Guide for steps to follow for requesting a Compassionate Status (with or without a Compassionate Posting)

Step 1: Submitting your Request

Submit your compassionate status request in writing to your Unit Commanding Officer through your chain of command as soon as you believe that your personal situation is affected by exceptional circumstances. This is crucial to getting your request addressed as quickly as possible.

We recommend you seek help from your supervisor or a senior Orderly Room staff member to prepare your written request. Give your memorandum the title of “Request for Compassionate Status (with Compassionate Posting as applicable)”. A recent article in The Maple Leaf explains how to use the elements of the DESC model—describe, express, specify and consequence—to help you effectively communicate your needs. Be sure to include the following information:

• your name and initials,
• your Service Number (SN),
• your Military Occupational Structure Identification Code (MOSID),
• your unit name,
• your Unit Identification Code (UIC),
• the date by which you need an answer,
• a description of your personal situation including why you consider the circumstances to be exceptional in nature,
• an explanation as to how your personal situation affects your ability to be deployed, your ability to perform duties or both, and
• any supporting documents such as the diagnosis and recommendations of medical professionals, social worker evaluations, and academic documents.

Mark your memorandum as PROTECTED B.

Step 2: Your Unit Commanding Officer review

Once received, your Unit Commanding Officer will review your request. This means the Commanding Officer will:

• investigate your situation,
• determine its urgency based on available information,
• seek additional information from your Base or Wing Social Worker, your Chaplain, or other professionals for additional guidance in determining the extent of the exceptional nature of the circumstances surrounding your personal situation, and
• determine if you meet the requirements of a Compassionate status with compassionate posting as required.

For Compassionate status request, your Commanding Officer has the authority to make a recommendation, but not take a decision. See Step 6 below.

There is no timeline to complete this second step.

Step 3: The Base or Wing social worker assessment

When your Commanding Officer asks for a social worker assessment of your personal situation, the social worker is required to do the following:

• assess the extent to which your personal situation affects your deployability and ability to perform duties. As part of this assessment, the social worker may ask to meet with you and your family, and
• provide a written recommendation to your Commanding Officer once all relevant documentation has been received, but no later than 14 days after assessment completion.

Step 4: Your Unit Commanding Officer Contacts your Career Manager

Upon completion of Step 3, your Commanding Officer will submit a formal request for compassionate status to your career manager. This submission must include:

• your Commanding Officer’s letter describing the circumstances affecting your personal situation as well as an assessment of whether approving your request can resolve your situation,
• your Commanding Officer’s recommendation,
• your social worker’s report and recommendation,
• your written request, and
• any other relevant information.

There is no timeline for completion of this step.

Step 5: Your career manager prepares your file for decision

Your career manager submits your e-file for an internal review via the section head to the Director of Military Careers (D Mil C) for consideration. This usually takes three to five working days.

Step 6: The Appropriate Authority Decides

Who decides on your file depends on your rank and military occupation. Whether it be the Director General Military Careers (DGMC), the Director Senior Appointments (DSA) or the Director of Military Careers (D Mil C), the appropriate authority will decide and then inform your career manager about their decision. This usually takes three to five working days.

Step 7: Your Career Manager Advises in Writing

Your career manager advises you through your Commanding Officer about the decision by way of a Protected B letter or message that is usually sent via an encrypted e-mail. This normally occurs within two working days.

The letter or message will provide you with decision information. If your Compassionate status request is denied, you will be provided reasons for the decision. If your request is approved, you will be informed about the launch of the posting actions.

Step 8: Your Unit Commanding Officer monitoring of your situation

If your Compassionate status request is approved and involves a compassionate posting, your gaining unit Commanding Officer is responsible for monitoring your situation during the authorized compassionate status period.

Step 9: If you are dealing with a request denial

If your Compassionate status request is denied, you have two options.

If you feel something was missing from your request or that new developments have arisen, you should provide this information to your chain of command for forwarding to the approving authority for review and consideration.

Following this, if you remain unsatisfied with the denial you may submit a grievance. For more information, refer to our Redress of Grievance information.

Step 10: Keeping your Unit Commanding Officer informed during your Compassionate Status

When approved, the duration of a Compassionate status is usually two years.

If at any time during your Compassionate status your situation resolves itself, you must inform your Commanding Officer. This will also require your request for ending Compassionate status.

If the situation is not resolved by the end of the period of approval, you must submit a request for an extension. This may result in one additional year of Compassionate status. As a result, your Compassionate status may last up to a maximum of three consecutive years.

Near the completion of the time frame approved in the original status decision and regardless of the status of your personal circumstances, your Commanding Officer must order another social worker’s assessment. Subsequently, the Commanding Officer must forward this assessment along with a recommendation about your status to your career manager for the Director of Military Careers (D Mil C) consideration. This usually occurs in April in order to allow career managers to plan the posting plot for the next Active Posting Season (APS).

Step 11: Your career manager conducts a second review

Based on the results of Step 10, your career manager will conduct a second review of your file. This will result in one of the following three recommendations for your military career:

• termination of the Compassionate status,
• a one-year extension, or
• compulsory release on the basis of a formal 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