Archived: Response from Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
From Public Services and Procurement Canada
We have archived this page and will not be updating it
You can use it for research or reference.
Mr. Michael Wernick
Clerk of the Privy Council and
Secretary to the Cabinet
Langevin Block
80 Wellington Street, Room 332A
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A3
Dear Colleague:
Thank you for your letter of November 2, 2017, regarding the continued response to the challenges posed by the pay system. The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) has taken many steps to date to help stabilize the pay system and to ensure that its employees are paid accurately and on time.
ACOA is one of the departments whose accounts have not yet migrated to the Pay Centre, therefore compensation services remain on site. The Agency’s team of compensation advisors (CA) consists of a combination of indeterminate, term, and casual employees. It’s composition fluctuates to meet demand, ensuring efficient and accurate processing of transactions, reconciling accounts and verifying data in order to ensure payroll accuracy. In case of payroll inaccuracy, the Agency’s CAs communicate directly with employees to provide clarification, to take swift action to rectify the situation, and to offer an emergency salary advance, if needed.
Furthermore, the Compensation team participates actively in the various working groups and other forums led by the Pay Centre. Open communication and close proximity between the Human Resources (HR) staffing assistants responsible for My GCHR data accuracy and the CAs facilitate the resolution of integration issues. Particular attention is paid to student files, with a CA dedicated to ensuring accuracy of pay and to preventing overpayments, underpayments, and no-pay situations.
Overall, ACOA is well placed to contribute to the resolution of issues. With the exception of a very few complicated cases, all statutory deadlines for collective agreement implementation were met at the Agency. Future undertakings include implementing the HR-to-Pay Stabilization Training for HR and Compensation staff, employees and managers.
I can assure you that the Agency is fully committed to stabilizing the pay system and to ensuring that employees are paid on time and accurately.
Yours sincerely,
Francis P. McGuire
c.c.: The Honourable Navdeep Bains, P.C., M.P.