Settlement of class action lawsuit over Phoenix pay system problems for casual employees approved

A federal government building in downtown Ottawa is seen in this Sept. 11, 2024 image.

A class action settlement agreement related to compensation errors for non-unionized and casual federal public servants because of the troubled Phoenix pay system has been approved.

The Superior Court of Quebec approved the settlement on April 15. It comes years after the class action was first approved in relation to compensation problems for federal workers who were overpaid, underpaid, or not paid at all after the 2016 rollout of the federal government’s new pay system.

The Treasury Board Secretariat says the settlement agreement applies to individuals who worked any number of days for the Government of Canada between February 2016 and March 2020 as a casual, student, term (less than 3 months), part-time worker working less than one-third of the normal schedule, or a Governor in Council appointee, and who experienced pay problems as a result of the Phoenix pay system. Individuals who received or are eligible for compensation under any related Phoenix pay system agreements for a given fiscal year are not eligible for settlement compensation for that same year.

• RELATED: Federal government settles Phoenix pay class-action lawsuit

The lead plaintiff, Ezmie Bouchard, worked at Passport Canada between January and August 2016. She alleged several mistakes were made on her pay and that when she left, she was owed $4,800. Court documents stated Bouchard ended up receiving $1,000 too much and had to pay it back.

Affected workers can claim a maximum of $350 for the 2016-17 fiscal year, and a maximum of $175 for each of the 2017–18, 2018–19, and 2019–20 fiscal years.

To claim compensation, an affected individual must complete an application online or by mail no later than Oct. 24, 2025. Details on how to submit a claim are available online.

In 2019 and 2020, the Government of Canada and a number of public service unions finalized an agreement to compensate unionized employees, current and former, who were paid through the Phoenix pay system. The compensation was a lump-sum payment of up to $1,000 for fiscal year 2016 to 2017 and up to $500 for each of the following three fiscal years, according to the federal government.

With files from The Canadian Press and CTV News Ottawa’s William Eltherington