Overview – What is Workforce Adjustment?

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Definition

Workforce Adjustment (WFA) is a situation that occurs when a deputy head decides that the services of one or more indeterminate employees will not be required beyond a specific date due to:

  • lack of work;
  • discontinuance of a function;
  • relocation of a work unit to a place where the employee does not wish to relocate; or
  • work or function transfer outside of PS (Alternative Service Delivery).

The objective of WFA is to ensure employment continuity for indeterminate employees by providing alternative employment opportunities wherever possible.

WFA Agreements

  • National Joint Council (NJC) WFA Directive (EC Group, FI Group, Other)
  • Appendices to collective agreements:
    • Public Service Alliance of Canada (PA Group)
    • Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (CS Group)

Surplus with a Guarantee of a Reasonable Job Offer

Deputy heads are expected to provide a Guarantee of a Reasonable Job Offer (GRJO) to every affected employee for whom employment availability can be predicted in the core public administration, generally speaking, within the next year.

When an employee receives a GRJO, he/she remains on paid surplus status and maintains a priority entitlement until:

  • he/she is placed; or
  • he/she chooses to resign; or
  • he/she refuses an RJO.

When an employee refuses an RJO:

  • employee can be laid off one month after;
  • but not sooner than 6 months from the date of being declared surplus.

Opting Status (I.E. No Guarantee of a Reasonable Job Offer)

  • Where no GRJO is provided, individual is considered an “opting” employee and has 90 or 120 days (as per the applicable WFA agreement) to consider three options :

    a. 12 month paid surplus priority period (if RJO not made during this timeframe, employee is laid off); OR

    b. Transition Support Measure: A lump sum payment based on employee’s years of service - employee must resign ; OR

    c. Education allowance: Equivalent to TSM plus up to $11,000 for tuition and other related fees.

      a. Employee resigns; or
      b. Employee request leave without pay for a maximum of 2 years.

  • Opting employees are also entitled to between $385 and $600 for counselling in respect of their potential re‑employment or retirement.

Retraining

  • Retraining provisions apply to the following employees:
    • Affected employees *
    • Surplus employees
    • Laid-off persons
  • On-the-job training or other training intended to enable affected employees, surplus employees and laid-off persons to qualify for known or anticipated vacancies within the federal public service.
  • Does not include language training (in the case of non-imperative staffing).

Relocation of a Work Unit

  • Move of a work unit of any size to a place beyond what is considered normal commuting distance from the current work location (TBS benchmark is 40 kilometres).
  • Employees are given written notice and have 6 months to decide whether they wish to be relocate; or be subject to WFA (i.e. Deputy Minister to determine whether they are declared surplus or provided opting status).

Alternation

  • An opting employee (not a surplus employee) who wishes to remain in the Public Service exchanges positions with a non-affected employee (the alternate) willing to leave with a Transition Support Measure (TSM) or Education Allowance.
  • Normally occurs at the same group and level.
  • It is a management determination whether to accept a given alternation.
  • Alternations can only occur during the opting/decision period provided for in the applicable collective agreement.