Canadian Coast Guard – DND Onboarding Package

Welcome to the Defence Team! Today marks an important milestone as the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) personnel and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) internal service employees officially join the Defence Team as a Special Operating Agency within the Department of National Defence (DND). This transition represents meaningful growth for the Defence Team and will strengthen our collective ability to serve Canadians.

Get started at DND

In this document you will find an overview of the department’s structure, workforce and workplace policies, security requirements, pay and benefits, infrastructure, and links to helpful resources. This package is designed to help you quickly become familiar with your new environment and confidently begin your role.

As you start your onboarding, please note that some processes may take time, and your access to certain DND computer systems and programs will be phased in gradually. In the meantime, you will continue to retain access to DFO networks and systems as needed to support your responsibilities. We are actively working through the details of the transition and will keep you informed every step of the way. Thank you for your continued patience and understanding.

Get to know DND

DND supports the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), who serve on the sea, on land, and in the air with the Royal Canadian Navy, Army, Air Force and Special Forces to defend Canadians’ interests at home and abroad. To foster a better understanding of who we are and what we do, read the Mandate of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces.

Understand DND’s organizational levels

At DND, we operate within a structured leadership hierarchy, where “L-levels” indicate tiers of authority and responsibility. Understanding this framework will help you navigate the resources below and take part confidently in upcoming discussions.

Level 0 (L0): The most senior leadership tier, encompassing the Deputy Minister (DM) of National Defence and the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), who provide overarching strategic direction.
Level 0.5: This level includes the Associate Deputy Minister (DMA) of National Defence, the Vice Chief of Defence Staff (VCDS) and the Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard.
Level 1 (L1): This level includes Assistant Deputy Ministers (ADMs) and, within the Canadian Armed Forces, commanders of major commands — all reporting directly to L0.
Level 2 (L2): Comprises organizations and groups reporting to those L1 leaders — typically roles such as Directors General (DGs) or formation commanders.
Level 3 (L3): These are the Director-level roles or unit commanders, managing specific departments or functional areas within L2 organizations.
Levels 4 and 5 (L4 and L5): These refer to mid-level management or team leads, such as supervisors and front-line managers—roles that bridge the tactical and operational work of their teams.

To learn more about how we operate, consult the organizational structure of DND and the CAF. You are also encouraged to read:

People

DND’s orientation session for new CCG personnel and DFO internal service employees (non-EX)

You will be invited to attend an orientation session as part of your transition to the Defence Team. These sessions are being scheduled in phases to support employees as they transition, so the timing may vary. The orientation will provide an overview of the culture and environment of the DND and the CAF and highlight key programs and services available to you.

For more information contact dndonboarding-accueiletintegrationdumdn@forces.gc.ca.

Onboarding for Executives

The Directorate of Civilian Executive Services (DCES) is a comprehensive support unit within DND dedicated to serving executives throughout their careers – from recruitment to retirement. It provides strategic advice, HR services, leadership development, and community engagement to ensure a skilled, connected, and healthy executive cadre aligned with the needs of the organization. DCES aims to improve the executive experience by fostering leadership growth, inclusive practices, and effective talent management across multiple areas including staffing, onboarding, performance, succession planning, and diversity initiatives.

DCES will be providing a tailored onboarding process to CCG and DFO executives in the coming week.

HR delegation for managers

Managers who currently have staffing sub-delegation at CCG and DFO will continue to have valid delegation after the transfer to DND. All sub-delegated managers will be required to complete and sign a DND Sub-delegation Attestation Form in order activate their DND delegated authority under the Deputy Head. Applicable managers will receive an email from the DND HR team with the form and instructions in the early weeks after the transition.

For information, visit DND’s HR Instrument of Delegation.

Pay

HRMS 9.2 and DFO’s Maritime portal will continue to be the primary HR systems for all HR requests and will remain unchanged for now. Your pay will continue to be processed through the Phoenix Pay System. You can access your pay information in MyGC Pay or MyGCPay external access.

Submit a leave request

Continue to submit your leave requests as you normally would until your profile has been officially transferred to DND – you will be informed once that happens. For those who no longer have access to your HR system, a GC-178 form should be completed, signed, and submitted to the DFO Pay Office to ensure leave credits remain up to date.

Track your leave

Print and keep an updated copy of your leave balances from HRMS 9.2 (HR System). Once HR processes your transfer to DND, check your leave balances to ensure they transferred correctly.

Overtime

Until your profile has been transferred to DND, continue to submit overtime as you normally would, using DFO’s process.

Benefits

As a public service employee, your access and eligibility of public service benefits plans remain the same.

For more information:

Official Languages

The Official Languages Act establishes that English and French are the official languages of Canada and are of equal status within all federal institutions. The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Policy on Official Languages sets requirements for Government of Canada departments including DND and DAOD 5039-0, Official Languages sets requirements for DND employees and CAF members.

