# 2021-052 Pay and Benefits, Class C pay on 31st day of a month

Case Summary

F&R Date: 2021-03-18

The Canadian Armed Forces (FAC) denied the grievor an Operational Foreign Service Premium (OPS FSP) point for one month in which she had worked the required 10 days. Instead, she was credited for nine days as per an interpretation by a Treasury Board (TB) analyst that Reservists cannot be paid for the 31st day of any month. The Committee found this was an erroneous interpretation of the Compensation and Benefits Instructions for the CAF. It should be noted that the Committee pointed out this same error in several other grievances. The Committee recommended the grievor be paid for the 31st day of the month in question and that she be granted an OPS FSP point for that month. 

FA Decision Summary

The Director Canadian Forces Grievance Authority, acting as the Final Authority (FA), agreed with the Committee that the interpretation of the policy in question, whereby members would not receive pay or allowances on the 31st day of a month, did not reflect the intent of TB. The FA noted that the difficulty arose from the unintended consequences of using Class “C” service for very short-term periods. The FA granted the grievance and asked the Director General Compensation and Benefits to investigate the feasibility of modifying the OPS FSP calculator to prevent a recurrence.

The FA noted that the issue with pay on the 31st of a month had been identified as a systemic problem and that the Chief of the Defence Staff, in a grievance decision, had directed it be addressed.