Public Service Alliance of Canada BC

Another in a continuing series of articles & handouts that will be of interest to PSAC stewards … read more in the Steward’s Network section of the site.

Acting Pay: Some Principles

With the elimination of positions and staff cuts, employees may find themselves assigned additional duties. With financial constraints, managers may be under increased pressure to stay within existing budgets or cut costs. As employers meet their employment equity obligations, employees may receive a variety of developmental opportunities. In these kinds of circumstances, employees may be entitled to acting pay.

The conditions under which entitlement to acting pay exists are determined by collective bargaining. The following is from the collective agreement between PSAC and Treasury Board for the Program and Administrative Services Group (expiry date of 20 June 2007):

64.07

(a) When an employee is required by the Employer to substantially perform the duties of a higher classification level in an acting capacity and performs those duties for at least three (3) consecutive working days or shifts, the employee shall be paid acting pay calculated from the date on which he or she commenced to act as if he or she had been appointed to that higher classification level for the period in which he or she acts.

(b) When a day designated as a paid holiday occurs during the qualifying period, the holiday shall be considered as a day worked for purposes of the qualifying period. When interpreting collective agreement language, it is important to break down the provision by conditions and obligations. Then, it is easier to separate what the provision does say, from what it does not say.

For the entitlement to acting pay to take effect, there are 3 conditions to be satisfied ….

Continue reading in the “Acting Pay: Some Principles” handout (pdf), developed by the PSAC education section.