This directive is now hosted by the National Joint Council, where it was co-developed by participating bargaining agents and public service employers. The document has not been changed.

Note: Public Service employees must contact their Designated Departmental Commuting Assistance Coordinator (DDCAC) with their questions.

Other related documents

Principles

The following principles were developed jointly by the Bargaining Agents representatives and the Employer side representatives to the National Joint Council. These principles are the cornerstone that shall guide the parties in establishing fair and reasonable commuting assistance practices across the public service.

Trust - foster an environment that allows employees, bargaining agents and management to work together to develop mutually acceptable solutions.

Flexibility - create an environment where management decisions respect the duty to accommodate, best respond to employees' needs and interests, and consider operational requirements in the determination of commuting assistance arrangements.

Respect - create a sensitive and supportive environment and recognize employees in a professional manner while supporting employees, their families, their health and safety in the context of this Directive.

Transparency - ensure consistent, fair and equitable application of the Directive and its practices.

General

Collective agreement

This directive is deemed to be part of collective agreements between the parties to the National Joint Council (NJC) and employees are to be afforded ready access to this directive.

Grievance procedure

In cases of alleged misinterpretation or misapplication arising out of this directive, the grievance procedure, for all represented employees within the meaning of the Public Service Labour Relations Act will be in accordance with Section 14.0 of the National Joint Council By-Laws. For unrepresented employees the departmental or agency grievance procedure applies.

Effective date

This directive was effective on April 1, 2005.

Purpose

Commuting Assistance is provided to help defray excessive costs incurred in employees' daily travel to and from the regularly assigned worksite on the days when they are required by management to report for work and so report.

Normally, employees are expected to report for work at their own expense since they are free to choose where they will live.

For some worksites there is no suitable residential community reasonably close to the worksite, consequently, some employees may be subject to higher transportation costs.

Application

This directive applies to all employees at a worksite where commuting assistance has been authorized, and does not apply:

  1. to the transportation of schoolchildren,
  2. to those employees who normally take public transportation to and from the worksite and who are unable to do so because of an interruption in service caused by a work stoppage of the public transportation employees;
  3. to transportation to and from a place of work other than the regularly assigned worksite or between the worksite and another place of work;
  4. where adequate public transportation operates between a worksite and a suitable residential community, irrespective of the distance criteria; or
  5. to employees who, when they are assigned to the worksite, decline a written offer of Crown-owned or Crown-controlled living accommodation either at or within 16 kilometres of the worksite and choose to reside elsewhere.

Allowances authorized under the Isolated Posts and Government Housing Directive (IPGHD) shall not be construed to include commuting assistance. The criteria outlined in this directive will be used to determine whether commuting assistance will be authorized at isolated posts.

Definitions

In this directive,

adequate public transportation (transports en commun adéquats) - means public transportation serving the worksite

  1. whose schedule enables employees to report for work at their assigned times and to depart for home within a reasonable time after the end of their scheduled work period,
  2. that has the capacity to carry the employees, and
  3. that is available to employees at reasonable cost.

commuting assistance (aide au transport quotidien) - means the assistance provided to an employee under this directive;

department (ministère) - means a department or other portion of the public service of Canada,

  1. listed in Schedules I and IV to the Financial Administration Act; or (revised April 1, 2005)
  2. listed in Schedule V to the Financial Administration Act and which is a member of the National Joint Council of the Public Service of Canada; (revised April 1, 2005)

deputy head (administrateur général) - means the deputy minister or other chief executive officer of a department or agency and includes any employee of the department or agency who has been authorized to act on behalf of the deputy head or chief executive officer for the purposes of this directive;

employee (fonctionnaire) - means a person

  1. employed in the federal public service,
  2. whose salary is paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund, and
  3. includes a member of the Canadian Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police;

majority of the employees (majorité des fonctionnaires) - means 50 per cent or more of the employees at a worksite, excluding those occupying Crown-owned or Crown-leased accommodation that is located at the worksite;

suitable residential community (quartier résidentiel convenable) - means a location where,

  1. taking the vacancy rate into account, excluding vacant lots, the majority of employees could reside,
  2. adequate utilities and educational and commercial facilities are available, and
  3. road connections to the worksite are adequate.

worksite (lieu de travail) - means the location at or from which employees ordinarily perform the duties of their positions and, in the case of employees whose duties are of an itinerant nature, the actual building to which they return to prepare and/or submit reports, etc., and where other administrative matters pertaining to their employment are conducted.

Implementation

General

1.1 Criteria

1.1.1 The Deputy Head will authorize Commuting Assistance only when:

  1. adequate public transportation is not available between a suitable residential community and the worksite; and
  2. no suitable residential community is located within a direct road distance of 16 kilometres from the worksite.

