Canadian Armed Forces grievances

Before submitting a grievance, you may contact Conflict Solutions and Services or discuss the issue with your chain of command to determine which options are best for you and your situation. For more information, please visit Conflict and Complaint Management Services.

Steps to follow:

1. Prior to submitting a grievance, you should file a Notice of Intent (NOI) to grieve to your chain of command. This will trigger resolution at the lowest level possible and/or help you to identify the best complaint mechanism available. To access the NOI form, visit the Canadian Forces Grievance Authority’s web page which is only available on the Defence Wide Area Network.

2. If you choose to file a grievance, you must complete the digital grievance form within 90 days from the time you knew or ought reasonably to have known of the decision, act, or omission you are grieving. Once completed, the form will be routed to your Commanding Officer.
   • To access the digital grievance form or to learn about the specific requirements for submitting a grievance, consult the CAF Grievance webpage.

3. Your Commanding Officer will either act as the Initial Authority (IA) or send your file to the Canadian Forces Grievance Authority (CFGA) to determine who will be the IA for your case. Your Commanding Officer will assign someone to assist you with the grievance process.
4. The IA has 10 days to acknowledge reception of your grievance.
5. The IA has four months to provide you with a written decision. If they cannot provide a decision within that timeframe, they must provide you with an explanation for the delay. You may then decide whether you accept the delay or ask that they send your grievance directly to the Final Authority (FA). If you are satisfied with the IA decision, the process will end.
6. If you are not satisfied with the IA decision, you may ask that the FA review your grievance. The FA is the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) or their delegate. Depending on the specific details, the CDS may be obligated or choose to refer your grievance to the Military Grievances External Review Committee. This Committee will review and provide you and the CDS with its findings and recommendations. Ultimately, the FA makes the final decision about your grievance.

Judicial Review through Federal Court

A decision by the FA is binding but is subject to review by the Courts. If you are unsatisfied with the FA decision you may apply for judicial review under the Federal Courts Act.

A judicial review allows the courts to determine whether decisions made by an administrative body are fair, reasonable, and lawful. You must apply for a review within 30 days of receiving the decision. There are costs associated with the application process.

For more information consult the Federal Court’s website.

Policy limitations

There are specific scenarios in which CAF policies limit members’ right to grieve. These include matters that fall under:

• Subsection 29(2) of the NDA;
• Queen’s Regulations and Order (QR&O) article 7.03, Decision under Code of Service Discipline; or
• Queen’s Regulations and Orders (QR&O) article 101.19, Appeal Committee.

Additionally, CAF members cannot grieve matters where a request would mean the creation of a benefit or extension of a benefit already regulated by Treasury Board. For instance, you cannot request more Home Equity Assistance coverage than the maximum that the policy currently provides.

If you submit a grievance which is limited by one of these policies, the IA will advise you in writing that this is not covered by the CAF grievance process. According to article 8.3 of the Defence Administrative Orders and Directives 2017-1 (DAOD 2017-1) you, as the grievor, may nevertheless request that your grievance be forwarded to the FA for determination under the QR&O article 7.18. Note that forwarding the grievance to the FA may result in the same outcome.

Limits of grievance authorities

The CAF authorities (IA and FA) may only provide redress that is within the authority of the CAF to provide. That authority does not include changing Directives from the Treasury Board or from other government agencies. For example, all compensation and benefit policies are within the Treasury Board’s authority. In addition, you should note that CAF grievance authorities may be limited in the redress they can grant, even in cases where they deem that you were aggrieved.

Lack of grievance rights due to your status

You do not have the right to grieve if you are not a current CAF member. Applicants to the CAF are not considered CAF members until they are enrolled. Therefore applicants cannot access the grievance process. Review our Frequently Asked Questions for Applicants to the Canadian Armed Forces to find out what recourse is available to you as an applicant.

Additionally, if you are transitioning to civilian life, you may submit a grievance up to your release date and continue to engage in the process afterwards. If you have already transitioned out of the military, you can no longer grieve unless you agreed to be part of the Supplementary Reserve. 

If you are a released CAF member who is experiencing challenges with addressing CAF-related issues, please contact our office. Depending on the circumstances, we may be able to assist you or guide you on next steps.

Ministerial Authority

Depending on the issue, CAF members may have other ways to contest a policy beyond filing a grievance.

For example, you may engage the adjudication process before escalating to a grievance if you have incurred relocation expenses. The Director Compensation and Benefits Authority (DCBA) may exercise Ministerial Authority within this process to grant reimbursement to you if you face unique circumstances that are not covered in policy. According to CBI 208.01 – Special Powers of the Minister, the Minister may “approve reimbursement of all or part of the expenses reasonably incurred by an officer or non-commissioned member or their dependents that are directly related to, or that arise directly out of, the member’s relocation and that are not specifically provided for in this chapter, but only if such reimbursement would be equitable and consistent with the purpose of this chapter.”

Alternatively, you may submit your concerns in writing to DGCB via your Chain of Command if you feel that a compensation and benefits policy does not benefit you.

Ministerial Authority can be exercised for the following Treasury Board approved instructions: 

• CBI 10 – Military Foreign Service Instructions (MFSI),
• CBI 208 – Relocation (which includes CAFRD),
• CBI 209 - Transportation and Travelling Expenses, and
• Canadian Forces Temporary Duty Travel Instructions.

However, one of the criteria for using managerial discretion (Ministerial Authority) is that it must not create or expand a benefit already regulated by the Treasury Board. In addition, any use of managerial discretion must be reported to the Treasury Board, including the amount and justification.

Policy review

If you choose not to submit a grievance but still would like to raise your dissatisfaction about a policy or process, write to the appropriate directorate through your chain of command.

We are an office of last recourse. However, if you are going through the process and you are uncertain about what to expect, we can guide you.

While The CDS’ decision is final and the Ombudsman’s Office does not have the power to change the decision, we can make recommendations with your written permission if we believe you may have been treated unfairly throughout the process. 

If there are exceptional reasons that prevent you from addressing your concerns through regular channels such as time sensitivity, health, security, or financial concerns for you or your family, you can contact our office by telephone or in writing. We can assist when there are compelling circumstances to ensure all relevant parties know about your circumstances (with your permission), and that the proper process is being followed to assist the appropriate authority in taking an informed decision.

Related links

• What is a compelling circumstance?
• Grievances in the Canadian Armed Forces
• The Conflict Solutions and Services
• Canadian Forces Grievance Authority (CFGA) (available only on the DWAN)