Home » Directives » Isolated Posts and Government Housing Directive » March 1, 2017 » Part II - Designation and Payments

Part II - Designation and Payments

2.1 Designation and Effective Date

2.1.1 The locations named in Appendix A are hereby designated as isolated posts.

2.1.2 The period of eligibility for the payment of allowances shall commence on the later of:

  1. 00:01 hour of the day that the employee arrives at the headquarters;
  2. midnight of the last day in respect of which the employee is paid any transportation or travelling expenses as a result of the assignment to an isolated post; and
  3. 00:01 hour of the day the employee returns to work after a period of leave without pay ends.

2.1.3 A location is deemed an isolated post effective the date approved by the Isolated Posts and Government Housing Committee.

2.1.4 An isolated post shall have environment allowance, living cost differential, and fuel and utilities differential classifications as set out in Appendix A.

2.2 Termination

2.2.1 The period of eligibility for the payment of allowances shall end at midnight on the earlier of the day immediately preceding

  1. the first day in respect of which employees are paid any transportation or travelling expenses as a result of their relocation from their headquarters,
  2. the day they cease to be employees, or
  3. 00:01 of the first day in respect of which the employee begins a period of leave without pay.

Criteria

2.3 Determining Levels

2.3.1 Subject to Section 1.14, qualification for an EA is a prerequisite for all other allowances and benefits under this directive, except for the special location allowance. Locations are deemed an IP effective the date of approval by the IPGH committee.

* Payments of allowances and benefits are pro-rated based on complete months of service as defined under subsection 3.7.3 in the Isolated Posts and Government Housing Directive.

2.3.2 The classifications of isolated posts (Appendix A) are determined in accordance with the following criteria, set out in Appendix H:

  1. population,
  2. climate, and
  3. availability of commercial transportation or access by all-weather roads.

2.3.3 North of 60th Parallel: Upon written request of a deputy head, a location that is north of the 60th parallel of latitude shall be designated as an isolated post and shall be classified at environment level 1 or any higher level determined by the criteria set out in Appendix H, Section 1.

2.4 Population

2.4.1 The population of a location is the number of people who inhabit that location as set out in:

  1. the most current census of population of Canada,
  2. a provincial or municipal record of population, or
  3. a record of any other local authority.

2.4.2 The population of a location may be fixed by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat on the recommendation of the National Joint Council, when that population:

  1. cannot be clearly determined pursuant to subsection 2.4.1, or
  2. is the aggregate of the populations of locations that are amalgamated with, or close to, that location.

2.5 South of the Sixtieth

2.5.1 Population less than 10,000: A location south of the 60th parallel of latitude may be designated as an isolated post if:

  1. it has a population of less than 10,000; and
  2. it is not accessible by means of an all-weather road; or
  3. it is accessible by means of an all-weather road, but is more than:
    1. 161 kilometres by road from a location south of the 60th parallel of latitude with a population of more than 10,000, and
    2. 322 kilometres by road from a location south of the 60th parallel of latitude with a population of more than 50,000; and
  4. it is entitled to 45 points or more in accordance with the EA criteria set out in Appendix H, Section 1.

2.5.2 Population 10,000 – 15,000: When an isolated post south of the 60th parallel of latitude attains a population of 10,000 but not more than 15,000, it shall remain in Appendix A if it is:

  1. not accessible by an all-weather road; or
  2. accessible by means of an all-weather road and is more than 1,610 kilometres by road from a location south of the 60th parallel of latitude with a population of more than 100,000.

2.5.3 Population more than 15,000: When the population of an isolated post south of the 60th parallel of latitude exceeds 15,000, it shall be deleted from Appendix A.

2.5.4 An isolated post south of the 60th parallel of latitude, located less than 161 kilometres by road from an isolated post referred to in subsection 2.5.2, shall remain in Appendix A until:

  1. the population of the isolated post referred to in subsection 2.5.2 exceeds 15,000; or
  2. its deletion is recommended for other reasons pursuant to this part.

2.6 Additions and/or Deletions to Appendix A

2.6.1 The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat may:

  1. add to Appendix A the name of a location that conforms with the rules prescribed in subsection 2.3.3 and Section 2.5; or
  2. delete from Appendix A the name of a location that does not conform with the rules prescribed in subsection 2.3.3 and Section 2.5.

2.7 Additions and/or Deletions to Appendix G

2.7.1 The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat shall direct the addition of the name and classification of a location to Appendix G when that location conforms to the criteria set out in Appendix H, Section 5.

2.7.2 The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat shall delete the name of a location from Appendix G when that location does not conform to the criteria set out in Appendix H, Section 5.

2.8 Deletion of a Location or Reduction of an Allowance

2.8.1 The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat shall cause each employee affected to receive written notice of the change, when:

  1. a location is deleted from Appendix A,
  2. the rates set out in Appendix B, C, D or K are reduced,
  3. the LCD or F&UD classification of a location is reduced, or
  4. a location does not qualify for SCD.

