Quebec court approves Ottawa’s Phoenix payroll system settlement

Workers can claim hundreds of dollars in payment until Oct. 24, 2025

BY Jim Wilson 29 Apr. 2025

^{The Superior Court of Quebec has approved the federal government's settlement to compensate non-unionised and casual federal employees affected by the issues of the Phoenix pay system.}

^{On April 3, 2018, the Superior Court authorised a class action in connection with the implementation of the Phoenix pay system, which was put in place by the federal government in 2016.}

^{The court "acknowledges the commitment of the class's counsel to reimburse the Fonds d'aide aux actions collectives in the amount of $37,845.98 within 90 days of the amended judgment, and orders them to comply," according to the Superior Court.}

^{For each worker, the amount of compensation is based on eligibility for each fiscal year as follows:}

^{A maximum amount of $350.00 for the 2016–17 fiscal year (February 24, 2016, to March 31, 2017)}
^{A maximum amount of $175.00 for the 2017–18 fiscal year (April 1, 2017, to March 31, 2018)}
^{A maximum amount of $175.00 for the 2018–19 fiscal year (April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019)}
^{A maximum amount of $175.00 for fiscal year 2019–20 (April 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020)}

^{After nearly a decade of legal wrangling, the federal government reached an out-of-court settlement to compensate workers affected by the issues of the Phoenix pay system in late 2024.}

^{“Without any admission of liability on the part of the Attorney General of Canada (AGC), the parties negotiated and accepted a national settlement agreement (the Agreement) after their counsel had thoroughly evaluated the facts of this case, having taken into account a variety of factors such as the burden and costs of litigation as well as the risk and uncertainty associated with the litigation,” said the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.}

^{How can workers submit a claim?}

^{To claim compensation, a member must complete an application online or by mail no later than Oct. 24, 2025.}

^{“Claim applications will not be accepted after October 24, 2025, 11:59 p.m. PT,” according to the federal government.}

^{Workers can submit their online claim right here. Workers can also download, print and complete the claim form, then mail to:}

^{Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

            Attention: TBS Claims Office

            90 Elgin St

            Ottawa ON K1A 0R5}

^{Workers who are unable to submit a claim via the online portal, or who need to submit a claim with supporting documents, can also send it to the same address.}

^{“Do not send original documents, as they cannot be returned to the sender,” said the federal government. “Certified copies, copies of a document that have been stamped by a Notary Public, are acceptable. Please note that a Member or their representative will not be reimbursed for costs incurred for having a document certified.”}

^{By early 2025, the federal government has Increased capacity and efficiency of the Pay Centre to provide a better HR and pay solution for public servants. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) had updated the Compensation Sector Pay, automating benefits enrollment for new hires.}