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Part III - Expenses and Leave

Travelling and Transportation Expenses

3.1 Non-Elective Medical or Dental Treatment

3.1.1 Employees who are granted leave without pay for the following reasons are also entitled to the benefits of this section: illness, injury-on-duty, or maternity/parental leave.

3.1.2 Subject to this section, when employees or their dependants obtain medical or dental treatment at the nearest location in Canada where adequate medical or dental treatment is available, as determined by the attending medical or dental practitioner, and they satisfy their deputy head by means of a certificate of the attending medical or dental practitioner that the treatment:

  1. was not elective,
  2. was not available at their headquarters, and
  3. was required without delay,

the deputy head shall authorize reimbursement of the transportation and travelling expenses in respect of that treatment.

Notes:

  1. The lower kilometric rate will apply except where there is no air service from the headquarters to the nearest location in Canada where adequate medical or dental treatment is available.
  2. Where there is no public transportation from the headquarters to the air service, the kilometric rate for government business travel shall be paid from the employee's headquarters to the nearest source of public transportation to the air service.
  3. An attending medical/dental practitioner means the qualified practitioner who has treated the patient at the isolated post. Patient includes the employee or the employee's dependant(s).
  4. There may be occasions when a delay of several weeks or possibly longer may occur before the patient can receive the treatment. This section applies when the delay is due to the fact that the facilities or medical practitioners at the treatment centre were not available immediately.
  5. Employees on non-elective medical or dental travel may elect for private non-commercial accommodation.

3.1.3 Expenses under this section shall not be reimbursed for orthodontic treatment that is aesthetic or cosmetic in nature. However, they are reimbursable when a dental practitioner certifies treatment is required for newborn infants afflicted with cleft lips and palates, for persons involved in accidents involving broken jaws or seriously damaged teeth and for persons having severely handicapping malocclusions causing severe masticatory dysfunction.

3.1.4 The expenses shall include the expenses of any person, other than the person who obtains treatment, if the deputy head is satisfied that:

  1. the treating physician has determined it is necessary for the person who obtains the treatment to be escorted during the period of travel; or
  2. no suitable arrangements for the care of the dependants can be made at the isolated post, and they must therefore accompany the person obtaining treatment.

Note:

Dependant care as defined by the Travel Directive shall apply only for expenses that are incurred as a result of travelling and are additional to expenses the employee would incur when not travelling.

3.1.5 When employees are granted benefits pursuant to this section and the deputy head is satisfied that:

  1. the treatment or the transportation was unavoidably prolonged, or
  2. the attending medical or dental practitioner has certified that the continued presence of the escort referred to in subsection 3.1.4 is required for purposes of the treatment, or
  3. the presence of the dependants referred to in subsection 3.1.4 is warranted, and
  4. meals and accommodation are not provided free of charge to the persons referred to in this section,

the deputy head shall authorize the reimbursement to employees of the transportation and travelling expenses that are incurred in respect of themselves, their dependants and escort. Receipts are required for all expenses (including meals) except for incidental expenses. All claims for reimbursement must be submitted no later than 12 months following the date of the treatment.

Note:

Refer to subsections 3.10.1, 3.10.3 and Section 3.11 for provisions relating to travel time and transportation delays.

3.2 Compassionate Travel and Expenses

3.2.1 When employees are granted leave with pay by reason of there being an illness in their immediate family, that is certified as critical by a qualified medical practitioner and that requires them to travel from their headquarters to another location and back, the employer shall reimburse the lesser of:

  1. an amount equal to "compassionate" airfare from the headquarters to the point of departure and return, if carriers at the headquarters offer "compassionate" airfares; or
  2. an amount equal to the cost of the regular return economy airfare between the headquarters and the point of departure, if carriers at the headquarters do not offer "compassionate" airfares; or
  3. the actual costs incurred for return travel between the headquarters and the location of the family member. Receipts are required for all expenses (including meals) except for incidental expenses.

3.2.2 Employees are to inquire and avail themselves of "compassionate" or discounted fares whenever possible.

3.2.3 The benefits provided by this section shall be extended to:

  1. the employee and the employee's spouse or common-law partner, with respect to the critical illness of their biological child, stepchild, adopted child or legal ward;
  2. the employee or the employee's spouse or common-law partner, with respect to the critical illness of other members of the employee's immediate family; or
  3. another dependant taking the place of the spouse or common law partner if the spouse or common law partner does not accompany the employee, or the employee does not accompany the spouse or common law partner.

Note:

Refer to subsections 3.10.1, 3.10.3 and Section 3.11 for provisions relating to travel time and transportation delays.

3.3 Bereavement Travel Expenses

3.3.1 When employees are granted leave with pay for a bereavement in the immediate family and they travel from their headquarters to another location and back, the employer shall reimburse the lesser of:

  1. an amount equal to "compassionate" airfare from the headquarters to the point of departure and return, if carriers at the headquarters offer "compassionate" airfares; or
  2. an amount equal to the cost of the regular return economy airfare between the headquarters and the point of departure, if carriers at the headquarters do not offer "compassionate" airfares; or
  3.  the actual costs incurred for return travel between the headquarters and the location of the family member. Receipts are required for all expenses (including meals) except for incidental expenses.