Effective June 20, 2025, the modernized Official Languages Act grants employees in bilingual regions the right to be supervised in the official language of their choice. In support of this legislative obligation, the Directive on Official Languages for People Management raised the minimum second language proficiency for new appointments to positions supervising employees located in bilingual regions from BBB/BBB to CBC/CBC.

Employees appointed to supervisory positions prior to June 20,2025, are protected by incumbent rights and may remain in their positions without meeting the new CBC/CBC standard. However, mitigation measures may be required when these incumbents cannot fulfill an employee’s right to supervision in their preferred official language.

Please contact p-otg.olanddicoe@intern.mil.ca to learn more about the changes to the Official Languages Act.

Culture

DND is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful workplace. Through the Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Program, the Employment Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EEDI) Plan, the Culture Evolution Strategy, the Accessibility Plan, and ongoing culture evolution initiatives, we actively promote respect, inclusion, and well-being while supporting all employees:

Update your profile in the TBS Applications Portal (TAP)

Public Service Performance Management Application (PSPM App)

Your performance evaluation is managed through the PSPM App.

If you are part of the Canadian Coast Guard, you will continue reporting to your current manager;
If you are a DFO internal services employee transferring to DND, you will report within the DND management structure. Exceptions include HR-to-Pay Programs, Accounting Operations, IT Service Desk, and Real Property employees, who will remain under their current DFO manager until the successful transfer of systems and sites is completed (or earlier, if possible).

DFO managers will complete mid-year performance reviews for DFO employees, including executives, by October 31, 2025. Once your profile in TAP has been updated to reflect your status as a DND employee, your DND manager will be able to select you in the portal and confirm you are part of their team. They will then be able to begin or continue your performance evaluation in the system.

If there are extended delays in updating your profile in TAP, managers may use a paper version of the performance evaluation form in the interim.

MyWorkArrangements (mWA)

All DND public service employees that are eligible for hybrid work must have a hybrid work agreement. Take the time to review the DND Hybrid Guidelines and Terms & Conditions as there are differences from your former organization.

The current requirement in the workplace has been set to 3 days per week or 60 per cent of your regular weekly or monthly schedule. Should you require an accommodation or an exception to this requirement, your manager will direct you on the process.

Exceptions are processed through the Exceptions team and are submitted via your manager by the Exception application form (DND 4895). To access this form, you must first download it and open it with Adobe Reader 8 or higher. You must complete and submit Part A of this form and submit it to your manager.

Employees requesting workplace accommodations for any prohibited ground of discrimination as per the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) must discuss the request with their manager and participate in the information gathering process.

For requests for accommodations for medical needs, employees and managers must consult with ODM-BGI@forces.gc.ca.

Please continue using your current My Work Arrangement (mWA) until your profile is transitioned into the TAP system. Once your profile has been moved to DND, you will be required to submit a new agreement. Please ensure that you have discussed with your manager your work arrangement schedule.

Review and complete your mandatory training

All DND employees are required to complete mandatory training. Training is offered through several platforms, including the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS), the Defence Learning Network (DLN), MS Teams, or in certain cases, through your unit or program.

Please review the mandatory training list and begin by completing all applicable courses available through the CSPS that you have not already completed.

You will gain access to the DLN once your @forces email account is created. At that time, you can complete any training that is available exclusively on the DLN.

Workplace

Total health and well-being

At DND, we prioritize the health and well-being of our workforce.

While you will still be able to access Health Canada’s counselling services if you are already engaged with a counsellor, you will also have access to DND’s resources, provided by Homewood Health.

All DND public service employees have access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) resources through Homewood Health. The EAP is a professional, confidential and proactive service to support DND public service employees and their eligible family members with a wide range of personal, family and work-related concerns. These services, through Homewood Health, are designed to enable a proactive approach to supporting well-being.

Services include:

Counselling and Crisis Services
LifeSmart Coaching
Digital Mental Health Platform
Key Person Advice Line (KPAL)
Specialized Team Services (Grief and Loss Support, Trauma Management Support, Workplace Interventions)

Peer support services are also available through the EAP. EAP Peer Advisors are DND colleagues who support fellow DND public service employees with work-related or personal challenges. Peer Advisors are trained and skilled to provide active listening and to refer employees to relevant and available resources and supports. Their services are free and confidential. To access these services, contact DND’s Employee Assistance Program at eap-pae@forces.gc.ca.

The Office of Disability Management (ODM) provides collaborative and inclusive services that support DND public service employees and their managers with disability-related matters due to illness, impairment and injury. Services offered include support during:

work-related accident injury, illness or impairment
non-work-related injury, illness or impairment
recovery
return to work
medical accommodation
medical retirement
GC Workplace Accessibility Passport

Contact the ODM at odm-bgi@forces.gc.ca or call 1-833-893-3388.

