Each month, our advocates answer your questions about workplace challenges, the AD 10 policies, and how they’re applied. Questions? Submit them anonymously here. These questions will be answered in a monthly advocacy corner issue. For an immediate answer, please contact APSA.
Hello, I’m Tracey Ferris, APSA’s Senior Labour Relations Officer and an advocate on our Advocacy Committee. I’m answering your questions related to our AD 10 policies. Questions? Submit them anonymously here. These questions will be answered in a monthly advocacy corner issue. For an immediate answer, please contact us.
Are staff required to take a vacation day to travel to an approved (via PD funds) for an out-of-country conference? If not, what is the policy on paid travel dates?
APSA members attending a work-related conference do not have to take a vacation day to travel there; it is considered work training and part of your work time. The Employment Standards Act states, "Employees are paid for travel time if they are sent out of town for work.” As we don’t know the specifics of your case, I’d encourage you to contact APSA for a more thorough understanding of your circumstances.
If it’s a work-related and work-approved activity, it shouldn’t be vacation but part of your work time.
I’ve recently been promoted, and HR has ensured that my pay increase is a maximum of 5%. This means that my step went down to step 1 for the new pay grade.
This has been an ongoing issue between the written policy and HR’s practice. The policy states that 5% is the minimum, and it's our understanding from PSEC that these supervisory, temporary overload and promotions can be up to 10%. SFU HR representatives, however, seem to advise that this percentage is a maximum. APSA's position on the 5% has always been that this is the minimum and not the maximum, per the language in AD 10.06 Section 5.01:
An Employee promoted to a position in a higher Salary Range will have his/her salary adjusted to the closest step in the new Salary Range that provides a minimum increase of five (5) percent.
APSA has already discussed this with senior administration and will continue to pursue this for our members.
I’m a new continuing member for the past four months. I haven’t received a probation review and was told that I should be getting one every two months before my final six-month review. Can you please tell me what I should do?
Your supervisor should be providing a review to you per Policy AD 10.22, Probationary Period. Continuing employees serve a six-month probationary period unless waived at the discretion of the hiring supervisor. Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that performance reviews happen and provide reviews at least once every two months (per Article 4.01 of AD 10.22.) You are allowed to and should be responding to the feedback that your supervisor has written and provided to you in advance.
If you have not received a formal review in writing every two months during your probationary period, or if you have any concerns about any of the above, we encourage you to reach out to APSA for advice.