Language selection

Wxt language switcher.

  • Français fr

Audit of Overtime and Travel

From: Transport Canada

October 2017

Executive Summary

Statement of conformance, 1.1. purpose, 1.2. background, 1.3.1 audit objective, 1.3.2 audit scope, 1.3.3 audit approach, 1.3.4 audit criteria.

  • 1.4. Report Structure
  • 2.1. National Strategic Level Findings
  • 2.2. Governance Level Findings
  • 2.3. Operational Level Findings

3. Recommendations and Management Action Plan

Appendix a - listing of overtime and travel data analysis reports.

The management of overtime and travel is a contributor to the efficient administration of public funds. While Transport Canada’s (TC) overtime and travel budgets represent a small proportion of salaries and other operating costs, the impact of not managing these expenditures efficiently can hinder the department’s ability to deliver its operations in a cost-effective manner.

The Audit of Overtime and Travel was included in the Department’s Risk-Based Audit Plan. The audit assessed the adequacy and effectiveness of existing controls to manage overtime and travel expenditures. Specifically, the audit assessed the controls in place that help ensure there are:

  • clear roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities of employees and management including Program Accountable Executives (PAEs) and other Responsibility Centre Managers.
  • useful monitoring tools and support available to managers and management boards and these tools are used to effectively manage overtime and travel expenditures to deliver their programs.

Overall, the controls in place for managing overtime and travel activities are adequate and the audit found no significant control weaknesses. However, there is a need to improve the use of existing data to support strategic decision-making; clarify and strengthen governance; and address some specific issues.

National Programs that rely on overtime and travel to deliver their programs are not maximizing the data available to fully understand the drivers of overtime and travel to help ensure their programs are delivered cost-effectively while supporting employees’ work-life balance. Although overtime and travel costs represent a small portion of TC’s budget, a lack of such analysis reduces the Department’s ability to plan for its long-term workforce, and identify cost-effective program delivery options while supporting employees’ work-life balance.

As part of the Department’s efforts to improve its budget planning, financial forecasting and management practices, steps should be taken to make better use of overtime and travel data. The analyses carried out by the audit team and shared with the Resource Management Committee should serve as a starting point for on-going analysis that would help ensure the cost-effective use of overtime and travel to deliver TC programs.

The roles and responsibilities described in the departmental Policy on Overtime and Extra-Duty are out of date. Well-defined roles and responsibilities are needed to ensure clear accountabilities and to support effective governance.

Lastly, minor control weaknesses related to overtime pre-approval, overtime entries within the Leave and Extra-Duty system, the monitoring of carry-forward compensatory leave balances and how cost-recoveries related to overtime and travel expenditures are accounted were observed.

The audit makes recommendations to help senior management target its efforts to improve the management of overtime and travel expenditures to help ensure they support effective and efficient program delivery.

This Audit conforms to the Internal Auditing Standards for the Government of Canada, as supported by the results of an external assessment of Internal Audit’s Quality Assurance and Improvement Program .

Dave Leach (CIA, MPA) Director, Audit and Advisory Services

Martin Rubenstein (CPA, CIA, CFE) Chief Audit and Evaluation Executive

1. Introduction

The Audit of Overtime and Travel was included in Transport Canada’s (TC) Risk-Based Audit Plan.

The audit assessed the adequacy and effectiveness of management controls related to overtime and travel. This is an area of increased interest given the departmental budget constraints experienced at the beginning of the 2015-2016 fiscal year. The audit focused on how the department manages overtime and travel through accountabilities, roles and responsibilities; guidelines and policies; departmental systems; monitoring and corrective actions.

TC completes a significant number of inspections and other activities that often require employees to travel and work outside of their normal working hours. Overtime and travel expenditures are an essential part of delivering the department’s mandate. According to the various collective agreements, employees’ earned overtime can be compensated either in cash or in equivalent leave with pay.

While the dollar amounts of overtime earned and of travel expenditures incurred do not make up a significant amount of the total department’s allocated budget, in a period of budgetary constraints, such expenditures can still be widely scrutinized. Even though some of the overtime and travel costs can be recovered from industries or other government departments, when employees take their compensatory leave with pay or are on travel status, there are indirect costs to the department (i.e. staff unavailable) impacting daily operations/ program delivery, which may drive the need for even more overtime.

This audit reviewed overtime and travel simultaneously because:

  • Both are guided broadly by governmental directives and are required to be managed by managers possessing delegated financial authorities.
  • Both require pre-approval from delegated managers and final approval is to be recorded in departmental systems.
  • Both impact not only the current year’s budget, but also program delivery (operations), work-life balance of employees, labour relations, the department’s reputation, and long-term planning.
  • Inaccurate entries in systems could impact financial reports and departmental performance, or be indicators of potential fraud.
  • In some Safety and Security programs, overtime and travel costs related to certain activities can be recovered from industries according to various regulations, contracts, or memoranda of understanding.

At TC, employees enter overtime requests in the automated departmental application, leave and Extra Duty (LEX). Managers with delegated financial authority review and approve extra duty (overtime) occurrences. Human Resources (HR) administers LEX to ensure the system corresponds to the latest collective agreements and they ensure the overtime entitlements are paid via the governmental pay system. Managers can monitor the overtime transactions directly through the LEX reporting function. TC uses the Salary Management System (SMS) to manage all salary information, and overtime is required to be forecasted and monitored under “Global Cost”.

For travel, employees use a web-based departmental tool called iTravel, which tracks and manages requests and approvals, from the initial authorization right up to the reimbursement of travel expenses. For both overtime and travel, managers can monitor expenditures by running different reports using TC’s financial reporting tool, Business Intelligence. Normally, managers’ Financial Management Advisors (FMAs) provide overtime and travel related reports and information through monthly Resource Utilization Status Highlight (RUSH) reports, or customized reports requested by managers.

Overtime and travel are just two examples of the many expenditure items considered as part of the Department’s budgeting, planning and reporting processes. For national programs, program business committees lead by a Program Accountable Executive (PAE), along with group level management boards have been the key governance bodies for budgeting, planning and reporting. As of January 2017 a new governance body, the Resource Management Committee (RMC), was created. Its purpose is to ensure a senior executive level review of department-wide resource management activities is conducted. RMC provides a forum for discussion, integration, management, decision-making and the formulation of recommendations to TC’s Executive Management Committee (TMX).

1.3. Audit objective, scope, approach, criteria and sample

The audit assessed the controls in place that help ensure there are:

  • Clear roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities of employees and management including PAEs and other Responsibility Centre Managers.
  • Useful monitoring tools and support available to managers and management boards and these tools are used to effectively manage overtime and travel expenditures to deliver their programs.

The audit looked at the management of overtime and travel expenditures that occurred in the last four fiscal years (2013-14 to 2016-17) for the following organizations:

  • Aircraft Services
  • Civil Aviation - Headquarters and five Regions.
  • Marine Safety and Security - Headquarters and five Regions
  • Programs - Programs in five Regions
  • Policy – Marine Policy in Headquarters

These organizations represent approximately 75% of total overtime and 68% of total travel expenditures over the four year period we examined.

njc travel directive overtime

In examining the management of overtime and travel within the department the audit team:

  • Reviewed roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities defined in relevant internal and external documents.
  • Reviewed departmental policies, guidance, procedures related to overtime and travel, including available training.
  • Reviewed departmental systems to see how managers, management boards and corporate services use them for the management of overtime and travel.
  • Reviewed data/information/reports provided to managers from different supporting groups (e.g., Finance, HR).
  • Interviewed staff and management at Headquarters and two regions (Pacific and Ontario) to see how they manage and monitor overtime and travel expenditures.
  • Analyzed data from the financial system, HR systems, and Safety and Security National Oversight Plans.
  • Carried out targeted overtime transaction testing.
  • Developed overtime and travel expenditure profiles and summaries for the organizations in the audit’s scope to illustrate the types of data analysis that management could perform.

The audit examined two broad areas:

  • Management Controls and Monitoring Activities.

Internal Audit expected accountabilities, roles and responsibilities of management and staff responsible for the monitoring of overtime and travel expenditures are defined, integrated, documented, and communicated.

Management Controls and Monitoring Activities

Internal Audit expected:

  • Departmental wide risks, including fraud risk, across different manual and automated systems and processes used to manage overtime and travel expenditures are identified, evaluated, mitigated and monitored on an on-going basis.
  • Key control activities are designed, documented and implemented to address horizontal risks identified in managing overtime and travel expenditures.
  • Policies, guidelines, procedures and tools are standardized, updated, and available to all staff who incur, input, and manage overtime and travel expenditures.
  • Information and reports available/provided to managers for decision-making purposes are accurate, complete and easily accessible.
  • Managers and management boards use the information to adequately oversee and manage overtime and travel expenditures.
  • Managers, management boards and Corporate Services work effectively together to monitor and manage overtime and travel to help ensure effective and efficient program delivery.

1.4. Report structure

For each level of findings, we have included contextual information, a summary of what we expected to find, what we found, our conclusions and where appropriate recommendations. The last section of the report contains management’s action plan to address the audit recommendations.

2. Findings, Conclusions and Recommendations

Overall conclusion.

The audit team found the controls in place for managing overtime and travel activities are adequate and there are no significant control weaknesses. However, there is a need to, improve the use of existing data to support strategic decision-making; update TC’s Overtime policy; and make some specific changes related to data entry, monitoring compliance and overall reporting.

2.1. National strategic level findings

Overtime and travel are necessary expenditures for TC to deliver its programs across the country at multiple sites. Marine Safety and Security inspectors traveling to carry out inspections of vessels, and Aircraft Services that maintain aircraft for clients who operate on a 24/7 basis (e.g. the Canadian Coast Guard) are just a few examples of why TC spends funds on travel and overtime.

Overtime and travel costs may be a relatively small portion of TC’s budget but they do impact employees’ work-life balance more than many other expenditures. Like all expenditures, spending decisions related to overtime and travel should be based on the best information and analysis available to support cost-effective and sustainable program delivery.

What We Expected

We expected accurate and complete information and reports to be provided to managers, and that management boards would use this information to adequately oversee and manage overtime and travel to help ensure effective and efficient program delivery.

What We Found

Managers have access to overtime and travel reports from TC’s Business Intelligence (BI) database and overtime reports directly from LEX. As well, FMAs support managers in financial management, by providing them with overtime and travel reports. These reports vary in detail, but usually include monthly RUSH reports, reports showing the potential cash impact of leave carried forward, and a list of top overtime earners. These reports focus on the short-term financial impact of overtime and travel by identifying current year budgetary pressures. They do not provide an analysis of overtime and travel cost drivers or workload and workforce changes that would support longer-term strategic decisions. The reports that are provided to the PAEs also do not focus on the national program, which includes the regions, to facilitate the management of overtime and travel at the national level.

Although the departmental systems have the capability to generate reports of varying levels of detail, the Department is not performing analyses to compare overtime and travel expenditures with non-financial information that would help identify long-term financial, operational, or workforce impacts.

Given that there have been no comprehensive national program analyses of overtime and travel carried out in the Department, the audit team conducted various data analyses based on the available data to demonstrate the type of analysis that should be performed to support decision making. The audit team analyzed four years of data of the five programs within the audit’s scope and provided the analysis to each Program Accountable Executive. The following are some examples:

  • National Program Profiles: For each of the five programs (HQ and five regions) profiles were created to illustrate overtime and travel expenditures broken down by region, highlighting changes over the four-year period. This analysis can help PAEs identify differences between regions that may help identify efficiency improvement opportunities.
  • 24/7 analysis: Displays when overtime occurs over the days of the week and the hours of each day. Each collective agreement sets “regular working hours” where, in theory, work could be scheduled. For example, the Technical Inspectors’ collective agreement describes a regular 7.5 hour workday could occur between 6:00 and 18:00 Monday through Friday (expect statutory holidays). This type of analysis can help identify opportunities to organize work to minimize the need for overtime between these “regular” working hours or suggest the need to explore the potential for shift work.
  • Full-time Employee (FTE) analysis: Overtime was converted into an FTE equivalent and compared with the Program’s actual FTEs. Such analysis can help PAEs analyze whether additional FTEs may be needed to deliver their programs or whether overtime continues to be cost-effective.
  • Sick leave analysis: Sick leave of top overtime earners were compared with the average number of days of sick leave taken by employees within the same occupational group. The analysis can be helpful in determining the extent to which overtime is a factor in the employees’ well-being.

The analysis conducted by the audit team only represents a sample of the potential analysis that can be performed with the data available to the Department. To be useful for the PAEs, the analysis should be customized to serve their decision-making needs.

National Programs that rely on overtime and travel to deliver their programs are not maximizing the data available to fully understand the drivers of overtime and travel to help ensure their programs are delivered cost-effectively while supporting employees’ work-life balance. Although overtime and travel costs represent a small portion of TC’s budget, a lack of such analysis reduces the Department’s ability to plan for its long-term workforce, and identify cost-effective program delivery options while supporting employees’ work-life balance. As part of the Department’s efforts to improve its budget planning, financial forecasting and management practices, steps should be taken to make better use of overtime and travel data. The analyses carried out by the audit team and shared with the RMC should serve as a starting point for on-going analysis that would help ensure the cost-effective use of overtime and travel to deliver TC programs.

Recommendations

  • The Department, through its newly formed RMC, needs to set the expectations for PAEs regarding managing overtime and travel of their national programs. To help ensure programs are delivered cost-effectively and to support employees’ work-life balance, data from departmental systems should be monitored, analyzed, and fully integrated into the departmental planning processes.
  • The Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) Corporate Services should identify and implement opportunities to improve the strategic advice and support provided by Financial and Human Resource Management Advisors to PAEs.

2.2. Governance level findings

The management of overtime and travel involves many key players, each having different roles and responsibilities in ensuring that the related funds are planned, budgeted, expended and monitored. With many players, it becomes increasingly important to have effective governance.

