Scope
Introduction
Where an employee's living accommodation is unoccupied during a temporary absence from a post, the risk of burglary or unlawful entry may be greater than in Ottawa/Gatineau, depending partly on the duration of absence and partly on the incidence of crime at that post. It is the policy of the employer to provide reasonable protection from these hazards, whether the need arises from program-related or other circumstances.
Directive
28.1 Application
28.1.1 Subject to Sections 28.2, 28.3 and 28.4, where an employee is temporarily absent from a post, and a dependant or a servant will not be residing in the living accommodation during that absence, and where protection from burglary or unlawful entry is considered essential, the deputy head shall authorize payment of the lesser of the following actual and reasonable expenses:
(a) storage, including the cost of packing, cartage, extra insurance and unpacking, of the employee's effects, or
(b) custodial services providing comparable protection, beginning on the first day of the employee's absence.
28.2 Program-Related Absence
28.2.1 Where in the opinion of the deputy head the absence arises from program-related circumstances, the storage expenses referred to in paragraph 28.1.1(a), may be authorized by the deputy head as many days beforehand as may be necessary to enable the employee's effects to be in safe storage from the first day of absence, and shall be limited to the expenses related to:
(a) household effects, where the employee's lease of privately-rented living accommodation is terminated with the approval of the deputy head, or
(b) personal articles only, where the employee's lease is not terminated or where the employee occupies Crown-held or employee-owned accommodation.
28.3 Weight Limitations
28.3.1 Where an employee is absent from a post on authorized leave of absence with pay, other than an absence covered by subsection 28.2.1 and where the employee's lease is not terminated or where the employee occupies Crown-held or employee-owned accommodation, the storage expenses referred to in paragraph 28.1.1(a) shall be limited to:
(a) a weight limit of
(i) 150 kilograms net (333 lbs) for an unaccompanied employee, or
(ii) 225 kilograms net (500 lbs) for an accompanied employee, and/or
(b) expenses incurred on or after the first day of the employee's leave of absence.
28.4 Other Circumstances
28.4.1 Pursuant to subsection 28.3.1, the deputy head shall authorize payment of expenses in respect of:
(a) an absence of eight days or more from a post where, in the opinion of the deputy head, the risk of burglary or unlawful entry into unoccupied accommodation significantly exceeds that of Ottawa/Gatineau, and
(b) where, in the opinion of the deputy head the risk of burglary or unlawful entry into unoccupied living accommodation is not significantly higher than in Ottawa/Gatineau, an absence from the post of:
(i) 19 days or more on vacation leave in respect of which a Vacation Travel Allowance has been paid, or
(ii) 25 days or more for any other reason.
28.5 Termination of Lease
28.5.1 An employee who is absent from the post on authorized leave with pay and whose lease is terminated with the approval of the deputy head is covered under FSD 15.13.1.
28.6 Managerial Discretion
28.6.1 Where, in exceptional circumstances, the employee cannot make alternative personal arrangements for the safe storage of an automobile, deputy head discretion may be exercised to make provision for such safe storage or authorize payment of the expenses incurred by the employee in providing such storage.