Pay Bulletins

On December 11, 2019, the Deputies introduced a new web application that will improve the way you can access and understand your pay information: MyGCPay.

MyGCPay gives a single-window view of your pay and benefits information, including your group, level and pay rate, historical job records (e.g. actings), work location, benefits entitlements, cases and enquiries, and more. A user-friendly tutorial will guide you through your first visit. This new tool has been tested by employees: 90% agree it is easy to use, and nearly 80% say it helped them to better understand their pay information.

MyGCPay does not replace the Phoenix pay system, Track myCASE or the Compensation Web Applications (CWA). The purpose of MyGCPay is to give you a comprehensive view of your pay information and benefits, allowing for a better understanding of your pay and related inquiries and cases. Your personal information continues to be protected in accordance with federal privacy and security standards.

The new calendar year is now upon us and with that comes many things, including tax season and T4s/relevé 1. Before you begin anything tax related, you should ensure that your home and mailing address are updated in both myEMS (PeopleSoft) and Phoenix.

Remember that myEMS (PeopleSoft) is the single source of information used to confirm your home and mailing address information. All updates made will be sent directly to Phoenix, usually within 24 hours (home and mailing address can’t be directly entered into Phoenix). If you notice that the information is incorrect, an update needs to be made directly in myEMS (PeopleSoft) – instructions on how to do so can be found on iService.

It’s important to note that if there is no “mailing address” listed in myEMS (PeopleSoft), you must add it, even if it’s the same information as your home address.

By the end of every calendar year, many employees have reached the maximum contribution amounts for Canada Pension Plan (CPP) / Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) and Employment Insurance (EI). In the absence of these deductions, employees will notice a higher biweekly net pay. Employees are encouraged to visit the “Why did my net pay change with the first pay of the new calendar year?” resource.

Starting in January, these mandatory source deductions begin again. Because of this, you may see a smaller net pay beginning in January of 2020, in comparison to the end of 2019.

For your information, the new maximum contribution rates for 2020 are outlined below:

CPP

• The maximum contribution for 2020 is $2,898.
• The contribution rate for employees is 5.25%.

QPP

• The maximum contribution for 2020 is $3,146.40.
• The QPP contribution rate for employees is 5.70%.

EI

• The maximum annual insurable earnings are $54,200.
• The maximum annual premium is $856.36.
• The EI premium rate is 1.58%.
• In Quebec, the maximum annual premium is $650.40 and the EI premium rate is 1.20%.

This information is sent on behalf of TBS

The Government of Canada recognizes the fact that employees have been impacted, either directly or indirectly, by the implementation of the Phoenix pay system. As such, implementing the terms of the damages agreement – co-developed with federal public service unions earlier this year – continues to be a priority.

Federal organizations have credited employees with up to four additional days of leave for damages caused by Phoenix. If you are entitled to this leave, you may want to verify that it has been credited to your leave bank. If you believe that you have not received the full amount of leave to which you are eligible, please submit a Pay Escalation using the Human Resources Service Centre (select Pay Escalation > Phoenix Pay System Damages Agreement > Leave Request).

A fifth day of leave, corresponding to 2019 20, will be credited after the end of this fiscal year. This leave represents general compensation for financial and/or non-financial damages, including but not limited to general stress, aggravation, and lost time.

TBS is also working on implementing other elements of the damages agreement, including additional compensation for those who experienced personal or financial hardship due to Phoenix. Information has been posted that allows former employees to request general compensation, which is a payment equivalent to the leave credited to current employees.

In the weeks and months ahead, we will provide you with regular updates on the implementation of the agreement. In the meantime, we encourage you to read the related information online, specifically the section that spells out the eligibility requirements of the agreement. Employees are encouraged to add the link above to your favorites, as it contains all the links related to the damages agreement and will be updated on a regular basis.