Canada’s largest federal union is seeking the same payouts for its employees as Canada Revenue Agency handed its employees..Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) handed its employees $2,500 in compensation for payroll errors—regardless of whether they were underpaid in the first place due to a faulty pay system—according to labour board records that offered no explanation for the generous bonuses, according to Blacklock’s Reporter..The Public Service Alliance of Canada, the largest federal union, cited the CRA payments when seeking identical $2,500 payments to Senate employees “for general damages as compensation for stress, aggravation, pain and suffering” due to the Phoenix Pay System failure. The system launched in 2016 garbled pay for most federal workers, 62%, and led to numerous audits and parliamentary investigations..“The bargaining agent submitted its proposal for a lump sum payment of $2,500 replicates the settlement the Public Service Alliance negotiated with the Treasury Board for the federal public administration as compensation due to the damages that arose from the introduction of the Phoenix Pay System,” wrote the Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board..“The bargaining agent also submitted that employees at the Canada Revenue Agency received damages even if they had not experienced Phoenix-related problems,” wrote the board..The $2,500 payments were part of an employees’ compensation package to account for general interest paid on loans, mortgages and credit card balances due to pay errors, “impacts on credit ratings,” “trauma or other personal hardship” and up to five days’ leave..An estimated 175,000 federal employees received payments. No explanation was given as to why the Revenue Agency compensated employees who suffered no inconvenience..The Phoenix System was launched on a promise of taxpayers’ savings by streamlining 46 separate federal payroll departments dating from the 1970s. The system instead made multiple errors that cost $2.1 billion to date in software upgrades, compensation and other expenses. Total costs of the failed program are expected to reach $2.6 billion, by Parliamentary Budget Office estimate..The Department of Public Works in a June 21 briefing note Update On Phoenix said costs to date did not include additional claims by employees who were underpaid..“Claims for severe or more personal or financial impacts could include financial losses, mental anguish or other impacts attributed to Phoenix Pay issues,” said the note. “Employees who took sick leave or other types of paid or unpaid leave because of an illness stemming from pay issues may also be eligible to apply for compensation.”.No manager was fired for the Phoenix Pay System failure..“We saw how that didn’t work,” Digital Government Minister Joyce Murray earlier told reporters..“We will always have respect for taxpayer dollars,” said Murray..“We also have a great deal of respect for our hardworking public servants. They have had a very difficult time with the pay system over the last few years.”