We expected accountabilities, roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders responsible for the management of overtime and travel expenditures to be defined, integrated, documented, and communicated.

The roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities of different stakeholders and guidance on the management of overtime and travel are defined in broad terms in various directives, policies, guidelines, collective agreements, and internal documents and procedures.

Although there is no government-wide specific policy on the management of overtime, the Directive on Terms and Conditions of Employment along with the various collective agreements provide an overall basis for the administration of overtime. At TC, user guides for systems such as LEX, iTravel and the Salary Management System are also available to help staff with the technical data entry questions related to overtime and travel. However, other than general or technical system user guidance, there is no specific guidance that describes what national programs should be analyzing to help them better manage overtime and travel.

In the absence of national guidance, some regions and programs have developed their own approaches to managing overtime, making it difficult to manage overtime consistently on a national basis and to identify areas for improvement.

TC’s Policy on Overtime and Extra-Duty , which was last updated in May 2001, provides some general guidance on overtime but does not reflect the roles, responsibilities and accountabilities of some key functions such as PAEs, FMAs, Labour Relations, and the Cost Recovery Unit. These key players have various roles in the planning and management of overtime such as overseeing national programs, providing advice to managers, and working with managers to ensure cost recoverable overtime is identified. In addition, the evolving roles of compensation advisors have also not been updated in the Policy to reflect the changes in their monitoring practices. As the department moves towards using all of the functionalities of Phoenix, the new government pay system, TC compensation advisors focus less on monitoring compliance with collective agreement conditions and more on ensuring data entries do not create technical issues with Phoenix. This change makes employees’ responsibility to accurately enter overtime requests and managers’ responsibility to ensure these requests are accurate, complete, and in accordance with an employee’s collective agreement, even more critical.

In terms of travel, the National Joint Council (NJC) Travel Directive provides the principles for the management of government travel and the guidance for employees and managers in achieving fair, reasonable and modern travel practices across the public service. TC’s intranet myTC provides detailed instructions and tips for each step of the travel process. In addition, the new Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference, and Event Expenditures that came into effect on April 1, 2017, redefined approval levels and triggered corresponding changes to delegation documents, the iTravel system and its user guide. These changes were communicated to employees via myTC website and direct email communication to regional accounting offices. Similar to overtime, there is no specific guidance on how travel should be managed nationally nor how data related to travel should be analyzed to identify potential efficiencies that should be applied on a national basis.

The roles and responsibilities described in the departmental Policy on Overtime and Extra-Duty are out of date. Well-defined roles and responsibilities are needed to ensure clear accountabilities and to support effective governance. In addition, if guidance on the management of overtime and travel is provided to PAEs, it should help them with:

  • Analyzing overtime and travel cost drivers;
  • Setting overtime and travel expenditure benchmarks for similar activities;
  • Analyzing costs and benefits of incurring overtime while travelling versus staying in a hotel for an extra night; and
  • Standardizing business rules for forecasting overtime in the department’s Salary Management System.

Recommendation

3. The ADM Corporate Services should update the departmental overtime policy to reflect the changes at the government level (e.g. Phoenix) and at the departmental level (e.g. Program Activity Architecture structure, RMC) to clearly define roles, responsibilities and accountabilities. As a result, procedures and guidance should be updated and communicated. This will facilitate the completeness and accuracy of data input, ongoing monitoring and reporting, and support national comprehensive analysis of overtime.

2.3. Operational level findings

The majority of the overtime and travel expenditures are incurred by inspectors and technical specialists who must also enter data related to their overtime and travel in departmental systems. In turn, their managers are responsible for ensuring that the data entered is accurate and complete. To help ensure overtime and travel entries are accurately captured, clear policies and procedures are essential in providing consistent guidance.

As well, given TC can recover costs, including overtime and travel for some activities, and these recoveries form a part of the Department’s revenue, clear guidelines on the management of these recoveries are needed to help ensure TC recovers and accounts for its revenues accurately.

We expected policies, guidelines, procedures and tools to be standardized, updated, and available to all staff who incur, input, and manage overtime and travel expenditures. We also expected these key controls to be monitored to ensure issues and/or risks related to overtime and travel are addressed in a timely manner.

Overall, we found that operational controls are defined and operating as expected. There are, however, a few specific areas related to pre-approval of overtime; data entry; monitoring compensation leave balances; and cost recoveries that should be improved.

TC’s Policy on Overtime and Extra-Duty and the collective agreements state that all overtime must be pre-approve, however, they do not prescribe how the pre-approval should be granted. Both in the regions and at Headquarters, the audit identified various ways in which pre-approval was granted for overtime. While some groups requested pre-approval through email and referenced the email when submitting their claim for overtime in LEX, others interpreted their approved inspection schedule as the pre-approval. There were also inconsistencies in who provided the pre-approval. While some groups had their overtime pre-approved by their direct supervisor such as a Technical Team Lead, others required the Regional Director’s approval. Although flexibility may be needed in the manner in which overtime is pre-approved in order to deal with operational realities, having guidelines defining acceptable overtime pre-approval methods would reduce the risk of inappropriate practices.

The audit team also tested for various potential data entry errors, such as selecting the wrong overtime multiplier, by reviewing the LEX transactions of the past four years. Although some errors were identified they represent a very small fraction of the total transactions and an immaterial dollar amount. However, with compensation advisors focusing less on monitoring compliance with collective agreement conditions and more on ensuring data entries do not create technical issues with the new governmental pay system, there is value in analyzing LEX transactions on a periodic basis to identify potential errors. The results of this type of analysis would allow for targeted training or other actions to help reduce the risk of incorrect entries.

As previously mentioned, Corporate Services provides a report to managers usually once a year (close to fiscal year-end), which indicates their employees’ compensatory leave balances. If managers do not closely monitor their budget, changes to their workforce, and operational priorities that may impact overtime, it could present a challenge, especially at the end of the year when an organization is forced to incur an expenditure for unused compensatory leave. As of 2016-2017, this situation has become a greater risk as a result of the mandatory cash-out deadlines being extended. Consequently, departments were allowed to carry forward all unused compensatory leave, instead of enforcing mandatory cash outs. The carry-forward compensatory leave balance increased from approximately $1.7M at the start of fiscal year 2017-2018 to approximately $3M by September, which increases the importance of carefully monitoring the potential impact at the departmental level.

Overtime and travel are cost recoverable for some technical services but there are inconsistencies between Programs on which costs are recovered. For example, one Program only recovers overtime that is paid in cash to their staff. In this case, overtime costs are compensated by leave with pay but are not charged to clients, even though they represent a cost to TC.

Also, overtime and travel are being accounted for differently between Programs. Some Programs credit recoverable overtime and travel back to expenditures while others record them as revenue.

These issues will be addressed as part of the Department’s initiative to modernize cost recovery which is currently underway.

Conclusion and Recommendation

4. The audit did not find any significant control weaknesses. However, testing did identify specific areas in need of some improvements related to data entry, compliance monitoring and overall reporting. The ADM Corporate Services should ensure:

  • Acceptable overtime pre-approval methods are defined and communicated.
  • LEX system control improvements are implemented to reduce the risk of data entry errors and periodic monitoring is carried out to identify potential data entry errors.
  • Appropriate monitoring of the increasing departmental liability pertaining to compensatory leave and advise senior management with a course of action.
  • A consistent approach to billing and recording overtime and travel cost recoveries is defined and implemented.

The following summarizes the audit recommendations and management’s plan to address them.

Report a problem with this page

Language selection

  • Français fr

Procedures on Travel

Version number: 1.0 Version date: June 30, 2021

Upon request, this corporate policy instrument (CPI) is available in multiple formats for individuals with a visual impairment (email Multiple Media-PAB / Format Substitut-DGAP (CRA/ARC) ).

On this page

  • Effective date
  • Application
  • Related corporate policy instruments
  • Activities for travel
  • Review and assessment
  • Version history
  • Appendix A – Definitions
  • Appendix B – Application of Residence Rule – Normal mode of commute is privately owned vehicle
  • Appendix C – Guide to insurance coverage for employees on government travel

1. Effective date

The Procedures on Travel came into effect on July 30, 2021, following approval by the Director General, Finance and Administration Directorate (FAD), Finance and Administration Branch (FAB).

For the version history of this document, see section 9 .

2. Application

These procedures apply to employees and other persons travelling on Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) business, such as members of Parliament, the minister’s exempt staff and contractors, and are mandatory to follow. They do not apply to those persons whose travel is governed by other authorities, such as the minister.

The term “employees” has been deliberately used throughout the document to distinguish entitlements that apply only to employees. Sections pertaining to “travellers” apply to contractors and other persons travelling on CRA business. For the purposes of these procedures, the term “employees” will encompass members of the Board of Management (Board).

The Code of Integrity and Professional Conduct highlights the rules, and describes the values, that guide CRA employees in their work. The Code, along with the CRA Foundation Framework for Corporate Policy, sets out the requirement to follow CPIs.

Consequences of non-compliance: failure to comply with CPIs may result in corrective measures, including administrative and disciplinary actions.

To help interpret and implement these procedures, key terms are defined in Appendix A – Definitions .

3. Related corporate policy instruments

These procedures flow from the CRA Directive on Travel.

For any other related CPIs, see References .

4. Overview

The purpose of these procedures is to help CRA managers make informed decisions while ensuring fair and consistent treatment of employees and others who are required to travel on CRA business. These procedures also serve to clarify and expand upon the requirements of the CRA Directive on Travel in order to help employees understand the allowances they are entitled to and the CPIs they must follow.

These procedures explain specific circumstances where travel costs may be reimbursed along with submission requirements for travel claims. Examples are provided for illustrative purposes and are not exhaustive.

These procedures are aligned, where appropriate, with the National Joint Council (NJC) best practices and government standards for travel. While these procedures are guided by the NJC, the entitlements of the employees will be determined in accordance with the provisions of the CRA Directive on Travel.

Headquarters (HQ) area, as referred to in these procedures, pertains to the area surrounding the traveller’s workplace having a perimeter that is at a distance of 16 km from the workplace, measured by the most direct, safe and practical road route.

5. Activities for travel

5.1 planning, 5.2 authorization, 5.3 travel advances, 5.4 workplace change, 5.5 claims submission process.

  • electronic receipt
  • digital or scanned image of a receipt
  • Word document
  • Email (must be unencrypted)

Submission of a travel claim for travel outside of Canada and the Continental U.S.A.

5.6 Receipts

  • In circumstances beyond the traveller's control such as an early morning flight departure where the traveller is unable to obtain a receipt from the accommodation or rental car supplier, indicating that the amount has been paid (a zero balance), the preliminary invoice issued by the supplier (without a zero balance) along with a proof of payment from the credit card statement will suffice.
  • incidentals
  • mileage usage of private motor vehicles
  • meter parking on the street and parking of $12.00 or less (taxes included)
  • taxis and ridesharing of $12.00 or less (taxes included)
  • public transportation such as bus, streetcar, subway, of $12.00 or less (taxes included)
  • mandatory transportation service charges and fees, incurred while travelling, not otherwise paid (such as docking fees, road/bridge tolls, ferries and other transportation service charges/fees) of $12.00 or less (taxes included)
  • financial transaction fees of $12.00 or less (taxes included)
  • private accommodation arrangements

5.7 Accommodation

  • For example, if departing from Halifax, arriving in Ottawa, and returning to Halifax on the same day, use the Atlantic time zone for departure from Halifax (breakfast) and use the Eastern time zone for departure from Ottawa (dinner).
  • For example, if departing from Vancouver, arriving in Ottawa, and returning to Vancouver on the next day, use the Pacific time zone for departure from Vancouver on the first day and use the Eastern time zone for departure from Ottawa the following day (day of the return trip).
  • For example, if departing from Ottawa, Canada and arriving in London, England, use the Eastern time zone for the determination of eligible meals. When returning to Ottawa, Canada from London, England, use the British Summer or Greenwich Mean time zone, as applicable, for the determination of eligible meals for the return trip.

5.9 Incidental expense allowance

  • For example, a traveller returning to their residence at 1:00 am would not be entitled to an incidental expense allowance for the following day. If the traveller returns to their residence at or after 2:00 am, they would be entitled to an additional incidental expense allowance for the following day.
  • A traveller departs from Ottawa (Canada) on Tuesday and arrives in Paris (France) at 11:00 pm local time the same day. The traveller will be reimbursed the applicable incidental expense allowance for Paris, as published in the CRA Directive on Travel – Appendix C: Daily Meal Rates at Locations Abroad in Canadian dollars.
  • When a traveller departs from Ottawa (Canada) on Tuesday and arrives in Paris (France) at 1:00 am local time the following day (Wednesday), the traveller was in transit at midnight on Tuesday. The traveller will therefore be reimbursed the applicable incidental expense allowance for Canada (location of departure) as published in the CRA Directive on Travel – Appendix B: Meals and Allowances. For Wednesday, the traveller will be reimbursed the applicable incidental allowance for Paris, as published in the CRA Directive on Travel – Appendix C: Daily Meal Rates at Locations Abroad, in Canadian dollars.

Travel in Canada and the Continental U.S.A.

  • For example, a traveller departs from Ottawa (Canada) on June 5 in the afternoon, stays in accommodation in Toronto (Canada) the night of June 5 and returns to Ottawa on June 6 in the afternoon. Using the formula, the number of incidental expense allowances paid is two (number of overnight stays (one) plus one).
  • For example, a traveller departs from Ottawa (Canada) on June 5 in the afternoon, stays in accommodation in Syracuse (United States) the night of June 5 and 6, leaves Syracuse on June 7 to attend a business meeting in Toronto (Canada) and returns to Syracuse the same day, and returns to Ottawa on June 8 in the afternoon. Using the formula, the number of incidental expense allowances paid is four (number of overnight stays (three) plus one). The currency used for the incidental allowance paid would be United States dollar for June 5, 6, 7 (days end in Syracuse) and Canadian dollar for June 8 (day ends in Ottawa).