1.1.2 A community will be deemed to be a suitable residential community:

  1. upon the mutual consent of the deputy head and the local representatives of the employees affected, or
  2. if the majority of the employees reside within 16 kilometres of the worksite.

1.2 Authorization

1.2.1 Following consultation with the designated representative(s) of the affected bargaining agent(s), an authorization shall:

  1. designate a suitable residential community;
  2. specify the form of commuting assistance to be provided; and
  3. be limited to the most practical and economical form of commuting assistance.

1.2.2 Where practical and reasonable, the same form of commuting assistance shall be authorized for employees of all departments at a worksite.

1.2.3 A deputy head shall consider energy conservation when choosing the form of commuting assistance.

1.2.4 Where there is a large number of employees at a worksite or where there are a number of suitable residential communities adjacent to the worksite, more than one suitable residential community may be designated.

1.2.5 A deputy head shall review an authorization referred to in this section at least once each fiscal year and, subject to 1.6, may continue, modify or revoke it.

1.3 More than one Department

1.3.1 When more than one department has employees at a worksite, the deputy heads shall determine collectively:

  1. how this directive will be applied and implemented; and
  2. what form of commuting assistance will be authorized.

1.3.2 Where the deputy heads are unable to arrive at a consensus, the matter may be referred to the National Joint Council for recommendation. The Treasury Board Secretariat, on the recommendation of the National Joint Council, shall resolve the matter.

1.3.3 Subject to 1.3.2, the authorization that is given by the deputy head of each department shall conform with the resolution.

1.3.4 While Departments may seek to establish cost sharing arrangements, each department shall be responsible for the cost of providing commuting assistance for their employees.

Types of Assistance

Commuting assistance will normally be provided by the use of Crown-owned vehicles, charter services, taxi pools or subsidizing regular commercial transportation fares. The use of privately-owned vehicles should only be authorized under exceptional circumstances where it can be clearly shown to be cost effective.

1.4 Employer provided

1.4.1 When a deputy head determines that the most practical and economical form of commuting assistance is to provide a government owned or chartered vehicle service, he or she shall direct that employees using the service pay a contribution towards the cost of the service.

1.4.2 When the vehicle service provides transportation only to and from the public transportation stop that is closest to the worksite, the deputy head shall not direct that employees pay a contribution.

1.4.3 When a vehicle service is provided between the designated suitable residential community and the worksite, the employee contribution for each one-way trip shall be $1.75 if no local public transportation system exists or an amount equal to the regular fare of the local public transportation system, whichever is less.

1.4.4 The rate of contribution will be reviewed at the next cyclical review, taking into account the approved methodology.

1.4.5 When the rates are changed, each employee and designated representative of the affected bargaining agent(s) shall be given written notice of the change. Such change shall be effective on the first day of the third month following employees' receipt of the written notice, or the effective date of the change, whichever is later.

1.4.6 The vehicle service may be permitted to stop along its normal direct route to pick up other employees. These passengers shall contribute the same amount as others.

1.4.7 When possible and practicable, the contribution may be collected through payroll deduction.

1.5 Private motor vehicle (PMV)

1.5.1 When a deputy head determines that the use of private vehicles is the most practical and economical form of commuting assistance, the rate of commuting assistance shall be the rate as prescribed in Appendix A.

1.5.2 The amount of commuting assistance to which employees are entitled for each working day they report to work shall be calculated by multiplying the rate:

  1. for an employee who resides in a designated suitable residential community, by the shortest return road distance between the worksite and the geographical centre of that designated suitable residential community less 32 kilometres; or
  2. for an employee who does not reside in a designated suitable residential community, by the lesser of:
    1. the shortest return road distance between the worksite and the employee's residence less 32 kilometres; and
    2. the shortest return road distance between the worksite and the geographical centre of the farthest designated suitable residential community less 32 kilometres.

1.6 Consultation on changes

1.6.1 The designated representative of the affected bargaining agent(s) shall be consulted concerning:

  1. any proposed change in the form of commuting assistance;
  2. any modification in or revocation of commuting assistance; and
  3. the effective date of any modification to or revocation of commuting assistance authorized under this directive.

1.6.2 When commuting assistance is modified or revoked, each employee and designated representative of the affected bargaining agent(s) shall be given written notice of the change. Such change shall be effective on the first day of the third month following employees' receipt of the written notice, or the effective date of the change, whichever is later.

1.7 Exceptions

1.7.1 Where deputy heads are of the opinion that they are not permitted by this directive to authorize commuting assistance, either they or the bargaining agent may submit the matter to the National Joint Council. The Treasury Board Secretariat may, on the recommendation of the National Joint Council, make a determination.

1.7.2 The documentation submitted to the National Joint Council shall include a statement:

  1. to the effect that consultations with the designated representative(s) of the affected bargaining agent(s) have taken place; and
  2. identifying the abnormal circumstances supporting a recommendation that commuting assistance be authorized, even though such circumstances clearly lie outside these guidelines.

