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Fact sheet - Directive on Executive Compensation - Non-Salary Compensation Elements

The Policy on the Management of Executives ensures that there is a consistent approach to managing executives across the public service. One of the directives referenced in this policy is the Directive on Executive Compensation. This fact sheet provides an overview of the directive that is not related to salary.

Hours of Work

  • Hours of work for full-time executives are not less than an average of 37.5 hours per week (there is no stated maximum number of hours).
  • An executive is not entitled to payment for overtime.
  • There is no provision for a compressed work week for executives or for non-executives acting in executive positions.
  • Executives who work beyond their normal working hours and through a normal meal period can be reimbursed for meal expenses in accordance with the federal government’s Travel Directive and its section on special travel circumstances.

Statutory Holidays

  • When a statutory holiday coincides with a day of rest, the holiday is moved to the first scheduled working day following the day of rest.
  • An executive is not paid for a statutory holiday when that executive is:
    • on leave without pay on both the working day immediately preceding and the working day immediately following the designated holiday;
    • absent without approved leave; and
    • a part-time employee and the holiday falls on a scheduled day of work.

Personal Leave

  • Upon request, on approval of the delegated manager and subject to operational requirements, executives are entitled to one day of leave with pay for reasons of a personal nature in each fiscal year. This leave cannot be split and cannot be carried over to the next fiscal year.

Vacation Leave

  • Executives are encouraged to use their vacation leave credits during the fiscal year in which they are earned, subject to the delegated manager’s approval and operational requirements.
  • For each calendar month in which an executive has earned at least 10 days’ pay, the executive earns:
    • first level (upon appointment)—1 2/3 days per month (4 weeks per year);
    • second level—2 1/12 days per month (5 weeks per year) beginning in the month of the earliest attainment of:
      • 10 years’ service in an executive position or equivalent; See footnote *
      • 15 years’ service of which 5 or more are in an executive position or equivalent; or
      • 20 years’ service;
    • third level—2 1/2 days per month (6 weeks per year) beginning in the month of the attainment of 28 years’ service.
  • Vacation leave credits over the maximum accumulations are reduced by:
    • scheduling leave over a period of time not exceeding 3 years and using leave as scheduled;
    • mandatory cash-out—limit to annual entitlement;
    • voluntary cash-out—no limit (full entitlement cash-out is possible); and
    • termination of employment (automatic).

Sick Leave With Pay

  • An executive earns sick leave credits at the rate of 1 1/4 days (9.375 hours) for each month the executive receives at least 10 days’ pay.
  • An executive is granted sick leave with pay when unable to perform his or her duties because of illness or injury provided that the necessary sick leave credits are available. A medical certificate is required when requested by the delegated manager.

Special Sick Leave

Only at the discretion of the deputy head can executives be granted up to 130 days’ sick leave once during the course of their career. This leave:

  • can be granted to an executive who has insufficient sick leave credits to cover the entire period of an illness;
  • is granted after an executive has used all accumulated sick leave credits;
  • can be granted in several periods as required depending on the executive’s progress toward recovery;
  • will not be recovered from future leave credits; and
  • requires a medical certificate.

The deputy head can authorize the use of any balance of the 130 days used previously for a subsequent serious illness.

Portability of Sick Leave Credits

Unused sick leave credits earned in organizations included in the definition of service in “Appendix A—Definitions” of the Directive on Executive Compensation can be transferred in on appointment to an executive position in the core public administration.

Sick Leave Credits on Appointment

  • With deputy head approval, executives recruited from organizations other than those included in the definition of service in “Appendix A—Definitions” of the Directive on Executive Compensation can be credited 25 days of sick leave on appointment to an executive position.

Advancing Sick Leave Credits

  • When an executive has insufficient or no credits to cover the granting of sick leave, the delegated manager can advance sick leave credits for a period of up to 25 days; such advanced leave is deducted from any sick leave credits subsequently earned.

Family-Related Responsibilities

Leave With Pay

  • Subject to approval of the delegated manager, an executive can be granted up to five days’ leave with pay during any fiscal year for family-related responsibilities. This leave is meant to be used for situations such as:
    • care of a sick member of the family;
    • needs related to the birth or adoption of a child; and
    • to take a member of the family to a medical or dental appointment.

Maternity and Parental Leave Without Pay

  • An executive who has completed at least six months of continuous employment and who requests maternity or parental leave will be paid a maternity or parental allowance in accordance with the Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB) Plan.

Please consult the Directive on Executive Compensation for more details on this provision.

Care of Family Leave

Leave Without Pay

  • An executive is entitled to leave without pay for the care of a family member, provided that:
    • the executive notifies the immediate manager at least four weeks in advance of the commencement of such leave, unless such notice cannot be given due to urgent or unforeseeable circumstances;
    • the leave is for a period of at least three weeks; and
    • the total leave granted under this clause does not exceed five years during an executive’s total period of employment in the core public administration.

