Compensation Service Standards
Revised April 2002

These service standards define the Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) Compensation Service Line delivery targets for Compensation Services offices in terms of timeliness, access, and accuracy of the various compensation services available to clients.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Service Standards
• Keep in Mind
• Correspondence
• Telephone Calls
• Pay Transactions and Pay and Pension Interventions
• Cheques and Direct Deposit Statements
• Payment Distribution Address
• System Availability
• System Problem Reporting
• Policies and Procedures
• Manuals
• Compensation Training
• Contacts

Introduction

The Compensation Service Line documented its service levels in 1997 for compensation related functions, including advisory services, pay transactions and pay and pension interventions, delivery of pay instruments, training, and network and system support. Service levels continue to evolve as the business changes and will be revised periodically.

Target levels of service are based on the assumption that client departments and agencies have taken part in training, that they review manuals and publications, and verify data input for accuracy prior to submission to PWGSC.

Service Standards

PWGSC Compensation Service Line personnel will: 

• Answer correspondence (including letters, faxes, and emails) promptly and clearly.
• Provide timely and helpful response to telephone calls.
• Process pay transactions and pay and pension interventions promptly and accurately.
• Deliver cheques, cheque statements and associated documentation on time. (Cheques and Direct Deposit Statements)
• Provide updated information on changes to policies and procedures. (Policies and Procedures)
• Provide up-to-date training in accordance with the published schedule.
• Provide clear and straightforward information about our services along with one or more telephone enquiry numbers and/or email addresses to help you or put you in touch with someone who can. (Contacts)
• Do everything reasonably possible to make our services available to you.

Keep in Mind

• Client organizations are responsible for ensuring that their personnel are trained and that transactions are verified prior to input.
• Service levels are based on correct application of policies and procedures and accurate input of data by client organizations.
• Inquiries for which the answer necessitates coordination with resources outside the Compensation Service Office (CSO) fall outside the defined service levels.
• When further information has been requested from the client organization, the service level timeframe commences on receipt of the latest information received to enable the CSO personnel to respond to the request or to make the intervention.
• Intervention falls outside the service levels defined herein when errors are made by the client.

Correspondence

Correspondence (including letters, faxes, and emails) will be responded to promptly within the following timeframes (excluding mailing time when the answer is provided in writing):  

Correspondence	Timeframe
No research or minimum research required	within five (5) business days
Major research required	within ten (10) business days
Coordination with resources outside the Client Service Office	service level to be negotiated
Client incorrect input, delayed input requiring additional work, changes to T4s beyond one (1) fiscal year	service level to be negotiated

Telephone Calls

Telephone calls will be acknowledged within one (1) working day and will be answered within the following timeframes:

Telephone calls	Timeframe
No or minimum research required	within five (5) business days
Major research required	within ten (10) business days
Coordination with resources outside the Client Service Office	no service level

NOTE: Requests for interventions must be made in writing by the proper authority.

Pay Transactions and Pay and Pension Interventions

Edit messages received by the Client Service Office and written requests requiring intervention by Pay and Pension personnel will be actioned according to priority (excluding mailing time when the answer is provided in writing).  

Cheques and Direct Deposit Statements

Cheques and cheque statements will be delivered within the following timeframes based on the Pay Processing Schedule posted on the Compensation Sector Web Site at Pay Processing Schedules. This takes into account the time required to dispatch the outputs generated by the system and to deliver cheques and reports to the different destinations in accordance with PWGSC service agreement with Canada Post.

Payment Distribution Address

Addresses and associated paylists are assigned by client departments. The distribution of payments (cheques, statement of earnings, registers) and the maintenance of address files are carried out by Production Centers. However, all addresses and address changes (additions, modifications or deletions) must be forwarded through the pay office. Detailed instructions are included in the Personnel Pay Input Manual, Chapter 5-5. 

System Availability

The service level system availability is established at 99% from 7:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Ottawa time, Monday to Friday.  

System Problem Reporting

System support is available to users from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Ottawa time, Monday to Friday.

Policies and Procedures

The Compensation Service Line is responsible for providing advice, interpretation, and clarification regarding program policies, regulations, and legislative requirements or modifications concerning the administration of pay, pension, and insurance which have an impact on client compensation processes. Notifications published by the Headquarters (HQ) organization or by the CSO are located on the Compensation Web Site at Publications. 

Manuals

The Compensation Service Line is responsible for maintaining manuals relating to the administration of pay, pension and insurance. Compensation on-line manuals are located at Publications.

Training

Training is provided by each regional Client Service Office of PWGSC. In addition to classroom training, PWGSC is in the process of making more of its courses available in self-learning format. Course calendars and contact information for regions with on-line information are located at the Compensation Training site.