2.8.2 The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat shall specify via Information Notice to Departments the effective date of any change to an allowance. Within 60 days of receiving the notification from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, departments shall provide a written notice to each employee affected by the change (email is considered an acceptable written notice).

2.8.3 EA and LCD: When written notices have been received by employees that the location no longer qualifies for EA or LCD, the amount of their EA and/or their LCD Allowance (as applicable) shall be reduced by the amount of the decrease, at a rate of $100.00 per month, starting on the first day of the fourth calendar month after the month in which written notice was received, until the allowance(s) has been reduced to zero.

2.8.4 F&UD and SCD: When the F&UD and SCD of a location is deleted, it shall terminate on the first day of the fourth calendar month after the month in which the employee received written notice.

2.8.5 Travel Assistance Benefits: When a location no longer qualifies for EA, the benefits referred to in Part III shall end on the first day of the fourth calendar month after the month in which written notice was received, if the employee affected by the change was entitled to them on the date that the change was made.

2.8.6 Relocation upon end of Employment:

  1. The benefits referred to in Sections 5.2 and 5.11 shall not terminate if the employee affected by the change was entitled to them on the date the change was promulgated.
  2. The benefits referred to in Section 5.4 shall not terminate if the employee affected by the change was entitled to them on the date the change was promulgated, provided that the employee had completed five years of continuous employment at an isolated post at the time of the change.

2.9 Changes to Appendix A, F or G

2.9.1 The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat may, with respect to a location named in Appendix A, F or G, establish, vary, or delete any classification of that location in conformance with the criteria.

2.9.2 The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat may delete the name of a location from Appendix F when:

  1. the National Joint Council determines that there are suitable accommodations available for employees with dependants at the headquarters of the employee; or
  2. the location is deleted from Appendix A.

2.10 Rates Established or Changed

2.10.1 The rates set out in Appendices B, C, D and K are hereby established with the approved methodologies for the EA, the LCD, the F&UD and the SCD respectively. Annual reviews and updates are not subject to written notifications as described in Section 2.13.

2.10.2 The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat may, in accordance with the approved methodologies, vary the rates set out in Appendices B, C and K, effective on the dates specified in the approved methodologies.

2.10.3 When the change is not in accordance with the approved methodologies, the President of the Treasury Board, on the recommendation of the National Joint Council, may vary the rates set out in Appendix B, C or K, effective on the dates specified by the President.

2.10.4 The President of the Treasury Board, on the recommendation of the National Joint Council, may vary the rates set out in Appendix D, effective on the date specified by the President.

Effects of Changes

2.11 Addition to Appendix A

2.11.1 When a location is added to Appendix A pursuant to Section 2.6,

  1. the EA, LCD, the F&UD and SCD (if applicable) are payable from the date specified by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat; and
  2. the employee affected is eligible for the other benefits of the directive from the effective date of the addition.

2.12 Increase to Classification

2.12.1 EA: When the environment classification of an isolated post is raised,

  1. the increase to the EA is effective on the date specified by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat; and
  2. the change in the associated benefits, if any, is effective on the date the increase is announced.

2.12.2 LCD: When the LCD classification of a location referred to in Appendix A or G is raised, the change shall be effective on the first day of the month following the month in which the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat receives notification of the change from Statistics Canada.

2.12.3 F&UD: When the F&UD classification of a location referred to in Appendix A or G is raised, the change shall be effective on the date determined by the Treasury Board Secretariat.

2.12.4 SCD: When the SCD of a location referred to in Appendix K is raised, the change shall be effective on the date determined by the Treasury Board Secretariat.

2.13 Reduction to Classification

2.13.1 The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat shall cause each employee affected to receive written notice of the change, when

  1. the rates set out in Appendix B, C, D or K are reduced; or
  2. the EA, LCD and F&UD classifications, or the SCD of a location are reduced.

2.13.2 The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat shall specify via Information Notice to Departments the effective date of any change to an allowance. Within 60 days of receiving the notification from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, departments shall provide a written notice to each employee affected by the change (email is considered an acceptable written notice).

2.13.3 EA: When written notices have been received by employees, the amount of their EA shall be reduced by

  1. one-half of the amount of the decrease, on the first day of the fourth calendar month after the month in which written notice was received; and
  2. the balance of the amount of the decrease, on the first day of the 13th calendar month after the month in which written notice was received.

2.14 Other Allowances and Benefits

2.14.1 The total amount of the reduction in the LCD, the F&UD, the SCD, and/or the special location allowance resulting from a reduction in the classification shall be effective on the first day of the fourth calendar month after the month in which written notice was received.

2.14.2 Any change to the benefits of the employees affected by a reduction in the classification of the EA shall be effective on the first day of the fourth calendar month after the month in which written notice was received.

2.15 Assignment after Effective Date of Change

2.15.1 Employees whose assignment began on or after the date that a reduction of any allowance was made shall be:

  1. deemed to have received any written notice referred to in this part; and
  2. paid allowances calculated at the rate in effect, as if they had received such written notices on the earliest date that other employees received that notice.
Index