact Revenu Québec and/or Canada Revenue Agency in order confirm the tax year for their tax waiver application.

    A tax waiver approval letter needs to be for the same tax year in which the retroactive payment is issued. Therefore, due to processing times, at this present day, you should apply for 2020 tax waiver as you will be receiving your retroactive payment in 2020.

  • 2. What if I have already requested a tax waiver for 2019?

    If you have not yet submitted your 2019 tax waiver to the Compensation Services Directorate you will be required to request a tax waiver for 2020.

  • 3. Why haven’t I received a tax waiver confirmation email from the Compensation Services Directorate?

    In order for you to have received a tax waiver confirmation email, the Compensation Services Directorate must have received all the applicable reclassification ‘ready for pay’ documentation (e.g. signed letter of offer). Once the Compensation Services Directorate has received your applicable ‘ready for pay’ documentation, you will receive an email regarding the tax waiver process.

  • 4. Can I apply for a tax waiver on only part of my retroactive pay?

    Yes. Employees may indicate the applicable amount on the tax waiver application. For more information, including assistance on completing the form, employees are asked to contact Revenu Québec and/or Canada Revenu Agency.

  • 5. Can my retro pay be transferred directly into my RRSP?

    No, you cannot transfer retroactive payments directly into a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) account. For more information, please see the Can I transfer the retroactive payment directly to an RRSP account? on the PSDC Question and Answers iService page.

  • 6. I don’t know the amount of my retroactive pay. What amount should I put for my lump sum on my tax waiver application?

    You do not need to know the exact amount of the lump sum payment in order to apply for a tax waiver. For help in filling out the form, including the lump sum section, employees are asked to contact Revenu Québec and/or Canada Revenue Agency.

  • 7. Will T4/Relevé 1 slips be corrected for the tax years covered by the reclassification (i.e. previous years that the reclassification now covers)?

    No. For the purpose of the T4/Relevé 1, salary related payments are reflected in the year they are received. Therefore, new tax slips will not be issued for previous tax years given that your retroactive payment will be issued in the current tax year. For further tax related questions, employees are encouraged to contact Canada Revenue Agency/Revenu Québec.

  • 8. Will Income Tax be deducted from my retroactive payments?

    Yes. Income tax will be deducted at source from the reclassification retroactive payments. The total amount to be deducted for Federal and Provincial income tax will be determined from tax tables established by Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Revenu Québec, applicable to the province or territory in which you are employed.

  • 9. Can I apply a tax waiver on the retroactive payment?

    Yes, employees may apply for a one-time tax exemption, or tax waiver, if they are:

    • in receipt of a lump sum;
    • would like to place it in into a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) without income tax withheld at source; and
    • have enough room available in their RRSP.

    For detailed instructions on how to apply for a tax waiver, see How do I apply for a tax waiver section?

    Note: It is strongly recommended that you contact the Canada Revenue Agency or Revenu Québec immediately if you are applying for a tax waiver, as the estimated time for CRA/Revenu Québec to process your request is 4-8 weeks.

  • 10. How do I apply for a tax waiver?

    Employees must apply directly to Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) or to Revenu Québec for a waiver and then submit the appropriate documentation to the Employment Social Development Canada (ESDC) Compensation Services Directorate before the retro payment is calculated and produced.

    Step 1: If you intend to apply for a tax waiver, you must apply directly to Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) or to Revenu Québec for a waiver as soon as possible.

    Required Documents:

    • Revenu Québec - Application for a Reduction in Source Deductions of Income Tax
    • Canada Revenue Agency - Request to Reduce Tax Deductions at Source

    Note that you must send the completed application to CRA or Revenu Quebec by mail or by fax. The addresses to which to send your request are provided on the forms.

    Employees may wish to consult the iService Glossary item How to Calculate Your Gross Pay in order to calculate the estimated retroactive pay.

    Clearly indicate, on the appropriate section of the form, details of the lump sum payment (e.g. retroactive payment due to job reclassification).

    After You Apply to CRA or Revenu Quebec for a Tax Waiver

    CRA/Revenu Québec will send you a letter indicating whether the application has been granted or denied and, if applicable, the amount of the reduction. Note that the estimated time for CRA/Revenu Québec to process your request is 4-8 weeks.

    Once you have obtained the tax waiver approval letter from CRA/Revenu Québec, please proceed with Step 2 of the process.

