# 2025-106 Pay and Benefits, Director Claims and Civil Litigation, Military Foreign Service Instruction

Case summary

F&R Date: 2026-03-03

The grievor submitted a grievance, claiming that he felt aggrieved by the poor condition of the Crown-owned accommodations he occupied during an Outside of Canada (OUTCAN) posting. The grievor explained that the various issues he experienced included poor drinking water quality, generator exhaust fumes, the use of insecticides, and the presence of mould. As redress, the grievor sought reimbursement of the monthly housing charges and the cost of bottled water incurred throughout his posting, as well as compensation for the exposure-related impacts on his and his family's health and safety, and for the stress experienced while residing in Crown-owned accommodations.

The Initial Authority (IA), the Director General of Compensation and Benefits, concluded that the grievor had not been prejudiced. The IA explained that testing of the water samples had determined that the water in the residence was potable and that the grievor was therefore not entitled to reimbursement for the purchase of bottled water. The IA also noted that the grievor had not submitted a request for an Accommodation Deficiency Adjustment (ADA) and that he had received a Foreign Service Premium, which is specifically intended to compensate for certain hardships and inconveniences experienced. 

The Committee concluded that the grievor had not been aggrieved, as he had not sufficiently demonstrated that he had suffered any prejudice as a result of his posting. The Committee further found that, under the applicable Military Foreign Service Instructions, the grievor did not meet the criteria required to obtain reimbursement for bottled water expenses or an ADA. With respect to the grievor's claim for financial compensation, the Committee indicated that if the grievor possessed additional evidence demonstrating prejudice resulting from his OUTCAN posting, he could submit it to the Final Authority (FA) for consideration with a view to referring the matter to the Director, Claims and Civil Litigation. The Committee recommended that the FA deny the grievor redress, while taking the grievor's representation into consideration, as appropriate.