Public Service Employment Regulations (SOR/2005-334)

Marginal note:Canadian Forces — release for medical reasons

• 8 (1) The following persons who are released from the Canadian Forces for medical reasons are entitled to appointment in priority to all persons, other than those referred to in sections 39.1 and 40 and subsections 41(1) and (4) of the Act, to any position in the public service for which the Commission is satisfied that the person meets the essential qualifications referred to in paragraph 30(2)(a) of the Act:

  • (a) a member of the regular force;

  • (b) a member of the special force; and

  • (c) a member of the reserve force on Class B Reserve Service of more than 180 consecutive days or on Class C Reserve Service.

• Marginal note:Conditions

  (1.1) The priority applies if

  • (a) the person requests the priority within five years after the day on which the person is released;

  • (b) the person is not employed in the public service for an indeterminate period at the time the request is made;

  • (c) within five years after the day on which the person is released, the person is certified by a competent authority to be ready to return to work on the day specified by the authority; and

  • (d) the day specified is within five years after the day on which the person is released.

• Marginal note:Entitlement period

  (2) The entitlement period begins on the day on which the person is ready to return to work, as certified by a competent authority, and ends on the earliest of

  • (a) the fifth anniversary of the day on which the entitlement period begins;

  • (a.1) the day on which the Minister of Veterans Affairs determines that the person was released for medical reasons that are attributable to service;

  • (b) the day on which the person is appointed to a position in the public service for an indeterminate period;

  • (c) the day on which the person declines an appointment to a position in the public service for an indeterminate period without good and sufficient reason; and

  • (d) if the person is employed in the public service for a specified term,

    • (i) the day on which their period of employment is converted to indeterminate in their substantive position under subsection 59(1) of the Act, or

    • (ii) the day on which they request of the deputy head, without good and sufficient reason, that their period of employment continue to be for a specified term despite subsection 59(1) of the Act.

• Marginal note:Interpretation

  (3) In subsection (1), Class B Reserve Service and Class C Reserve Service have the same meaning as in sections 9.07 and 9.08, respectively, of the Queen’s Regulations and Orders for the Canadian Forces.

8.01 [Repealed, SOR/2024-295, s. 8]

8.02 [Repealed, SOR/2024-295, s. 8]

Marginal note:Surviving spousal or common-law priority

• 8.1 (1) If the death of any of the following persons is attributable to the performance of duties, their spouse or common-law partner is entitled to appointment in priority to all persons, other than those referred to in sections 39.1 and 40 and subsections 41(1) and (4) of the Act, to any position in the public service in an advertised external appointment process for which the Commission is satisfied that the spouse or common-law partner meets the essential qualifications referred to in paragraph 30(2)(a) of the Act:

  • (a) an employee;

  • (b) a member of the regular force, reserve force or special force;

  • (c) a member, within the meaning of subsection 2(1) of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; and

  • (d) a member of the Reserve of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

  • (e) and (f) [Repealed, SOR/2015-115, s. 6]

• Marginal note:Conditions

  (2) The priority applies if the spouse or common-law partner

  • (a) is not employed in the public service for an indeterminate period at the time the request is made;

  • (b) qualifies under any federally or provincially legislated plan for compensation as a result of the death of the person that is attributable to the performance of duties; and

  • (c) makes a request within five years after the day on which they qualify for the compensation.

• Marginal note:Exception — additional period to make request

  (3) A spouse or common-law partner is deemed to satisfy paragraph (2)(c) if they

  • (a) qualified for the compensation referred to in paragraph (2)(b) no earlier than April 1, 2020 and no later than March 31, 2023;

  • (b) did not make a request within the time referred to in paragraph (2)(c), as it read on March 31, 2025; and

  • (c) make a request no later than April 1, 2028.

• Marginal note:Entitlement period

  (4) The entitlement period begins on the day on which the request is made and ends on the earliest of

  • (a) the second anniversary of the day on which the request is made;

  • (b) the day on which the spouse or common-law partner is appointed to a position in the public service for an indeterminate period;

  • (c) the day on which the spouse or common-law partner declines an appointment for an indeterminate period without good and sufficient reason; and

  • (d) if the spouse or common-law partner is employed in the public service for a specified term,

    • (i) the day on which their period of employment is converted to indeterminate in their substantive position under subsection 59(1) of the Act, or

    • (ii) the day on which they request of the deputy head, without good and sufficient reason, that their period of employment continue to be for a specified term despite subsection 59(1) of the Act.

Marginal note:Relocation of spouse or common-law partner

• 9 (1) An employee who is on a leave of absence granted as a result of the relocation of their spouse or common-law partner and who is not entitled to be appointed under subsection 41(1) of the Act is entitled to appointment in priority to all persons, other than those referred to in sections 39.1 and 40 and subsections 41(1) and (4) of the Act, to any position in the public service for which the Commission is satisfied that the employee meets the essential qualifications referred to in paragraph 30(2)(a) of the Act.

• Marginal note:Entitlement period

  (2) The entitlement period begins on the day on which the period of the leave of absence begins and ends on the earliest of

  • (a) the day on which the period of leave of absence ends,

  • (b) the day on which the employee is appointed or deployed to a position in the public service for an indeterminate period,

  • (c) the day on which the employee declines an appointment or deployment to a position in the public service for an indeterminate period without good and sufficient reason, and

  • (d) if the employee is employed in the public service for a specified term,

    • (i) the day on which their period of employment is converted to indeterminate in their substantive position under subsection 59(1) of the Act, or

    • (ii) the day on which they request of the deputy head, without good and sufficient reason, that their period of employment continue to be for a specified term despite subsection 59(1) of the Act.

