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UnionCongratulations on your new position! As a Union member, you are one of over 18,000 Alberta Public Service employees that are members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE). As a union employee, you are in the bargaining unit and your conditions of employment are governed by the collective agreement. Feel free to browse through the following information as a starting point to get you familiar with some of the questions you may have as a new Alberta Public Service employee. Once you start with us, your supervisor and HR Consultant in your department would also be able to answer any questions you may have. PayPay grades for employees in the bargaining unit (or union) are determined under the collective agreement and based on the classification of your position. To determine your pay range for your classification, click here. When you meet with your pay and benefits specialist upon commencement, an employee ID number will be assigned to you and a direct deposit form will be filled out. Bi-weekly pay began in October 2009, with the first deposit taking place on October 16 and every second Friday thereafter. Every employee (including wage employees) is on a government wide system called MyAGent which you will be given access to as soon as your pay and benefits specialist assigns you an employee ID number. This website is a portal for employment information including details on each pay cheque. There are two types of salary increases you may be eligible for. The first type of salary increase is an annual salary increment that is based on satisfactory performance and the second is a general increase that occurs as a result of negotiations with the bargaining unit. Annual salary increments occur every year on your anniversary date based on satisfactory performance. Your salary will move to the next salary period until you reach the maximum period of your salary grade. The collective agreement includes negotiations on salary and benefits. General increases are applied to the pay grades for bargaining unit classifications once a percentage amount has been negotiated for the duration of the contract term. Benefits
All employees in the bargaining unit participate in a group benefits plan called the MYCHOICE Benefits Plan that is negotiated between the Employer and AUPE. Benefits under this plan include: Detailed information of this plan can be found here. All permanent employees and temporary salaried employees are eligible to participate in the benefit plans. Wage employees are typically not eligible. Costs are shared between you and the employer. Premiums and cost share information for the MYCHOICE Benefits Plan can be found here. As a participant in the Bargaining Unit Benefits Program, most benefits, with the exception of the Group Life Insurance and Long Term Disability Plans, will commence on the first day of the following pay period from employment or transfer into the plan. More detailed information can be found here under "Benefits Handbook". There are certain benefits that are mandatory and others that are optional. Review your benefits information package and/or discuss with your HR Consultant or pay and benefits specialist about your options. Under the MYCHOICE Benefits Plan, the following benefits are mandatory: Upon commencement, your pay and benefits specialist will connect with you to enroll you within the benefits plan. You will be required to complete the appropriate enrollment forms in order to commence you on the benefits plan. This is the form you will complete to commence your benefits. You can coordinate your claims so that you can receive payment of up to 100% of eligible expenses if your spouse or benefit partner is enrolled in a health care plan providing similar coverage. For more information on the Bargaining Unit Benefits Program, click here under "Benefits Handbook". PensionAll non-management employees (i.e. union and non-union employees) who are on permanent or temporary salaried status automatically become members of the Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP). Click here for more information on the PSPP. For Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) participants, your contributions are based on a percentage of your pensionable salary and are made through payroll deductions. To find the most recent contribution rates under PSPP, click here. The PSPP has reciprocal agreements with a number of other pension plans. There is a possibility you may be able to transfer your service from a previous pension plan to the plan you belong to now. Information on the reciprocal agreements is available from the PSPP administrator at 1-877-453-1777. You can also click here for more information. VacationYour vacation is based on a vacation grant and the amount of vacation leave you earn while working with the Alberta Public Service. First Year Vacation Grant: Effective October 1, 2007, if you are a permanent or temporary salaried employee in your first calendar year of employment, you will be given one vacation day for each calendar month of service completed in your first calendar year of work, in addition to your regular earning entitlement for subsequent years. This additional vacation entitlement is effective on your first day of employment. If you are hired after the 15th day of the month your vacation days will be counted at the beginning of the following month. For example, if you were hired between May 1-15, 2008, you will be given 8 vacation days in addition to your regular earning entitlement. If you were hired between May 16 - June 15, 2008 you will be given 7 vacation days in addition to your regular earning entitlement and so on. Feel free to contact your Human Resources department for more information. Vacation Earnings: In addition to your first year vacation grant, you will also earn 1.25 days of vacation time per month worked in your first calendar year of employment. If you have enough prior service to qualify, you may earn vacation time at a higher rate. The table below shows the amount of vacation time you earn in each calendar year after completing specific months or years of service as of December 31. It also sets out the rate you earn vacation time for each full calendar month you work. Table: Calculating Vacation Leave
