The Workforce Adjustment Appendix (WFAA) is a section within PSAC Treasury Board and Agency collective agreements that outlines the rights, obligations, and processes for managing situations where employees' services are no longer required due to organizational changes, including government downsizing or cutbacks. 

This glossary defines important terms and obligations found in the Workforce Adjustment Appendix. Some are found in each collective agreement; some are found elsewhere.  

For more information about your rights at work during a workforce adjustment situation, visit psacunion.ca/workforce-adjustment.

Accelerated lay-off: occurs when a surplus employee makes a request to the Commissioner, in writing, to be laid-off at an earlier date than that originally scheduled, and the Commissioner concurs. Lay-off entitlements begin on the actual date of lay-off. 

Affected employee: an indeterminate employee who has been informed in writing that their services may no longer be required because of a workforce adjustment situation. 

Alternation: occurs when an opting employee or a surplus employee who is surplus as a result of having chosen option 6.4.1(a) who wishes to remain in the CRA exchanges positions with a non-affected employee (the alternate) willing to leave the CRA with a Transition Support Measure or with an Education Allowance. 

Alternate Delivery Initiative: the transfer of any work, undertaking or business of the core public administration to any employer that is outside the CRA. 

Commissioner: has the same meaning as in the definition of section 2 of the Canada Revenue Agency Act (CRA Act), and also means their official designate as per section 37(1) and (2) of the CRA Act.  

Core public administration: that part of the public service in or under any department or organization, or other portion of the federal public administration specified in Schedules I and IV of the Financial Administration Act (FAA) for which the Public Service Commission has the sole authority to appoint. 

Education allowance: one of the options provided to an indeterminate employee affected by a workforce adjustment situation for whom the Commissioner cannot guarantee a reasonable job offer. The education allowance is a cash payment equivalent to the transition support measure (see Annex B), plus a reimbursement of tuition from a recognized learning institution, as well as book and mandatory equipment costs, up to a maximum of seventeen thousand dollars ($17,000). 

Guarantee of a Reasonable Job Offer: a guarantee of an offer of indeterminate employment within the CRA provided by the Commissioner to an indeterminate employee who is affected by workforce adjustment. The Commissioner will be expected to provide a guarantee of a reasonable job offer to those affected employees for whom the Commissioner knows or can predict employment availability in the CRA. Surplus employees in receipt of this guarantee will not have access to the options available in Part VI of this Appendix. 

Joint Workforce Adjustment Committee: a joint committee that must be created at all necessary levels by the agency with their union counterparts to discuss all aspects of the workforce adjustment process being undertaken, including voluntary departure programs and alternation requests. 

Laid-off person: a person who has been laid off pursuant to section 51(1)(g) of the CRA Act and who still retains a preferred status for reappointment within the CRA under the CRA Staffing Program. 

Lay-off notice: a written notice of lay-off to be given to a surplus employee at least one month before the scheduled lay-off date. This period is included in the surplus period. 

Lay-off preferred status: a person who has been laid off is entitled to a preferred status for appointment without staffing recourse to a position in the CRA for which, in the opinion of the CRA, the employee is qualified. The preferred status is for a period of fifteen (15) months following the lay-off date, or following the termination date, pursuant to subsection 51(1)(g) of the CRA Act. 

Opting employee: an indeterminate employee whose services will no longer be required because of a workforce adjustment situation and who has not received a guarantee of a reasonable job offer from the Commissioner and who has 120 days to consider the options in section 6.4 of the WFAA. 

Pay: has the same meaning as “rate of pay” in the Collective Agreement. 

Preferred Status Administration process: a process under the CRA staffing program to facilitate appointments of individuals entitled to preferred status for appointment within the CRA. 

Preferred Status for Reinstatement: a preferred status for appointment allowed under the CRA staffing program to certain individuals salary-protected under this Appendix for the purpose of assisting them to re-attain an appointment level equivalent to that from which they were declared surplus. 

Reasonable Job Offer: an offer of indeterminate employment within the CRA, normally at an equivalent level but could include lower levels. Surplus employees must be both trainable and mobile. Where practicable, a reasonable job offer shall be within the employee's headquarters as defined in the Directive on Travel. In Alternative Delivery situations, a reasonable offer is one that meets the criteria set out in Type 1 and Type 2 of Part VII of this Appendix. A reasonable job offer is also an offer from the FAA Schedule I, IV or V employer, providing that:  

a. The appointment is at a rate of pay and an attainable salary maximum not less than the employee's current salary and attainable maximum that would be in effect on the date of offer.  

b. It is a seamless transfer of all employee benefits including a recognition of years of service for the definition of continuous employment and accrual of benefits, including the transfer of sick leave credits, severance pay and accumulated vacation leave credits. 

Relocation: the authorized geographic move of a surplus employee or laid-off person from one place of duty to another place of duty located beyond what, according to local custom, is a normal commuting distance. 

Relocation of a work unit: the authorized move of a work unit of any size to a place of duty located beyond what, according to local custom, is normal commuting distance from the former work location and from the employee's current residence. 

Retention process: in accordance with the CRA WFA process policy, when fewer positions will be available than the number of affected employees occupying these positions, the CRA may undertake a retention process to determine which employees will remain in their substantive position and in the work area. A retention process is a process undertaken for the purpose of retaining the most qualified employees in their substantive position; the decision is based on merit. 

Retraining: on-the-job training or other training intended to enable affected employees, surplus employees and laid-off persons to qualify for known or anticipated vacancies within the CRA. 

Surplus employee: an indeterminate employee who has been formally declared surplus, in writing, by the Commissioner. 

Surplus preferred status: under the CRA Staffing Program, an entitlement of preferred status for appointment to surplus employees to permit them to be appointed to other positions in the CRA without recourse. 

Surplus preferred status period in which to secure a reasonable job offer: one of the options provided to an opting employee who selected option 6.4.1(a) and for whom the Commissioner cannot guarantee a reasonable job offer. 

Surplus status: an indeterminate employee is in surplus status from the date they are declared surplus until the date of lay-off, until they are indeterminately appointed to another position, until their surplus status is rescinded, or until the person resigns. 

Transition Support Measure (TSM): one of the options provided to an opting employee for whom the Commissioner cannot guarantee a reasonable job offer. The transition support measure is a cash payment based on the employee's years of continuous employment, as per Annex B of the WFAA. 

Workforce adjustment: a situation that occurs when the Commissioner decides that the services of one or more indeterminate employees will no longer be required beyond a specified date because of a lack of work, the discontinuance of a function, a relocation in which the employee does not wish to participate or an alternative delivery initiative.