March 13, 2006
POLICY NOTICE
Foreign Service Directives - Allowances and Dollar Amounts April 1, 2006
FSD 17 - Appendix - Special Short-Term Separation Assistance for Spouses or Common-law Partners – June 1, 2006
SUBJECT: Foreign Service Directives – Allowances and Dollar Amounts
1. Provision is made under the Foreign Service Directives (FSD) to revise certain allowance and dollar amounts on the first of April each year in accordance with the methodologies agreed to in the National Joint Council Committee (NJC) on Foreign Service Directives.
2. Effective April 1, 2006, these allowances and dollar amounts are increased by 2.65 per cent.
3. The following changes are effective April 1, 2006, except for FSD 17 – Appendix – Special Short-term Spousal Separation Assistance, which is effective June 1, 2006.
FSD 10 – Posting Loan
Increase the maximum amount of the loan from $33,926 to $34,825 or up to 50 per cent of gross annual salary in effect at the time the loan is approved, whichever is the lesser.
FSD 15 – Relocation
FSD 15.31 – Incidental Relocation Expense Allowance
Increase the incidental relocation expense allowance from $2,467 to $2,532 per relocation.
FSD 15.32 – Car Rental Expenses
Increase the amount which may be claimed for car rental expenses under:
FSD 15.32 (a) and (c) from $823 to $845 per relocation, and
FSD 15.32 (b) from $1,234 to $1,267 per relocation.
FSD 17 - Appendix - Special Short-Term Separation Assistance for Spouses or Common-law Partners
1. Special Short-Term Separation Assistance for Spouses or Common-law Partners was introduced on June 1, 2001, on a trial basis, for three years and was scheduled to be reviewed two months prior to the expiry date of the trial period, that is, no later than April 1, 2004, to decide if it would be extended, incorporated into the Directive on a permanent basis, or terminated.
2. It had been agreed to extend this assistance for an additional one-year period to May 31, 2005, to provide additional time to complete the scheduled review. As this review has not been completed, this assistance has been further extended to the effective date of changes resulting from the next cyclical review of the FSDs, that is January 1, 2008, or such earlier date on which revised provisions become effective.
FSD 25 - Shelter – Shelter Cost
1. The Shelter Cost Table at Appendix A to FSD 25, which was established on April 1st, 2004, following publication of the Census, remains in effect until March 31, 2009. Appendix A to FSD 25 effective April 1, 2004, reflects actual Ottawa/Gatineau rental costs on the basis of salary and applies to all employees at post except for those few employees who continue to come under the transition provisions of Appendix B.
2. The salary that the employee is actually receiving will determine the initial shelter cost at the time of occupancy of permanent accommodation, and any subsequent increase in salary, including a retroactive increase, will not have an impact on the employee's shelter cost until the following April 1st. The employee's annual salary on April 1st of each year will determine the employee's salary group. As long as an employee's salary remains within the same salary group, there will not be any increase in shelter cost until the table is re-based.
3. Adjustments to recognize changes in household size because of the arrival and departure of dependants would continue in accordance with the provisions of FSD 25.12(a)(ii), on the basis of the employee's salary used to determine the shelter cost before the change in household size.
Appendix A - Employee shelter cost (dollars per month) April 1, 2004
The Table below, which has been included for greater clarity and ease of reference, applies to all employees at post on April 1, 2006, on the basis of actual salary received on that date.