3.3.2 Employees are to inquire and avail themselves of "compassionate" or discounted fares whenever possible.

3.3.3 The benefits provided by this section shall be extended to:

  1. the employee and the employee's spouse or common-law partner, with respect to the death of their biological child, stepchild, adopted child or legal ward;
  2. the employee or the employee's spouse or common-law partner, with respect to the death of other members of the employee's immediate family; or
  3. another dependant taking the place of the spouse or common law partner if the spouse or common law partner does not accompany the employee, or the employee does not accompany the spouse or common law partner.

Notes:

  1. Refer to subsections 3.10.1, 3.10.3 and Section 3.11 for provisions relating to travel time and transportation delays. See Appendix O for examples.
  2. Reimbursement of expenses related to Compassionate or Bereavement Travel applies to the actual day(s) of travel from the headquarters to the point of departure or location of family member and from the location of family member or point of departure back to the headquarters.

3.4 Vacation Travel Assistance (VTA)

3.4.1 The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat will publish the amount of the VTA for each isolated post in the spring of each fiscal year on a date agreed to by the NJC Isolated Posts and Government Housing Committee (IPGHC). In addition, for those isolated posts with an EA classification of 4 or 5, on a date agreed to by the NJC IPGHC, a second VTA will be published and paid out in the fall of each fiscal year. These rates are separate and distinct and cannot be combined. TBS will notify departments of the rates.

3.4.2 The vacation travel assistance payments shall be limited to:

  1. once in each fiscal year for the employee whose headquarters has an EA classification of 1, 2 or 3;
  2. twice in each fiscal year for the employee whose headquarters has an EA classification of 4 or 5;
  3. where the employee arrives on or after October 1, once in that fiscal year in which at a headquarters having an EA classification of 4 or 5; or
  4. where the employee is expected to terminate the assignment on or before September 30, once in that fiscal year if the headquarters has an EA classification of 4 or 5.

3.4.3 The maximum number of VTA payments that can be received in a fiscal year is two (2). VTA is fixed on a per person basis and applies to the employee and applicable dependants over the age of 2.

3.4.4 Employees must apply for VTA in writing.

3.4.5 Employees may choose to request one VTA (regardless of the classification level of their isolated post) for persons who would qualify under the definition of dependant if they were not attending a post-secondary educational institution on a full-time basis away from the headquarters, once in each fiscal year to proceed from and return to the headquarters.

3.4.6 For purposes of VTA, when at least one dependant of the employee is also an employee and lives with him or her at their headquarters residence, one of them shall be deemed to be an employee and the other to be a dependant.

3.5 VTA Qualification Period

3.5.1 Employees who have been reimbursed relocation expenses pursuant to Part IV of this Directive and have moved from a non-isolated location to an isolated post must wait three months from the date of their relocation to the post to qualify for VTA.

3.5.2 Local hires initially appointed to a position at the post must also wait three months from the date of their appointment to qualify for the VTA.

3.5.3 Employees who have been reimbursed relocation expenses pursuant to Part IV of this Directive and have moved from one isolated post to another isolated post are not subject to the three-month waiting period.

Note:

Employees who resign from the Public Service in a fiscal year for which they have received any benefits pursuant to Section 3.4 may be subject to recovery action. Refer to Section 3.6 for complete details.

3.6 Vacation Travel Assistance Entitlement

3.6.1 Employees working at headquarters that have airports will be paid an amount equivalent to the return full fare economy class airfare between the headquarters and the point of departure. The payment will include the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and provincial or territorial sales tax, as applicable. The payment excludes airport fees, departure taxes, NAVCAN surcharges, travel agent fees, and other miscellaneous fees.

3.6.2 Where the airline whose rates are being used for VTA offers a percentage discount of the full fare economy class airfare on the basis of the age of a child, this rate will be used for the VTA for the child. Child rates for the purposes of VTA apply to children aged 2 through 12. Children under age 2 receive the child VTA rate upon proof of airfare ticket purchase.

3.6.3 Employees working at headquarters that do not have airports will be paid:

  1. the VTA equivalent to a return full fare economy class airfare between the nearest airport and the point of departure, AND the return lower kilometric rate for the driving distance between the headquarters and the nearest airport; or
  2. the return lower kilometric rate for the driving distance between the headquarters and the point of departure, where the most practical and direct means of reaching the point of departure is by road.

3.6.4 Where there is no airport at the headquarters and the distance between the headquarters and the nearest airport OR between the headquarters and the point of departure is 250 km or more, the employee and dependant(s) will each receive $100 for miscellaneous expenses each way.

3.6.5 There is no requirement to travel, or take leave, or lieu time off to receive the VTA payment. VTA is payable to the employee, for the employee and each applicable dependant, subject to subsections 3.4.2 and 3.6.2.

3.7 Recovery of Vacation Travel Assistance (VTA)

3.7.1 No recovery will be made when employees cease to be employees by reason of their retirement, disability, a work force adjustment or termination for reasons other than breaches of discipline or misconduct.

