Comptrollership (CT) occupational group implementation bulletin

CT-IAU conversion

On September 28, 2023, all AS positions with internal audit work as primary purpose will undergo a conversion to the new CT-IAU subgroup. As part of this conversion exercise, a new CT-IAU subgroup definition, job evaluation standard (JES) and qualification standard have been created.

CT-FIN and CT-EAV renaming

On September 28, 2023, the FI group and the AU classification will be renamed to CT-FIN and CT-EAV, respectively. There will be no changes to the related job evaluation standards. Renaming does not entail a new classification decision nor a conversion. Consequently, their group and subgroup definitions, job evaluation standards and qualification standards will be renamed to align with the new designations.

Distribution of the official personal notification

On September 28, 2023, or in the days that follow, all Official Personal Notifications (OPNs) must be distributed to employees currently occupying an AS position with whose primary purpose is internal audit work. These OPNs will serve as official notification regarding the conversion of their position to the new CT-IAU subgroup. The organizational classification team will provide guidance to management throughout this process.

For detailed information regarding the distribution process, please consult the Engagement Plan.

Classification grievances and grace period

In the interest of providing managers and employees time to discuss conversion results and address any concerns the TBS and the Association of Canadian Financial Officers (ACFO) have agreed to a 120-calendar day grace period, commencing the day following receipt of the OPN by employees. Throughout this grace period, managers and employees are encouraged to engage in informal discussions to resolve any issues that may arise.

Following the conclusion of the grace period, as outlined in the Directive on Classification Grievances, an additional 35-calendar day period will commence for the presentation of a classification grievance. Therefore, it is mandatory to track the date on which the OPN was received by employees to determine the deadline to present a grievance. Organizations must be able to establish the date of receipt of the OPN. The email “read receipt” function may not meet this requirement. One option is for the manager to advise the employee verbally of the conversion information included in the OPN, and document that date in a tracking tool. Instructions on what organizations should include in their tracking tool are provided below.

Employees on long-term leave

Employees on long-term leave must be notified of the conversion of their position via an OPN. The manager should discuss the situation with Labour Relations to determine what would be the appropriate timing and means of communicating the classification decision to the individual (for example, by courier). The manager should also track the receipt of these notifications.

Distribution of the renaming notification

On September 28, 2023, or in the days that follow, all Renaming Notifications must be distributed to employees occupying an FI or AU position. These notifications will serve as official communication regarding the renaming to the new CT-FIN or CT-EAV subgroups, respectively. Since renaming does not involve a classification decision, there will be no classification grievance rights associated with the renaming to CT-FIN and CT-EAV when the new CT group is implemented. Once again, the organizational classification team will provide guidance to management throughout this process. The information can also be found in the Engagement Plan.

Existing internal audit generic work descriptions

AS positions which are still associated to the existing internal audit generic work descriptions (GNAS), and which will not be converted to the new CT-IAU subgroup must be reviewed and updated prior to conversion as these generic work descriptions will no longer be supported by the OCG.

CT-IAU qualification standard

A qualification standard for the new CT-IAU subgroup has been approved, which will raise the minimum education requirement for positions formerly classified as AS (internal audit). Employees in these former AS positions will now be required to possess a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with an acceptable specialization in a field relevant to the duties of the position.

Effective September 28, 2023, the CT group implementation date, indeterminate incumbents of positions that will be converted from AS to CT-IAU, who do not possess the education required in the new qualification standard, will be deemed to meet the requirement by virtue of their education, training and/or experience. This is commonly referred to as "acquired rights."

CT-FIN and CT-EAV qualification standards

As of September 28, 2023, the FI and AU qualification standards will be renamed to CT-FIN and CT-EAV respectively. There are no substantial changes to these qualification standards. However, some minor technical amendments have been proposed to align the wording with other qualification standards and to update the information in the occupational certifications, removing references to certification(s) that no longer exist. More information on qualification standards in the CT context can be found here.

Classification action codes for conversion and renaming

In accordance with the CT Conversion systems implementation instructions which were shared with organizations in May and June of 2023, users are required to input the following codes for the classification actions in their HR systems:

• Code “E” as the reason code for the conversion of AS positions with internal audit as primary purpose to CT-IAU. Code “E” indicates a Treasury Board imposed classification conversion.
• Code “RNM” as the reason code for the renaming of FI and AU positions to CT-FIN and CT-EAV respectively. Code “RNM” indicates a Treasury Board imposed classification renaming.

Post conversion, the code “E” for conversion transactions and “RNM” for renaming transactions should no longer be used in the system.

Freeze period

TBS recommends that organizations implement a three (3) week freeze period from July 21 to September 28, 2023, for CT positions and HR actions during the CT implementation process to help reduce data entry errors and possible pay issues.  This freeze period should be dedicated to handling position (classification) and HR action (staffing) requests specifically for the organization’s CT population, including AS internal audit, AU, and FI positions.  For more information on data entry, please consult the CT occupational Group Conversion page on GCcollab.

Bargaining unit designation code

Employees who will be part of the new CT subgroups will be assigned new Bargaining Unit Designation (BUD) codes when their records are converted or renamed in the HR systems. The BUD codes can be found in the introductory pages of the CT Collective Agreement. Employees occupying positions that will be become part of the CT group are subject to the rates of pay specified in Appendix A of the CT collective agreement. For any questions employees' pay, economic increases, or retroactive payments, please contact your organizational compensation team or the PSPC Client Contact Centre.

Union dues

As of October 1, 2023, union affiliation for CT-IAU and CT-EAV employees will be changed in the systems from Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), respectively, to ACFO. After the changes in union affiliation are complete PSPC will reconcile any dues paid by employees to PSAC or PIPSC between October 2019 and September 2023 once the conversion is completed.

Managerial or confidential positions (exclusions)

A managerial or confidential position is a position that has been excluded from a bargaining unit based on the managerial or confidential nature of the duties associated with that position. As a result of the FPSLREB’s decision to exclude a position, any existing managerial or confidential position will retain its status and will continue to be excluded.  Consequently, all currently excluded FI, AU or AS (Internal Audit) positions will remain excluded once the new CT group is implemented.

Performance Pay

Eligibility under the Directive on Performance Pay for Certain Senior Excluded and Unrepresented Groups and Levels will not change due to conversion. The Directive will be amended to include the new CT subgroups.