|
Shelter Cost Table EFFECTIVE April 1, 2004 |
|||||||
Salary Group |
Household size |
||||||
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 & + |
|||
|
28,000 |
to |
29,999 |
560 |
626 |
664 |
692 |
713 |
|
30,000 |
to |
31,999 |
578 |
644 |
683 |
710 |
731 |
|
32,000 |
to |
33,999 |
596 |
661 |
700 |
727 |
748 |
|
34,000 |
to |
35,999 |
612 |
677 |
716 |
743 |
764 |
|
36,000 |
to |
37,999 |
627 |
693 |
731 |
759 |
780 |
|
38,000 |
to |
39,999 |
641 |
707 |
746 |
773 |
794 |
|
40,000 |
to |
41,999 |
655 |
721 |
759 |
787 |
808 |
|
42,000 |
to |
43,999 |
668 |
734 |
773 |
800 |
821 |
|
44,000 |
to |
45,999 |
681 |
747 |
785 |
812 |
834 |
|
46,000 |
to |
47,999 |
693 |
759 |
797 |
824 |
846 |
|
48,000 |
to |
49,999 |
704 |
770 |
808 |
836 |
857 |
|
50,000 |
to |
54,999 |
723 |
789 |
827 |
855 |
876 |
|
55,000 |
to |
59,999 |
748 |
814 |
852 |
880 |
901 |
|
60,000 |
to |
64,999 |
771 |
837 |
875 |
903 |
924 |
|
65,000 |
to |
69,999 |
792 |
858 |
897 |
924 |
945 |
|
70,000 |
to |
74,999 |
812 |
878 |
916 |
943 |
965 |
|
75,000 |
to |
79,999 |
830 |
896 |
934 |
962 |
983 |
|
80,000 |
to |
89,999 |
856 |
921 |
960 |
987 |
1,008 |
|
90,000 |
to |
99,999 |
886 |
952 |
990 |
1,018 |
1,039 |
|
100,000 |
to |
109,999 |
914 |
979 |
1,018 |
1,045 |
1,066 |
|
110,000 |
to |
119,999 |
939 |
1,004 |
1,043 |
1,070 |
1,091 |
|
120,000 |
to |
129,999 |
962 |
1,027 |
1,066 |
1,093 |
1,114 |
|
130,000 |
to |
139,999 |
983 |
1,049 |
1,087 |
1,114 |
1,136 |
|
140,000 |
to |
149,999 |
1,002 |
1,068 |
1,107 |
1,134 |
1,155 |
|
150,000 |
& |
over |
1,021 |
1,087 |
1,125 |
1,152 |
1,174 |
NOTE: Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 107 of the Public Service Labour Relations Act, revisions to this Appendix shall not constitute a change in terms and conditions of employment for employees subject to the Foreign Service Directives.
Appendix B – Employee shelter cost (dollars per month) April 1, 2006
|
Number of Persons in Household |
|
|
Salary Group |
1 person |
|
90,000 - and over |
909 |
NOTES:
1. This table applies to those employees who arrived at post prior to April 1, 2002, in accordance with FSD 25.08(a)(ii).
2. This table represents the 2005 Shelter Cost table increased by 0.8%, which is the increase from November 2004 to November 2005 as reported by Statistics Canada.
3. When no shelter cost is listed in Appendix B, the shelter cost in Appendix A applies.
4. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 107 of the Public Service Labour Relations Act, revisions to this Appendix shall not constitute a change in terms and conditions of employment for employees subject to the Foreign Service Directives.
FSD 30 – Post Transportation and Related Expenses
The fixed rates for the personal use of a Crown-held automobile or alternative transportation under the provisions of this Directive remain unchanged pending a review of the methodology.
FSD 32 – Day Care Assistance
1. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, on the recommendation of the appropriate Foreign Service Interdepartmental Co-ordinating Committee, has been authorized to adjust the deductible and maximum amounts payable under this Directive on April 1st of each year, to reflect the rates/costs in effect for that calendar year.
2. Missions will revise the mission representative daycare ceiling to reflect 2006 costs, effective April 1, 2006.
3. The various dollar amounts have been reviewed effective April 1, 2006, to reflect 2006 rates, as follows:
a. the deductible amount which is payable by the employee is increased to $982 for full days and $491 for half days; and
b. the maximum amount payable is increased to $2,946 for full days and $1,473 for half days.
