Archived: Annex B: Current and Planned Pay Activity at NRCan
From: Public Services and Procurement Canada
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Establish a HR-to-Pay Team within your department for government-wide efforts
Actions Taken within NRCan
- A Tiger Team comprised of Director Generals from Human Resources (HR), Finance, Communications and CFO meets on a recurring basis to assess the pay situation at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and address pressing situations.
- Our ADM of Corporate Management Services has established a working group of HR and Finance senior managers to monitor, jointly, over and underpayments.
- Managers at working level of Departmental Pay Liaison Office (DPLO), HR and HR Management System (PSoft) meet regularly to proactively internal, process-related solutions that will mitigate pay issues.
- Manager of DPLO regularly meets with Sectors to update them on Pay and Phoenix as well as monitors the pay situation of their employees experiencing pay issues.
Actions taken externally
- The DG and Senior Managers of HR participate on weekly conference calls of the DG HR-to-Pay Stabilization Coordinating Committee. They also participated in working groups to prioritize actions for and elaborate the HR-to-Pay Stabilization Integrated plan, and streamline certain pay processes.
- In January 2017, Senior Management took part in the Pay Guidelines Reset working group.
- Since April 2017, NRCan HR took on 3 HR Pay Transactions to help reduce overpayments and underpayments of employees.
- NRCan provided its Pay Dashboards to Minister Carr in support of his role on the Minister`s Committee and at Cabinet.
- Going forward, we will continue to provide timely and accurate analytics and reports, as we have done to date, to the Minister and the Integrated Team.
Planned Actions
- NRCan is awaiting final decisions regarding the Integrated Action Plan, and has offered its full commitment to OCHRO and PSPC in support of the Plan. We have a particular interest in engaging on realignment of HR processes.
Report on your progress on HR-to-Pay stabilization priorities
Actions taken within NRCan
- The HR Management system (Psoft) Team reports regularly on readiness of data for the implementation of the Collective Agreements.
- NRCan has provided reports to Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and The Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO).
- NRCan’s dashboard is regularly updated and provided to senior management.
Planned Actions
- NRCan will increase its reporting capacity to monitor progress on our activities under the Integrated Plan.
Managers and employees are informed of HR-to Pay developments
Actions taken within NRCan
- NRCan is using several tools to keep its employees informed on HR-to -Pay developments. We developed a Communication Plan that uses various methods of communication such as emails, the web (NRCans intranet), senior management team meetings, internal TV adds, town halls.
- Emails from the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) to staff and managers have been employed to reinforce their understanding of roles and responsibilities in ensuring accuracy and timeliness of pay, and to provide updates related to pay and Phoenix, the implementation of the Collective Agreements, and other messages provided by TBS and PSPC. Over 30 such direct communications were sent to employees in the past 20 months.
- Information is available to our employees on NRCan’s internal website (The Source) which hosts a “Guide on Pay and Benefits” containing information on processes like requesting an Emergency Salary Advance (ESA) or registering a pay issue with the Pay Centre, and links to many Pay and Phoenix sites. The highlights on The Source, NRCan’s web page, are regularly used to make announcements and provide updates on Pay and Phoenix.
- A recurring ad on our internal TV screens directs employees to information about what to do if they experience pay issues, and provides other important messages (e.g., regarding training etc.).
- The Departmental Pay Liaison Office (DPLO) was created in April 2016. The Liaison Pay agents provide immediate support and guidance to employees experiencing pay issues. Part of their role is also to follow up with employees on the status of their pay issues and escalate to the Pay Centre to expedite their resolution those that have become critical to expedite their resolution. Last summer they have reached out individually to every student on status of their pay. Pay issues were immediately reported to the Special Students Unit.
- Our HR and Finance teams have arrangements in place to make sure that Emergency Salary Advance (ESA) and priority payments can be issued in the same day if necessary.
- Last summer this team reached out individually to every student to ask about the status of their pay; they reported issues immediately to the Special Students Unit.
- On June 29, 2017, NRCan held a 3-hour all-staff meeting, with the participation of TBS, CRA, OCHRO and bargaining agents, to update staff and answer their pay questions. Additionally, our DPLO staff meets regularly with Sector management teams to update them on Pay and Phoenix, and monitor the pay situations of their employees. Two Pay/Phoenix information sessions were provided to our Managers Community, to-date, and another is planned in November.
- The Internal TVs are used to inform employees of what to do if they are experiencing pay issues, and other provide other important messages regarding training etc…
Planned Actions
- NRCan is considering an open house showcasing pay and benefits;
- Direct-to-employee communication is planned for mid-November on mandatory pay training; and
- Other mechanisms will be leveraged to communicate the training, such as internal TV ads, and follow up directly with those who do not complete it.
Managers and employees understand their role and responsibilities in HR-to-Pay
Actions taken within NRCan
- Mechanisms to request an Emergency Salary Advance (ESA) as well as a Priority Payment have continually been communicated to employees and managers at senior managements meetings, via email messages and TV adds;
- NRCan uses the Outlook calendar and emails to remind all manager their role and responsibilities , and the actions required to ensure a timely and error free pay; and
- Employees and managers were encouraged to attend the Public Service School of Canada on-line training on Phoenix as early as February 2016.
- Links on the training have been integrated to the onboarding package of each new employee.
- Communiqués and information sessions have been provided to employees.
Planned Actions
- NRCan’s Chief Human Resources Officer will communicate to employees and managers directing them to take the new mandatory training;
- TV ads on our internal system will invite all employees to attend the training; and
- With the assistance of central tracking, training participation will be monitored and follow up reminders sent to employees who have not completed the training.
Managers incorporate robust HR-to-Pay practises into their routine
Actions taken within NRCan
- As noted previously, the CHRO has sent weekly reminders through Outlook to managers to remind them to approve pending transactions in Phoenix.
- Reminders are also sent to remind managers to approve in Phoenix leave without pay on statutory holidays for term employees.
- Communiqués and information sessions have been provided to all managers.
Planned Actions
- The CHRO will continue to communicate to managers about their roles and responsibilities; and
- On-line communiqués and Tips and Tricks will be used on a regular basis to remind managers and employees of actions to be taken to ensure accurate pay.
Employees’ contact information is up to date
Action taken within NRCan
- The HRMS team runs reports to identify incomplete personal information in the system. The DPLO collaborates with them to contact directly employees and request that they complete and update their information.
Planned Action
- In mid-November, we will launch a broader awareness campaign to remind employees of their responsibility to, and the importance of maintaining updated contact information in PeopleSoft: “kick of” message from the NRCan’s Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) followed by TV Ads and other on-line reminders.
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