PIPSC members who faced severe personal or financial impacts due to the Phoenix pay system may now be eligible to claim compensation as part of the Phoenix compensation agreement negotiated in 2019.

After 4 years of overpayments, underpayments, or zero pay paycheques, countless members have needed to take leave due to illness caused by Phoenix and have suffered significant financial losses or mental anguish. Finally, you can request compensation for all these severe personal and financial hardships.

The agreement covers individuals who were members of PIPSC between April 1, 2016 and March 31, 2020 and who faced severe personal or financial hardship attributable to Phoenix pay issues during this timeframe.

What types of severe personal or financial hardship are available for compensation?

Here are the types of compensation that the government is making available to employees that faced severe impacts due to Phoenix pay issues. Complete documentation substantiating your claim is required. Most of these claims require the total value of your damages to exceed a $1,500 threshold.

You may be able to submit a claim if you experienced the following situations:

• You are a current or former employee who has a documented use of paid or unpaid leave (including sick leave) caused by illness, stemming from issues with your pay attributed to the Phoenix Pay System (the $1,500 threshold does not apply)
• You are a current or former employee who began maternity or parental leave or disability insurance and experienced a pay issue attributed to the Phoenix Pay System that led to the disruption in receipt of pay or associated benefit/entitlement (the $1,500 threshold does not apply)
• You are a current or former employee who experienced an adverse impact due to an issue with your pay stemming from the Phoenix Pay System and are alleging a discriminatory practice as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act (the $1,500 threshold applies)
• You are a current or former employee who has a claim as a consequence of:
  • your loss of occupational capacity
  • your loss of required security clearance 
  • a significant credit rating impact 
  • bankruptcy

which is directly attributable, in whole or in part, to the Phoenix Pay problems you experienced (the $1,500 threshold applies)

• You are a former employee who has a claim related to having resigned from the public service as a consequence of a loss of income leading to financial hardship caused by the Phoenix Pay System (the $1,500 threshold applies)
• You are a current or former employee who experienced mental anguish or trauma, which interfered with your ability, to a profound degree, to lead a normal life, and which went beyond the normal distress, annoyance and anxiety suffered in the circumstances, caused in whole or in part by the Phoenix Pay System (the $1,500 threshold applies)
• You are a current or former employee who experienced other damages which disclose comparable personal hardship or impact caused in whole or in part by the Phoenix Pay System (the $1,500 threshold applies)

For more information on how to submit a claim for severe personal or financial hardship visit: pipsc.ca/news-issues/phoenix-pay-system/phoenix-compensation-make-claim-to-get-back-every-cent-you-are-owed