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This Directive was developed in partnership by employer and
bargaining agent representatives at the National Joint Council. Its provisions
form part of the collective agreements of the participating parties under the
By-Laws of the National Joint Council. The provisions also apply to persons not
covered by collective agreements as indicated in the Directive or by employer
policy.
For more information on the National Joint Council, visit their
web site at
http://www.njc-cnm.gc.ca.
Note: You will require Internet capability to access the above site.
General
1.1 Criteria
1.2 Authorization
1.3 More than one
Department
Types of Assistance
1.4 Employer provided
1.5 Private motor vehicle
(PMV)
1.6 Consultation on changes
1.7 Exceptions
1.8 Reporting
Appendix A - Lower Kilometric Rates
Appendix B - Qualified Worksites and Designated Suitable Residential Communities
The following principles were developed jointly by the Bargaining Agents representatives and the Employer side representatives to the National Joint Council. These principles are the cornerstone that shall guide the parties in establishing fair and reasonable commuting assistance practices across the public service.
Trust - foster an environment that allows employees, bargaining agents and management to work together to develop mutually acceptable solutions.
Flexibility - create an environment where management decisions respect the duty to accommodate, best respond to employees' needs and interests, and consider operational requirements in the determination of commuting assistance arrangements.
Respect - create a sensitive and supportive environment and recognize employees in a professional manner while supporting employees, their families, their health and safety in the context of this Directive.
Transparency - ensure consistent, fair and equitable application of the Directive and its practices.
This directive is deemed to be part of collective agreements between the parties to the National Joint Council (NJC) and employees are to be afforded ready access to this directive.
In cases of alleged misinterpretation or misapplication arising out of this directive, the grievance procedure, for all represented employees within the meaning of the Public Service Labour Relations Act will be in accordance with Section 14.0 of the National Joint Council By-Laws. For unrepresented employees the departmental or agency grievance procedure applies.
This directive was effective on April 1, 2005.
Commuting Assistance is provided to help defray excessive costs incurred in employees' daily travel to and from the regularly assigned worksite on the days when they are required by management to report for work and so report.
Normally, employees are expected to report for work at their own expense since they are free to choose where they will live.
For some worksites there is no suitable residential community reasonably close to the worksite, consequently, some employees may be subject to higher transportation costs.
This directive applies to all employees at a worksite where commuting assistance has been authorized, and does not apply:
Allowances authorized under the Isolated Posts and Government Housing Directive (IPGHD) shall not be construed to include commuting assistance. The criteria outlined in this directive will be used to determine whether commuting assistance will be authorized at isolated posts.
In this directive,
adequate public transportation (transports en commun adéquats) - means public transportation serving the worksite
commuting assistance (aide au transport quotidien) - means the assistance provided to an employee under this directive;
department (ministère) - means a department or other portion of the public service of Canada,
deputy head (administrateur général) - means the deputy minister or other chief executive officer of a department or agency and includes any employee of the department or agency who has been authorized to act on behalf of the deputy head or chief executive officer for the purposes of this directive;
employee (fonctionnaire) - means a person
majority of the employees (majorité des fonctionnaires) - means 50 per cent or more of the employees at a worksite, excluding those occupying Crown-owned or Crown-leased accommodation that is located at the worksite;
suitable residential community (quartier résidentiel convenable) - means a location where,
worksite (lieu de travail) - means the location at or from which employees ordinarily perform the duties of their positions and, in the case of employees whose duties are of an itinerant nature, the actual building to which they return to prepare and/or submit reports, etc., and where other administrative matters pertaining to their employment are conducted.
1.1.1 The Deputy Head will authorize Commuting Assistance only when:
1.1.2 A community will be deemed to be a suitable residential community:
1.2.1 Following consultation with the designated representative(s) of the affected bargaining agent(s), an authorization shall:
1.2.2 Where practical and reasonable, the same form of commuting assistance shall be authorized for employees of all departments at a worksite.
1.2.3 A deputy head shall consider energy conservation when choosing the form of commuting assistance.
1.2.4 Where there is a large number of employees at a worksite or where there are a number of suitable residential communities adjacent to the worksite, more than one suitable residential community may be designated.
1.2.5 A deputy head shall review an authorization referred to in this section at least once each fiscal year and, subject to 1.6, may continue, modify or revoke it.
1.3.1 When more than one department has employees at a worksite, the deputy heads shall determine collectively:
1.3.2 Where the deputy heads are unable to arrive at a consensus, the matter may be referred to the National Joint Council for recommendation. The Treasury Board Secretariat, on the recommendation of the National Joint Council, shall resolve the matter.
1.3.3 Subject to 1.3.2, the authorization that is given by the deputy head of each department shall conform with the resolution.
1.3.4 While Departments may seek to establish cost sharing arrangements, each department shall be responsible for the cost of providing commuting assistance for their employees.
Commuting assistance will normally be provided by the use of Crown-owned vehicles, charter services, taxi pools or subsidizing regular commercial transportation fares. The use of privately-owned vehicles should only be authorized under exceptional circumstances where it can be clearly shown to be cost effective.
1.4.1 When a deputy head determines that the most practical and economical form of commuting assistance is to provide a government owned or chartered vehicle service, he or she shall direct that employees using the service pay a contribution towards the cost of the service.
1.4.2 When the vehicle service provides transportation only to and from the public transportation stop that is closest to the worksite, the deputy head shall not direct that employees pay a contribution.
1.4.3 When a vehicle service is provided between the designated suitable residential community and the worksite, the employee contribution for each one-way trip shall be $1.75 if no local public transportation system exists or an amount equal to the regular fare of the local public transportation system, whichever is less.
1.4.4 The rate of contribution will be reviewed at the next cyclical review, taking into account the approved methodology.
