# 2021-112 Pay and Benefits, Reserve Employment Process

Case summary

F&R Date: 2021-12-20

The grievor argued that his work on the 2020 Fulltime Summer Employment (FTSE) should have begun on 1 May instead of 1 June 2020 and that this loss of employment placed a financial burden on him. The grievor further argued that if he had received sufficient notice that the FTSE was going to be delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions, he would have sought other employment opportunities. The grievor stated that the guaranteed employment under the FTSE was part of what motivated him to join the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and that he relied on this employment in order to pay for his post secondary school tuition. As redress, the grievor requested a payment equivalent to the income he would have received if he had been employed on the FTSE for the month of May 2020.

The Commander 38 Canadian Brigade Group acting as the Initial Authority (IA), denied the grievor redress. The IA stated that the FTSE 2020 Directive set the employment period from 1 June until 31 August 2020 and that COVID-19 restrictions and force protection measures further limited the nature of employment opportunities. Given this new direction, the IA determined that the grievor had been treated fairly and in accordance with policy.

The Committee noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the operational tempo and priorities of the CAF. The Committee found it reasonable that the Canadian Army issued supplemental direction with respect to the 2020 FTSE. However, since this direction was not provided until some time in June 2020, over one month into the normal FTSE employment window, the Committee found that the grievor was aggrieved by the lack of clear and timely notice of this change and suffered financial damages as a result.

The Committee recommended to the Final Authority (FA) to grant redress by offering the grievor an additional period of employment of one month.

FA decision summary

The Director Canadian Forces Grievance Authority, acting as the FA, agrees with the Committee's findings and recommendation to grant the grievor an additional 31 days of Class A or Class B employment within his unit or brigade.