Foreign Service Directives - Allowances and Dollar Amounts

April 1, 2004

POLICY NOTICE

Foreign Service Directives – Allowances and Dollar Amounts – April 1, 2004

FSD 17 - Appendix – Special short-term separation assistance for spouses or common-law partners – June 1, 2004

Subject: Foreign Service Directives – Allowances and Dollar Amounts

1. Provision is made under the Foreign Service Directives (FSD) to revise certain allowance and dollar amounts on the first of April each year in accordance with the methodologies agreed to in the National Joint Council Committee (NJC) on Foreign Service Directives.

2. Effective April 1, 2004, these allowances and dollar amounts are increased by 3.11 per cent.

3. The fixed rates for the personal use of a Crown-held automobile or alternative transportation under the provisions of FSD 30, Post Transportation and Related Expenses, remain unchanged pending a review of the methodology.

4. The following changes are effective April 1, 2004, except for FSD 17 – Appendix – Special Short-term Separation Assistance for Spouses and Common-law Partners, which is effective June 1, 2004.

FSD 10 – Posting Loan

Increase the maximum amount of the loan from $31,991 to $32,986 or up to 50 per cent of gross annual salary in effect at the time the loan is approved, whichever is the lesser.

FSD 15 – Relocation

FSD 15.31 – Incidental Relocation Expense Allowance

Increase the incidental relocation expense allowance from $2,327 to $2,399 per relocation.

FSD 15.32 – Car Rental Expenses

Increase the amount which may be claimed for car rental expenses under FSD 15.32(a) and (c) from $776 to $800 per relocation, and under (b) from $1,164 to $1,200 per relocation.

FSD 17 - Appendix - Special Short-Term Separation Assistance for Spouses or Common-law Partners

Special Short-term Separation Assistance for Spouses or Common-law Partners was introduced on June 1, 2001, on a trial basis, for three years and is scheduled to be reviewed two months prior to the expiry date of the trial period, that is, no later than April 1, 2004, to decide if it would be extended, incorporated into the Directive on a permanent basis, or terminated. This review may include amendments, as agreed.

It has been agreed to extend this assistance for an additional one-year period to May 31, 2005 to provide additional time to complete the scheduled review.

FSD 25 - Shelter – Shelter Cost

The methodology for the determination of adjustments to employees' shelter costs on April 1^st of each year has been revised effective April 1, 2004. A Policy Notice will be published shortly explaining the rationale and methodology for the determination of increases to employees' shelter cost on April 1^st of each year.

Appendix A applies to all employees except those who arrived at post before April 1, 2002, and for whom Appendix A would have represented an increase in shelter cost which exceeded the permissible increase under the revised methodology. Shelter cost for those employees is found in Appendix B.

The protected employees will continue to pay the shelter cost in Appendix B, adjusted April 1, 2004, by 1.1%, and annually thereafter by the Consumer Price Index movements, until the end of their posting, excluding extensions and cross-postings.

Where the relevant Appendix B shelter cost exceeds that of Appendix A, the latter shall apply.

Appendix A - Employee Shelter Cost (dollars per month) April 1, 2004

The Table below applies to all employees at post on April 1, 2004 on the basis of actual salary received on that date.

SHELTER COST TABLE EFFECTIVE APRIL 1, 2004
SALARY GROUP	HOUSEHOLD SIZE
SALARY GROUP	1	2	3	4	5 & +
28,000 to 29,999	560	626	664	692	713
30,000 to 31,999	578	644	683	710	731
32,000 to 33,999	596	661	700	727	748
34,000 to 35,999	612	677	716	743	764
36,000 to 37,999	627	693	731	759	780
38,000 to 39,999	641	707	746	773	794
40,000 to 41,999	655	721	759	787	808
42,000 to 43,999	668	734	773	800	821
44,000 to 45,999	681	747	785	812	834
46,000 to 47,999	693	759	797	824	846
48,000 to 49,999	704	770	808	836	857
50,000 to 54,999	723	789	827	855	876
55,000 to 59,999	748	814	852	880	901
60,000 to 64,999	771	837	875	903	924
65,000 to 69,999	792	858	897	924	945
70,000 to 74,999	812	878	916	943	965
75,000 to 79,999	830	896	934	962	983
80,000 to 89,999	856	921	960	987	1,008
90,000 to 99,999	886	952	990	1,018	1,039
100,000 to 109,999	914	979	1,018	1,045	1,066
110,000 to 119,999	939	1,004	1,043	1,070	1,091
120,000 to 129,999	962	1,027	1,066	1,093	1,114
130,000 to 139,999	983	1,049	1,087	1,114	1,136
140,000 to 149,999	1,002	1,068	1,107	1,134	1,155
150,000 & +	1,021	1,087	1,125	1,152	1,174

NOTE: Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 51 of the Public Service Staff Relations Act, revisions to this Appendix shall not constitute a change in terms and conditions of employment for employees subject to the Foreign Service Directives.