1.4.5 When the rates are changed, each employee and designated representative of the affected bargaining agent(s) shall be given written notice of the change. Such change shall be effective on the first day of the third month following employees' receipt of the written notice, or the effective date of the change, whichever is later.
1.4.6 The vehicle service may be permitted to stop along its normal direct route to pick up other employees. These passengers shall contribute the same amount as others.
1.4.7 When possible and practicable, the contribution may be collected through payroll deduction.
1.5.1 When a deputy head determines that the use of private vehicles is the most practical and economical form of commuting assistance, the rate of commuting assistance shall be the rate as prescribed in Appendix A.
1.5.2 The amount of commuting assistance to which employees are entitled for each working day they report to work shall be calculated by multiplying the rate:
1.6.1 The designated representative of the affected bargaining agent(s) shall be consulted concerning:
1.6.2 When commuting assistance is modified or revoked, each employee and designated representative of the affected bargaining agent(s) shall be given written notice of the change. Such change shall be effective on the first day of the third month following employees' receipt of the written notice, or the effective date of the change, whichever is later.
1.7.1 Where deputy heads are of the opinion that they are not permitted by this directive to authorize commuting assistance, either they or the bargaining agent may submit the matter to the National Joint Council. The Treasury Board Secretariat may, on the recommendation of the National Joint Council, make a determination.
1.7.2 The documentation submitted to the National Joint Council shall include a statement:
1.7.3 Examples of such circumstances are:
1.8.1 Each deputy head shall maintain records that may be examined by the Treasury Board Secretariat or form the basis of reports when requested.
1.8.2 The records shall include:
The rates shown below, in cents per kilometre, are payable for the authorized use of privately owned vehicles other than on government business travel (such as the Commuting Assistance Directive, Isolated Posts and Government Housing Directive, Reservists, etc). |
Cents/km |
- Alberta |
14.5 |
- British Columbia |
16.0 |
- Manitoba |
15.0 |
- New Brunswick |
15.5 |
- Newfoundland and Labrador |
16.0 |
- Northwest Territories |
26.0 |
- Nova Scotia |
15.5 |
- Nunavut |
26.0 |
- Ontario |
15.0 |
- Prince Edward Island |
15.5 |
- Quebec |
15.5 |
- Saskatchewan |
15.0 |
- Yukon |
26.5 |
Notes:
This appendix was prepared for convenience of reference only. (revised April 30, 2006)
Information in "Appendix B" is subject to change in accordance with the provisions of the Directive.
Qualified Worksites | Designated Suitable Residential Communities |
Departments |
Armstrong, QC | St-Georges de Beauce, QC | Citizenship and Immigration Canada |
Caraway, AB | Lethbridge, AB | Citizenship and Immigration Canada |
CFAD Rocky Point (CFB) Esquimalt), BC | Colwood Corners/Victoria, BC | Department of National Defence |
CFB Shilo, MB | Brandon, MB | Department of National Defence |
CFB Suffield, AB | Medicine Hat, AB | Department of National Defence |
CFMETR Nanoose (CFB Esquimalt), BC | Nanaimo, BC | Department of National Defence |
Coutts, AB | Lethbridge, AB | Citizenship and Immigration Canada; PWGSC |
Debert, NS | Truro, NS | Department of National Defence |
(Detachment) Dundern, SK | Saskatoon, SK | Department of National Defence |
(Detachment) Folly Lake, NS | Truro, NS | Department of National Defence |
Edmonton International Airport, AB | Edmonton, AB | Department of National Defence |
Enfield, NS | Halifax, NS | Transport Canada |
Halifax Int'l Airport, NS | Halifax, NS | Transport Canada; CFIA |
Joyceville, Pittsburgh, Millhaven & Bath Institutions (ON) | Kingston, ON | Correctional Services Canada |
Kingsgate Border Crossing, YK | Creston; Cranbrook, BC | Citizenship and Immigration Canada |
Kwikwexwelhp - Harrison Mills, BC | Agassiz & Mission, BC | Correctional Services Canada |
Lansdowne, ON | Gananoque, ON | Citizenship and Immigration Canada |
LFCA Training Center Meaford (CFB Borden), ON | Collingwood/Owen Sound, ON | Department of National Defence |
Montreal-Mirabel International Airport, QC | Laval, QC | Department of National Defence |
North Portal, SK | Estevan, SK | Citizenship and Immigration Canada; PWGSC |
NRS Newport Corner (CFB Halifax), NS | Halifax/Dartmouth, NS | Department of National Defence |
Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge - Maple Creek, SK. | Maple Creek, SK | Correctional Services Canada |
Pe Sakastew Centre - Hobbema, AB | Wetaskiwin, AB | Correctional Services Canada |
Pigeon River, ON | Thunder Bay, ON | Citizenship and Immigration Canada |
Renous, NB | Miramichi, NB | Correctional Services Canada |
Rockwood Institutions, MB | Selkirk; Warren Toulon; Balmoral; Winnipeg, MB | Correctional Services Canada |
St. Anthony Airport, NF | St. Anthony, NF | Transport Canada |
Stanstead - Rock Island, QC | Magog, QC | Citizenship and Immigration Canada |
St-Armand, QC | St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC | Citizenship and Immigration Canada |
St-Bernard-de-Lacolle, QC | St-Jean-sur-Richelieu; St-Jean d'Iberville, QC | Citizenship and Immigration Canada; PWGSC; CFIA |
Stony Mountain, MB | Selkirk; Warren Toulon; Balmoral; Winnipeg, MB | Correctional Services Canada |
Victoria Airport, BC | Victoria, BC | Department of National Defence |
Warkworth (Institution), ON | Trenton, ON | Correctional Services Canada |
Woodstock, NB | Fredericton, NB | Citizenship and Immigration Canada |