Guidance Document on Work Schedules for Employment Offers

Purpose

Support ESDC managers and HR Professionals in ensuring that consistent and standardized wording is used for work schedules in letters of offer and that the application of schedules is appropriate.

Application

The information below applies to all employee types (i.e. Full-time and Part-time Term and Indeterminate employees, Casuals, Part-time workers and Students). Although Casuals, Part-time workers and Students are not 'employees' under the Public Service Employment Act and are not covered by a Collective Agreement, the principles of the Terms and Conditions of Employment apply.

Content

Work Schedules that appear on letters of offer:

Schedule arrangements that do not appear on letters of offer:

Note: The options below are largely based on the Program and Administrative Services (PA) Collective Agreement.

References

If the work schedule may be affected by Covid-19, consider visiting the Labour Relations Manager's Corner to consult the:
COVID-19 Procedural Guide - Hours of Work: Adapting to a New Reality

  • Work Schedules that appear on letters of offer
    • Regular full-time schedule (Day Work)

      Regular full-time schedule (Day Work)

      Work Schedule

      37.5 hours Monday to Friday, 7.5 consecutive hours per day, exclusive of a lunch period, normally between the hours of 7am and 6pm or 6am and 6pm as prescribed by the relevant Collective Agreement or terms and conditions of employment.

      Example of a regular work schedule.

      Standard Letter of Offer Paragraph

      You will be required to work 7.5 hours per day Monday to Friday for a total of 37.5 hours per week.

      Additional Comments

      As prescribed by the applicable collective agreement or terms and conditions of employment, a regular full-time schedule consists of 37.5 hours per week for a full-time employee:

      • The normal workweek begins on a Monday and ends on a Friday; and,
      • The normal workday is 7.5 hours and is scheduled between 6 or 7 am and 6 pm.

      If the employee's full-time schedule falls outside of the above provisions (excluding for overtime reasons), refer to the appropriate section, for example:

      • The employee would like to work more than 7.5 hours in one day; refer to the variable work hours or an alternate work arrangement section.
      • The employee's normal workweek includes work on the weekend (Saturday or Sunday); refer to the Shift work schedule section.
      • The employee's 7.5-hour workday extends before or beyond the normal day work hours (i.e., before 6 or 7 am or after 6 pm); refer to the Late Hours section.
    • Part-time schedule

      Part-time schedule

      Work Schedule

      Hours are less than 37.5 hours per week established for full-time employment. The hours are completed within the normal day work hours.

      A person not ordinarily required to work more than 12.5 hours a week is a "Part-time Worker." (Note that Students and Casual workers can have a part-time schedule of 12.5 hours or less per week and maintain their Student or Casual status).

      Standard Letter of Offer Paragraph

      You will be required to work (insert days and number of hours per day) example; Monday (7.5 hours), Tuesday (7.5 hours) and Friday (4 hours) for a total of (XX) hours per week.

      *Note: It is important to include the actual days and hours worked to ensure Compensation can accurately calculate the employee's pay (i.e., first pay, final pay, LWOP period etc.) since pay periods are calculated from Wednesday to Tuesday, not from Sunday to Saturday.

      Additional Comments

      If the employee's part-time schedule falls outside of the day work provisions, the employee is automatically considered to be on a shift work schedule, for example:

      • The employee's normal workweek includes work on the weekend (Saturday or Sunday); refer to the Shift work schedule section.
      • The employee's hours extend before or beyond the normal day work hours (i.e., before 6 or 7 am or after 6 pm); refer to the Shift work schedule section.

      If the employee is required (or requests) to work more than 7.5 hours in one day;

      If the number of weekly hours differ from one week to the other (i.e., 20 hours for week 1 and 25 hours for week 2), the letter of offer is prepared with the hours for the week with the least number of hours. Only the hours for one week can be entered in PeopleSoft upon hiring. The hours for the week with the most hours will not be added to the letter of offer. Submit the extra hours worked as Extra Duty Pay (Overtime) - Paid. Or, when feasible, consider requesting that the letter of offer be prepared with a weekly average and documenting the schedule using the work schedule form HRB5026 (PDF, 96 KB) (opens new window). Consult the variable work hours or an alternate work arrangement section below.

    • Fixed schedule outside of normal day work hours (Late Hours)

      Fixed schedule outside of normal day work hours (Late Hours)

      Work Schedule

      A full-time employee's hours of work are fixed and extend before or beyond the normal day work hours prescribed in the applicable collective agreement (not as a result of an alternate work arrangement (AWA) schedule).

      Standard Letter of Offer Paragraph

      You will be required to work Monday to Friday for a total of 37.5 hours per week. Your hours of work will be from (insert time) to (insert time) and you will be entitled to the late-hour premium as covered in the relevant Collective Agreement.

      OR

      Related to training

      (…) I am pleased to offer you a full-time specified period appointment to the above-noted position from (XX) to (XX). During the mandatory training period beginning (XX) and until further notice, you will be required to work from (insert time) to (insert time), 7.5 hours per day, Monday to Friday, for a total of 37.5 hours per week. Following your training period, you will be required to work from (12:00 pm) to (8:00 pm), 7.5 hours per day, Monday to Friday for a total of 37.5 hours per week. Your hours of work may be modified subject to operational requirements and the relevant Collective Agreement. You will also be entitled to the late-hour premium as covered in the relevant Collective Agreement.

