March 4, 2008

POLICY NOTICE

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, 2008, these allowances and dollar amounts are increased by 2.67 per cent.

FSD 10 – Posting Loan

Increase the maximum amount of the loan from $35,765 to $36,720 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 $2,600 to $2,669 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 $868 to $891 per relocation, and

FSD 15.32 (b) from $1,301 to $1,336 per relocation.

FSD 25 - Shelter – Shelter Cost

1.  The Shelter Cost Table at Appendix A to FSD 25, which was established on April 1st, 2004, following publication of the Census, remains in effect until March 31, 2009. Appendix A to FSD 25 effective April 1, 2004, reflects actual Ottawa/Gatineau rental costs on the basis of salary and applies to all employees at post on April 1, 2008.

2.  The salary that the employee is actually receiving will determine the initial shelter cost at the time of occupancy of permanent accommodation, and any subsequent increase in salary, including a retroactive increase, will not have an impact on the employee's shelter cost until the following April 1st. The employee's annual salary on April 1st of each year will determine the employee's salary group. As long as an employee's salary remains within the same salary group, there will not be any increase in shelter cost until the table is re-based.

3.  Adjustments to recognize changes in household size because of the arrival and departure of dependants would continue in accordance with the provisions s of FSD 25.12(a)(ii), on the basis of the employee's salary used to determine the shelter cost before the change in household size.

Appendix A - Employee shelter cost (dollars per month) April 1, 2004

The Table below, which has been included for greater clarity and ease of reference, applies to all employees at post on April 1, 2008, on the basis of actual salary received on that date.

Shelter Cost Table effective April 1, 2004

Salary Group

Household Size

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

&

over

1,021

1,087

1,125

1,152

1,174

NOTE: Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 107 of the Public Service Labour 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 30 – Post Transportation and Related Expenses

The fixed rates for the personal use of a Crown-held automobile or alternative transportation under the provisions of this Directive remain unchanged pending a review of the methodology.

FSD 32 – Day Care Assistance

1.  The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, on the recommendation of the appropriate Foreign Service Interdepartmental Co-ordinating Committee, has been authorized to adjust the deductible and maximum amounts payable under this Directive on April 1st of each year, to reflect the rates/costs in effect for that calendar year.

2.  Missions will revise the mission representative daycare ceiling to reflect 2008 costs, effective April 1, 2008.

3.  The various dollar amounts have been reviewed effective April 1, 2008, to reflect 2008 rates, as follows:

a.  the deductible amount which is payable by the employee increases to $1069 for full days and $535 for half days; and

b.  the maximum amount payable, (subject to the applicable deductible), increases to $3,207 for full days and $1,604 for half days.

FSD 56 – Foreign Service Premium – Appendix A

The Table below reflects FSP rates effective April 1, 2008.  An employee at post on March 31, 2008, shall not receive a lesser premium on April 1, 2008, than that which would have been received on the basis of the salary range in effect on March 31, 2008. In effect, all employees at post on March 31, 2008, shall receive an increase in FSP of 2.67 percent on April 1, 2008.

Foreign Service Premium Table effective April 1, 2008

 

STEPS

SALARY RANGES

I

II

III

IV

V

VI

 

(0-23)

(24-59)

(60-95)

(96-131)

(132-167)

(168 +)

UNACCOMPANIED

0

to

49,000

5,302

7,949

10,601

11,658

12,719

13,779

49,001

to

73,438

5,567

8,345

11,133

12,241

13,356

14,466

73,439

to

97,914

5,832

8,745

11,658

12,822

13,990

15,165

97,915

to

122,393

6,092

9,145

12,189

13,407

14,626

15,847

122,394

&

over

6,361

9,541

12,719

13,990

15,266

16,538

ACCOMPANIED BY ONE DEPENDANT

0

to

49,000

7,292

10,933

14,573

16,029

17,490

18,944

49,001

to

73,438

7,652

11,481

15,304

16,600

18,368

19,899

73,439

to

97,914

8,015

12,027

16,029

17,391

19,242

20,848

97,915

to

122,393

8,383

12,575

16,762

18,184

20,117

21,789

122,394

&

over

8,744

13,117

17,490

18,978

20,989

22,736

ACCOMPANIED BY TWO OR MORE DEPENDANTS

0

to

49,000

8,943

13,420

17,890

19,678

21,457

23,251

49,001

to

73,438

9,389

14,087

18,780

20,663

22,532

24,420

73,439

to

97,914

9,840

14,756

19,678

21,647

23,609

25,578

97,915

to

122,393

10,288

15,429

20,568

22,628

24,681

26,735

122,394

&

over

10,735

16,098

21,457

23,610

25,750

27,904

FSD 58 – Post Differential Allowance

The table below reflects the Post Differential Allowance rates effective April 1, 2008.

Post Differential Allowance Table effective April 1, 2008

Level

Unaccompanied

Accompanied by one dependant

Accompanied by two or more dependants

I

2,937

3,669

4,409

II

4,412

5,510

6,612

III

5,874

7,343

8,814

IV

8,814

11,014

13,217

V

11,751

14,690

17,625

Enquiries

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

Designated departmental officials may contact either:

Cynthia Nash
Senior Policy Analyst
Excluded Groups and Administrative Policies
Treasury Board of Canada, Secretariat
Telephone (613) 946-3714
Fax (613) 952-3002
Cynthia.Nash@tbs-sct.gc.ca

Kim Gowing
Policy Officer
Excluded Groups and Administrative Policies
Treasury Board of Canada, Secretariat
Telephone (613) 952-3256
Fax (613) 952-3002
Kim.Gowing@tbs-sct.gc.ca