Occupational Health and Safety

This includes understanding the policies contained in Part II of the Canada Labour Code.

The Injury on Duty Program provides support to managers and employees when submitting workers’ compensation claims. Employees must report workplace injuries to their managers as soon possible following an injury. Managers must then complete and submit an Employer Report of Injury within 3 working days of the incident. For support, contact odm-bgi@forces.gc.ca.

DND is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible workplace. This can include flexible work arrangements or workplace accommodation with the support of tools and measures that help employees fulfill their roles and responsibilities.

Under the duty to accommodate process, DND has a legal obligation to eliminate barriers (physical, policy-based, or systemic) and provide reasonable accommodation measures for employees protected under federal human-rights legislation, up to the point of undue hardship.

DND has adopted the Government of Canada’s Workplace Accessibility Passport. The Accessibility Passport allows employees with disabilities to:

Document barriers they face in the workplace
Identify possible solutions and adaptive measures
Facilitate conversations and collaboration with their managers about the content of the Passport, to find the best way forward. with the objective of establishing an agreement and/or next steps.

Employees are encouraged to discuss accommodation needs with their manager.

Hybrid work

DND employees are required to follow the Department of National Defence Guidelines for Hybrid Work.

Office space

Your current office space will remain unchanged for now. Further information regarding DND office allocations will be communicated as planning progresses.

While National Defence Headquarters is located in Ottawa, Ontario, DND has offices located across Canada with numerous regional employees stationed at various wings, bases and affiliated locations. If you are asked to work from a DND office space, you will need to obtain a DND building pass before entering.

All employees will be issued a DND identification card. In buildings where a building pass is not required, employees must carry their DND identification card with them at all times.

Parking arrangements vary by location. Some sites have assigned parking spaces, while others do not. Additionally, parking may be free at certain locations, whereas others may charge a daily or monthly fee. Employees are advised to consult their manager for site-specific details.

Space allocation

Although there is variability across L1s due to organizational changes, the allocated L0 footprint demonstrates sufficient space to meet operational requirements globally for DND. Defence Team members should follow L1 guidance on specific details of space allocation.

Neighbourhoods/Work zones

Some L1 allocations may be separated by neighbourhoods or work zones as defined by the L1 or L2.

Enclosed offices

Enclosed offices are generally not assigned to public service employees. Based on the L1 allocated footprint, the direction on assigned enclosed offices will be at the discretion of the responsible L1.

Workplace environment

Workstations

Whether an L1's allocated space is assigned or unassigned, workstations (cubicles) should include standard items such as a docking station, monitor(s), and an ergonomic desk chair. The workstation should be left clean at the end of the workday.

Employees are expected to transport their DND issued devices including, but not limited to, laptops, cell phones, and other portable equipment required to perform their work. When not in use, these items should be locked in the personal storage unit (locker) or securely locked to the workstation using the cable lock provided with the laptop.

Personal storage units/lockers

Where lockers and personal storage units are available, these allow Defence Team members to store their personal belongings and equipment when not in use and avoid cluttering or personalizing the workstations. Notably, personal storage also enhances the security and privacy of Defence Team members' personal items. In most traditional work environments (cubicle-style workstations), personal storage units are located within the workstation.

Scents/odours

Many people have sensitivities to scents. It is important to follow existing policies on scent-free environments.

Common use shared space

Defence Team members should use the Outlook calendar to book boardrooms according to the size required. The booking of boardrooms should be based on requirement, with limited recurrences and for appropriate hours of operations. Should the booking no longer be required, it is understood that the room will be cancelled from the system.

Technology / Information Technology (IT)

IT

All CCG personnel and DFO internal service employees transitioning to the DND will continue to retain access to DFO networks and systems as required to fulfill their responsibilities. This access will remain in place until DND confirms that all relevant duties can be fully supported within its own network environment.

During this interim period:

Work will remain governed by DFO policies, procedures, and security protocols.
Employees are responsible for adhering to both DFO and DND information management and IT security standards, with particular attention to data handling, safeguarding of sensitive information, and records management.
Supervisors will ensure that employees clearly understand lines of accountability during the transition.
Any duplication of systems or dual-access requirements will be assessed regularly to minimize risks related to cybersecurity, records management, and continuity of operations.

Current support resources (e.g. IT helpdesks, security contacts, etc.) will remain in place through both DFO and DND to ensure uninterrupted service delivery. Timelines and phased transition plans will be communicated as they are confirmed, with sufficient notice provided to employees to prepare for system or process changes. Further information will be provided as it becomes available, including updated guidance on access, responsibilities, and security requirements during the transition.

Your contacts

Your first point of contact for any questions should be your manager.
For questions about onboarding, contact dndonboarding-accueiletintegrationdumdn@forces.gc.ca.
Contact your union representative for additional support.

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Date modified:: 2025-09-02

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