Phoenix: Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates—May 15, 2020
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Current status in light of COVID-19
In this section
Context
Due to the ongoing and evolving COVID-19 outbreak, Public Services and Procurement Canada's (PSPC) services may be delayed. This may result in concerns regarding the continuity of pay services for public servants.
Key messages
- Pay services are provided without interruption and supporting employees remains a top priority
- Services related to pay are considered essential and measures are in place to ensure that operational requirements are met
- PSPC monitors the situation daily and is ready to respond should any issues arise
- We are working closely with all our partners, including employees, unions, members of parliament offices, departments and their representatives from human resources and pay, to provide support during this challenging time
- Thanks to the hard work of our compensation employees, we continue to see a steady decline in the backlog
- The Client Contact Centre (CCC) remains available to assist any current or former public servant experiencing pay issues
Specific measures in place for COVID-19
- PSPC has introduced interim administrative measures to support pay service delivery
- for example, we implemented secure measures to simplify and speed up the approval process of a range of pay-related transactions
- Employees who cannot access the government network can request to have their pay stubs through mail or epost Connect, by contacting the CCC
- The Pay Centre has suspended all new recoveries of overpayments that are eligible for flexible repayment measures
- the Pay Centre will continue to issue letters informing employees of their overpayment situations
- however, recoveries will not be initiated until further notice
- should an employee choose to proceed with a lump sum repayment, they will be entitled to do so
- existing recovery plans will remain in place
- however, employees facing financial hardship can request to have their recovery plans modified, by contacting the CCC
- employees with pay issues continue to have access to emergency salary advance or a priority payment when necessary
Background
Following the recommendation of the Public Health Agency of Canada, PSPC asked all its employees, including those at the Public Service Pay Centre and the CCC, to work from home if possible, while ensuring the delivery of essential services.
The Pay Centre continues to deliver all of its pay services, which include regular pay, new hires, return from leave, maternity and parental leave, as well as disability insurance.
The CCC remains the first point of contact for current and former federal public servants looking for information or help with compensation and benefits. Clients may, however, experience increased wait times when calling the CCC.
Supporting employees and resolving pay issues are top priorities and we continue to see progress.
From April 1 to April 29, 2020, the backlog of transactions with financial implication has decreased by 17,000. Over the past 2 years, since January 2018, the backlog has decreased by 61%, from 384,000 to 149,000 transactions.
Invitation to qualify for pay system in-service support: Application managed services contract
Following the request for information (in-service support for the Government of Canada pay system) in June 2019, PSPC issued an invitation to qualify (ITQ) on May 8, 2020 on Buyandsell.gc.ca.
This ITQ is to qualify suppliers interested in providing the application managed services for 24/7 operational (functional and technical) support for pay, once the current contract with IBM Canada Limited ends, in March 2022 (if option is exercised).
An independent fairness monitor has been engaged to observe and report on the procurement process to ensure its integrity. Results of the ITQ are expected in July 2020.
Application managed services is an outcomes-based agreement where the contractor is responsible for delivering services based on our requirements, and ensuring the Government of Canada receives what it needs for a fixed price.
We will need to rely on Phoenix until we are ready to transition to a new pay system, which could take a few years. The backlog of existing pay issues must also be addressed to allow for a smooth transition to any new pay system. This is the main reason why the Government of Canada is still investing in Phoenix—so that employees continue to be supported and to ensure that we are well prepared to transition to a new pay system when the time comes.
- the Pay Centre will continue to issue letters informing employees of their overpayment situations
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