# 2016-118 Pay and Benefits, Intended Place of Residence (IPR)

Case Summary

F&R Date: 2016–10–28

The grievor was denied an extension of time to utilize his Intended Place of Residence (IPR) benefit after his release. He argued that he required the extension since he had not found a suitable job in his preferred IPR location within the one-year entitlement. He claimed that this circumstance was beyond his control.

The Chief of Military Personnel (CMP) denied the grievor's request for an extension of time to elect and use his IPR benefit, finding that the request did not meet the intent of the Canadian Forces Integrated Relocation Program (i.e., was not beyond the grievor's control). Because the decision being grieved was made by CMP who reports directly to the Chief of the Defense Staff (CDS), there was no Initial Authority grievance decision.

The Committee considered the scope of the grievor's job search and the volume of applications and was not convinced that the grievor had maximized what was within his control. Therefore, the Committee concluded that the grievor had not demonstrated that his inability to find employment in his preferred IPR area was beyond his control. The Committee recommended that the grievance be denied.

The Committee observed that the time available to members to utilize their IPR benefit has twice been reduced in recent years. The Committee noted that the intent of the benefit is to recognize the sacrifices made by CAF members and their families over the entirety of their career, especially the extreme family disruptions caused by postings driven by military need. The Committee suggested that the CDS consider restoring the previous two-year time limit for eligible members to make their IPR election.

FA Decision Summary

FA Decision Pending