# 2024-084 Pay and Benefits, Recruitment Allowance

Case summary

F&R Date: 2025-05-29

The grievor, who had previously enroled into a different occupation, argued that he should be entitled to a Recruitment Allowance (RA) upon his Occupational Transfer (OT) to an understrength occupation as his earlier Prior Learning and Recognition (PLAR) assessment recommended he receives one. He argued that the Recruitment Officer (RO) misinformed him as to the value of his civilian qualification and the benefits he would be afforded for them in his desired trade and, subsequently withheld the results of the PLAR, which contained the RA recommendation. He argued that had this information been shared with him earlier, he would have chosen differently and directly enroled in the occupation that would have entitled him to an RA.  

The Initial Authority (IA), the Director General Compensation and Benefits, denied the grievance finding that the grievor was aware that two PLARs had been initiated for two different trades; one was completed, and the second was in progress. The IA found that it was the grievor's choice to proceed with enrolment in the manner he did, and while it resulted in no RA upon enrolment, there was no evidence that he was misinformed by the RO. The IA further found that the grievor's OT did not satisfy the RA eligibility criteria at article 205.525 of the Compensation and Benefits Instructions for the Canadian Forces (CBI). 

The Committee noted that CBI 205.525 provides for entitlement to an RA on either enrolment or a component transfer into an understrength occupation. Since the grievor had neither enroled nor transferred from the Reserve Force into an understrength Regular Force occupation, the Committee found him ineligible to receive an RA. The Committee also noted that the recruitment process is voluntary and applicant-directed, and pointed to evidence on file that grievor was aware of his options and chose the occupation in which he had preferred to enrol. 

The Committee found the grievor not aggrieved and recommended the Final Authority not afford redress.