More information on earning vacation leave can be found in the Collective Agreement. Normally, you would take vacation leave in the year after you have earned it. The deputy head may approve vacation to be taken in the year it is earned. In this case, the number of days taken will be deducted from the following year's entitlement. You can use your first year vacation grant (effective October 1, 2007) beginning your first month of employment. Talk to your supervisor once you are ready to schedule your vacation time. AbsencesAs a Union employee you are entitled to the following sick leaves: Casual Illness: Casual Illness entitlements for bargaining unit employees are found in the Collective Agreement. General Illness: General Illness entitlements for bargaining unit employees are also addressed in the Collective Agreement. Long Term Disability Plan: If you are ill or unable to work beyond 80 days, you may be eligible to receive benefits under the Long Term Disability Income Plan. Further information on the Long Term Disability Income Plan can be accessed here. Depending upon your situation, you may need to access the leaves as indicated above. Normally, employees would first use their casual illness leave and will access general illness leave if absent for 3 consecutive work days. It is only after 80 days of general illness leave that employees may apply to receive benefits under the Long Term Disability Income Continuance Plan Regulation. It is important to stay connected with your supervisor to allow for updates and provide you with any supports required to help with your situation. As a union employee, you are expected to report absences as referenced in the Collective Agreement. In addition, employees are expected to also complete a time sheet at the end of the month to document any absences. This sheet will be forwarded to your payroll contact to be entered into your personnel file and MyAGent. Check with your supervisor on your department's process of completing the time sheet. For further information on other leaves (including maternity leaves) and other additional leave entitlements, please click here. Information on paid holidays can be found here. Workplace Health
The Workplace Health Framework describes what Workplace Health is and how workplace health services are delivered in the GOA. The purpose of the Alberta Government's Occupational Health and Safety Program is to identify health and safety concerns, reduce the occurrence of occupational incidents, injuries and illnesses. Overall, this program promotes your health and well-being as an Alberta Government employee. The Workplace Health Framework reflects our commitment to stimulate and create a work environment that moves us all to work toward a healthier workplace. For Unionized employees, Article 43 in the Collective Agreement describes the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) and the Government of Alberta's partnership in the Occupational Health and Safety Program. It describes every unionized employee's responsibility for health and safety in the workplace. More information on our Workplace Health programs and initiatives can be found here. The Occupational Health and Safety Policy reflects the Alberta Government's commitment to provide a safe and healthy work environment and, together with AUPE, encourage employee participation in the Occupational Health and Safety Program. The Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) is a confidential counseling and information service provided by Shepell.fgi and is sponsored by the Government of Alberta. This program is designed to help you and your dependents with any personal problems, large or small, that affect your family life, your work life or your general well-being. Click here for further information on EFAP. The Employee Support and Recovery Assistance Program (ESRA) is a program that offers you professional health assistance if you are ill or injured. Click here for more information on ESRA. Training
Continuous learning and development is critical to your ongoing growth and success. Once you've started with us, you will find that we have numerous supports that can help your career and learning plan. We have many different kinds of programs available to you in supporting your learning and development. Click here to see the programs that may interest you. The Government of Alberta (GoA) Learning Centre also offers various learning opportunities on a wide range of topic areas throughout the year. To access what courses are available, click here. On-the-job learning is also an important component of your learning and development. Once you've started working with us, consider secondment opportunities or other special projects and assignments you can take on to further develop your skills. Whether it's courses or on-the-job learning assignments, feel free to discuss with your supervisor and/or HR Consultant if you are interested in any learning opportunity, including the process for applying for financial assistance where applicable. With hundreds of careers in the APS to consider and with so many different opportunities, it is important to remember your career path in the APS is also a life long learning process. APS career paths are often as unique as individuals, and ultimately you will make career choices to meet your individual needs as there is nobody more interested or qualified to determine its direction and timing than you. The APS Career Management Portal is a key resource offering an abundance of information and material that can help manage your career within the APS. Click here to access the portal. The "Career and Learning" section on the Corporate Human Resources website also offers resources and information to help employees explore what opportunities are available to them. Click here for more information. In addition to online resources, your supervisor and/or HR Consultant in your department may also provide valuable insights and supports in helping you pursue the different career options with the APS. OpportunitiesOpportunities with the GOA are posted on the GOA jobs website. Click here to see what opportunities are there that may interest you! Other Information
MyAGent is your gateway to online employee self-service. It is a confidential portal that provides you with the ability to access and update your personal information over the internet from your workstation or from home. When you update personal, employment or benefits information, this information automatically updates the Alberta Government HR and Payroll System (IMAGIS HRMS). Here are just a few things you can do in MyAGent. Flexible work options can be an effective way to balance work and life. However, not all departments are designed to accomodate flex work; check with your supervisor. Click on the links below for outlines of the flexible work options that could be possible upon discussions with your supervisor. The achievement bonus is a component of compensation for management and non-union positions, based on a satisfactory performance assessment. The link here offers more information on the Achievement Bonus Program. |
