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Pay FAQ

What do I do when I have been short-paid?

If you are a positive time reporter, confirm on your timesheet 'Approval Monitor' link to ensure our hours were approved by the approval deadline.

If you have entered overtime or partial days of work, ensure that your regular hours have been entered as well.

**In order to request an emergency cheque, have your time approver send an e-mail to the HR HelpDesk, including “Emergency Cheque” and your (employee) name in the subject line.  Generally, emergency cheques are not issued for a short-payment of one day or less.

**Each employee who has access to Self Service in PeopleSoft can prevent unpleasant pay day surprises by checking their Pay Advice the Wednesday before payday.

Your Pay Advice will provide information on:

  • Hours worked
  • Pay amount
  • Deductions
  • Leave balances

Can I enter a Lieu (or other Comp) Payout in the timesheet?

Yes. The hours will not be pensionable, nor will it pay Northern Allowance. It will simply be a cash payout. Be sure to enter any Regular hours you work if you enter your request for payout on a worked day.

What is callback?

As per Article 26 of the UNW Collective Agreement, callback is when an employee is recalled to a place of work for a specific duty but is not on standby. Each callback will be paid the greater of compensation at the overtime rate or compensation equivalent to four hours pay at straight time.

If an employee is on standby and is called out, for the first call-out he/she will be paid at least four hours at straight time. This minimum applies only ONCE during the standby period. After that, pay will be at the appropriate over time rate for the time worked, with a minimum of one hour paid for each call-out.

Do I have to enter Dry Cleaning, Safety Wear and Tool allowance in the timesheet or will someone do it for me?

This should be entered by you or your time approver. The time reporting code for Dry Cleaning Allowance is HSL; Safety Wear Allowance is “HSW”; the Tool Allowance code is “TOA”.  The actual dollar amount (i.e. 175, 250 or 500) is entered.  If entering on a regular day of work, be sure to enter your regular hours as well. Information on allowance rates can be found in Article 46.06 and Appendix A7.07 of the UNW Collective Agreement.

Do I have to earn four hours of overtime at one and one half times the regular rate on a Saturday or Sunday before I get the double time on the Sunday?

No, all hours worked on the second day of rest are automatically double time.

If I am acting for six days, are the first five days earned at ten percent and the last day earned at twelve percent?

No, all six days are earned at twelve percent.

Do I earn responsibility allowance when I am on paid leave during my acting period?

Providing you are still acting in the position while on leave, you would still earn the allowance.  This should be confirmed by your regular supervisor.  This applies to Vacation, Sick, Special, Lieu, Mandatory Leave, Stats etc.

If you are acting over a stat. and you do NOT normally enter anything to be paid for the stat, enter the hours with only the responsibility allowance code.

I’ve just been promoted to a new position, does my increment date change?

On promotion, if you were due an increment within six months, the increment is granted before the pay for the new position is calculated. The increment date is then changed to the first day of the month of your promotion.

My position has been re-evaluated resulting in an increase to the pay category. Will my increment date change to the date the position was upgraded?

No, the increment date of an employee who is transferred or whose position is re-evaluated does not change.

I will be returning to school in the fall and will be taking an eight month leave of absence from my position. Will my increment date be affected as a result of my leave of absence? If so, how will it be affected?

Yes, increment dates are postponed by all leaves of absence except the following:

  • leaves of absence less than six months;
  • leaves of absence without pay to work for another government department, board or agency;
  • maternity leave; and
  • adoption leave.

An increment postponed by a leave of absence is due when the employee returns to work and completes a year of paid full-time employment from the effective date of the last increment. This includes the periods of service before and after the absence.

For example, if the last increment you received was on June 1, 2010 then September 1, 2010 you went on a leave of absence to return to university for eight months, returning to work May 1, 2011 your next increment would be delayed until you had completed the remaining nine months of service (June through August = three months; May through January 31, 2012=nine months).  You would be eligible for the next increment February 1, 2012.

I am an indeterminate, part-time employee. My work week is less than the standard 37.5 or 40 hours. Does being a part-time employee affect my entitlement for pay increments?

No, part-time employees receive annual increments regardless of the number of hours worked during the year.

I am a seasonal employee usually working from April through September (six months per year). Am I eligible to receive pay increments? If so, when can I expect to notice the increase in my hourly rate appearing on my pay advice?

Seasonal employees are entitled to receive increments on completion of each accumulated one year of active employment. As seasons vary from year to year, the actual date varies.

Note:   For further information on salary increments you may access the following documents by clicking on the related link.

Authorities and References

UNW Collective Agreement with the UNW - Article 24, Pay

Excluded Employees' Handbook – Salary

NWTTA Collective Agreement

How does electronic callback work?

Information on how to apply electronic callback can be found through this link.

If I normally work 8am – 4pm and work overtime one day, do I get shift premiums since I worked after 4pm?

No.  Shift premiums are for employees who are regularly scheduled to work outside the hours of 8am-4pm.

I had worked for the GNWT for almost 5 years when I resigned. After 18 months I went back to work for GNWT in exactly the same position I had resigned from previously. Will I have to start over at the bottom of the pay scale in my old position?

An employee, except a casual employee, who is rehired within two years of his/her last date of employment with the Employer to perform the same duties shall be paid at the same step as he/she was being paid at when he/she ceased to be an employee.

Do I earn shift premiums on hours that are paid as Overtime?

You don't earn shift premiums for hours paid as overtime unless the overtime hours are worked contiguously to (immediately before or after) your normal hours of work.

How can I find out when I received my last pay increment?

Increments are granted to employees in recognition of service and satisfactory performance.

The increment date (annual review date) is based on the anniversary date of your appointment or most recent promotion or the date you were hired as a casual to perform the same duties as the new appointment if there was no break between the casual and indeterminate service. You can confirm your last increment date at Self-Service > Payroll and Compensation > Compensation History .Pay increments, which are recommended by the Deputy Head, shall be granted the first day of the month.

The increment will appear on your pay advice automatically.