Jobs

As part of the Public Service of Canada, Environment Canada offers the same salaries and benefits as those extended to all public servants. These vary to some degree between collective agreements, but in general include the following:

Medical Insurance

The Public Service Health Care Plan offers comprehensive medical coverage for employees and eligible dependents. It provides coverage, up to reasonable limits, for hospital stays, prescription drugs, vision care, and the services of psychologists, physiotherapists, chiropractors and other qualified practitioners. The government pays the full cost for employees; employees contribute only if they choose extended coverage under the hospital benefit.

Dental Care Plan

The cost of the dental care plan is fully paid by the employer. It provides coverage for specific services, at 90% for diagnostic, preventive and minor restorative services, and at 50% for major restorative and orthodontic services, to a yearly maximum.

Disability Insurance

The disability insurance plan provides income protection for employees who are unable to work for a lengthy period of time because of illness or injury. Benefits become payable after an elimination period of thirteen continuous weeks of disability, or upon expiry of your sick leave, whichever is later.

Vacation Leave

Employees earn 15 working days of vacation during their first eight years of service, rising to 20 days after nineteen years of service, 25 days after twenty years of service, and up to 30 days at thirty years for most employees.

Paid Holidays

Employees receive eleven designated paid holidays each year, in addition to vacation leave.

Other Types of Personal Leave

Employees are entitled to several types of leave for personal and family reasons, including leave for illness in the family, bereavement leave, court leave, injury-on-duty leave, maternity and paternity leave, adoption leave and leave for the care and nurturing of pre-school children.

Sick Leave

Employees receive 15 working days of sick leave per year, which accumulates from year to year.

Employee Assistance Program

The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers employees a short-term counselling and referral service. The department uses professional counsellors throughout Canada to provide confidential help to resolve employees' personal concerns including family, personal, stress, marital, emotional, addictions, grieving and career issues.

Career Development Leave

The department encourages the career development of its employees and the maintenance of high professional standards through participation at conferences, workshops and symposia. Tuition reimbursement and education leave in order to return to school are provided in some circumstances.

Pension Plan

Most employees are covered by the federal government's pension plan which is designed to provide you with an income upon your retirement. The employee's rate of contribution is 7.5% of your salary and the government matches the employee's contributions. In the event of your death, the plan provides an income for your spouse and eligible children.

On resigning, you may be entitled to a Transfer Value, a lump sum payment representing the actuTimes New Roman value of your pension benefits. This payment must be transferred to an RRSP.

Severance Pay

When an employee retires, resigns, is laid off or rejected on probation, is released for incapacity, or dies, the person or their estate receives severance pay. These benefits are calculated on the basis of his or her weekly rate of pay.

Life Insurance

The Supplementary Death Benefit Plan provides a form of life insurance protection. The benefit becomes payable, upon an employee's death, to a designated beneficiary or to the estate.

Salaries

You can look up the salaries of all occupational groups in the public service on the website of the Public Service Commission.

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Environment Canada's World Wide Web Site.