Travel outside Canada and the Continental U.S.A.

  • For example, a traveller departs from Ottawa (Canada) on June 3 in the afternoon with a connecting flight in Toronto (Canada), arrives in London (England) at 6:00 AM local time on June 4 and stays in accommodation in London the nights of June 4 to June 6, and returns to Ottawa on June 7 in the afternoon. Using the formula, the number of incidental expense allowances paid is five (number of overnight stays (four) plus one). The currency used for the incidental expense allowance paid would be the Canadian dollar for June 3 (in transit at midnight), the pound sterling for June 4, 5, 6 (days end in London) and the Canadian dollar for June 7 (day ends in Ottawa).
  • For example, a traveller departs from Ottawa (Canada) on June 3 in the morning with a connecting flight in Toronto (Canada), arrives in London (England) at 10:30 PM local time and stays in accommodation in London the nights of June 3 and 4, leaves London on June 5 to attend a business meeting in Paris (France) and returns to London the same day, and returns to Ottawa on June 7 in the afternoon. Using the formula, the number of incidental expense allowances paid is five (number of overnight stays (four) plus one). The currency used for the incidental expense allowance paid would be the pound sterling for June 3, 4, 5, 6 (days end in London) and the Canadian dollar for June 7 (day ends in Ottawa).

5.10 Transportation

  • The mandatory transportation service charges and fees, incurred while travelling, not otherwise paid (such as docking fees, road/bridge tolls, ferries and other transportation service charges/fees).
  • Seat selection fee for commercial carriers, including preferred seating with the pre-approval and discretion of the delegated manager (written justification is required).
  • Airport improvement fees, not otherwise paid (for example, those prepaid as part of the fare).
  • Airport departure tax, not otherwise paid.
  • Additional service fees for excess baggage/excess weight for commercial carriers (written justification is required).
  • Public carrier ticket change fee for legitimate authorized modification of CRA business travel arrangements.
  • For example, if a discount fare is conditional on departing on a particular day, the extra costs including salary and living expenses must be factored into the cost-benefit analysis if the employee agrees to spend the weekend at the duty travel location or to stop over at another location. Overall savings must be clearly demonstrated and documented on file.
  • For example, a trip from Vancouver to Ottawa, direct route from Vancouver to Ottawa is allowed but not the route from Vancouver to Halifax to Ottawa, even though Vancouver to Halifax to Ottawa may be more economical.

Taxi and ridesharing companies

Rental vehicles

Privately-owned vehicles

CRA vehicles

Other-purpose vehicles

Insurance – rental vehicles

Insurance – privately-owned vehicles

  • type of coverage
  • amount of coverage and/or deductible selected by the employee
  • basic premium vs. SBI premium
  • vehicle make, model and year
  • effective date of coverage
  • payment arrangement (received in full/installment arrangement)

5.11 Non-standard costs and selections

5.12 combined personal/business travel.

  • For travel by air, a print screen from STS comparing the cost of the airfare for personal travel with the cost of the airfare for business travel only (between duty travel location and the residence).
  • For travel by rental vehicle, an email to the delegated manager including the combined rental fees (total trip) compared to rental fees solely for the business portion of the trip.

5.13 Overtime and other disruption to commute

  • employee’s normal mode of travel is no longer available, for example, the carpool departed at the regular hour without the employee or public transportation is no longer available; or
  • employee is departing or returning to the workplace with excess luggage that cannot reasonably be transported using the employee’s usual mode of transportation to the workplace (for example, public transportation network).

5.14 Additional expenses

Passports and medical service fees

Financial fees

  • Automated Banking Machine use
  • credit/debit card use
  • financial institution foreign currency transaction commission(s)
  • cheque-cashing fees

Claim process for lost or damaged luggage

5.15 Weekend travel to the residence

5.16 compensatory payments or benefits, 5.17 loyalty programs, 5.18 income tax considerations, 5.19 executive (ex) group and the board of management, 5.20 maple leaf lounge access, 5.21 recovery of travel costs from third parties.

Conferences and seminars

Audits involving travel outside Canada

5.22 Death, emergencies, illness and injuries while travelling

Death while travelling

  • at the place where death occurred: ambulance, hearse, embalming/cremation, outside crate/container (but not the cost of a coffin or an urn) and any other services or items required by local health laws
  • transportation of the remains to the HQ area or, if desired by the survivors, to another location, up to the cost of transportation to the HQ area
  • costs for an escort over and above the costs included in transporting the remains are payable only when an escort is required by law

Emergencies, illness, injuries while travelling

Insurance plans and compensation

  • the collective agreement or other authority governing terms and conditions of employment (for example, injury-on-duty leave and severance pay)
  • the Government Employees Compensation Act (GECA)
  • the Flying Accident Compensation Regulations
  • the Canada Pension Plan or Quebec Pension Plan
  • the Public Service Management Insurance Plan
  • the Disability Insurance Plan
  • the Public Service Health Care Plan (for medical and hospital expenses not paid under the GECA)
  • the Policy on Legal Assistance and Indemnification in the event of a civil action against an employee taken by a third party
  • insurance as a result of contracting with government-approved suppliers, services and products

5.23 Exceptions

6. review and assessment.

The director of the Systems, Policy and Control Division (SPCD) of FAB is responsible for the scheduled review of these procedures every five years, as well as any unscheduled reviews when necessary.

To support the review process, FAB will identify and undertake any monitoring and assessment activities to help it determine if the procedures are effective and being followed.

7. References

Related instruments and information:

  • Best Security Practices for International travel with CRA devices
  • Code of Integrity and Professional Conduct
  • Collective agreements
  • CRA Foundation Framework for Corporate Policy
  • Cyber security while travelling
  • Delegation of Spending and Financial Authorities for Agency Activities, Directive
  • Digital Signatures – how to create digital signatures (KnowHow)
  • Discipline, Directive on
  • Driver Safety Standard Operating Procedures
  • Financial Management and Financial Administration, Policy Framework for
  • Financial Management and Financial Administration, Policy on
  • Fleet Management Directive
  • Fleet Management Procedures
  • Income Tax Act (Department of Justice) (external link)
  • International Air Transport Association (external link)
  • International Relations and Treaties Office
  • Pre-approval of Travel, Hospitality, Conferences and Event Expenditures (THCEE), Directive on
  • Public Money and Receivables, Directive on
  • Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) Accommodation and Car Rental Directory
  • RC352 – Lost Receipt(s) Declaration
  • Relocation Policy
  • Request for Approval to Travel Outside of Canada (RATOC)
  • Shared Travel Services (STS) Portal
  • Storage, Disposal, Transmittal and Transport of Protected and Classified Information and Assets Directive
  • Sustainable Development Policy
  • T2200, Declaration of Conditions of Employment form
  • T4044 – Employment expenses guide
  • TBS Special Travel Authorities
  • TD4, Declaration of Exemption -Employment at Special Worksite
  • TF9 – Certifi/content/canadasite/surance and request for reimbursement of supplementary business insurance
  • Travel, Directive on
  • Travel (InfoZone)
  • Virtual Work Arrangements
  • Workplace Management, Policy on

8. Enquiries

Direct any questions about these procedures as indicated in the following table:

9. Version history

10. appendix a – definitions.

The following key terms, found in these procedures, are defined in the FAD Lexicon:

  • Actual and reasonable expenses
  • Car sharing
  • CRA business travel
  • CRA kilometric rate
  • Commercial accommodation
  • Contractor (Procurement and Assets Management Glossary)
  • Corporate residence
  • Declaration
  • Delegated manager
  • Designated Travel Card
  • Government and institutional accommodation
  • Government Travel Service
  • Headquarters area
  • Incidental expense allowance
  • Point of call
  • Private non-commercial accommodation
  • Ridesharing
  • Standing Travel Authority
  • Supplementary business insurance
  • Temporary duty travel location
  • Travel status

11. Appendix B – Application of Residence Rule – Normal mode of commute is privately owned vehicle

Application of residence rule for employees.

Visit the Maps and Weather section of the Travel page to determine if the residence is inside or outside the HQ area. Using Google Maps, input both the address of the residence and the workplace, and select the most direct, safe, and practical road route.

If the residence is more than 16 km from the workplace (outside HQ area), the Residence Rule will apply. Proceed to step 3. If the residence is equal to or less than 16 km from the workplace, the Residence Rule does not apply (inside HQ area) and there is no need to proceed further with step 3 and 4 below.

Determine if the first and/or last point of call is within the HQ area. If the point of call is equal to or less than 16 km from the workplace, proceed to step 4. If the point of call is more than 16 km from the workplace, the Residence Rule does not apply.

First, determine the Residence Rule constant distance factor by using calculation A. Then, determine the calculated distance paid by using calculation B.

Calculation A – Constant distance factor

Do the following calculations by inserting the applicable distances (see example below)

POC = Point of call R = Residence WP = Workplace

Calculation B – Calculated distance paid

Do the following calculations by inserting the applicable distances (see examples below)

Illustration: Perimeter of HQ area

Illustration: Perimeter of HQ area

Residence inside HQ area

Scenario 1 : R To WP (12 km)* To R (12 km)*

Actual distance driven: 24 km Distance paid: 0 km *Distance not paid: 24 km

The distance driven between the residence and the workplace is not paid.

illustration of scenario 1

Scenario 2 : R To WP (12 km)* To POC 1 (5 km) To R (20 km)

Actual distance driven: 37 km Distance paid: 25 km *Distance not paid: 12 km

illustration of scenario 2

Scenario 3 : R To WP (12 km)* To POC 1 (5 km) To WP (5 km) To R (12 km)*

Actual distance driven: 34 km Distance paid: 10 km *Distance not paid: 24 km

illustration of scenario 3

Scenario 4 : R To WP (12 km)* To POC 1 (5 km) To POC 2 (25 km) To POC 3 (10 km) To R (12 km)*

Actual distance driven: 64 km Distance paid: 52 km *Distance not paid: 12 km

illustration of scenario 4

Scenario 5 : R To WP (12 km)* To POC 1 (5 km) To POC 2 (25 km) To WP (20 km) To R (12 km)*

Actual distance driven: 74 km Distance paid: 50 km *Distance not paid: 24 km

illustration of scenario 5

Scenario 6 : R To WP (12 km)* To POC 2 (20 km) To POC 1 (25 km) To POC 3 (12 km) To R (12 km)

Actual distance driven: 81 km Distance paid: 69 km *Distance not paid: 12 km

illustration of scenario 6

Scenario 7 : R To WP (12 km)* To POC 2 (20 km) To POC 1 (25 km) To POC 3 (12 km) To WP (8 km) To R (12 km)*

Actual distance driven: 89 km Distance paid: 65 km *Distance not paid: 24 km

illustration of scenario 7

Scenario 8 : R To POC 1 (20 km) To R (20 km)

Actual distance driven: 40 km Distance paid: 40 km

illustration of scenario 8

Scenario 9 : R To POC 1 (20 km) To POC 2 (25 km) To POC 3 (10 km) To R (12 km)

Actual distance driven: 67 km Distance paid: 67 km

illustration of scenario 9

Residence outside HQ area

Scenario 10 : R To WP (25 km) To R (25 km)

Actual distance driven: 50 km Distance paid: 0 km R to WP (25 km)* and to R (25 km)* *Distance not paid: 50 km

illustration of scenario 10

Scenario 11 : R To WP (25 km) To POC 1 (5 km) To R (20 km)

Actual distance driven: 50km Distance paid: 16km Constant distance factor is 9 km (25 km less 16 km) - see the application of Residence Rule, calculation A. R to WP (25 km)*, to POC 1(5 km) and to R (calculated distance paid is 11 km (20 km less 9 km))* *Distance not paid: 34 km

illustration of scenario 11

Scenario 12 : R To WP (25 km) To POC 1 (5 km) To WP (5 km) To R (25 km)

Actual distance driven: 60 km Distance paid: 10 km R to WP (25 km)*, to POC 1(5 km), to WP (5 km) and to R (25 km)* *Distance not paid: 50 km

illustration of scenario 12

Scenario 13 : R To WP (25 km) To POC 1 (5 km) To POC 2 (25 km) To POC 3 (10 km) To R (35 km)

Actual distance driven: 100 km Distance paid: 66 km Constant distance factor is 9 km (25 km less 16 km) - see the application of Residence Rule, calculation A. R to WP (25 km)*, to POC 1(5 km), to POC 2 (25 km), to POC 3 (10 km) and to R (calculated distance paid is 26 km (35 km less 9 km))* *Distance not paid: 34 km

illustration of scenario 13

Scenario 14 : R To WP (25 km) To POC 1 (5 km) To POC 2 (25 km) To WP (20 km) To R (25 km)

Actual distance driven: 100 km Distance paid: 50 km R to WP (25 km)*, to POC 1(5 km), to POC 2 (25 km) to WP (20 km) and to R (25 km)* *Distance not paid: 50 km

illustration of scenario 14

Scenario 15 : R To WP (25 km) To POC 2 (20 km) To POC 1 (25 km) To POC 3 (12 km) To R (35 km)

Actual distance driven: 117 km Distance paid: 83 km Constant distance factor is 9 km (25 km less 16 km) - see the application of Residence Rule, calculation A. R to WP (25 km)*, to POC 2 (20 km) to POC 1 (25 km), to POC 3 (12 km) and to R (calculated distance paid is 26 km (35 km less 9 km))* *Distance not paid = 34 km

illustration of scenario 15

Scenario 16 : R To WP (25 km) To POC 2 (20 km) To POC 1 (25 km) To POC 3 (12 km) To WP (8 km) To R (25 km)

Actual distance driven: 115 km Distance paid: 65 km R to WP (25 km)*, to POC 2 (20 km), to POC 1 (25 km), to POC 3 (12 km) to WP (8 km) and to R (25 km)* *Distance not paid: 50 km

illustration of scenario 16

Scenario 17 : R To POC 1 (20 km) To R (20 km)

Actual distance driven: 40 km Distance paid: 22 km Constant distance factor is 9 km (25 km less 16 km) - see the application of Residence Rule, calculation A. R to POC 1(calculated distance paid is 11 km (20 km less 9 km))* and to R (calculated distance paid is 11 km (20 km less 9 km))* *Distance not paid: 18 km

illustration of scenario 18

Scenario 18 : R To POC 1 (20 km) To POC 2 (25 km) To POC 3 (10 km) To R (35 km)

Actual distance driven: 90 km Distance paid: 72 km Constant distance factor is 9 km (25 km less 16 km)-see the application of Residence Rule, calculation A. R to POC 1(calculated distance paid is 11 km (20 km less 9 km))*, to POC 2 (25 km), to POC 3 (10 km) and to R (calculated distance paid is 26 km (35 km less 9 km))* *Distance not paid: 18 km

illustration of scenario 18

12. Appendix C – Guide to insurance coverage for employees on government travel

Effective date : July 30, 2021

Note : Insurance coverage varies based upon an employee's profile and specific travel requirements. Employees are advised to verify all insurance coverage.

