Spotlight series: What’s new in HRMS – absence management improvements

April 20, 2026 - Defence Stories

Estimated read time – 1:55

The Human Resources Management System (HRMS) upgrade is launching on April 27 and it’s more than just a visual update. It’s a more efficient, user‑friendly way for employees and managers to manage leave.

New terminology in HRMS 9.2

Below is a quick reference table outlining the old HRMS 8.9 terminology with the new HRMS 9.2 language.

What is changing?

For employees

The following changes apply only to public service employees who report to a public service manager.

• Submit more requests directly:
  • Leave without pay (accessible only on the National Defence network) (up to 5 consecutive days) can now be submitted in both HRMS and Phoenix.
  • Claim overtime in leave after you work overtime, you will be able to enter and request compensation in leave as per your collective agreement. This is commonly known as compensatory time off (CTO) and can be completed under “Manage Absence” in the new system.
  • Additional hours for part-time employees. These hours will now go straight to the appropriate delegated manager for approval.
• Cancel a leave request anytime: You can cancel a request even before it’s approved, without waiting for your manager to deny it first.

Employees reporting to a military manager will continue to use the Human Resources Services and Support (accessible only on the National Defence network) (HRSS).

For managers

Military managers supervising public service employees retain the same capabilities following the upgrade until further notice. Refer to the System Restrictions and Military Manager Workarounds guide on the Training Portal (accessible only on the National Defence network) under Manager Self-Service, which provides additional guidance. The HRSS remains available during this period.

• Approve Section 34 requests within HRMS: Managers with Section 34 delegation can now approve these requests directly.
• Managers can do some transactions on behalf of employees:
  • Enter employee absence requests.
  • Claim and submit employee overtime in leave (as per the collective agreement). This is commonly known as CTO (must have Section 34 delegation).
  • View employee leave balances, history, and request status.
• Assign work schedules directly in HRMS: Existing schedules from Phoenix have been populated in HRMS. Managers are responsible for reviewing and validating schedules.

Before the launch

• If you were unable to attend a virtual information session, review session recordings (accessible only on the National Defence network) or consult the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (accessible only on the National Defence network) (users can user Ctrl+F to search words directly on the page) and the HRMS User Videos (accessible only on the National Defence network).
• Visit the HRMS training portal (accessible only on the National Defence network) for resources on specific topics.
• Watch for additional updates in the coming weeks.

For HR questions, contact HR Connect RH (accessible only on the National Defence network) by calling 1-833-747-6363 or by submitting an online request (accessible only on the National Defence network).