Phoenix: ACFO-ACAF presents concerns to new PSPC DM

On March 1, ACFO-ACAF President Dany Richard met with the new Deputy Minister at Public Services and Procurement Canada, Bill Matthews. Mr. Matthews was informed that Phoenix continues to have consequences on the paycheques of FIs and that these issues must be resolved immediately.

Mr. Richard also raised two key ongoing concerns that emerged from ACFO-ACAF’s FI Community Phoenix Impact Study and shed light on other Phoenix-related issues that have impacted the FI Community specifically. These concerns not only affect the financial integrity of the public purse but the wellbeing and mental health of valued and highly-skilled professionals.

1. Increase in workload for FIs due to Phoenix: According to our latest study published, more than 60% of FIs reported an increase in their workload due to Phoenix. Since many public servants continue to struggle to receive help from the Pay Centre, many FIs have become ‘shadow’ compensation advisors due to their access to salary expenditures in the financial system. Furthermore, FIs are asked to produce more financial information to account for missing or incorrect salary dollars.
2. Challenge in performing the due diligence function due to Phoenix: With unreliable financials from Phoenix, FIs are not being provided with the tools or proper information to correctly perform their due diligence processes.

Mr. Matthews agreed that FIs should not be doing the job of compensation advisors and that FIs should inform their managers if they feel they are unable to complete their due diligence. We intend to follow up with his office again in the coming months to ensure the needs of our community continue to be recognized and addressed.

ACFO-ACAF also secured a seat at the Next Generation HR to Pay Joint Union Management Committee, where the replacement for Phoenix is discussed, as we want to ensure we are consulted in this matter.

If you have any questions about this meeting, please contact Dany Richard at drichard@acfo-acaf.com. For questions about your workplace rights regarding an increase in workload or due diligence challenges, please contact labourrelations@acfo-acaf.com. Finally, please consult our best practices for dealing with a Phoenix pay issue if you are still facing issues with your own pay.