Page details

ServicePlus logo

  • Take action
  • National Joint Council directives

CAPE is a member of the National Joint Council (NJC), which brings together employers and bargaining agents to resolve problems and establish terms of employment that apply across the public service. The NJC has developed several directives and allowances that complement and clarify the terms of your collective agreement. 

These directives and allowances are negotiated between the NJC, the employer and all public service labour unions to provide guidelines and provisions that may be unique to your working situation or conditions. 

Subjects covered by the directives include government travel, relocation, commuting assistance, isolated posts and government housing, foreign service directives, work force adjustment, safety and health, the bilingual bonus and public service health plans.

Visit the National Joint Council directives page to access the most up-to-date directives.

Contact your local leadership!

You can contact your local executive or a steward if you need assistance.

Find your local contact

ServicePlus logo

ServicePlus is YOUR benefits program.

Check out the benefits and savings available to you.

Access Benefits

CAPE eNewsletter

Stay informed on the latest news.

  • How we support and represent you
  • Find your labour relations officer
  • Workplace issues
  • Know your rights
  • Informal conflict resolution
  • Filing a grievance
  • EC collective bargaining
  • TR collective bargaining
  • LoP collective bargaining
  • OPBO collective bargaining
  • RCMP collective bargaining
  • Bargaining updates
  • Bargaining teams
  • The Ratification and Voting Process
  • Who our members are
  • Member benefits and privileges
  • ServicePlus discount program
  • Volunteer with us
  • Submit a resolution
  • Special Levy 2023
  • Find your local
  • National Capital Region locals
  • Regional locals
  • Local Leadership Council
  • Presidents' Council
  • Regional councils
  • Become a steward
  • Framework for Good Governance
  • Serve on the National Executive Committee
  • Return-to-Office
  • Virtual Parliament and Interpreters
  • How we advocate for you
  • Annual Reports
  • CAPE in the News
  • Issue Briefs
  • Steward training
  • Joint learning program
  • Phoenix Escalation Working Group
  • Create your own caucus
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Buyandsell.gc.ca

Public Services and Procurement Canada

Travel Directive and Incidentals

Attention! We’ve Moved! The Supply Manual has moved to the CanadaBuys website. Check out the new landing page for the Supply Manual .

Attention! As part of the Acquisitions Program’s transformation agenda, PSPC is planning to archive and migrate the SACC manual to the CanadaBuys website. The SACC manual will continue to be available on the BuyandSell website to ensure continuity of service during this transition period. At this time, an initial version of the archived version of the SACC has been posted on CanadaBuys. We encourage you to go visit the site and get comfortable with the new format of the SACC at the following:

Archived - Standard Acquisition Clauses and Conditions Manual | CanadaBuys

We appreciate your continued feedback and cooperation during this transition.

Attention! More information for suppliers . Read the news item with updates on the SACC and Contract Modernization Initiative.

The purpose of Policy Notification (PN) 127 is to inform all Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) Acquisitions Program (AP) contracting officers of the revised National Joint Council Travel Directive . The revised National Joint Council (NJC) Travel Directive indicates that incidental expense allowances are to be paid to public service employees rather than to travellers. This PN is issued to address the NJC Travel Directive dated July 1, 2017 regarding the exclusion of payment of incidentals to contractors.

Effective date

This PN is effective immediately. The Supply Manual (SM) and Standard Acquisitions Clauses and Conditions (SACC) Manual have been updated to reflect the changes.

Treasury Board (TB) Contracting Policy 4.2.16 states: “The National Joint Council Travel Directive applies to travel costs incurred by contractors when these costs are a specific element of the contract.”. Solicitation documents and contracts incorporate by reference, travel rates published in Appendices B, C and D of the NJC Travel Directive. The revised NJC Travel Directive replaces the archived version dated April 1, 2008, which stated that incidentals were allowed for government employees and travellers, which included contractors authorized to travel on government business.

The NJC Travel Directive specifically defines the following:

“ Employee: a person employed in the public service.

Traveller: a person who is authorized to travel on federal government business ."

Please refer to National Joint Council Travel Directive definitions for further information.

The revised NJC Travel Directive allows incidental expenses for public service employees and does not reference ‘travellers' in regard to payment of incidentals. The directive states that a public service employee who is required to travel on government business shall be paid an incidental expense allowance that covers a number of miscellaneous expenses. As a result of the revision, the Supply Manual (SM) and SACC Manual have been updated.

The change to the NJC Travel Directive dated July 1, 2017 has implications for three different scenarios regarding the payment of incidentals to contractors in contracts that are issued under a procurement vehicle under the responsibility of PWGSC AP :

  • Existing contracts with reference to incidentals: Continue to respect the terms and conditions of these contracts. Incidentals pursuant to government-approved travel will continue to be paid in accordance to the terms and conditions of the contract.
  • Existing contracts without reference to incidentals: The decision to stop paying incidentals to contractors pursuant to government-approved travel, will be a business decision on a case-by-case basis, in consultation with Legal Services. This includes future call-ups (contracts) against existing standing offers and future contracts against existing supply arrangements.
  • New contracts: Incidentals are not to be paid to contractors pursuant to government-approved travel in new contracts. Incidentals are not to be included in the basis of payment regarding travel costs for contractors undertaking government-approved travel in new procurements, including contracts issued against standing offers and supply arrangements. PWGSC 's Standard Acquisitions Clauses and Conditions (SACC) Manual clauses will be revised to remove the term “incidentals” in the basis of payment clauses.

Summary of changes

Changes to the SACC Manual involve deleting incidental expenses from applicable clauses. Changes to the Supply Manual involve updating links to reference the latest NJC Travel Directive and include references to the Treasury Board Special Travel Authorities .

Contact information

Please direct any enquiries by email to the following address: [email protected] .

Affected Supply Manual sections

  • 10.1: Cost and profit: General information
  • 10.10: Travel and living expenses
  • 10.5.4: Annex: Cost Interpretation Bulletin - Number 04 Travel Costs

Affected SACC Manual sections

  • 5.C.C0211C: Basis of Payment
  • 5.C.C0212C: Basis of Payment - Hourly Rates
  • 5.C.C0213C: Basis of Payment - Firm Price - Services
  • 5.C.C0214C: Basis of Payment - Firm Hourly Rates
  • 5.C.C4005C: Travel and Living Expenses - National Joint Council Travel Directive
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to "About this site"
  • Departments

Language selection

  • Search and menus

CIHR Travel Policy

Table of contents, introduction, policy objectives and scope, authorities and references, application, definitions, 1. authorization, 2. travel agency, 3. loyalty programs, 4. overpayments, 5. receipts, 6. responsibilities, 7. suppliers, services and products, 8. travel advances, 9. travel forms, 10. insurance plans and compensation, 11. vehicle insurance, 12. module 1 - travel within headquarters area - no overnight stay, 13. module 2 - travel outside headquarters area - no overnight stay, 14. module 3 - travel in canada and continental usa - overnight stay, 15. module 4 - international travel - overnight stay, 16. death while on travel status, 17. emergencies, illnesses and injuries while on travel status, 18. president, 19. executive group / governing council, 20. persons on contract, 21. students, monitoring and reporting.

Parliament and Canadians expect the federal government to be well managed by ensuring the prudent stewardship of public funds and the effective, efficient and economical use of public resources. In doing so, they also expect the government to act at all times with the highest standards of integrity, fiscal prudence, accountability, transparency, values and ethics. These fundamental management principles apply to all government expenditures, including travel.

Collective agreement

This policy is deemed to be part of the most recent Collective Agreement Between the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Public Service Alliance of Canada for the Administrative Support Category, and employees are to be afforded ready access to this policy.

Grievance procedure

In cases of alleged misrepresentation or misapplication arising out of the policy, the grievance procedure, for all represented employees within the meaning of the Public Service Labour Relations Act, will be in accordance with Article 18 of the Collective Agreement Between the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Public Service Alliance of Canada for the Administrative Support Category. For unrepresented employees, the CIHR grievance procedure as indicated in the CIHR Recourse and Conflict Resolution Policy applies.

This policy ensures that all travel arrangements are consistent with the provisions of the National Joint Council’s (NJC) Travel Directive. The purpose of this policy is to ensure fair treatment of employees travelling on government business consistent with the principles above. The provisions contained in this policy are mandatory and provide for the reimbursement of reasonable expenses necessarily incurred while travelling on government business and to ensure employees are not out-of-pocket. These provisions do not constitute income or other compensation that would open the way for personal gain.

Relevant Legislation

  • Financial Administration Act

Other Relevant Documents

  • Treasury Board Special Travel Authorities
  • Public Service Labour Relations Act
  • Government Employees Compensation Act
  • Directive on the Management of Expenditures on Travel, Hospitality and Conferences
  • Policy on Financial Management Governance
  • Policy on Financial Resource Management, Information and Reporting
  • Policy on Internal Control
  • Directive on Expenditure Initiation and Commitment Control
  • Directive on the Delegation of Financial Authorities for Disbursements
  • Disclosure of Travel and Hospitality Expenses
  • The Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service
  • Policy Framework for Financial Management
  • Framework for the Management of Compliance

Part I , Part II , Part III and Part IV apply to CIHR employees, exempt staff and other persons travelling on government business, including training.

Part V applies to those persons whose travel is governed by other authorities as per Treasury Board Special Travel Authorities including the President, Governing Council, Executive Group, Persons on contract, and Students.

Note that travel expenses incurred by CIHR Institute staff are governed by their host institution's policies .

Accommodation

Commercial accommodation - lodging facilities such as hotels, motels, corporate residences or apartments.

Government and institutional accommodation - federal government training centers, universities, colleges, Canadian or foreign military establishments, DVA hospitals, trailers, tents and other facilities owned, controlled, authorized or arranged by the Crown, including other educational institutions that provide sleeping accommodation.

Private non-commercial accommodation - private dwelling or non-commercial facilities where the traveller does not normally reside.

Blanket travel authority - authorization for travel which is continuous or repetitive in nature, with no variation in the specific terms and conditions of trips and where it is not practical or administratively efficient to obtain prior approval from the employer for each individual trip. Any exceptions to the blanket travel authority (BTA) parameters shall require that the individual trip be specifically approved, prior to travel status, where possible. BTA does not apply to groups of employees. Employees may not have more than one BTA simultaneously.

Comprehensive allowance - a daily allowance that may include some or all of meal costs, incidental expenses, transportation costs and accommodation expenses.

Declaration - a written statement signed by the traveller attesting to and listing the expenses for payment without receipt.

Dependant - a person who resides full-time with the employee at the employee's residence and is

  • the spouse of that employee, or
  • under 18 years of age, or
  • dependent on the employee by reason of mental or physical disability, or
  • in full-time attendance at a school or other education institution that provides training or instruction of an educational, professional, vocational or technical nature; or
  • is in full-time attendance at a school or other education institution that provides training or instruction of an educational, professional, vocational or technical nature.

Economy class - the standard class of air travel, including special discount fares. It excludes first class and business class or equivalents.

Employee - a person employed in the public service.

Employer - Her Majesty in Right of Canada as represented by the Treasury Board, and includes persons authorized to exercise the authority of the Treasury Board.

Government business travel - all travel authorized by the employer, and is used in reference to the circumstances under which the expenses prescribed in this directive may be paid or reimbursed from public funds.

Headquarters area - spans an area of 16 kms from the assigned workplace using the most direct, safe and practical road.

Incidental expense allowance

Canada and Continental USA - an allowance to cover the costs of items that can be attributed to a period in travel, but for which no other reimbursement or allowance is provided under this directive and to help off-set some of the expenses incurred as a result of having to travel. It includes but is not limited to such items as gratuities, laundry, dry cleaning, bottled water, phone calls home, grass cutting, snow removal, home security check, plant watering, mail services, pet care, telecommunications hook-ups and service, shipping of some personal effects.

International - an allowance to cover the costs of items that can be attributed to a period in travel, but for which no other reimbursement or allowance is provided under this directive and to help off-set some of the expenses incurred as a result of having to travel. It includes but is not limited to such items as gratuities, laundry, dry cleaning, grass cutting, snow removal, home security check, plant watering, mail services, pet care, telecommunications hook-ups and service, shipping of some personal effects.

International incidental allowances are based on a formula which accounts for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner allowances based on the applicable country/location.

In situations where there are no meal allowances from which to compute the incidental allowance for a particular country/location, the traveler will be reimbursed the equivalent of the applicable incidental allowance published in Appendix C, in Canadian dollars.

Public service - for the purposes of this directive, "public service" shall include the same parties and persons outlined in Article 1 of the National Joint Council By-Laws .

