Scope
Introduction
This allowance is payable in accordance with Appendices A and B to this directive in recognition of undesirable conditions existing at certain posts. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has been delegated authority to amend post rating levels, on the recommendation of the appropriate foreign service interdepartmental co-ordinating committee, as and when required.
Please refer to the Instructions at the end of this Directive for additional information or greater clarification of certain sections.
Directive
58.1 Application
(Note: Refer to Instructions)
58.1.1 The deputy head shall authorize payment of a Post Differential Allowance at the applicable rate having regard for the post rating level and the employee's family size, as shown in Appendix A to this directive, where:
(a) the amounts of Post Differential Allowance shall be revised on the first of April each year in accordance with the methodology agreed to in the National Joint Council Committee on Foreign Service Directives, and published on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's website; and
(b) the post rating levels shall be established and/or amended by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, on the recommendation of the appropriate foreign service interdepartmental co-ordinating committee, as and when required, and published on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's website.
58.1.2 The accompanied by one dependant rate shall be paid where one dependant is residing with the employee at the post for at least 8 months of any consecutive 12-month period.
58.1.3 The accompanied by two or more dependants rates shall be paid where two or more dependants are residing with the employee at the post for at least 8 months of any consecutive 12-month period provided one of the dependants is a dependent child.
58.2 Employee-Couple
58.2.1 The unaccompanied rate shall be paid to each employee of an employee-couple who are assigned to the same post, except that where a dependant resides with the employee-couple at the post, one employee shall be considered as unaccompanied and the other employee as accompanied at the appropriate dependant rate.
58.2.2 The unaccompanied rate shall be paid to each employee of an employee-couple who are assigned to different posts, except that where a dependant resides with the employee, the employee shall be considered as accompanied at the appropriate dependant rate.
58.3 Effective Date
(Note: Refer to Instructions)
58.3.1 Except where otherwise provided, an employee's Post Differential Allowance shall commence at the appropriate rate on the first compensation day following the employee's/dependant's arrival at the post and shall cease on the first compensation day following the employee's last day on duty at the post.
58.4 Bonus Payment
(Note: Refer to Instructions)
58.4.1 Following completion of 24 consecutive months of service at one or more posts for which a Post Differential Allowance is payable, the Post Differential Allowance to which an employee is entitled, on the basis of family size and post rating level, shall be increased by 50%. This bonus payment shall continue until the employee's final departure from a post at which a Post Differential Allowance is payable. The bonus may be payable at one or more posts listed in Appendix B to this directive, either as a result of an extended tour of duty at the same post or as a result of consecutive assignments at two or more such posts.
58.5 Additional Allowance due to Extraordinary Conditions
58.5.1 In the event of extraordinary conditions arising out of active hostilities and / or natural disasters at a post, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, on the recommendation of the appropriate foreign service interdepartmental co-ordinating committee, shall:
(a) establish a post rating level which recognizes extraordinary post conditions, where there was no Post Differential Allowance at the time; or
(b) revise the post rating level in effect at the time up to level V, to recognize extraordinary post conditions; or
(c) establish a special payment of up to 100% of the basic level V Post Differential Allowance to recognize extraordinary post conditions where a level V post rating was in effect at the time; or
(d) continue or revise, as necessary, payments authorized under this section to recognize a change in conditions, until such time as these conditions can be accommodated within the normal Post Differential Allowance rating scale; or
(e) recommend to the President of the Treasury Board such additional assistance as may be considered necessary, where current provisions are inadequate, because of unusual situations.
(Note: Refer to Instructions)
58.5.2 Where a post rating level or special payment has been established in accordance with subsection 58.5.1, the additional amount of Post Differential Allowance which shall be payable over and above the Post Differential Allowance which was previously established shall be calculated as follows:
(a) where there was no Post Differential Allowance authorized previously, the amount of Post Differential Allowance is the amount established in Appendix A to this directive on the basis of the post rating level and the employee's family size at the post;
(b) where a level I, II, III or IV Post Differential Allowance was previously established, the additional amount of Post Differential Allowance is the difference between the basic amount of Post Differential Allowance in effect at the time and the basic amount of Post Differential Allowance up to level V as established in Appendix A to this directive on the basis of the employee's family size at the post;
(c) where a level V Post Differential Allowance was previously established, the additional amount of Post Differential Allowance is the amount established as a special payment in accordance with paragraph 58.5.1(c) on the basis of the employee's family size at the post;
(d) the additional amounts of Post Differential Allowance or special payments calculated in accordance with paragraphs 58.5.2(a), (b) and (c) shall be adjusted, where applicable, to reflect a change in the amount of basic Post Differential Allowance on April 1st of each year;
(e) notwithstanding the provisions of subsections 58.6.1 and subsection 58.6.2, the additional amounts of Post Differential Allowance or special payments shall be payable during the period of extraordinary conditions, as determined by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in accordance with subsection 58.5.1, except that payments shall be limited to the period during which an employee and/or dependant is/are exposed to extraordinary conditions and shall be adjusted to reflect the employee's family size at the post.
(Note: Refer to Instructions)
58.5.3 The special payment or additional Post Differential Allowance paid pursuant to subsection 58.5.2 are to be calculated on the basis of the basic Post Differential Allowance and shall be paid in addition to the bonus payments generated pursuant to subsection 58.4.1.