1.7.3 Examples of such circumstances are:

  1. difficulties in recruiting and retaining employees that are directly attributable to the lack of commuting assistance;
  2. the practice of private employers in the area of the worksite;
  3. excessive commuting costs;
  4. significant alterations to transportation patterns; and
  5. major changes to operational requirements of the employer.

1.8 Reporting

1.8.1 Each deputy head shall maintain records that may be examined by the Treasury Board Secretariat or form the basis of reports when requested.

1.8.2 The records shall include:

  1. by worksite, a statement of the annual commuting assistance costs, the number of employees who are receiving commuting assistance at the end of the fiscal year and the form of commuting assistance provided;
  2. by worksite, the names of other participating departments;
  3. a statement and explanation of any changes in the commuting assistance from the previous fiscal year, giving the estimated increase or reduction in cost associated with each change;
  4. the results of any review referred to in 1.2.5; and
  5. the number of situations that were referred to the National Joint Council for resolution and the number that were dealt with within the department.

Appendix A: Lower Kilometric Rates

Effective April 1, 2010

Province/Territory

Cents/km
(taxes included)

Alberta

14.0

British Columbia

16.0

Manitoba

14.5

New Brunswick

15.0

Newfoundland and Labrador

17.0

Northwest Territories

25.5

Nova Scotia

16.0

Nunavut

25.5

Ontario

15.5

Prince Edward Island

15.0

Quebec

16.5

Saskatchewan

14.5

Yukon

24.5

Appendix B - Qualified Worksites and Designated Suitable Residential Communities

Effective date April 1, 2006

This appendix was prepared for convenience of reference only. (revised April 30, 2006)

Information in "Appendix B" is subject to change in accordance with the provisions of the Directive.

Qualified WorksitesDesignated Suitable
Residential Communities
Departments
Armstrong, QC St-Georges de Beauce, QC Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Caraway, AB Lethbridge, AB Citizenship and Immigration Canada
CFAD Rocky Point (CFB) Esquimalt), BC Colwood Corners/Victoria, BC Department of National Defence
CFB Shilo, MB Brandon, MB Department of National Defence
CFB Suffield, AB Medicine Hat, AB Department of National Defence
CFMETR Nanoose (CFB Esquimalt), BC Nanaimo, BC Department of National Defence
Coutts, AB Lethbridge, AB Citizenship and Immigration Canada; PWGSC
Debert, NS Truro, NS Department of National Defence
(Detachment) Dundern, SK Saskatoon, SK Department of National Defence
(Detachment) Folly Lake, NS Truro, NS Department of National Defence
Edmonton International Airport, AB Edmonton, AB Department of National Defence
Enfield, NS Halifax, NS Transport Canada
Halifax Int'l Airport, NS Halifax, NS Transport Canada; CFIA
Joyceville, Pittsburgh, Millhaven & Bath Institutions (ON) Kingston, ON Correctional Services Canada
Kingsgate Border Crossing, YK Creston; Cranbrook, BC Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Kwikwexwelhp - Harrison Mills, BC Agassiz & Mission, BC Correctional Services Canada
Lansdowne, ON Gananoque, ON Citizenship and Immigration Canada
LFCA Training Center Meaford (CFB Borden), ON Collingwood/Owen Sound, ON Department of National Defence
Montreal-Mirabel International Airport, QC Laval, QC Department of National Defence
North Portal, SK Estevan, SK Citizenship and Immigration Canada; PWGSC
NRS Newport Corner (CFB Halifax), NS Halifax/Dartmouth, NS Department of National Defence
Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge - Maple Creek, SK. Maple Creek, SK Correctional Services Canada
Pe Sakastew Centre - Hobbema, AB Wetaskiwin, AB Correctional Services Canada
Pigeon River, ON Thunder Bay, ON Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Renous, NB Miramichi, NB Correctional Services Canada
Rockwood Institutions, MB Selkirk; Warren Toulon; Balmoral; Winnipeg, MB Correctional Services Canada
St. Anthony Airport, NF St. Anthony, NF Transport Canada
Stanstead - Rock Island, QC Magog, QC Citizenship and Immigration Canada
St-Armand, QC St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC Citizenship and Immigration Canada
St-Bernard-de-Lacolle, QC St-Jean-sur-Richelieu; St-Jean d'Iberville, QC Citizenship and Immigration Canada; PWGSC; CFIA
Stony Mountain, MB Selkirk; Warren Toulon; Balmoral; Winnipeg, MB Correctional Services Canada
Victoria Airport, BC Victoria, BC Department of National Defence
Warkworth (Institution), ON Trenton, ON Correctional Services Canada
Woodstock, NB Fredericton, NB Citizenship and Immigration Canada