Receipt - an original document or carbon copy showing the date and amount of expenditure paid by the traveller. Where expenses are incurred in a currency other than Canadian dollars, receipts shall indicate the currency type and must be annotated by the traveller to do so.

Spouse or common-law partner - in accordance with the Modernization of Benefits and Obligations Act , the parties hereunder agree that:

(a) in the collective agreements reached between the parties, current references to the term "spouse" are replaced by the expression "spouse or common-law partner." The term "common-law partner" refers to a person living in a conjugal relationship with an employee for a continuous period of at least one year. The term "spouse" refers to the person married to the employee.

(b) for the purposes of the Foreign Service Directives, current references to the term "spouse" are replaced by the expression "spouse or common-law partner." The term "common-law partner" refers to a person living in a conjugal relationship with an employee for a continuous period of at least one year. This "spouse or common-law partner" must qualify as a dependant under the Foreign Service Directives. The term "spouse" refers to the person married to the employee.

Travel status - an absence from the traveller's headquarters area on government business travel.

Traveller - a person who is authorized to travel on federal government business.

Permanent/Regular - the single permanent location determined by the employer at or from which an employee ordinarily performs the work of his or her position or reports to.

Temporary - the single location where an employee is temporarily assigned to perform the work of his or her position or reports to within the headquarters area.

The following principles are the cornerstone of managing government business travel and shall guide all employees and managers in achieving fair, reasonable and modern travel practices across CIHR.

Part I - Administration

1.1 The employer has the responsibility to authorize and determine when government travel is necessary, and to ensure that all travel arrangements are consistent with the provisions of this Policy. Following consultation between the employer and the employee, the determination of travel arrangements shall best accommodate the employee's needs and interests and the employer's operational requirements.

1.2 Business travel shall be authorized in advance in writing to ensure all travel arrangements are in compliance with the provisions of this Policy. In special circumstances, travel shall be post authorized by the employer.

1.3 Expenses resulting from misinterpretations or mistakes are not a basis for reimbursement or non-reimbursement. However, such situations shall be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

1.4 Consideration to all related costs when more than one employee attends a meeting or an event and the reasonableness of travel arrangements should be given prior to making the travel arrangements.

2.1 It is mandatory to use the Government Travel Service ( Travel AcXess Voyage ) when making travel arrangements for CIHR employees. Further information on the use of Travel AcXess Voyage on-line booking services may be found on the CIHR Intranet.

2.2 Non-CIHR employees may use other travel agencies instead of the Government Travel Service ( Travel AcXess Voyage ) for their travel arrangements.

Provided there are no additional costs to CIHR, employees travelling on government business can join loyalty programs and retain benefits offered by the travel industry for business or personal use. Such privilege is conditional upon the use of government approved services and products.

Overpayments, namely amounts reimbursed or paid to travellers, which are not in accordance with the terms of this directive, shall be recovered from the traveller as a debt owing to the Crown.

Where the traveller certifies that the receipt was lost, accidentally destroyed or unobtainable, a personal declaration may replace the receipt.

6.1 The employer shall:

  • establish the proper delegation framework to comply with this Policy;
  • ensure that this Policy is available at the employee's normal workplace during the employee's working hours;
  • determine whether travel is necessary;
  • ensure that travel arrangements are consistent with the provisions of this directive; and
  • ensure that accommodation of needs is provided to the point of undue hardship.
  • authorize travel;
  • verify and approve travel expense claims before reimbursement; and
  • ensure that all travel arrangements comply with relevant federal government legislation and employer policies, such as Employment Equity, Official Languages.

6.2 The traveller shall:

  • become familiar with the provisions of this policy;
  • consult and obtain pre-authorization to travel in accordance with the policy;
  • inform the employer or its suppliers of his/her needs that may require accommodation;
  • complete and submit travel expense claims with necessary supporting documentation as soon as possible after the completion of the travel;
  • be responsible for cancelling reservations as required and providing justification to substantiate the cost associated with the cancellation;
  • be responsible for safeguarding travel advances and funds provided, and making outstanding remittances promptly; and
  • when responsible for a change in the travel arrangements/schedule, document and obtain approval for the additional cost related to the change.

6.3 When the employer and the employee are unable to resolve barriers affecting persons with disabilities that may flow from the application of this Policy, the employer and the employee shall consult with the appropriate CIHR and/or Union Employment Equity professional.

Employees on government business travel shall utilize government-approved suppliers, services and products selected in support of government business travel when these are available. Where access to these suppliers, services and products require the use of an individual designated travel card, the provision and use of the individual designated travel card requires the employee's agreement.

Preference shall be given to Canadian suppliers, services and products.

In consultation with the employee, the employer shall utilize the designated Responsibility Centre Travel Card known as the “Departmental Travel Card" to the extent possible to prepay travel arrangements.

When circumstances do not permit provision of prepaid arrangements, the traveller shall be reimbursed actual and reasonable costs, based upon receipts provided.

8.1 CIHR promotes the use of the government individual designated travel card (AMEX card). It provides advantages for the organization and it is cost effective.

8.2 When an employee chooses not to obtain and use a government individual designated travel card, provision of an advance shall be discussed between the employee and the employer. In such cases, travel advances shall not be unreasonably denied.

Government approved travel forms shall be used in seeking business travel authority and submitting travel claims with the supporting documentation where necessary.

Part II - Insurance

10.1 In the event that an employee becomes ill, is injured or dies while travelling on government business, the employee or, where applicable, the employee's dependants may be provided with protection, subject to the terms and conditions of the following:

  • the collective agreement or CIHR Terms and Conditions of Employment, i.e., injury-on-duty leave and severance pay,
  • the Government Employees Compensation Act,
  • the Flying Accident Compensation Regulations,
  • the Public Service Superannuation Act,
  • the Canada Pension Plan or Quebec Pension Plan,
  • the Public Service Management Insurance Plan,
  • the Disability Insurance Plan,
  • the Public Service Health Care Plan (for medical and hospital expenses not paid under the Government Employees Compensation Act),
  • the Crown Indemnification Policy in the event of a civil action against an employee taken by a third party, and/or
  • insurance as a result of contracting with government approved suppliers, services and products.

10.2 Details concerning Public Service benefit programs are found at the following site: TB Travel Directive Appendix A - Guide to Insurance Coverage for Employees on Government Business Travel

10.3 Employees are advised to confirm with their insurance agent that they are adequately insured if they use non-commercial flights.

10.4 Additional insurance purchased by the traveller shall not be reimbursed except for the cost of insurance to cover repairs to, or replacement of, damaged or lost luggage while travelling, unless such insurance is provided.

11.1 Collision damage waiver coverage for the entire period that a vehicle is rented is required. This coverage is included when travellers use a government approved individual designated travel card. Travellers shall be reimbursed in circumstances where an individual designated travel card is not used.

11.2 Travellers shall not be reimbursed for personal accident insurance coverage premiums.

11.3 CIHR assumes no financial responsibility for privately owned vehicles other than paying the kilometric rate and the supplementary business insurance premium, where required. The employer is not responsible for reimbursing deductible amounts related to insurance coverage.

11.4 Privately owned vehicles or other types of transportation used on government business shall have at least the minimum provincial/territorial state/country insurance coverage of public liability and property damage.

11.5 Additional premium costs for public liability and property damage, collision and comprehensive coverage shall be reimbursed for the applicable period, when supplementary business insurance for a vehicle is required.

11.6 Travellers who intend to carry passengers are advised to confirm with their insurance agent that they are adequately insured.

Part III - Travel Modules

The provisions outlined in this Module apply when an employee is away from the workplace on government business travel within the Headquarters Area without an overnight stay.

12.1 Accommodation:

Overnight accommodation within an employee's headquarters area shall not normally be authorized. Employees in the following exceptional cases shall be in travel status and reimbursed for overnight accommodation and according to the provisions of Module 3:

  • Accommodation in government facilities for such purposes as live-in conferences, meetings and training courses;
  • Accommodation in educational facilities, for such purposes as live-in conferences, meetings and training courses; or
  • Accommodation in commercial facilities, in very exceptional or emergency situations that require employees to remain close to their posts for periods long in excess of normal working hours, such as policing activities during a crisis, or extended collective bargaining sessions.

12.2 Additional business expenses:

Where required, the employer shall make the necessary arrangements to obtain entry documents as determined by the department/agency, and/or an appropriate passport and photos, and/or visa as determined by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, and any required inoculations, vaccinations, X-rays and certificates of health, at no expense to the employee. Where possible, the services of Health Canada, Veterans Affairs Canada or National Defense shall be used for medical services. Any related expenses incurred by an employee shall be reimbursed.

The employee shall be reimbursed business expenses not otherwise covered such as photocopies, word processing service, faxes, internet connections, rental and transportation of necessary office equipment and transportation of required personal effects.

The employee shall also be reimbursed for service charges/fees for actual and reasonable expenses and for financial transactions, such as but not limited to:

  • Automated Banking Machine use;
  • Government travel card use;
  • Credit/debit card use;
  • Financial institution foreign currency transaction commission(s);
  • Traveller's cheques acquisition; and
  • Cheque-cashing fees.

Reimbursement claims shall be supported by receipts and indicate the expense currency.

The employee shall also be reimbursed for the cost of a safety deposit box when supported by receipts.

12.3 Bottled water

The cost of reasonable amounts of bottled water shall be reimbursed based on receipts.

12.4 Currency exchange

The costs incurred to convert reasonable sums to foreign currencies and/or reconvert any unused balance to Canadian currency shall be reimbursed, based upon receipts, from all transactions and sources.

When these costs are not supported by receipts, the average Bank of Canada currency exchange rate shall apply. In cases where the Bank of Canada does not provide an exchange rate, an alternate bank rate from an established institution, as determined by the employer, shall be applied. The rate shall be the average of the rates applicable on the initial date into the country and the final date out of the country.

12.5 Dependant care

An employee who is required to travel on government business shall be reimbursed actual and reasonable dependant-care expenses up to a daily maximum of $35 Canadian, per household, with a declaration, or up to a daily maximum of $75 Canadian, per household, with a receipt when:

(a) the employee is the sole caregiver of a dependant who is under 18 years of age or has a mental or physical disability, or

(b) two federal employees living in the same household are the sole caregivers of a dependant who is under 18 years of age or has a mental or physical disability and both employees are required to travel on government business at the same time.

Dependant-care allowance shall apply only for expenses that are incurred as a result of travelling and are additional to expenses the employee would incur when not travelling.

12.6 Incidental expense allowance

A traveller who is required to travel on government business overnight shall be paid an incidental expense allowance that covers a number of miscellaneous expenses not otherwise provided for in this directive for each day or part day in travel status as per Appendix C or D as applicable.

12.7 Insurance

See Part II and Appendix A.

Unless otherwise covered by terms and conditions of employment or collective agreements, meal expenses incurred within the Headquarters Area shall not normally be reimbursed.

Meal expenses, based on receipts and back-up justification, may be reimbursed up to the limit of the applicable meal allowance in Appendix C - Allowances - Modules 1, 2 and 3 of the TB Travel Directive in the following situations:

  • when employees are required to work through normal meal hours and are clearly placed in situations of having to spend more for the meal than would otherwise be the case;
  • when employees are required to attend conferences, seminars, meetings or public hearings during the weekend or holidays;
  • when employees are required to attend formal full-day conferences, seminars, meetings or hearings and where meals are an integral part of the proceedings;
  • when employer representatives are involved in collective bargaining proceedings;
  • when intensive task force or committee studies are enhanced by keeping participants together over a normal meal period; or
  • when the reimbursement of meal expenses is clearly reasonable and justifiable as a direct result of an employee's duties.

12.9 Transportation

The most economical option available is chosen when selecting the mode of transportation, taking into account cost, duration, safety, and practicality respecting the principles of the National Joint Council Travel Directive . In addition to provisions outlined in this section under (a) Commercial, (b) Other modes of transportation and (c) Vehicles, expenses associated with the selected mode of transportation shall be reimbursed based on receipts, indicating the expense currency. Where a receipt is not available, a declaration will suffice. Such expenses include:

  • seat selection fee for commercial, private and/or chartered carriers;
  • airport improvement fees, not otherwise paid (e.g. prepaid as part of the fare);
  • airport departure tax, not otherwise paid;
  • miscellaneous charge order, for excess baggage/excess weight for commercial, private and/or chartered carriers (written explanation also required);
  • public carrier ticket "change fee" for legitimate authorized official government purposes; and
  • legitimate, mandatory transportation service charges and fees, incurred while in travel status, not otherwise paid (e.g. docking fees, road/bridge tolls, ferries and other transportation service charges/fees).

When authorized travel or overtime causes a disruption in the employee's regular commuting pattern, the employee shall be reimbursed actual additional transportation costs incurred between the residence and the workplace.

(a) Commercial

Where commercial transportation is authorized and used, the employee shall be provided with the necessary prepaid tickets whenever possible.

Taxis, shuttles and local transportation services are alternatives for short local trips. Actual expenses shall be reimbursed, based on receipts. Taxi chits may not be used.

(b) Other modes of transportation

Occasionally, other modes of transportation not normally used on roadways shall be authorized for use on government business when this mode of transportation is safe, economical and practical.

Travellers using these other modes of transportation shall be reimbursed at the applicable kilometric rate based on the direct road distances, if available. When there are no road distances, the traveller shall be reimbursed for actual or reasonable distances traveled.

(c) Vehicles

The standard for rental vehicles is mid size. Rental vehicles beyond the standard shall be authorized based upon factors such as but not limited to safety, the needs of the traveller and the bulk or weight of goods transported.

The kilometric rates payable for the use of privately owned vehicles driven on authorized government business are prescribed in the TB Travel Directive, Appendix B - Kilometric Rates . Travellers shall use the most direct, safe and practical road routes and shall claim only for distances necessarily driven on government business travel.