Contacts

Region	How to Contact
Atlantic	Janet Watson, Manager Compensation janet.watson@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca Accounting, Banking and Compensation (ABC) - Atlantic Region
Quebec	Manon Beaudry, Manager Compensation manon.beaudry@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca Compensation Sector site
National Capital	Denis R. Piché, Manager, Compensation Processing denis.r.piche@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca National Capital Region
Ontario	Neil Kumar, Manager Compensation neil.kumar@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca Compensation Training Course Calendar
Western	Arlene McLafferty, Manager Compensation arlene.mclafferty@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca E-Mail: WST-Edmonton.Advisory@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca Compensation Branch Western Region (Available in English only)
Pacific	Donna Borland-Spry, Manager Compensation donna.borland-spry@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca Pacific Region Extranet (Available in English only)

 

Pay and Pension Edit Messages and Interventions	Timeframe
Priority 1 - Impacts on processing a payment	within five (5) business days
Priority 2 - Master File or deduction adjustment or PWGSC-TPSGC 2386	within ten (10) business days
Priority 3 - No impact on employee's immediate pay	within twenty (20) business days
Coordination with resources outside the Client Service Office	service level to be negotiated
Correction of incorrect input or delayed input requiring additional work	service level to be negotiated

 

Pay Cycle	Processing Day	Delivery
7C	Every second Wednesday evening	The next Tuesday to major centres The next Wednesday to remote centres
7A/7B	Every second Tuesday evening alternating with 7C	The next Friday to major centres The next Monday to remote centres
6C	As per National Schedule Detail (processing days vary)	Three (3) days to major centres Four (4) days to remote centres Example: If processed Monday, Thursday to major centres, Friday to remote centres.
Supplementary (Updates)	Every other day, i.e., Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Tuesday, Thursday	Three (3) days to major centres Four (4) days to remote centres Example: If processed Monday, Thursday to major centres, Friday to remote centres

Type of Notification	Purpose	Timeframe
Compensation Directive (issued by HQ)	Required when a new policy and/or procedure on Compensation processes is introduced.	Fifteen (15) business days prior to the effective date or twenty (20) business days after PWGSC is notified of the change.
Special Bulletin and Advice (issued by HQ)	Required to advise clients of a new policy or procedure related to the Pension product.	Fifteen (15) business days prior to the effective date or twenty (20) business days after PWGSC is notified of the change.
Compensation Communiqué (issued by HQ)	Used to communicate administrative, operational and management information on Pay programs.	Fifteen (15) business days prior to the effective date or twenty (20) business days after PWGSC is notified of the change.
Contributor On-line Broadcast (issued by HQ)	Sent via the Contributor System to forward urgent information such as an operational reminder.	When required, one (1) business day prior to the effective date of the change.
Compensation Operations Bulletin (issued by CSO)	Provide additional information concerning operational processes and/or procedures following a Compensation Directive to Managers and Supervisors.	When required, eight (8) business days following the distribution of a Compensation Directive.
On-line Broadcast (issued by CSO)	Sent via the Regional Pay System (RPS), it is used to forward urgent information such as an operational reminder.	When required, one (1) business day prior to the effective date of the change.
Communiqué/Special Notice (issued by CSO)	Provide general information concerning any Compensation service to Managers and Supervisors.	Ten (10) business days prior to the effective date, if applicable.

PRIORITY 1 - PAY	PRIORITY 1 - PENSION
Service Level: within five (5) business days of receipt of all required information and documentation	Service Level: within five (5) business days of receipt of all required information and documentation
Interventions related to processing a Pay Cheque, such as: PACS 01, 02, 05, 06, 08, 09, 13, 18, 33, 34, 35, 88, and Recall Intercepts, Pay Batches, and Death in Service	Return of Contributions

PRIORITY 2 - PAY	PRIORITY 2 - PENSION
Service Level: within ten (10) business days of receipt of all required information and documentation	Service Level: within ten (10) business days of receipt of all required information and documentation
Interventions related to processing deductions and entitlements, such as: PACs 03, 04, 12, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 30 -- Pay, and T4 Amends current and past year	Forms PWGSC 2097, 2386, 2019. Edit Messages N01, N86, PAC 19-Return of Contributions, and PAC 30-Pension.

PRIORITY 3 - PAY	PRIORITY 3 - PENSION
Service Level: within twenty (20) business days of receipt of all required information and documentation	Service Level: within twenty (20) business days of receipt of all required information and documentation
Interventions related to Salary Service corrections	Contributor rejects