Top GNWT Menu

Hours of Work

Search Online Managers' Toolkit

The standard hours of work for employees are either 8 hours a day (40 hours a week) or 7.5 hours a day (37.5 hours a week).  This is usually worked between 08:00 or 08:30 and 17:00, Monday to Friday inclusive.  There is a paid 15-minute break in the morning and a paid 15-minute break in the afternoon.

Employees in some occupational groups are required to work shifts where their days of rest may be other than Saturday and Sunday, or their hours may be other than the standard hours.

You must make every reasonable effort to notify your supervisor at your regular start time if you are unable to report for work for whatever reason.  You must provide reasonable notification and get approval from your supervisor for any anticipated absence from your workplace. 

If you are absent without approval, you may be subject to disciplinary action, and a deduction from your pay may be made.

Shift Work

The Government sets up a regular schedule of hours of work for employees in occupational groups that require shift work.  A master weekly shift schedule will be posted 14 days in advance to cover the work area's shift requirements for 28 calendar days. 

You will be granted alternate weekends off as often as reasonably possible.  If you are working for a third consecutive weekend, you will be paid the overtime rate for that weekend and any subsequent consecutive weekends afterwards.  This does not apply to employees who are hired exclusively to work weekends or who request to exchange shifts with other employees to work weekends.

The Government will make every reasonable effort to schedule your shifts to allow you to regularly attend educational courses.

If you are scheduled to work between midnight and 06:00 or are required to travel during these hours to perform overtime work, the Government will provide transportation or the cost of commercial transportation between your home and the workplace.

Employees may exchange shifts with management approval.

Standby

Standby is where you must be available during off duty hours and have been placed on standby status.  You will be paid one hours pay at your base salary for each eight (8) consecutive hours or portion thereof that you are on standby.  If you are on standby on a day of rest or a designated paid holiday, you will be paid one and one-half hours pay at your base salary for each eight (8) consecutive hours or portion thereof that you are on standby.

When you are on standby and you are required to return to the workplace, you will be paid at the appropriate overtime rate with a minimum of four hours pay at the straight time rate.  Each following call to report to work during the same eight-hour period will be at the appropriate overtime rate for the actual hours worked.

When you report to work during standby, and are required to use transportation services other than the normal public transportation service, you will be paid the actual cost of commercial transportation each way. You must provide receipts for payment of transportation costs over ten dollars ($10).  If you use your personal motor vehicle, you will be paid the appropriate distance rates specified in the Duty Travel Section of this handbook.

When you are on standby and you are required to work by responding by phone, email or other electronic means and are not required to return to the workplace, you will be compensated at the greater of:

  • One (1) hour at the straight time rate; or
  • Compensation at the applicable overtime rate for time worked.

The minimum one hour payment applies only once during each sixty minute period.

The minimum payment of one hour at the overtime rate, as specified in the Overtime section of this handbook, does not apply.

If you are on standby, you are not entitled to Call-Back Pay.

Call-Back Pay

Call-Back is when you are recalled by the Employer to a place of work for a specific duty.  You will be compensated the greater of:

  • Compensation at the appropriate overtime rate; or
  • Compensation equivalent to four (4) hours pay at the straight-time rate.

When you report to work as a Call-Back, and are required to use transportation services other than the normal public transportation service, you will be paid the actual cost of commercial transportation each way. You must provide receipts for payment of transportation costs over ten dollars ($10).  If you use your personal motor vehicle, you will be paid the appropriate distance rates specified in the Duty Travel Section of this handbook.

If you are required to work during off duty hours by responding by phone, email or other electronic means and are not required to return to the workplace, you will be compensated at the greater of:

  • One (1) hour at the straight time rate; or
  • Compensation at the applicable overtime rate for time worked.

The minimum one hour payment applies only once during each sixty minute period.

The minimum payment of one hour at the overtime rate, as specified in the Overtime section of this handbook, does not apply.

If you receive pay under this article, you are not entitled to Standby Pay.

Shift Premium

If you are regularly scheduled to work outside of the normal hours of work (08:00 to 17:00) you will be paid $2.50 an hour for all regularly scheduled hours worked between 16:00 and midnight; and $2.50 an hour for all regularly scheduled hours worked between midnight and 08:00.

You will also be paid shift premium for all overtime hours worked immediately before and after the regularly scheduled hours above, but not for other overtime hours.

Weekend Premium

If you are regularly scheduled to work on weekends, you will be paid an additional premium of $2.50 per hour for all regularly scheduled straight-time hours worked on Saturdays and Sundays.