When an employee has been authorized to use and uses a private vehicle within the headquarters area on government business travel, the employee shall be reimbursed the kilometric rate in accordance with TB Travel Directive, Appendix B.

Parking charges are normally not payable when the employee is on duty at the workplace. In respect of every day on which an employee is authorized to use a private vehicle on government business travel, the employee shall be reimbursed the actual costs of parking the vehicle for that period of time.

12.10 Expenses not reimbursable

Incidental allowances are not applicable.

The provisions outlined in this Module apply when a traveller is away from the workplace on government business travel outside the Headquarters Area without an overnight stay.

13.1 Additional business expenses

The employee shall be reimbursed business expenses not otherwise covered such as photocopies, word processing service, faxes, internet connections, rental and transportation of necessary office equipment and transportation of required personal effects. Employees should be prudent and diligent in incurring expenses.

Employees whose schedules have been altered for reasons outside their control shall be reimbursed reasonable telephone costs to attend to situations related to the employee's altered schedule.

13.2 Bottled water

13.3 Currency exchange

The costs incurred in converting reasonable sums to foreign currencies and/or reconverting any unused balance to Canadian currency shall be reimbursed, based upon receipts, from all transactions and sources.

13.4 Insurance

See Part II above and Appendix A - Guide to Insurance Coverage for Employees on government Business Travel of the TB Travel Directive.

13.5 Dependant care

The employee who is required to travel on government business shall be reimbursed actual and reasonable dependant care expenses up to a daily maximum of $35 Canadian, per household, with a declaration, or up to a daily maximum of $75 Canadian, per household, with a receipt when:

  • the employee is the sole caregiver of a dependant who is under 18 years of age or has a mental or physical disability, or
  • two federal employees living in the same household are the sole caregivers of a dependant who is under 18 years of age or has a mental or physical disability and both employees are required to travel on government business at the same time.

Dependant care allowance shall apply only for expenses that are incurred as a result of travelling and are additional to expenses the employee would incur when not travelling.

A traveller shall be paid the applicable meal allowance for each breakfast, lunch and dinner while on travel status.

Meal allowances shall be reimbursed in accordance with the rates specified in Appendix C - Allowances - Modules 1, 2 and 3 of the TB Travel Directive.

A meal allowance shall not be paid to a traveller with respect to a meal that is provided. In exceptional situations where a traveller has incurred out of pocket expenses to supplement meals provided, the actual incurred costs may be reimbursed, based on receipts, up to the applicable meal allowance.

Where a traveller incurs meal costs that are higher than the established meal allowances in situations outside the traveller's control, the actual and reasonable expenses incurred shall be reimbursed, based on receipts.

13.7 Transportation

Where commercial transportation is authorized and used, the traveller shall be provided with the necessary prepaid tickets whenever possible.

The standard for air travel is economy class. The lowest available airfares appropriate to particular itineraries shall be sought and bookings shall be made as far in advance as possible. Any exceptions to using economy class must be pre-approved by a Vice-President or equivalent, upon presentation of proper written justification.

The standard for rail travel is the next higher class above the full economy class.

Taxis, shuttles and local transportation services are alternatives for short local trips. Actual expenses shall be reimbursed. Receipts are only required to justify taxi fares in excess of ten dollars. Taxi chits may not be used.

Occasionally, other modes of transportation not normally used on roadways shall be authorized for use on government business travel when this mode of transportation is safe, economical and practical.

Travellers using these other modes of transportation shall be reimbursed at the applicable kilometric rate based on the direct road distances, if available. When there are no road distances, the traveller shall be reimbursed for actual or reasonable distances travelled.

The kilometric rates payable for the use of privately owned vehicles driven on authorized government business are prescribed in Appendix B - Kilometric Rates of the TB Travel Directive.

Travellers shall use the most direct, safe and practical road routes and shall claim only for distances necessarily driven on government business travel.

Travellers, who are driven to or picked up from a public carrier terminal, shall be reimbursed the kilometric rate based on the distance to and from the public carrier terminal for each round trip.

In the interests of safe driving, when employee-driven vehicles are authorized, employees shall not normally be expected to drive more than:

  • 250 kilometres after having worked a full day;
  • 350 kilometres after having worked one-half day; or
  • 500 kilometres on any day when the employee has not worked.

Parking charges shall be reimbursed where it is practical and economical to leave a private vehicle at the public carrier's terminal during the period of absence.

In respect of every day on which an employee is authorized to use a private vehicle on government business travel, the employee shall be reimbursed the actual costs of parking the vehicle for that period of time.

13.8 Expenses not reimbursable

The provisions outlined in this Module apply when a traveller is away from the workplace on government business travel overnight, in Canada or Continental USA.

14.1 Accommodation

The standard for accommodation is a single room, in a safe environment, conveniently located and comfortably equipped.

A variety of options for accommodation are available for travel. Generally these include hotels, motels, corporate residences, apartments, private non-commercial accommodation, and government and institutional accommodation.

Government hotel directories within city rate limits should be used for the cost, location and selection of accommodation as specified in the PWGSC Accommodation Search Page . In instances where an employee must use another location than one from the directories, justification is to be provided on the travel claim.

Unless the employer authorizes otherwise, when travel is related to activities held in an institution, the employee shall stay in institutional accommodations.

Although travellers generally stay in commercial accommodation, private non-commercial accommodation is encouraged. A traveller who chooses private non-commercial accommodation shall be reimbursed the rate as specified in Appendix C - Allowances - Modules 1, 2 and 3 of the TB Travel Directive. In addition, ground transportation costs shall be authorized when it is cost effective. Cost effectiveness shall be determined by comparing the total cost of accommodation and transportation in the private non-commercial accommodation versus available commercial or government and institutional accommodation and the associated transportation costs.

14.2 Additional business expenses

The employee shall be reimbursed business expenses not otherwise covered such as business calls, photocopies, word processing service, faxes, internet connections, rental and transportation of necessary office equipment and transportation of required personal effects. Employees should be prudent and diligent in incurring expenses.

When an employee is required to proceed outside Canada on authorized government business, CIHR shall make the necessary arrangements for obtaining an appropriate passport and/or visa, and any required inoculations, vaccinations, X-rays and certificates of health, at no expense to the employee. Where possible, the services of Health Canada, Veterans Affairs Canada or National Defense shall be used for medical services.

14.3 Bottled water

14.4 Currency exchange

14.5 Dependant Care

14.6 Home communication

Home communication is included in the incidental expense allowance.

The following exception applies: Employees in travel status on-board vessels shall be authorized to make up to the equivalent of one ten-minute phone call home using the equipment available over each continuous three-day period away from home port. When satellite communication systems are available and used, the phone call shall be limited to five minutes.

14.7 Incidental expense allowance

A traveller shall be paid an incidental expense allowance that covers a number of miscellaneous expenses not otherwise provided for in this Policy for each day or part day in travel status as per the TB Travel Directive, Appendix C - Allowances - Modules 1, 2 and 3 .

Part day does not include days where a late-night flight arrives in the traveller's headquarters area after midnight.

The following exception applies: Seventy-five percent (75%) of the incidental allowance as specified in Appendix C of the TB Travel Directive shall be paid starting on the thirty-first (31 st ) consecutive calendar day of travel status while at the same location when corporate residences or apartment hotels are available to a traveller in the area surrounding the workplace, or the traveller chooses to stay in private accommodation.

When a traveller visits locations in Canada and the USA on the same day, the incidental expense allowance paid shall be that for the location where the day commences.

14.8 Insurance

Meal allowances shall be reimbursed in accordance with the rates specified in Appendix C - Allowances - Modules 1, 2 and 3 the TB Travel Directive.

The following exception applies: Seventy-five percent (75%) of the meal allowances as specified in Appendix C of the TB Travel Directive shall be paid starting on the thirty-first (31 st ) consecutive calendar day of travel status while at the same location when corporate residences or apartment hotels are available to a traveller in the area surrounding the workplace, or the traveller chooses to stay in private accommodation.

14.10 Rest periods

Unless mutually agreed otherwise, itineraries shall be arranged to provide for

  • a suitable rest period, and/or
  • an overnight stop after travel time of at least nine consecutive hours.

Travel time is the time spent in any mode of transportation en-route to destination and/or awaiting immediate connections. This includes the time spent travelling to and from a carrier/terminal.

A suitable rest period shall not be unreasonably denied.

14.11 Transportation

The standard for air travel is economy class. The lowest available airfares appropriate to particular itineraries shall be sought and bookings shall be made as far in advance as possible. Any exceptions to using economy class must be pre-approved by a Vice-President or equivalent, upon presentation of proper written justification

The kilometric rates payable for the use of privately owned vehicles driven on authorized government business are prescribed in Appendix B - Kilometric Rates of the TB Travel Directive. Travellers shall use the most direct, safe and practical road routes and shall claim only for distances necessarily driven on government business travel.

Travellers who are driven to or picked up from a public carrier terminal, shall be reimbursed the kilometric rate based on the distance to and from the public carrier terminal for each round trip.

14.12 Weekend travel home

The use of the weekend travel home provisions or its alternatives does not constitute a break in continuous travel at the same location.

An employee who is in travel status that extends through or beyond a weekend is eligible for weekend travel home provisions provided that the following conditions are met:

  • work schedules permit the employee to be absent; and
  • appropriate private or public transportation is available and its use is both practical and reasonable.

Every weekend:

An eligible employee entitled to travel home every weekend shall be reimbursed actual transportation costs up to an amount not exceeding:

  • the cost of maintaining the employee in travel status for the week-end period (i.e. accommodation, meals, incidental, and other expense allowances), if the accommodation is cancelled for the week-end; or
  • when the accommodation is not cancelled, the weekend travel home transportation allowances stated in Appendix C - Allowances - Modules 1, 2, and 3 of the TB Travel Directive shall apply.

Every third weekend on average:

There will be occasions when an employee in travel status for a period of more than thirty (30) consecutive calendar days in Canada or the continental USA is so far from home that travel home every weekend would be impractical.

In such situations where travel home every weekend is impractical and provided that the employee is in continuous travel status, the employee may return home on average every third weekend and schedule actual weekend trips home within the maximum number permitted to meet personal needs.

The employee shall be reimbursed the most economical return airfare, the necessary return ground transportation to and from the carrier's terminal and meals en route. The most economical air fare shall be air fare booked more than 14 days in advance with a Saturday night stay over. Meals and incidentals at destination shall not be reimbursed. The accommodation at the duty travel location need not be cancelled.

14.13 Weekend travel - Alternatives

(a) By the employee

Provided that the employee is not required by the employer to remain at the duty travel location, an employee may choose to spend the weekend at an alternative location. To be eligible for reimbursement, the employee shall: cancel charges for accommodation (and meals provided on-site) at the duty travel location; provide a receipt for alternative commercial accommodation when used; and not return home or to the headquarters area during the weekend.

Reimbursement shall be limited to the cost of maintaining the employee at the duty travel location and shall include the cost of accommodation, meals, incidentals and other expenses.

Arrangements are the personal responsibility of the employee without using the government approved services. The employee assumes personal liability as if the employee were not on travel status.

The use of this provision does not preclude the employee's entitlement to week-end travel home.

(b) By the employee's spouse or a dependant

As an alternative to weekend travel home by the employee, a spouse/dependant may be authorized to travel to the employee's assigned work location when there is no additional cost to the employer. The airfare and pertinent travel arrangements shall be processed through the government suppliers. Ground transportation to and from the public carrier shall be reimbursed. Insurance coverage for the spouse/dependant is the responsibility of the employee.

The provisions outlined in this Module apply when a traveller is away from the workplace on government business travel overnight, outside Canada or the Continental USA.

A daily comprehensive allowance may be authorized in circumstances where established allowances are neither practical, reasonable or equitable.

15.1 Accommodation

A variety of options for accommodation are available for travel. Generally these include hotels, motels, corporate residences, apartments, private non-commercial accommodation, government owned/leased accommodation and institutions.

Government hotel directories shall serve as a guide for the cost, location and selection of accommodation.

Although travellers generally stay in commercial accommodation, private non-commercial accommodation is encouraged. A traveller who chooses private non-commercial accommodation shall be reimbursed the rate as specified in Appendix D - Allowances - Module 4 of the TB Travel Directive. In addition, ground transportation costs shall be authorized when it is cost effective. Cost effectiveness shall be determined by comparing the total cost of accommodation and transportation in the private non-commercial accommodation versus available commercial or government and institutional accommodation and the associated transportation costs.

For periods of travel status of more than thirty (30) consecutive calendar days at the same location, accommodation at corporate residences, apartments, private non-commercial accommodation or government and institutional accommodation is encouraged. Travellers who choose to stay in a hotel after the thirtieth day (30th) when apartments or corporate residences are available in the area surrounding the workplace, shall be reimbursed up to the cost of the average apartment or corporate residence available.

15.2 Additional business expenses

The employee shall be reimbursed business expenses not otherwise covered such as business calls, photocopies, word processing service, faxes, internet connections, rental and transportation of necessary office equipment and transportation of required personal effects.

When an employee is required to proceed outside Canada on authorized government business, the employer shall make the necessary arrangements for obtaining an appropriate passport and/or visa, and any required inoculations, vaccinations, X-rays and certificates of health, at no expense to the employee. Where possible, the services of Health Canada, Veterans Affairs Canada or National Defence shall be used for medical services.

15.3 Bottled water

The cost of bottled water shall be reimbursed in situations deemed necessary and based on receipts for reasonable quantities.

15.4 Currency exchange

15.5 Dependant Care

15.6 Home communication

Over each contiguous three-day period away from home, employees in travel status shall be reimbursed the equivalent of one ten-minute phone call home, based on receipts.

When satellite communication systems are available and used, the phone call shall be limited to five minutes.

Employees provided with international telephone-card privileges, or who have made use of government international telephone network facilities for home communication, shall not claim the cost of telephone calls home.