58.5.4 The provisions of subsection 58.5.2 shall apply to all employees at a post during the period in which an additional amount of Post Differential Allowance or special payment is established to recognize extraordinary conditions, including an employee on temporary duty, notwithstanding that such employee may not be otherwise subject to this directive.
58.6 Temporary Absence
58.6.1 Where an unaccompanied employee is absent from the post on temporary duty, under emergency evacuation conditions or leave with pay for a continuous period of more than 25 compensation days, the Post Differential Allowance shall cease on the 26th compensation day and shall resume on the first compensation day following the employee's return to the post.
58.6.2 Where an employee is in receipt of a Post Differential Allowance at an accompanied rate, the rate of allowance shall be adjusted as follows:
(a) where the employee and all dependants are absent from the post for a period exceeding 25 compensation days because the employee is on temporary duty, under emergency evacuation conditions or on leave with pay, the allowance shall cease on the 26th compensation day following their departure and shall resume at the appropriate rate as applicable, on the first compensation day following the return of the employee and/or dependant(s) to the post and shall again be recalculated on the first compensation day following the employee's or dependant's return to the post to reflect the change in family size;
(b) where either the employee is absent from the post on temporary duty or on leave with pay, or the dependant(s) is/are absent from the post for whatever reason, for a period exceeding 25 compensation days, the rate of allowance shall be recalculated on the 26th compensation day following the departure of the employee and/or dependant(s) to reflect the change in family size as applicable and shall again be recalculated on the first compensation day following the employee's or dependant's return to the post to reflect the change in family size.
58.6.3 Where an employee is absent from the post on temporary duty at a location for which a Post Differential Allowance is payable, the Post Differential Allowance applicable to the temporary place of duty shall become payable on the 26th and each succeeding compensation day of such temporary duty unless an employee's dependant continues to reside at the post during the employee's absence. In this case, the allowance payable is the sum of the Post Differential Allowance payable at the post on the basis of the employee's family size less one and the Post Differential Allowance payable at the temporary place of duty at the unaccompanied rate except that in no case shall the allowance exceed the Post Differential Allowance which would be applicable were the employee and dependant(s) at the post with the higher post rating level.
Instructions
Instruction – General
A Post Rating Form, which was agreed to by the National Joint Council Committee on Foreign Service Directives is used to measure relative degrees of hardship at posts. On the basis of numerical ratings of relative degrees of hardship, employees are eligible for Post Differential Allowances according to Appendix A to this directive. The Post Rating Form resulted from a detailed study and analysis of conditions at representative posts as well as compensation provided in recognition of hardship by other foreign governments. The form measures physical environment, local conditions and personal safety and was revised in 2003.
Instruction for 58.1 - Application
The provisions of Section 58.1 also apply to employees on temporary duty in accordance with the provisions of FSD 8 - Short-Term Assignments Outside Canada, where the employee occupies self-contained accommodation.
Instruction for 58.3 – Effective Date
Where a dependant departs the post permanently in advance of an employee, the rate of Post Differential Allowance shall be reduced accordingly.
Instructions for 58.4 – Bonus Payment
1. The term "24 consecutive months of service" means 24 consecutive months during each month of which an employee is in receipt of a Post Differential Allowance for at least ten compensation days.
2. The following situations do not constitute a break in service in the determination of a bonus payment, but, at the same time, cannot be counted as service to establish eligibility for a bonus payment:
(a) temporary absence from post or between posts:
(i) on paid leave,
(ii) under emergency evacuation conditions,
(iii) on temporary duty, or
(iv) on leave without pay (including leave without pay at post);
(b) assignments in Canada between postings, which do not exceed 30 consecutive months, including periods of leave without pay.
3. Bonus payments authorized under this section shall not be taken into consideration in calculating an additional amount of Post Differential Allowance or special payment under subsection 58.5.2.
4. Where following final departure from post, an employee is granted leave without pay prior to reporting for duty in Canada, the date of assignment in Canada, for purposes of subsection 58.4.1, is the date of commencement of leave without pay.
5. Except where preceded by a period of leave without pay, assignments in Canada commence on the date the employee reports for duty in Canada.
Instructions for 58.5.1 – Additional Allowance due to Extraordinary Conditions
1. Special payments in excess of 50% of the basic level V PDA or assistance authorized in accordance with sections (c) and (e) shall be reported to the National Joint Council Committee on Foreign Service Directives.
2. Criteria for payments under paragraphs 58.5.1(c), (d) and (e) were agreed to by the National Joint Council Committee on Foreign Service Directives, effective April 1, 2009.
Instructions for 58.5.2 – Additional Allowance due to Extraordinary Conditions
1. While additional amounts of Post Differential Allowance or special payments are adjusted or terminated as a result of an emergency evacuation, subsections 58.6.1 and 58.6.2 apply to Post Differential Allowances in effect prior to the commencement of the extraordinary conditions.
2. In applying the provisions of paragraphs 58.5.2(a), (b) and (c), hardship rating points previously given for factors for recognition of extraordinary conditions shall be recalculated to take into account these extraordinary conditions, as determined in accordance with the agreed to methodology.