Appendix B - Employee Shelter Cost (dollars per month) April 1, 2004

Number of Persons in Household
Salary Group	1 person
90,000 - 99,999	894
100,000 – and up	894

NOTES:

1. This table applies to those employees who arrived at post prior to April 1, 2002 in accordance with FSD 25.08(a)(ii).

2. This table represents the 2003 Shelter Cost table increased by 1.1%, which is the increase from November 2002 to November 2003 as reported by Statistics Canada.

3. When no shelter cost is listed in Appendix B, the shelter cost in Appendix A applies.

4. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 51 of the Public Service Staff Relations Act, revisions to this Appendix shall not constitute a change in terms and conditions of employment for employees subject to the Foreign Service Directives.

FSD 32 - Day Care Assistance

Various dollar amounts have been revised effective April 1, 2004, to reflect 2004 rates, as follows:

The deductible amount which is payable by the parents is increased from $930 to $970 for full days and from $465 to $485 for half days.
The maximum amount payable has been increased from $2,790 to $2,910 for full days and from $1,395 to $1,455 for half days.
Missions will revise the mission representative daycare ceiling to reflect 2004 costs, effective April 1, 2004.

FSD 56 – Foreign Service Premium – Appendix A

The Table below reflects FSP rates effective April 1, 2004. An employee at post on March 31, 2004 shall not receive a lesser premium on April 1, 2004 than that which would have been received on the basis of the salary range in effect on March 31, 2004. In effect, all employees at post on March 31, 2004 shall receive an increase in FSP of 3.11 per cent on April 1, 2004.

FOREIGN SERVICE PREMIUM TABLE EFFECTIVE APRIL 1, 2004
	STEPS
SALARY RANGES	I		II		III	IV		V			VI
	(0-23)		(24-59)		(60-95)	(96-131)		(132-167)			(168 +)
UNACCOMPANIED
0 to 44,017	4,762	7,140		9,523			10,473		11,425	12,378
44,018 to 65,970	5,000	7,496		10,000			10,997		11,998	12,996
65,971 to 87,957	5,239	7,856		10,473			11,519		12,567	13,624
87,958 to 109,946	5,473	8,215		10,950			12,044		13,139	14,235
109,947 & over	5,714	8,571		11,425			12,567		13,713	14,857
ACCOMPANIED BY ONE DEPENDANT
0 to 44,017	6,549	9,821		13,091			14,400		15,711	17,017
44,018 to 65,970	6,874	10,313		13,747			14,912		16,500	17,876
65,971 to 87,957	7,201	10,804		14,400			15,623		17,285	18,728
87,958 to 109,946	7,530	11,296		15,058			16,334		18,071	19,573
109,947 & over	7,855	11,783		15,711			17,047		18,855	20,424
ACCOMPANIED BY TWO OR MORE DEPENDANTS
0 to 44,017	8,033	12,054		16,071			17,676		19,276	20,887
44,018 to 65,970	8,435	12,654		16,870			18,562		20,240	21,937
65,971 to 87,957	8,839	13,255		17,676			19,446		21,208	22,977
87,958 to 109,946	9,242	13,860		18,475			20,328		22,171	24,016
109,947 & over	9,643	14,461		19,276			21,209		23,132	25,066

FSD 58 – Post Differential Allowance

The table below reflects the Post Differential Allowance rates effective April 1, 2004:

POST DIFFERENTIAL ALLOWANCE TABLE EFFECTIVE APRIL 1, 2004
LEVEL	UNACCOMPANIED	ACCOMPANIED BY ONE DEPENDANT	ACCOMPANIED BY TWO OR MORE DEPENDANTS
I	2,639	3,296	3,960
II	3,963	4,950	5,940
III	5,277	6,596	7,917
IV	7,917	9,894	11,873
V	10,555	13,196	15,833

Enquiries

Requests for more information or clarification should be addressed to departmental personnel.

Designated departmental officials may contact:

G.R. Clayburn
Senior Policy Analyst
Safety, Health and Employee Services Group
Labour Relations & Compensation Operations
Human Resources Management Office
Treasury Board of Canada, Secretariat
Telephone (613)941-4608
Fax (613)952-3002
Clayburn.George@tbs-sct.gc.ca