15.7 Incidental expense allowance

A traveller shall be paid an incidental expense allowance that covers a number of miscellaneous expenses not otherwise provided for in this directive for each day or part day in travel status as per TB Travel Directive Appendix D - Allowances - Module 4 .

The following exception applies: Seventy-five percent (75%) of the incidental allowance as specified in TB Travel Directive, Appendix C - Allowances - Modules 1, 2 and 3 shall be paid starting on the thirty first (31 st ) consecutive calendar day of travel status while at the same location when corporate residences or apartment hotels are available to a traveller in the area surrounding the workplace, or the traveller chooses to stay in private accommodation.

When a traveller visits locations in different countries on the same day, the incidental expense allowance paid shall be that for the location where the day commences.

15.8 Insurance

See Part II and TB Travel Directive Appendix A - Guide to Insurance Coverage for Employees on government Business Travel

Meal allowances shall be reimbursed in accordance with the rates specified in the TB Travel Directive Appendix D - Allowances - Module 4 . The following exception applies: Seventy-five percent (75%) of the meal allowances as specified in Appendix D shall be paid starting on the thirty first (31 st ) consecutive calendar day of travel status at the same location when corporate residences or apartment hotels are available to a traveller in the area surrounding the workplace, or the traveller chooses to stay in private accommodation.

Where no meal allowance has been established in a given country or where sudden changes in currency exchange rates or high inflationary trends may invalidate the specified meal allowance, actual and reasonable expenses shall be reimbursed, based on receipts.

Where a traveller incurs meal costs that are higher than the established meal allowances in situations outside the traveller's control, the actual and reasonable expenses incurred for all meal expenses on that travel day shall be reimbursed, based on receipts.

15.10 Rest periods

15.11 Transportation

The standard for air travel is economy class. The lowest available airfares appropriate to particular itineraries shall be sought and bookings shall be made as far in advance as possible.

Where available, business/executive class air travel shall be authorized where continuous air travel exceeds nine hours. Continuous air travel starts at the scheduled departure time, and ends with the arrival at destination or with an overnight stop or layover equivalent to an overnight stop. Any exceptions to using economy class where continuous travel is less than or equal to nine hours, must be pre-approved by a Vice-President or equivalent, upon presentation of proper written justification.

The standard for rail travel is the next higher class after the full economy class.

Taxis, shuttles and local transportation services are alternatives for short local trips. Actual expenses shall be reimbursed, based on receipts.

The kilometric rates payable for the use of privately owned vehicles driven on authorized government business are provided in Appendix B - Kilometric Rates of the TB Travel Directive. Travellers shall use the most direct, safe and practical road routes and shall claim only for distances necessarily driven on government business travel.

15.12 Weekend travel home

Provided the employee is in continuous travel status, the employee is entitled to return home as per the table below:

Minimum of: 7 weeks = 1 trip 12 weeks = 2 trips 17 weeks = 3 trips 22 weeks = 4 trips

The employee shall be reimbursed, based on receipts, a maximum of the most economical return airfare, the necessary return ground transportation to and from the carrier's terminal, and meals en route. Meals and incidentals at destination shall not be reimbursed. The accommodation at the duty travel location need not be cancelled.

The most economical airfare shall be booked more than 14 days in advance with a Saturday night stay over. The employee may schedule actual weekend trips home within the maximum number permitted to meet personal needs.

15.13 Weekend travel - Alternatives

Provided that the employee is not required by the employer to remain at the duty travel location, an employee may choose to spend the weekend at an alternative location. Such arrangements shall be made in consideration of security and diplomatic contexts. To be eligible for reimbursement, the employee shall: cancel charges for accommodation (and meals provided on-site) at the duty travel location; provide a receipt for alternative commercial accommodation when used; and not return home or to the headquarters area during the weekend.

As an alternative to weekend travel home by the employee, a spouse/dependant may be authorized to travel to the employee's assigned work location when there is no additional cost to the employer. The airfare and pertinent travel arrangements shall be processed through the government suppliers. Ground transportation to and from the public carrier shall be reimbursed. Such arrangements shall be made in consideration of security and diplomatic contexts. Insurance coverage for the spouse/dependant is the responsibility of the employee.

Part IV - Emergencies, Illnesses, Injuries And Death

16.1 If an employee dies while in travel status, the employer shall authorize the payment of necessary expenses that are additional to those which might have been incurred had the death occurred in the headquarters area. Reimbursement of costs incurred shall be reduced by any amount payable under some other authority. Expenses payable are:

  • at the place where death occurred: ambulance, hearse, embalming/cremation, outside crate/container (but not the cost of a coffin/urn) and any other services or items required by local health laws, and
  • transportation of the remains to the headquarters area or, if desired by the survivors, to another location, up to the cost of transportation to the headquarters area. Costs for an escort over and above the costs included in transporting the remains are payable only when an escort is required by law.

16.2 Where the remains are not transported, travel for next-of-kin or a representative of the family to the place of burial shall be reimbursed as though that person were an employee.

17.1 Payment for the use of a suitable conveyance, such as an ambulance or taxi, shall be authorized where an employee becomes ill or is injured when, in the opinion of the employer, the employee, or the attending medical practitioner, the nature of the illness or injury requires that the employee be transported to a medical treatment facility, the workplace, the travel-related accommodation, or home.

17.2 An employee shall be reimbursed the necessary expenses incurred as a result of illness or accident occurring while in travel status, to the extent that the employer is satisfied the expenses were additional to those which might have been incurred had the employee not been absent from home, and which were not otherwise payable to the employee under an insurance policy, the Government Employees Compensation Act , or other authority.

17.3 An employee who becomes ill or is injured while outside Canada shall, where practical, be provided with a justifiable, accountable advance when incurring sizeable medical expenses. Such advances would subsequently be repaid to the employer under the employee's private insurance plans, the Government Employees Compensation Act , or other authority.

17.4 When, in the opinion of the attending physician, an employee's condition resulting from illness or injury warrants the presence of the next-of-kin or a representative of the family, actual and reasonable travel expenses may be reimbursed, as if that person were an employee.

17.5 An employee may be authorized to return earlier than scheduled as a result of personal illness or accident or in the event of emergency situations at home (e.g. serious illness in the opinion of a physician, fire, flood, ice storm).

17.6 A trip home under this section shall not be taken into account when establishing the employee's eligibility for weekend travel home.

17.7 When a trip home for reasons specified in this section is not warranted, actual and reasonable expenses incurred for long-distance telephone calls home shall be reimbursed.

Part V - Special Travel Authorities

There are some exceptions to Part I , Part II , Part III and Part IV of this policy that are included under the Treasury Board Special Travel Authorities for the President, Governing Council, Executive Group, Persons on contract, and Students . This Part explains the exceptions for each person or group of persons.

The President has discretion over his commercial accommodation selected, telephone calls, meals and incidentals in excess of the per diems, based on receipts. Meal expenses should not include alcohol. Costs associated with guests are governed by the CIHR Hospitality Policy and should be reported as such.

This discretion should be exercised with prudence and probity, mindful that all expenditures must further government objectives. Although specific circumstances may warrant exceptional expenses, the basic norm should be comfortable and convenient, but not excessive. A benchmark may be found in the provisions of this Policy. The President is accountable and must be prepared to justify his expenses in keeping with the responsibility of public office holders to conduct themselves in a manner that can bear the closest public scrutiny.

This section includes Executive Group CIHR grade 13 and above except for business class air (see 19.6) that applies to CIHR grade 14 and above (but not those in acting positions) and Governing Council members. Blanket Travel Authorities (BTA) are available to CIHR Grade 15 and above, subject to the P resident's approval. BTA's are approved and expire by fiscal year and must be approved annually as required.

During normal business trips away from the vicinity of the headquarters area (excluding weekends home, extended travel, relocations and expenses related to guests, which automatically fall under hospitality), the following flexibilities apply:

Claims may include the daily meal allowances or actual and reasonable meal expenses based on receipts. When actual expenses are claimed for a given meal (based on receipts), meal allowances are applicable to other meals purchased that day (and no receipts are required).

Actual meal expenses shall not include alcohol, costs associated with guests or co-workers, or the additional cost of room service, which is to be identified by the claimant. Employees must submit the actual bill for their own meal, rather than claim a bill that covers a number of people, except under the PDF .

19.2 Incidentals

  • The incidental allowance covers such items as laundry, dry cleaning, gratuities, a daily newspaper, luggage depreciation over the duration of a trip, even though a particular expense may be higher on a given day.
  • Whenever actual and reasonable expenses are claimed, the Travel Expense Claim must include a brief statement describing why the meal or incidental allowances were inadequate under the specific circumstances.
  • The incidental allowance is cumulative. For example, with respect to laundry and dry cleaning costs, even though such expenses are unlikely to occur before day three, the allowance is provided on a daily basis so that when a dry cleaning expense is incurred, the employee has the necessary funds to cover the cost.
  • Actual incidental costs may be claimed in unusual circumstances. However, if one decides to claim actual incidental costs instead of the pre-determined incidental allowance, then all incidental expenses reimbursements incurred on that trip will be on the basis of receipts.
  • It is recommended that the claims of employees who qualify under the Executive Group be flagged for easy retrieval should the Treasury Board Secretariat request an internal audit.

19.3 Taxis and parking

On overnight business trips away from the vicinity of the headquarters area, actual expenses may be claimed for taxis and parking, based on the honour system (without receipts). Receipts may be submitted if preferred.

19.4 Hotels

The Accommodation Search Page no longer lists properties on white or green pages. Accommodations are now listed by the equivalent, as within the city rate limit or above the city rate limit. Accommodations within city rate limit shall be preferred. As a result of changes from the Budget of February 25, 1992, accommodation above the city limit rate must be justified on the travel claim. Selection of such properties should be because it is cost-effective or because exceptional circumstances warrant.

19.5 Calls home

For travel in Canada and continental USA, home communication is included in the incidental expense allowance.

For international travel, the regular telephone provisions of section 15.6 of the CIHR Travel Policy apply when international telephone-cards are not provided or cannot be used because cities are not linked to this network, as is often the case for overseas travel.

When international telephone cards are provided and may be used, executives should use them and not separately claim the cost of telephone calls home. Executives are asked to exercise discretion in their use of this facility as to the frequency and duration of calls home.

19.6 Business class air

It is a government directive that the President manage a reduction in the use of business class travel for the Executive Group (CIHR grade 14 and above) and Governing Council.

  • business class air travel for trips of 850 air kilometres (distance in air kilometres/miles is shown on travel itineraries) or more one way is allowed.
  • first class travel was eliminated by Cabinet direction on February 25, 1992;
  • upgrades to business class do not apply for relocations and weekend travel home (when returning to the duty travel location immediately following the weekend);
  • where business class is unavailable, economy (or reduced) fares are to be used. This authority does not provide for the reimbursement of first class air travel;
  • this authority does not entitle persons accompanying the above to upgrade their fare at the employer's cost.

20.1 Identify travel costs in contract

The rates and allowances to be reimbursed for government business travel are stipulated in Appendices B, C and D of the TB Travel Directive . Travel expenses must be treated as an amount payable under the contract for services rendered. All travel expenses payable should be specified and the costs should be included as part of the overall cost of the contract. Only original receipts will be accepted from contractors; photocopies of hotel bills, air tickets, etc. are not claimable.

20.2 Amounts payable

Where a contract specifies that "travel is in accordance with the CIHR Travel Policy " it refers strictly to the negotiated meal, private vehicle and incidental allowances specified in the TB Travel Directive Appendices B, C and D , and to those policy provisions referring to "travellers" rather than those referring to "employees". It is CIHR's responsibility to inform contractors (and those bidding on contracts) of the current government rates and allowances.

20.3 No fees paid

A contract may be entered into where the only consideration for services rendered is payment of all or part of the travelling expenses incurred, and there are no fees paid. This could include private sector experts. Where the contract is a verbal agreement between the parties concerned, officers with payment authority should obtain a memorandum from the contracting authority outlining the agreed-upon terms of the engagement and the applicable travel provisions.

20.4 Air fares

In an effort to contain costs, the department will reimburse consultants for fares up to full-fare economy only. Contractors are required to seek the lowest possible airfares, including charters and other discounts for each trip, and to book immediately upon contract approval, in order to take advantage of the lowest fares. CIHR retains the right to limit the reimbursement of the air portion when the lowest appropriate fare is not obtained. Upgrades to business or first class may be personally paid by the contractor or private sector company, where this is company policy.

20.5 Private motor vehicles

Contractors who use a private motor vehicle are entirely responsible for the management and underwriting of risk pertaining to the operation of the vehicle, Insurance premiums are paid by the contractor and are not reimbursed other than through the payment of the kilometric allowance (Appendix B of the TB Travel Directive ). This mode of travel, once parking and time-billed are included, is only permitted when cost-effective in relation to commercial transportation.

20.6 Insurance

It is the financial responsibility of contractors to cover the cost of insurance, such as, for cars/accidents/sickness/airline travel and immunizations.

20.7 Booking air and hotels

Reservations for transportation and accommodation will, where determined to be practical by CIHR, be arranged through CIHR in order to qualify for reduced rates. In cases, where they are not, hotel management is not obligated to provide government preferred rates to government contractors, although it may elect to do so. Contractors are expected to use moderately priced hotels, and they risk partial reimbursement of actual costs should claims be for unreasonably high-priced accommodation or transportation. Should a contractor stay with friends or relatives, the private non-commercial accommodation rate is reimbursed.

20.8 Reimbursement of costs

Contractors, when so advised, are permitted to make their own travel arrangements. Arrangements may be made through private travel agents or directly with suppliers. In such cases the contractor is expected to pay for all travel and related living expenses personally and subsequently invoice CIHR for reimbursement. Such expenses as telephone calls home, child care and weekend travel home are not paid to contractors. Any payment in excess of the prescribed limits must be pre-approved in writing by the President.