3.7.2 Subject to this section, when employees, except those referred to in Sections 5.2 and 5.11, resign from the Public Service or permanently relocate out of the isolated post to a location not listed in Appendices A or G, having received any benefits pursuant to Section 3.4 within the preceding three months (if the headquarters has an environment classification of 4 or 5) or within the preceding five months (if the headquarters has an environment classification of 1, 2 or 3) the amount of these benefits shall be:

  1. deducted from the amount that would have been paid pursuant to Part V; or
  2. considered a debt owing the Government when there are insufficient funds payable pursuant to this part or employees are not eligible to any benefits of this part.

3.7.3 When the headquarters has an environment classification of 4 or 5, the amount of the benefits recoverable shall be pro-rated as follows:

Departure

# of VTA payments

Recovery

Apr. 1 to Sept. 30

1

A

Apr. 1 to Sept. 30

2

A plus 2nd payment

Oct. 1 to Mar. 31

1

Nil

Oct. 1 to Mar. 31

2

B

A (Number of incomplete months of service between April 1 and September 30) X 1st payment ÷ 6.

B means (Number of incomplete months of service between October 1 and March 31) X 2nd payment ÷ 6.

Payment(s) (paiement(s)) means the benefits of Section 3.4 received within three months preceding the date of resignation.

Incomplete months of service (mois de service incomplets) means calendar months in which the employee did not earn at least 10 days' pay.

3.7.4 When the headquarters has an environment classification level of 1, 2 or 3, the amount of benefits recoverable shall be pro-rated as follows:

(Number of incomplete months of service in the fiscal year) X payment ÷ 12.

Payment(s) (paiement(s)) means the benefits of Section 3.4 received within five months of the date of resignation.

Incomplete months of service (mois de service incomplets) means calendar months in which the employee did not earn at least 10 days' pay.

Note:

Subject to subsection 3.7.1, the provisions of this section shall apply to all employees, including local hires, whether or not they relocate from the isolated post.

3.8 Part-time and Seasonal Employment

3.8.1 Subject to the Application section of this directive, part-time and seasonal employees shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 3.6, in the same proportion as their total annual hours of work compared to the total annual hours of work of a full-time employee occupying a position at the same occupational group and level (prorating).

3.9 Adoption of a Child

3.9.1 When an employee adopts a child and must travel from the headquarters to accept physical custody of that child, the deputy head shall reimburse, to the employee, the transportation and travelling costs incurred by

  1. the employee and spouse or common-law partner, for the journey between the headquarters and the location of the child, and
  2. the employee, spouse or common-law partner and child, for the return journey,

in an amount not to exceed the cost that would have been incurred had the journey been made to the point of departure and return by the mode(s) of transportation used by the employee.

Leave

3.10 Travel Associated with Leave with Pay

3.10.1 Once per fiscal year, for headquarters with an EA classification of 1, 2, or 3, or twice per fiscal year for headquarters with an EA classification of 4 or 5, when employees travel from their headquarters for vacation purposes, they shall be granted time off with pay, in lieu of being required to travel on a working day or on a day of rest, for a period that is the lesser of:

  1. two days, or
  2. the actual and reasonable time required to travel from headquarters to the point of departure or destination (if less), and return.

3.10.2 Employees claiming time off with pay for vacation travel shall submit a request for vacation or other paid leave, for a period that is contiguous to the period of time off with pay being claimed. Employees must satisfy the deputy head that travel will take or has taken place.

3.10.3 When employees are reimbursed transportation or travel expenses pursuant to Sections 3.1, 3.2 or 3.3, and the travel time granted pursuant to an appropriate governing authority is insufficient for them to travel to the point of departure and return, they shall be granted leave with pay for a period that is the lesser of:

  1. two days, or
  2. the actual and reasonable time required to travel from headquarters to the point of departure and return.

3.10.4 If regular flight schedules do not allow for an employee to reach the point of departure without an overnight stopover, the employee may be granted up to 3 days leave with pay.

3.11 Transportation Delays

3.11.1 On each occasion that employees are granted the benefits of Section 3.10, deputy heads shall, if they are satisfied that the time required to travel was prolonged by reason of transportation delays beyond the control of those employees, grant up to five additional days of leave with pay.

3.11.2 Deputy heads may, if they are satisfied that leave in excess of the leave granted pursuant to this section was required for the reason described in this section, grant additional leave with pay.

3.11.3 When employees are granted benefits pursuant to this section, deputy heads shall authorize the reimbursement of transportation and travelling expenses incurred by employees and their dependants, if they are satisfied that the commercial carrier does not pay these expenses in those circumstances. Receipts are required for all expenses (including meals) except for incidental expenses.

3.12 Elective Medical or Dental Treatment

3.12.1 If employees or any of their dependants must travel from their headquarters to another location to obtain elective medical or dental treatment that is not available at their headquarters, they shall be granted, during a fiscal year, a maximum of 3 additional days of leave with pay for the actual time that is required to travel and obtain the treatment.

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