      Additional Comments

      This schedule only applies to employees working full-time and covered by the Program Administration (PA) collective agreement.

      Consultation with Labour Relations and the union is required prior to implementing a late hour schedule. This schedule must respect the following criteria of day work:

      • The normal workweek is 37.5 hours per week from Monday to Friday. Refer to the Shift work schedule section if the employee's normal workweek includes work on a Saturday or Sunday.
      • The normal workday is 7.5 consecutive hours exclusive of a lunch period.
      • The hours of work cannot begin prior to 6 am or extend beyond 9 pm or alter the Monday to Friday workweek or the 7.5 consecutive hour workday.
      • The late hour premium applies to the hours outside the normal day work hours prescribed in the applicable collective agreement (i.e. between 6 and 7 am (and not earlier) or between 6 and 9 pm (and not later). An employee is entitled to the late hour premium (between 6 and 7am and between 6 and 9 pm) for each full hour worked.

      An employee may voluntarily request a late hour schedule. In this case, the manager reviews the request to determine if the late hour schedule is operationally and reasonably feasible.

      Part-time employee

      Employees working less than 37.5 hours per week are not entitled to the late-hour premium. Refer to the Shift work schedule section as part-time employees working late hours are deemed to be under a shift schedule.

    • Shift work schedule

      Shift work schedule

      Work Schedule

      An employee's work schedule is considered shift work when it does not meet the criteria for day work or, for the PA group, is not extended on the basis of the provisions of Article 25.11. (Late Hours).

      Most collective agreements specify that shift work is considered to be hours of work that are scheduled for employees on a rotating or irregular basis.

      Standard Letter of Offer Paragraph

      Note: The shift schedule paragraph can be prepared with varying levels of detail as seen below. The client may therefore complete the following paragraph and add it to the comments section of the staffing request. This will ensure that the letter of offer is prepared with the desired details and that the paragraph is consistent among employees hired in the same work unit. Only the information in bold is to be amended.

      You will be required to work on a shift schedule for a total of (XX) hours per week. As required, and in accordance with the relevant Collective Agreement, your team leader or manager will provide you with your shift schedule(s). Shift and weekend premiums may apply according to the relevant Collective Agreement.

      Your schedule will include shifts insert/amend applicable shift schedule details (for example):

      1. from Monday to Friday, 7.5 hours per day, between the hours of 3:00 pm and 11:00 pm OR
      2. on Monday (5 hours), Wednesday (5 hours), Friday (5 hours) and Saturday (5 hours) between the hours of 5:30 pm and 11:00 pm OR
      3. from 9:00 am to 2:30 pm from Monday to Friday and Saturdays from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm

      insert if applicable: including statutory holidays.

      Additional Comments

      A shift work schedule consists of 7.5 consecutive hours per day, exclusive of a meal period;

      As per the PA collective agreement, the standard shift schedule is:

      • 12 midnight to 8 am, 8 am to 4 pm, and 4 pm to 12 midnight or
      • 11 pm to 7 am, 7 am to 3 pm, and 3 pm to 11 pm.

      As per the SH collective agreement, the standard shift schedule for the NU group is:

      • 12 midnight to 8 am, 8 am to 4 pm, and 4 pm to 12 midnight or
      • 11:30 pm to 7:30 am, 7:30 am to 3:30 pm, and 3:30 pm to 11:30 pm or
      • 11:00 pm to 7:00 am, 7:00 am to 3:00 pm, and 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm

      Consultation with the union is required when the shift schedules must be changed and differ from those specified above.

      Prior to establishing a shift work schedule for a position or work unit for which a shift work requirement has not already been confirmed, consult the relevant collective agreement and a Labour Relations Advisor.

      Employees who work shift work are not entitled to the Late-Hour Premium.

    • Full-time period prior to part-time schedule

      Full-time period prior to part-time schedule

      Work Schedule

      Work schedule must be full-time at the beginning of employment for reasons related to training or for periods of exceptional operational requirements.

      Standard Letter of Offer Paragraph

      Operational requirements

      (...) I am pleased to offer you a part-time specified period appointment to the above-noted position from (XX) to (XX). Your work schedule will vary between (XX) and 37.5 hours per week according to operational requirements. Starting on (XX) and until further notice, you will be required to work 7.5 hours per day Monday to Friday for a total of 37.5 hours per week. As a part-time employee, please take note that the working hours are subject to change at any time by notification of schedule changes in order to respond to operational needs.

      Related to training

      (...) I am pleased to offer you a part-time specified period appointment to the above-noted position from (XX) to (XX). You will be required to work a total of (XX) hours per week, Monday to Friday. During the training period beginning (XX) and until further notice, you will be required to work 7.5 hours per day Monday to Friday for a total of 37.5 hours per week. Your manager will provide you with your hours of work when there is a change in hours. As a part-time employee, please take note that the working hours are subject to change at any time by notification of schedule changes in order to respond to operational needs.

