Archived: Annex: Measures to stabilize the pay system and ensure that employees receive accurate and timely pay

Establish an HR-to-Pay team within our department for government-wide efforts

Ensure your team members have the appropriate level and authority to represent your interests and mandates on stabilization committees and interest groups: CAS ensures representation on the various committees and working groups to the extent of its ability. In 2016 and 2017, CAS was actively represented on data alignment working groups both for employment records and for implementation of collective agreements.

The compensation, staffing, systems and finance teams are working closely to resolve issues under their control. To do so, they can count on the support of their manager and executive management.

HR-to-Pay team established: Yes. The team is working together. CAS has also increased number of compensation positions to have a compensation advisor who focuses solely on settling complex cases, reporting and accountability. Furthermore, the HR systems team has made a major contribution to the successful continuation of operations by assuming a portion of the data cleanup. More specifically, CAS has contributed to the government-wide effort by allocating a full-time resource for 3 months at PSPC for data alignment that impact on the accuracy of employment records of CAS employees.

Number of requests from your Minister and the Integrated Team answered: We have not recorded the number of requests, but there were many, as much quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily. We respond within the prescribed timeframe based on the type of demand, from the dashboard, to emergency salary advances, reviewing implementation of collective agreements and over- and underpayments.

Report on your progress on HR-to-Pay stabilization priorities

Ensure departmental expertise is in place to manage internal workload and that the necessary infrastructure to analyze and respond to data requests, in respect to the monitoring framework is established through the governance structure: The Compensation Team is still at CAS, which is helping us gain a much better appreciation of the necessary expertise and infrastructure needs. The workload is being managed by supervisors from the various sections under the supervision of the Director General of HR. Regular updates are provided to executive management.

Amount of time (person hours) contributed to reporting requests from the Integrated Team within the required timeframe: Approximately 7 hours per pay cycle

Managers and employees are informed of HR-to-Pay developments

Regularly canvass all staff to identify hardship cases and take immediate appropriate action (e.g. priority payment, ESA): As soon as the Pay or Finance Department is notified that an employee will receive a reduced pay or will not receive any pay, Compensation contacts the employee in question and initiates the emergency salary advance process in consultation with the employee. Processing time is approximately 24 hours, which means that the employee will receive a cheque in the following 24 to 48 hours.

Ensure the right departmental communications support is in place to provide caring, timely, targeted, focused and accessible information sharing: General communications are sent to all employees. Specific communications are adapted on case-by-case basis. The preferred method of communication when HR specialists are required to notify an employee of a problem is in person or over the phone. Information on employee support mechanisms is available at all times on the intranet, and HR specialists contact employees when necessary.

Number of departmental tools used and frequency to inform managers and employees: Emails are the main mode of communication with managers and employees. We have “What’s New and Useful Information” webpage where employees can quickly access information on how to use My GCHR and Phoenix. Personalized training and case-by-case management are used when appropriate. Employees from the Human Resources Division are also available in person, over the phone and via email. Furthermore, compensation advisors contact employees by telephone when they have to notify them of a problem, for example, when the employee will not receive pay.

Managers and employees understand their role and responsibilities in HR-to-Pay

Establish departmental roll-out plans aligned with your workplace learning culture and strategies using OCHRO tools and training: Employees and managers do not hesitate to contact the Human Resources Division and/or Finance when they encounter a problem. During the roll-out of My GCHR and Phoenix, we focused the training strategy on proximity of services. We provided several tools and step-by-step guidance to those who needed it. We also provided personalized training and adjusted our communications and our quick terse tools. Furthermore, an HR help desk was established. We also created a network of ambassadors (peer help) that has greatly contributed to the learning of employees and managers. The ambassadors’ contributions made a huge difference in this transition.

The process to access emergency payments (ESAs and Priority Payments) has been clearly and actively communicated to employees: CAS makes salary advances and payment as requested by the employee. The advertised processing time for emergency salary advances is 24 to 48 hours, including the compensation component and issuing of the cheque by Finance. The CAS intranet site also instructs employees to contact their compensation advisor if they are having problems with their pay so that their situation can be reviewed for timely resolution and impact mitigation. In addition, compensation advisors contact employees by telephone when they have to notify them of problems, such as when the employee will not be receiving pay.

Beginning in December - % of managers and employees that have successfully completed OCHRO HR-to-Pay training *Tracking to be done centrally): CAS will be involved in this effort and will take the necessary steps to ensure participation of all of its managers and employees.

Managers incorporate robust HR-to-Pay practices into their routine

Managers make a daily practice of checking for transactions pending approval: Managers have been educated about the importance of validating pending transactions on a regular basis and do so.

Number of employees without an identified section 34 manager (Reports to be provided by the integrated HR-to-Pay Team: CAS takes action on each report sent and will continue to do so.

Future reporting requirement - % of pending s. 34 approvals actioned (approved/denied) within 15 working days: CAS will participate in this effort and take appropriate action to reduce approval times for pending section 34 transactions.

Employees ensure their contact information is up to date in their HR system

Immediately establish an awareness campaign including review and verification activities to ensure employees understand the importance of maintaining on an ongoing basis correct personal address information in their HR system: CAS sends a reminder annually to employees asking them to check their personal information in My GCHR and Phoenix a few weeks before the employment records are produced.

Email sent to employees to reminding them to validate their home and mailing addresses in the HR system regularly and update if required: The practice identified in the adjacent table will continue.

Additional measures not mentioned above

Internal control: CAS is working to increase internal controls (HR and Finance) specific to compensation and benefits, for which the system is less intuitive and results in errors that have a significant impact.