Counting Leave for Care of Family Toward Service

  • For the purpose of calculating vacation leave entitlement and severance pay, only the first three months of leave for care of family is counted as service.

Court Leave

  • Executives are entitled to leave with pay for:
    • jury duty; and
    • appearing before any body authorized by law to compel the attendance of witnesses, when summoned or subpoenaed to do so.

Exceptional Leave With Pay

  • Executives are eligible for exceptional leave with pay, as the delegated manager considers appropriate, for a period of up to five days in one fiscal year. Examples of such leave are situations where executives are required to work excessive hours over a prolonged period of time (when it is not a normal requirement of the position), for marriage, for volunteering, or for any purpose not otherwise specified in the Directive on Executive Compensation.
  • Under exceptional circumstances, the deputy head can approve exceptional leave with pay for a period exceeding the five days. This authority cannot be sub-delegated. The request for such leave needs to be substantiated.
  • Leave granted as exceptional leave with pay can be carried over into the next fiscal year and is to be used within six months of being granted.

Bereavement Leave

  • When a member of an executive’s family dies, the executive is entitled to leave with pay of a duration considered appropriate by the delegated manager.

Special Leave Without Pay

  • With deputy head approval, an executive is eligible for leave without pay for any purpose not otherwise specified in the Directive on Executive Compensation. This authority cannot be sub-delegated. Examples where such leave might be granted include assignments with an international organization or to accept an appointment in a minister’s office.

Counting Special Leave Without Pay Toward Service

For the purpose of calculating vacation leave entitlement and severance pay:

  • If the leave is primarily in the interest of the employee, only the first three months of special leave without pay is counted as service; and
  • If the leave is primarily in the interest of the department, the whole duration of the special leave without pay is counted as service.

Education Leave Without Pay

  • The deputy head can approve education leave without pay for a period of up to one year to pursue learning activities.
  • An executive on education leave without pay is eligible for an allowance in lieu of salary. This allowance is normally up to 50 per cent of the executive’s base salary. In exceptional circumstances, and depending on the degree to which the education leave is deemed to be directly relevant to organizational requirements, the allowance can be greater than 50 per cent and up to 100 per cent of the executive’s base salary. Only at the discretion of the deputy head can tuition fees and course material also be partially or fully reimbursed.
  • Education leave without pay with an allowance in lieu of salary cannot exceed 24 months in an executive’s career.
  • An executive who requests education leave must meet all of the following conditions:
    • be a full-time indeterminate executive;
    • have at least five years’ experience in executive positions;
    • have met his or her performance commitments in the two years prior to the request;
    • have demonstrated the value of the learning project; and
    • in the case of education leave with an allowance in lieu of salary, give a written undertaking prior to beginning leave to return to the service of the department granting the leave or to move to another organization in the core public administration for a period of not less than 1 1/2 times the amount of leave granted.
  • If the executive fails to complete the course successfully or does not resume employment as stipulated above, except by reason of death or layoff, the executive will repay all allowances paid to him or her during the education leave or a lesser sum as determined by the deputy head.
  • For the purpose of calculating vacation leave entitlement and severance pay:
    • If the leave is primarily in the interest of the employee, only the first three months of special leave without pay is counted as service.
    • If the leave is primarily in the interest of the department, the whole duration of the special leave without pay is counted as service.

Please consult the Directive on Executive Compensation for more details on this provision.

Relocation of Spouse or Common-Law Partner

  • At the executive’s request, the delegated manager approves leave without pay of up to one year if the executive’s spouse or common-law partner is permanently relocated, and approves up to five years if the spouse or common-law partner is temporarily relocated.
  • For the purpose of calculating vacation leave entitlement and severance pay, only the first three months of such leave count.

Severance Benefits

Entitlement

  • Executives earn one week’s pay for each year of service to a maximum entitlement of 28 weeks, payable on termination of employment.
  • In the case of a partial year of service, the payment is pro-rated to the number of days of service in the last year, up to a maximum of 28 weeks’ pay.
  • The maximum entitlement of 28 weeks’ pay is reduced by the number of weeks of severance pay, retiring leave, or cash gratuity in lieu of retiring leave that has previously been paid out.

Portability of Accumulated Severance Credits

  • If an executive is leaving the core public administration for another organization outside the core public administration, severance will be paid only if the new employer does not have an identical severance plan or will not accept the accumulated severance liability.

Parking

Effective July 1, 2012, employees in the Executive Group in the core public administration (EX-01 to EX-05) no longer receive a subsidy for monthly parking expenses incurred when they drive their car to work every day.

For further information on non-salary compensation elements of the Directive on Executive Compensation, contact the Executive Management Policy Branch, Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer, by email.


Return to footnote reference * Employees who were considered Executive Group–equivalent for vacation entitlement as of April 1, 1989 (equivalent of 10 years’ service in the Executive Group), or as of April 1, 1990 (15 years’ service of which 5 or more are in the Executive Group), retain their entitlement. Please consult the Directive on Executive Compensation for more details on this provision.

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