Quebec Court Approves Phoenix Pay System Class-Action Lawsuit

The Quebec Superior Court has approved a class-action lawsuit settlement between the Canadian government and non-unionized federal employees over the Phoenix pay system. Eligible employees can now file claims for compensation for pay issues between 2016 and 2020. The government will provide up to $350 for the 2016-17 fiscal year, up to $175 for each of the following years, and information on how to submit claims is available on the government website.

The Quebec Superior Court has approved a class-action settlement between the Canadian government and non-unionized federal employees over the Phoenix pay system. The settlement allows eligible employees to file claims for compensation for pay issues that occurred between 2016 and 2020. The government has agreed to provide up to $350 for the 2016-17 fiscal year, and up to $175 for each of the following years: 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20.

Eligible employees include casual, student, and part-time workers, as well as those appointed by the Governor in Council. They must have experienced pay problems during the specified fiscal years. The settlement does not apply to employees locally engaged outside Canada, members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or public servants subject to the grievance procedure under the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act.

Employees can submit claims for compensation through the Government of Canada website or by mail. The deadline for submitting claims is October 24, 2025. The compensation will be paid by direct deposit and will not be deducted from any amount received under federal government programs established to compensate for out-of-pocket expenses.

The settlement does not constitute an admission of liability on the part of the federal government and does not constitute an admission of fact or law. The allegations made in the class action remain disputed by the Attorney General of Canada.

References:
[1] https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-phoenix-pay-class-action-approved-1.7517690?cmp=rss
[2] https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/topics/pay/phoenix-pay-system/phoenix/notice-approval-settlement-agreement-bouchard-class-action.html