    Step 2: You must submit the tax waiver approval letter to the Compensation Services Directorate through the Human Resources Service Centre (HRSC) Web Application. Please note that your reclassification cannot be processed until you provide the Compensation Services Directorate with the tax waiver approval letter.

    • Select the Pay Escalation Issue form
      • Category: PSDC Reclassification (CR-04 to PM-01)
      • Subcategory: Tax Waiver Approval (Letter of Authority) Submission

    Required Document:

    • Tax waiver approval letter

    ESDC’s Compensation Services Directorate will provide the Public Service Pay Centre with your tax waiver approval letter in order for a Compensation Advisor to apply it to your retroactive payment.

    Important Note: Prior to your reclassification case being processed, you will be sent a communication from ESDC’s Compensation Services Directorate asking you to confirm whether you will be applying for a tax waiver.

    Once you have confirmed that you will NOT be applying for a tax waiver, you cannot change your response at a later date. Your retroactive payment will be processed, calculated and issued based on the tax waiver choice on file and cannot be changed.

  • 11. Can I transfer the retroactive payment directly to an RRSP account?

    No, you cannot transfer retroactive payments directly into a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) account. However, you can apply for a tax waiver if you have room in your RRSP. You must apply directly to the Canada Revenue Agency or to Revenu Québec for a waiver, and submit the appropriate documentation to the Compensation Services Directorate before the retro payment is calculated and produced. For more details, see Can I apply a tax waiver on the retroactive payment?

  • 12. Can I get a tax waiver after I have received my retroactive payment?

    No. Once a retroactive payment has been issued, a tax waiver cannot be applied retroactively to your payment. You may choose to look into alternative options with your financial advisor or banking institution to offset the impact of this lump-sum payment on your taxes.

• Section 4: Leave situations

  • 1. I am on leave without pay. How will I be affected?

    If you are on leave without pay, you will receive any retroactive payments to which you are entitled for time worked during the retroactive period. Any payment owed to you while on leave without pay will be issued to you by direct deposit.

  • 2. Why can’t I check Phoenix using Self Service while I am on leave without pay?

    Phoenix is accessible only on the Government of Canada network. Employees on leave without pay (LWOP) can contact ESDC’s Compensation Services Directorate nc-corp-comp-remun-min-gd@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca to provide them with a paper copy of the retroactive payment pay stub.

  • 3. Will I receive retroactive adjustments for maternity/parental top ups?

    Yes. Maternity and parental top ups that fall within the retroactive period will be recalculated based on your new revised salary. You will receive a retroactive payment for the difference.

  • 4. What about the impact on Employment Insurance (EI) or the Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP). Do I need to report retroactive payments as income to EI/QPIP?

    You should contact Service Canada, or if you are a resident of the Province of Quebec, the Québec Parental Insurance Plan, to find out the impacts of any retroactive payments you receive on your Employment Insurance benefits and to find out what type of earnings you must report.

  • 5. I am or have been on Leave with Income Averaging (LIA). How will I be affected?

    A Public Service Pay Centre Compensation Advisor will review periods in which an employee was on LIA and will adjust retroactive payments accordingly.

    For employees currently on LIA, you may see a change in the amount deducted on your biweekly paycheques.

  • 6. I was receiving disability insurance/workers compensation during the retroactive period. How will I be affected?

    If you were receiving disability insurance or workers’ compensation payments during the retroactive period, the underwriters of the plans will be notified of the pay rate change. This is a manual process undertaken by compensation advisors at the Pay Centre.

  • 7. How will this affect my vacation leave cash out/compensatory leave cash out?

    If your salary rate has been revised, your vacation leave or compensatory leave cash-outs in the retroactive period will also be revised.

• Section 5: Overpayments

  • 1. I had an overpayment. How will this affect my retroactive pay?

    In accordance with the Terms and Conditions of Employment, unless employees choose to pay the amounts owing right away, recoveries of these amounts will only start when:

    • all monies owed to the employee have been paid;
    • the employee has received 3 consecutive correct pay cheques;
    • a recovery agreement has been established.

    For information on overpayment recovery options and exceptions, please visit Public Services and Procurement Canada’s (PSPC) Recovery of Overpayment web page.

    If you have an overpayment which is being repaid with a set amount deducted from each regular pay, this should not be affected by your retroactive payment.

    Please note that if are leaving the public service or have already left, the overpayment is set to be collected from first available funds. The system will collect the full amount of the overpayment from your retroactive payment. Once the full amount of the overpayment has been collected, the remaining balance of the retroactive payment amount, if any, will be paid to you.