The travel allowance for persons engaged under one of the student employment programs are published in the Terms and Conditions of Employment for Students . You may also refer to the Treasury Board Student Employment Policy for additional information.

As per the Government decision on the proactive disclosure of travel and hospitality expenses announced December 12, 2003, CIHR will post on-line the expenses related to travel incurred by the President, Executive Vice-President and Vice-Presidents. The Financial Operations Unit will update the information posted on the CIHR website on a regular basis as per the disclosure guidelines , and it will actively monitor its management practices and controls supporting this policy.

On an annual basis the Financial Operations Unit will prepare the necessary disclosures of the total annual travel expenditures (along with hospitality and conferences), through the website, including a brief description of the main variances from the previous year's actual expenditures. The timing of this disclosure is to coincide with the tabling of the Departmental Performance Report.

The Financial Operations Unit will report any systematic or recurring issues of non-compliance to the Manager, Internal Controls, in order that the latter may address any deficiencies in the contents or format of the policy, its related procedures, and associated training materials. Internal Controls Unit will also review travel expenses on an ongoing basis to ensure CIHR staff are complying with this policy, and it will recommend additional training to affected staff as required.

The Treasury Board Secretariat will evaluate regularly the implementation of this policy by reviewing CIHR monitoring and internal audit reports, as well as data from the CIHR website, and other information available from the central financial systems.

Additional information may be obtained from:

Financial Operations Tel.: 613-952-5217 E-mail: [email protected]

National Joint Council

  • Gen Sec Annual Report - 2022-23
  • NJC Labour Relations Training Sessions for the LR Community
  • NJC Recognition
  • Photo Gallery
  • Current Committee Activities
  • NJC Constitution
  • NJC By-Laws
  • NJC Co-Development Process
  • NJC Results for Employees
  • Organization Chart
  • NJC Membership
  • NJC Statement of Values
  • Disability Insurance Plan
  • Public Service Dental Care Plan
  • Public Service Health Care Plan
  • Coordinators
  • Search Decisions
  • Information Notice - Change in Grievance Practice
  • Grievance Process and Procedures
  • Publications
  • NJC Communiqués

Travel Directive – Overnight Stay

June 21, 2006

The employee grieved that management had not provided an overnight rest period as required under subsection 3.4.10 - International Travel – Overnight stay of the Travel Directive (2002).  He further grieved that management was using its own Travel Guidelines.  The grievor also stated that management has violated all the principles and scope of the Travel Directive.  The grievor requested that management allow employees' to change their itineraries when they are on their own time; that management arrange for overnight stops after a travel time of at least 9 consecutive hours; that management only use the Travel Directive and that it respects the principles, purpose and scope of the Directive.

Bargaining Agent Presentation

The Bargaining Agent representative reported that the grievor was not allowed an overnight stop when his continuous travel exceeded nine hours, as is required by the Travel Directive.  He explained that management appears to believe that paragraph 3.4.10 (b) never applies to escort officers.

The Bargaining Agent mentioned that the Department's National Travel Guidelines for Officers Performing Escorted Removals are not part of the Travel Directive approved by the National Joint Council and as a result, they are not relevant to this grievance.

He stated that based on subsection 3.4.10, the grievor should have been provided with an overnight stop by his Department after nine hours of continuous travel time in addition to the suitable rest period for escort officers, which is specified in subsection 4.1.1 of the Travel Directive.

The Bargaining Agent representative concluded that the grievance should be allowed because the grievor was not treated within the intent of the Directive.

Departmental Presentation

The Departmental representative submitted that the underlying matter in these grievances is a fundamental question: Is the Officer travelling or working during the return flight(s) to Canada?  He mentioned that there is a major difference as the entitlements are not the same for travellers and working officers.  He further mentioned that the employees have historically benefited from entitlements stemming from both the Travel Directive and the collective agreement and noted that he understood that the Committee would only deal with matters pertaining to the Travel Directive.

The Departmental representative stated that subsection 3.4.10 of the Travel Directive (2002) entitles the traveler to receive an overnight stop after travel time of at least nine consecutive hours.  He explained that subsection 3.4.11 also entitles a traveller to business/executive class air travel where continuous air travel exceeds nine hours. He noted that subsection 4.1.1 provides the officers a suitable rest period of 16 hours for travel time between 8 to 24 hours and of 24 hours for travel time greater than 24 hours.  He reported that the collective agreement allows for compensation at the applicable overtime rate for hours worked in excess of his regularly scheduled shift.

The Departmental representative mentioned that if the employees are considered to be working on the plane heading to and from the destination, subsection 4.1.1 of the Travel Directive provides between 8 to 24 hours and of 24 hours for travel time greater than 24 hours.  He also noted that subsection 3.4.11 provides the officers with business class travel when the flights are longer than nine consecutive hours. 

The Departmental representative submitted that management also ensures that the provisions of the Travel Directive which pertain exclusively to escort officers are respected. 

The Departmental representative reported that the officer's itineraries were planned according to the provisions and that management ensured that the officer received more than 24 hours of rest at his overseas destinations as his total travel time had been greater than 24 hours.  He also mentioned that the grievor had another rest period upon arrival at home that consisted of a minimum of 16 hours before having to report to his next work shift.

The Departmental representative submitted that subsection 3.4.10 concerns rest periods for international travel and that it directs how rest periods should be attributed to international travellers.  He mentioned that the principle that general articles do not take precedence over group-specific articles had been supported by many Public Service Labour Relations Board (PSLRB) adjudication decisions.  He argued that subsection 4.1.1 of the Travel Directive deals with the same subject as subsection 3.4.10, but is specific to escort officers.  Accordingly, he stated that the officers are not eligible to benefit from the Travel Directive's subsection 3.4.10.  He also stated that if the National Joint Council had intended to provide escort officers with overnight stops, they would have included the provision in subsection 4.1.1 when they last reviewed the Travel Directive.

The Departmental representative noted that management is conscious of the physiological effects of travel across time zones.  He conveyed that in this case, management thought it reasonable to have the Officer return to Canada without an overnight stop during his return flights.

In conclusion, he reported that it is the position of the Department that the provisions of the Travel Directive were correctly applied and requested that this grievance be denied.

Executive Committee Decision

The Executive Committee concluded that the grievor was not treated within the intent of the 2002 Travel Directive.  The grievance was upheld.

The Executive Committee concluded that although "suitable rest period" is specifically defined for escort officers in subsection 4.1.1, this does not supersede the provisions of subsection 3.4.10.  The Committee agreed that subsection 1.1.1 be applied in its entirety, such that itineraries are discussed between the employer and the employee to ensure that employees' needs and interests, as well as employers' operational requirements, are accommodated.  As such, the Committee recommends that the Department adjust its practices to adhere to subsections 3.4.10 and 4.1.1 of the Travel Directive when authorizing travel

COMMENTS

  1. Travel Directive

    Travel Directive. Note: Public Service employees must contact their Designated Departmental Travel Coordinator with their questions. Communiqués Other related documents. If you are an individual or company working with the Federal Government and require further information, please contact the departmental Project Officer or Project Authority ...

  2. Travel Directive

    This directive is deemed to be part of collective agreements between the parties represented on the National Joint Council, and employees are to be afforded ready access to this directive. ... When authorized travel or overtime causes a disruption in the employee's regular commuting pattern, the employee shall be reimbursed additional ...

  3. Travel Directive

    Travel Directive - Overtime - Commuting Pattern. December 8, 2014. 21.4.1075, 21.4.1076. Background. While discussing article 3.1.11 Transportation while in a Collective Bargaining session, it was brought to light that neither local management nor the Bargaining Agent component were aware of the entitlement to be reimbursed the additional ...

  4. Travel on government business

    The National Joint Council Travel Directive provides for the reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred while travelling on government business. The directive is co-developed by participating bargaining agents and public service employers. It applies to public service employees, exempt staff and other persons travelling on government ...

  5. Directive on Travel

    1. Effective date. The Directive on Travel received Board of Management (Board) approval and came into effect on June 16, 2020 (Board Resolution #2020-2021-06). This directive replaces the 2013 Travel Directive and the 2006 Travel Loyalty Programs Policy. For the version history of this document, see section 11.

  6. Audit of Overtime and Travel

    In terms of travel, the National Joint Council (NJC) Travel Directive provides the principles for the management of government travel and the guidance for employees and managers in achieving fair, reasonable and modern travel practices across the public service. ... Overtime and travel are cost recoverable for some technical services but there ...

  7. Procedures on Travel

    While these procedures are guided by the NJC, the entitlements of the employees will be determined in accordance with the provisions of the CRA Directive on Travel. ... company may be authorized for the employee to travel between the workplace and residence in situations of authorized travel or overtime causing a disruption to commute where the ...

  8. National Joint Council Directives

    The NJC has developed several directives and allowances that complement and clarify the terms of your collective agreement. These directives and allowances are negotiated between the NJC, the employer and all public service labour unions to provide guidelines and provisions that may be unique to your working situation or conditions. Subjects ...

  9. Travel Directive and Incidentals

    The revised NJC Travel Directive replaces the archived version dated April 1, 2008, which stated that incidentals were allowed for government employees and travellers, which included contractors authorized to travel on government business. The NJC Travel Directive specifically defines the following: "Employee: a person employed in the public ...

  10. Question on travel claims and overtime : r/CanadaPublicServants

    To add on a few things. -Bottled water is specifically allowed by the NJC's travel directive, so you can claim it. This is something people definitely don't think about and something that people really need to know about, especially places that don't have water infrastructure or even potable water (looking at you USA).

  11. On travel status out of HQ

    NJC travel directive you should get mileage or transportation costs covered. ... If I represented you I would absolutely either ask for the overtime or 6.5 hour day. I wouldn't start submitting 1 hour of overtime without getting clarity in advance though. I don't advocate working for free, which if you commute for an hour and do 7.5 hour ...

  12. Part III

    An employee who is required to travel on government business overnight shall be paid an incidental expense allowance that covers a number of miscellaneous expenses not otherwise provided for in this directive for each day or part day in travel status as per Appendix C or D as applicable. 3.1.8 Insurance. See Part II and Appendix A. 3.1.9 Meals

  13. Travel and Hours of Work : r/CanadaPublicServants

    4.1.1 A suitable rest period for employees who are employed as Escort Officers shall be 16 hours for travel time between 8 and 24 hours; for travel time greater than 24 hours, a suitable rest period shall be 24 hours. Fair enough! Must be my division's interpretation of the "suitable rest period". Hi There, I had a question on the travel ...

  14. Rates & Allowances

    The Guide to National Joint Council Rates and Allowances provides employees and managers with a brief description of each rate or allowance, how it is determined or calculated, as well as the process used to review and modify the rate or allowance from time to time. Guide to NJC Rates and Allowances. Commuting Assistance Directive.

  15. Employer Guiding Principles for National Joint Council (NJC

    The "guiding principles" are to be utilized by the Employer early on in its policy development related specifically to the National Joint Council (NJC) Reimbursement Directives, which includes: Travel, Relocation, Commuting Assistance, Isolated Posts and Government Housing and Foreign Service. The following principles will support decision ...

  16. Foreign Service Directives

    The Foreign Service Directives are designed to provide a system of allowances, benefits and conditions of employment that, in combination with salary, will enable departments and agencies to recruit, retain and deploy qualified employees in support of government programs outside Canada. These Directives are co-developed with bargaining agents ...

  17. PDF Travel Program

    Mileage Rates* (Travel Program Appendix B) Region Traveller Requested Employer Requested AB, SK, MB 21.0 60.0 NB, NS, PE 23.0 63.0 BC, ON 22.5 64.0 NL, QC 23.0 65.5 NT, YT, NU 28.0 71.5 *Mileage rates are expressed in terms of cents per kilometre. Travel Allowances (Travel Program Appendix C) Allowance Daily Rate Composite meal & incidental ...

  18. Frequently Asked Questions

    Employees are to report to their workplace on their own time and at their own expense. This is true regardless of the distance between the telework or remote work location and the regular/permanent workplace. N.B. 3.1.11 When authorized travel or overtime causes a disruption in the employee's regular commuting pattern, the employee shall be ...

  19. Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures

    A.2.1 This standard provides details on the requirements set out in sections 4.1 and 4.2 of the Directive on Travel, Hospitality, Conference and Event Expenditures.; A.2.2 The CFO is responsible for the following standards: Planning. A.2.2.1 Ensuring that travel for both public servants and non-public servants is avoided where appropriate and that travel is cost efficient including:

  20. Question about weekends while traveling : r/CanadaPublicServants

    It is usually under overtime. Reply reply Canadarox12 • Not that it may be the ammo you are looking for, pushing the OHS side of this may be the only ground to stand on. ... The TC agreement allows this and the NJC travel directive in this case can't really help you. The tough part is your work description mentions prolonged travel from a few ...

  21. CIHR Travel Policy

    Part I - Administration 1. Authorization. 1.1 The employer has the responsibility to authorize and determine when government travel is necessary, and to ensure that all travel arrangements are consistent with the provisions of this Policy. Following consultation between the employer and the employee, the determination of travel arrangements shall best accommodate the employee's needs and ...

  22. Travel Directive

    The Departmental representative stated that subsection 3.4.10 of the Travel Directive (2002) entitles the traveler to receive an overnight stop after travel time of at least nine consecutive hours. He explained that subsection 3.4.11 also entitles a traveller to business/executive class air travel where continuous air travel exceeds nine hours.

  23. Work travel etiquette about travel time and accommodation

    12 hours of travel will not incur any overtime if you're travelling instead of working for the entire day. Reply reply geekydaddy255 • As per travel directive section 3.3.10 your are entitled to a rest period after 9hrs of consecutive travel. ... The NJC Directive lays out everything you need: what you can claim, your allowances, and some ...