      Operational requirements and training

      (…) I am pleased to offer you a part-time specified period appointment to the above-noted position from (XX) to (XX). Your work schedule will vary between 27.50 and 37.50 hours per week from Monday to Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. depending on the needs of the department.

      Starting on (XX) your schedule will be 37.50 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 7.50 hours per day. Thereafter your work schedule may be revised. Please note that, in order to meet operational needs, working hours are subject to change at any time during the year and that you will be given advance notice. From the moment you are hired and during the upcoming year you will have to follow an internal training program.

      Additional Comments

      Part-time employment should only be offered when it is clear that full-time hours are not operationally required and should not be used to circumvent the relevant collective agreement.

      Hours are entered as full-time in PeopleSoft at the time of appointment.

      The manager must submit a change in work schedule, using the work schedule form HRB5026 (PDF, 96 KB) (opens new window), through a pay-related action, once the start date of the part-time hours is confirmed; submit as soon as possible to avoid pay related issues. Refer to the Schedule topic in the Glossary. Though collective agreements do not prescribe a minimum notification period for a schedule change in this context, managers should advise employees of the schedule change as early as possible.

      Note: If an employee is required to start with part-time hours prior to the full-time training schedule, it is important to be clear in the letter of offer what the number of hours will be at the start of employment as these hours must be entered in PeopleSoft in order to activate the employee's pay. As above, the manager must submit a change in work schedule, using the work schedule form HRB5026 (PDF, 96 KB) (opens new window), through a pay-related action once the start date of the full-time hours is confirmed.

    • As and When Required status (also referred to as an on call basis, as required, intermittent)

      As and When Required status (also referred to as an on call basis, as required, intermittent)

      Work Schedule

      A person with no assigned hours of work reports only when needed and usually in response to an urgent need.

      Standard Letter of Offer Paragraph

      You will be called to work on an "as and when required" basis during this period. You will only be paid for the hours and days worked as per the Treasury Board Policy on Terms and Conditions of Employment. Each time you work, you must report your hours worked on your Timesheet in the Phoenix pay system for your manager's approval.

      Additional Comments

      As per the TBS bulletin, it is recommended that where an "as and when required" status is required, that this schedule be used with a casual employment tenure.

      This status does not apply to Part-time workers since the "as and when required" status applies only when the hours of work are not known. In the case of a Part-time worker, the hours are known and will be 12.5 hours or less. In addition, in response to an urgent need, the hours of work required will likely be in excess of the allowable 12.5 hours per week.

      This status is not in line with the intent of the Directive on Terms and Conditions of Employment for Students and is not recommended for student employment offers. The Directive requires that managers set the student's hours of work consistent with the relevant collective agreement and departmental practice. Not having set hours would not be in line with the student employment program's intent of providing meaningful work experiences.

  • Schedule arrangements that do not appear on letters of offer

    Schedule arrangements that do not appear on letters of offer

    • Flexible work hours

      Flexible work hours

      Schedule Arrangement

      Allows employees, subject to operational requirements, to vary their starting and ending times within the day work hours as specified in their Collective Agreement.

      Example of flexible hours of work.

      Information on use

      For example, start time could be anywhere between 6 or 7 am and 10 am and finish time between 3 pm and 6 pm depending on their start time.

      This arrangement does not require any formal agreement.

      Additional Comments

      The manager and employee may wish to use the work schedule form HRB5026 (PDF, 96 KB) (opens new window) (not mandatory) to document this arrangement. The agreement is between the employee and the manager and is not submitted to any other party or entered in PeopleSoft.

    • Variable work hours or Alternate work arrangement (AWA) (i.e., compressed workweek)

      Variable work hours or Alternate work arrangement (AWA) (i.e., compressed workweek)

      Schedule Arrangement

      Example of variable hours of work.

      Information on use

      Upon request of a full-time employee and the concurrence of the manager, an employee may complete the weekly hours in a period other than five (5) full days provided that over a period of twenty-eight (28) calendar days the employee works an average of thirty-seven decimals five (37.5) hours per week. In every twenty-eight (28) day period the employee is granted days of rest on days that are not scheduled as a normal workday for the employee. A compressed workweek schedule can be over 14, 21 or 28 days.

      Additional Comments

      To implement a variable work hours schedule, the employee completes the work schedule form HRB5026 (PDF, 96 KB) (opens new window) and submits it to their manager for approval. The total working hours indicated in the form must correspond to an average of 37.5 hours per week, for a work schedule of either 14, 21 or 28 calendar days. More information is available at the following link: How to Apply.

      Once approved and prior to the start of the new schedule, the manager must enter the schedule in PeopleSoft. Refer to the MyEMS (PeopleSoft) Support Guide:  Manager – Manager Absence Self-Service - Manage Employee Schedules.

  • References

    References

    Collective Agreements

    Terms and Conditions of Employment

    Part-time Work Exclusion Approval Order

    ESDC Glossary

    MyEMS (PeopleSoft) Support Guide