Marginal note:Reinstatement

• 10 (1) The following employees are entitled to appointment in priority to all persons, other than those referred to in sections 39.1 and 40 and subsections 41(1) and (4) of the Act, to any position in the public service referred to in subsection (1.1) for which the Commission is satisfied that the employee meets the essential qualifications referred to in paragraph 30(2)(a) of the Act:

  • (a) an employee referred to in section 40 or subsection 41(1) or (4) of the Act or subsection 5(1), 7(1) or 9(1) of these Regulations who is appointed or deployed for an indeterminate period to a position in the public service that is at a lower level than the position they held immediately before they became entitled to priority under one of those provisions; and

  • (b) an employee referred to in subsection 7(1) or 9(1) who holds a substantive position that is at a lower level than the position they held immediately before they became entitled to priority under one of those provisions, if their period of employment in that position has been converted to indeterminate under subsection 59(1) of the Act.

• Marginal note:Eligible positions

  (1.1) The position must be at a level that is

  • (a) higher than the employee’s current position; and

  • (b) not higher than the position that the employee held immediately before their entitlement to priority under section 40 or subsection 41(1) or (4) of the Act or subsection 5(1), 7(1) or 9(1) of these Regulations, as the case may be, took effect.

• Marginal note:Entitlement period

  (2) The entitlement period begins on the day of the appointment, deployment or conversion and ends on the earliest of

  • (a) the first anniversary of that day,

  • (b) the day on which the employee is appointed or deployed for an indeterminate period to a position in the public service that is at a level that is not lower than the position that the employee held immediately before their entitlement to a priority under section 40 or subsection 41(1) or (4) of the Act or subsection 5(1), 7(1) or 9(1) of these Regulations, as the case may be, took effect, and

  • (c) the day on which the employee declines an appointment or deployment referred to in paragraph (b) without good and sufficient reason.

• Marginal note:Interpretation — lower level

  (3) For the purpose of paragraphs (1)(a) and (b) and (2)(b), a position is at a lower level than another position if the assignment of the duties of that other position — to an employee whose substantive level, as defined in section 1 of the Definition of Promotion Regulations, corresponds to the position in question — would constitute a promotion within the meaning of section 3 of those Regulations.

• Marginal note:Interpretation — higher level

  (4) For the purpose of subsection (1.1), a position is at a higher level than another position if the assignment of the duties of the position in question — to an employee whose substantive level, as defined in section 1 of the Definition of Promotion Regulations, corresponds to the other position — would constitute a promotion within the meaning of section 3 of those Regulations.

Marginal note:Lay-off

11 The periods referred to in subsection 41(4) and section 44 of the Act begin on the day on which the person is laid off and end on the earliest of

• (a) the first anniversary of the day on which the person is laid off,

• (b) the day on which the person is appointed to a position in the public service for an indeterminate period, and

• (c) the day on which the person declines an appointment to a position in the public service for an indeterminate period without good and sufficient reason.

Acting Appointments

Marginal note:Excluded from priorities and notification

12 An acting appointment is excluded from the application of sections 39.1 and 40, subsections 41(1) and (4) and section 48 of the Act.

Marginal note:Notice

13 The Commission shall, at the time that the following acting appointments are made or proposed, as a result of an internal appointment process, inform the persons in the area of recourse, within the meaning of subsection 77(2) of the Act, in writing of the name of the person who is proposed to be, or has been, appointed and of their right and grounds to make a complaint:

• (a) an acting appointment of four months or more;

• (b) an acting appointment that extends the person’s cumulative period in the acting appointment to four months or more.

Marginal note:Excluded from sections 30 and 77 of the Act

• 14 (1) An acting appointment of less than four months, provided it does not extend the cumulative period of the acting appointment of a person in a position to four months or more, is excluded from the application of sections 30 and 77 of the Act.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (2) Despite subsection (1), the provision of paragraph 30(2)(a) of the Act respecting official language proficiency continues to apply in the case of an acting appointment of less than four months to a vacant bilingual position if

  • (a) the Commission is able to fill the position with an appointment of a person who meets the language proficiency qualification; or

  • (b) the cumulative period of the acting appointments of all persons in that position is four months or more.

Marginal note:Exemption from official language proficiency — encumbered position

• 15 (1) Subject to subsection (2), an acting appointment of four months or more but not more than twelve months to an encumbered bilingual position that the Commission cannot fill with an acting appointment of a person who meets the language proficiency qualification under paragraph 30(2)(a) of the Act is excluded from the application of that paragraph respecting official language proficiency.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to an acting appointment to the same position if the cumulative period of the acting appointments of all persons in that position is more than twelve months.

Marginal note:Exemption from official language proficiency — language training

• 16 (1) Subject to subsection (2), an acting appointment of four months or more but not more than eighteen months to a bilingual position, while the incumbent is on language training, that the Commission cannot fill with an acting appointment of a person who meets the language proficiency qualification under paragraph 30(2)(a) of the Act is excluded from the application of that paragraph respecting official language proficiency.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to an acting appointment to the same position if the cumulative period of the acting appointments of all persons in that position is more than eighteen months.

Marginal note:Rotational position

17 Despite sections 14 to 16, an acting appointment is excluded from the operation of sections 30 and 77 of the Act if it is to a position in a rotational system that is established by the deputy head in any of the following organizations and requires the movement of employees among places of work, at least one of which is outside Canada:

• (a) Department of Citizenship and Immigration;

• (b) Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development; and

• (c) Canada Border Services Agency.