You will not be paid the weekend premium for overtime hours.

Standard Work Schedules include a 7.5 or 8-hour workday with the work being performed between 08:00 and 17:00, five days a week, Monday to Friday.

Non-Standard Work Schedules

To enable employees to accommodate their personal circumstances, family obligations and responsibilities, the Government may agree to alter the standard work schedule if operational requirements permit and there is no cost to the Government.

Non-Standard Work Schedules may include:

  • Employee Scheduled Work:  Work performed during hours other than those set out in a standard work schedule.  The daily hours may vary.
  • Flex Time:  Allows employees to work a 7.5 or 8 hour day with assigned core hours and flexible daily start and finish times within limits established by management.
  • Compressed Work Week:  Permits employees to work longer than 7.5 or 8 hours a day and bank the extra time worked to allow future "time off".

A request for a non-standard work schedule must be initiated by the employee and approved by the Director.

Video Display Terminal Break

If you are required to work regularly with a video display terminal, you may take a ten-minute break away from the video display terminal after each hour of continuous operation.  These breaks are not to be construed as the regular morning or afternoon coffee break.

Job Share Employees

Two employees may seek approval to share the hours of one full-time position.  A work schedule is developed by the supervisor and the employees.  Each employee is treated as a part-time employee and all benefits are pro-rated except for medical transportation assistance, dental and other medical insurance plans.

The job share arrangement can be terminated at any time by the employees or the supervisor with reasonable notice.  If only one of the employees wishes to terminate the agreement, there will be a one-month period in which to find a replacement.

Job share employees are entitled to removal on initial appointment and ultimate removal assistance except where you receive assistance to return to your point of hire and back to the community of employment after each rotation the following will apply:

  • No ultimate removal or removal on initial appointment will be provided.  However, transportation costs including meals and interim lodging en route plus cost for shipment of two hundred and twenty five (225) kilograms of luggage for you and each of your dependents will be provided for each rotation.
  • A rotation in this case is considered to be your move to your place of employment and your move from your place of employment before and after each period of job share service.

Part-Time Employees

Part-time employees are eligible for all benefits set out in this Handbook on a pro-rated basis.  This includes northern allowance. 

Part-time employees who work 12 or more hours per week are required to contribute to the Superannuation Plan.  They are eligible to join the Public Service Health Care Plan if they work for more than 3.5 hours a day or 17.5 hours a week, and are paid more than $900 per year.

If a part-time employee works more than one-third of the normally scheduled full-time hours for their occupational group, they are eligible to participate in the Public Service Management Insurance Plan and they must take Long Term Disability Insurance coverage.

Casual Employees

Casual employees are hired for a specific period to do work of a temporary nature.  The work term is usually less than six months.  Casual employees who have service that has not been broken by more than 30 working days will be deemed to have continuous service. Pay ranges are set out in Appendix A.  Other terms and conditions of employment for casual employees are set out in the Human Resource Manual.

Overtime

To deliver programs effectively, departments may need work to be done outside of scheduled working hours.  The Public Service Regulations provide that a Deputy Head may require an employee to work more than his or her daily or weekly standard hours or on a holiday where, in the Deputy Head's opinion, the workload so requires. 

Your supervisor must authorize overtime in advance.

You are entitled to overtime compensation for each completed 15 minutes of overtime worked subject to a minimum payment of one (1) hour at the overtime rate.

Overtime is compensated as follows:

  • One and a half (1 ½) times your base salary for all hours worked; and
  • Two (2) times your base salary for all hours worked after the first four (4) consecutive hours of overtime; and
  • Two (2) times your base salary for all hours worked on the second or subsequent day of rest providing the days of rest are consecutive.

Your supervisor will make every reasonable effort to assign overtime work equitably and to give you reasonable notice.  This is subject to operational requirements.

You may, for cause, refuse to work overtime.  Your refusal must be in writing.    Participation in a business or outside employment is not a reasonable ground for refusing to work overtime.

Instead of paying overtime, a supervisor may agree to grant lieu time in accordance with departmental policy.  Lieu time is equivalent leave with pay at the appropriate overtime rate.

Work on a Designated Paid Holiday

When you are required to work on a holiday either as part of your regularly scheduled hours or as overtime, you will receive your base salary plus two (2) times your base salary.

If you don’t regularly work Monday to Friday and you are required to regularly work on designated paid holidays, you will receive a designated paid holiday bank.  You may take your banked hours with mutual agreement with your supervisor.  Any unused banked hours will be paid out at the end of the fiscal year.