FSD 56 – Foreign Service Premium – Appendix A
The Table below reflects FSP rates effective April 1, 2006. An employee at post on March 31, 2006, shall not receive a lesser premium on April 1, 2006, than that which would have been received on the basis of the salary range in effect on March 31, 2006. In effect, all employees at post on March 31, 2006, shall receive an increase in FSP of 2.65 per cent on April 1, 2006.
|
FOREIGN SERVICE PREMIUM TABLE EFFECTIVE April 1, 2006 |
|||||||||||||
|
STEPS |
|||||||||||||
|
SALARY RANGES |
I |
II |
III |
IV |
V |
VI |
|||||||
|
(0-23) |
(24-59) |
(60-95) |
(96-131) |
(132-167) |
(168 +) |
||||||||
|
UNACCOMPANIED |
|||||||||||||
|
0 |
to |
46,471 |
5,028 |
7,538 |
10,054 |
11,056 |
12,062 |
13,068 |
|||||
|
46,472 |
to |
69,648 |
5,279 |
7,914 |
10,558 |
11,610 |
12,667 |
13,720 |
|||||
|
69,649 |
to |
92,861 |
5,531 |
8,294 |
11,056 |
12,161 |
13,268 |
14,383 |
|||||
|
92,862 |
to |
116,076 |
5,778 |
8,673 |
11,560 |
12,715 |
13,871 |
15,029 |
|||||
|
116,077 |
& |
over |
6,033 |
9,049 |
12,062 |
13,268 |
14,478 |
15,685 |
|||||
|
ACCOMPANIED BY ONE DEPENDANT |
|||||||||||||
|
0 |
to |
46,471 |
6,915 |
10,369 |
13,821 |
15,202 |
16,587 |
17,966 |
|||||
|
46,472 |
to |
69,648 |
7,257 |
10,888 |
14,514 |
15,743 |
17,420 |
18,872 |
|||||
|
69,649 |
to |
92,861 |
7,602 |
11,406 |
15,202 |
16,494 |
18,249 |
19,772 |
|||||
|
92,862 |
to |
116,076 |
7,950 |
11,926 |
15,897 |
17,245 |
19,079 |
20,664 |
|||||
|
116,077 |
& |
over |
8,293 |
12,440 |
16,587 |
17,998 |
19,906 |
21,563 |
|||||
|
ACCOMPANIED BY TWO OR MORE DEPENDANTS |
|||||||||||||
|
0 |
to |
46,471 |
8,481 |
12,727 |
16,967 |
18,662 |
20,350 |
22,051 |
|||||
|
46,472 |
to |
69,648 |
8,905 |
13,360 |
17,811 |
19,597 |
21,369 |
23,160 |
|||||
|
69,649 |
to |
92,861 |
9,332 |
13,994 |
18,662 |
20,530 |
22,390 |
24,258 |
|||||
|
92,862 |
to |
116,076 |
9,757 |
14,633 |
19,506 |
21,461 |
23,407 |
25,355 |
|||||
|
116,077 |
& |
over |
10,181 |
15,267 |
20,350 |
22,391 |
24,421 |
26,463 |
|||||
FSD 58 – Post Differential Allowance
The table below reflects the Post Differential Allowance rates effective April 1, 2006.
|
POST DIFFERENTIAL ALLOWANCE TABLE EFFECTIVE April 1, 2006 |
|||
|
LEVEL |
UNACCOMPANIED |
ACCOMPANIED BY ONE DEPENDANT |
ACCOMPANIED BY TWO OR MORE DEPENDANTS |
|
I |
2,786 |
3,480 |
4,181 |
|
II |
4,184 |
5,226 |
6,271 |
|
III |
5,571 |
6,964 |
8,359 |
|
IV |
8,359 |
10,446 |
12,535 |
|
V |
11,144 |
13,932 |
16,716 |
Enquiries
Requests for more information or clarification should be addressed to departmental designated officials.
Designated departmental officials may contact:
Kim Gowing
Senior Policy Analyst
Labour Relations
Treasury Board of Canada, Secretariat
Telephone (613) 952-3256
Fax (613) 952-3002
Gowing.Kim@tbs-sct.gc.ca