Compassionate status (with or without a Compassionate Posting) and Contingency cost moves for personal reasons
As a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) member, you may be eligible to obtain Compassionate status or a Contingency cost move for personal reasons.
Exceptional circumstances may occur during your career which negatively impact your well-being, your family’s, or both.
When those circumstances become exceptional, the CAF may consider providing you with Compassionate status (with or without a Compassionate posting) or a Contingency cost move for personal reasons.
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Your options if you are NOT DEPLOYABLE, NOT EMPLOYABLE, or both are:
Compassionate status
Definition: Compassionate status is the status assigned to a CAF member whose personal circumstances limit the CAF member's deployability or ability to perform duties.
The CAF may provide you with Compassionate status if you need stability to deal with a difficult personal situation caused by exceptional circumstances.
Before requesting Compassionate status, you should consider the following:
- You do not need to be posted to a different location to obtain Compassionate status.
- You are not deployable, not employable, or both according to the Minimum Operational Standards defined in paragraph 2.4 of DAOD 5023-1.
- Compassionate status involves career restrictions. See notes 3 and 4 below.
- The duration of Compassionate status is usually two years with a possible extension of no more than one year.
- There are three potential outcomes at the end of the approved status period:
Compassionate status with a Compassionate posting
Definition: A compassionate posting is a posting approved to alleviate the personal circumstances of a CAF member who is assigned compassionate status.
The CAF may give you a Compassionate posting to a specific geographic location in addition to providing Compassionate status in order to help you overcome a difficult personal situation caused by exceptional circumstances. See note 1 below.
Before requesting a Compassionate posting, you should consider the following:
- You must have Compassionate status in order to be eligible for a Compassionate posting.
- You are not deployable, not employable, or both according to the Minimum Operational Standards defined in paragraph 2.4 of DAOD 5023-1.
- A Compassionate posting involves career restrictions. See notes 3 and 4 below.
- The duration of a Compassionate posting is usually two years with a possible one-year extension.
- There are three possible outcomes at the end of a Compassionate posting:
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Your option if YOU ARE DEPLOYABLE AND EMPLOYABLE is:
Contingency cost move for personal reasons
Definition: Contingency cost moves for personal reasons are moves set aside from the overall move allocation to respond to personal circumstances which do not limit deployability or the ability to perform duties.
The CAF may give you a Contingency cost move for personal reasons in order to help you overcome a difficult personal situation caused by exceptional circumstances. These circumstances cannot limit your deployability or your ability to perform duties. See notes 1 and 2 below.
Before requesting a Contingency cost move for personal reasons, you should consider the following:
- You must be deployable and employable according to the Minimum Operational Standards defined in paragraph 2.4 of DAOD 5023-1. See note 3 below.
- A Contingency cost move for personal reasons involves no career restrictions.
- The duration of a Contingency cost move for personal reasons is the same as a standard posting.
- There are four possible outcomes at the end of a Contingency cost move for personal reasons:
Steps to follow
- Requesting a compassionate status, with or without a compassionate posting.
- Requesting a contingency cost move for personal reasons.
Be aware that you should always consult your chain of command or your career manager as well as refer to the policy to ensure that you qualify.
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Related link:
- Report: Service versus Self
A systemic investigation into contingency cost moves for personal reasons, compassionate status, and compassionate postings in the Canadian Armed Forces
Notes:
- Note 1: A gaining unit position vacancy involving the same rank and military occupation must exist or is forecast to become available within a reasonable time for a CAF member being considered for a Compassionate posting or Contingency Cost Move.
- Note 2: The CAF will provide Contingency cost moves for personal reasons only to members who must deal with exceptional personal circumstances that do not meet the requirements of Compassionate status or a Compassionate posting. This may only occur once for a member to address the same personal circumstances.
- Note 3: This includes CAF member performance of duties under mental stress such as attendance on career courses, military operations, and exercises.
- Note 4:
- Officers of the rank of Captain or Lieutenant (N) and above as well as non-commissioned members of the rank of Corporal or Sailor 1rst Class and above shall not be promoted or have any promotion protection during a period of Compassionate status.
- Before bypassing a CAF member on Compassionate status for promotion, the career manager shall confirm with the Commanding Officer that the requirement for the Compassionate status still exists. If the personal circumstances have been resolved, the CAF may terminate Compassionate status so that a member may be promoted and posted in order to meet operational needs.
- Selection boards have to consider CAF members on Compassionate status who are in competition with other members for promotion and terms of service offers.
- Officers selected for promotion up to the rank of Captain or Lieutenant (N) as well as Privates or Sailors 2nd Class selected for promotion to Corporal or Sailor 1rst Class may be promoted while on Compassionate status if the promotion does not change that status.
- Note 5: This is subject to the Unit Commanding Officer’s recommendation as well as the appropriate authority’s approval.
- Note 6: This is determined by way of an Administrative Review as described in DAOD 5019-2, Administrative Review.
References
- DAOD 5003-6, Contingency Cost Moves for Personal Reasons, Compassionate Status and Compassionate Posting - Canada.ca
- DAOD 5023-1, Minimum Operational Standards Related to Universality of Service - Canada.ca
- DAOD 5019-2, Administrative Review - Canada.ca
Other resources
- Military Career Managers
- The following resources and support options may also help reduce the stress caused by your personal circumstances:
- Financial support
- Spousal and partner employment
- Service Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP)
- Occupational transfer
- Release and transition to civilian life
- Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Support website
- Health-care-related resources for military families
- Resources for caregivers
- Parenting support for children experiencing behaviour issues or anxiety
- Resources and services for supporting families with children with special needs
- Crisis texting services for kids
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