Defence Team managers: What you need to know about the upcoming classification conversion (PA, CS, FI and AU)

August 31, 2021 - Defence Stories

In recent years, the Treasury Board Secretariat—in discussion with bargaining agents and core public administration organizations—has been renewing the classification program. The Clerk’s Beyond 2020 report calls for a more agile, inclusive, and equipped public service. Modernized and streamlined classifications help ensure that our tools reflect the work of today’s public service and bring more consistency in how similar jobs are evaluated.

In particular, there are three classification renewal (conversion) exercises underway that are expected to be implemented over the next year and a half, starting in the winter of 2021:

• The Computer Systems (CS) group will change to a new occupational group called Information Technology (IT)
• The Program and Administrative Services (PA) group will be restructured to five new sub-groups. Negotiation, Mediation and Conciliation work currently classified as “PM-MCO” will become a new group of the same name, with a new acronym “MN”
• A new Comptrollership (CT) group will be created to bring together work in the areas of financial management, as well as external and internal audit

What you need to know

There will be no immediate changes to the classification or salary levels of any position until the conversions occur. Unless otherwise informed, employees continue to be covered under their current collective agreement and their bargaining agent does not change.

Please be assured that these changes are not about reducing jobs. Positions are expected to be renamed or converted to these new groups.

As a manager or supervisor, these changes may affect you in two ways: as an individual who is responsible for employees whose positions may change; and, as an employee who may occupy a position that will also undergo changes.

Regardless of the context, renewed classification tools will support you with your people management responsibilities and ensure that positions are evaluated with tools that reflect work performed in the public service today.

Your unique role as a manager or supervisor during these changes

We recognize that these changes can create some uncertainty or anxiety among your employees about what this means for their position. Similar information about these upcoming changes are expected to be shared with employees in the coming weeks. Employees will want to hear about the effect that these future changes may have on their position, their work, and the team overall, directly from you. They will look to you for reassurance and information.

It is important that you equip yourself. Tools have been prepared to support you in this regard and include Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the changes and change management tips to help you communicate with employees.

Timing for implementation

The implementation dates will be confirmed as we get closer to our conversion dates and will be based on discussion with key stakeholders, including bargaining agents. This includes ensuring that the new classifications and corresponding rates of pay can be seamlessly integrated into the pay system and that organizations are ready.

Changes to job evaluation and/or qualification standards and rates of pay

Indeterminate employees already in the position performing the job will be considered to have met any new minimum qualification requirements for the position based on education, experience, and/or training.

There are no changes to current salaries. Rates of pay for the new groups will be negotiated through the usual collective bargaining process. Salary protection measures will apply if the maximum salary of the new group and level (or sub-group and level, if applicable), is lower than the maximum salary of the current group and level, although this is not expected to be the case for most employees.

Resources

For more information, please consult the Classification Renewal (accessible only on the National Defence network) GCintranet page, which includes detailed Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Watch this short video to get a better understanding of conversion: Video: Conversion (accessible only on the National Defence network).

If you require additional information, please contact the Project Team or an agent at HR Connect RH (accessible only on the National Defence network) (1-833-747-6363).