In August 2021, RCMP reservists and members below the rank of inspector ratified a six-year collective agreement with the Government of Canada. While most of the subsequent focus has been on the new compensation framework and retroactive payments, the agreement will also see contract partners absorb costs associated with the excess leave accumulated by RCMP members.
Excess leave refers to the number of hours of annual leave accumulated by an RCMP member that is in excess of the 400-hour policy limit. In 2017, the RCMP created a 5-year plan to reduce the excess leave balance of its members. Due in part to operational pressures, the COVID-19 pandemic and other circumstances, excess leave liability has not been reduced, and continues to be an issue.
As of March 2021, the excess annual leave liability actually increased from $18.4 million to $24.7 million, with $10.6 million of this amount accumulated by E-Division. Since that time, the excess leave liability in B.C. has continued to rise, and currently sits at approximately $18 million. This issue represents a long-standing concern for contract partners, going back to the years preceding the pandemic.
The payment of excess leave has been addressed as part of the 2017-2023 collective agreement. Article 36 stipulates a phased-in approach, beginning on March 31, 2022, when 50% of each member’s annual leave in excess of the 400-hour policy limit was automatically paid out. The remainder (in excess of 400 hours) is to be paid out on March 31, 2023. E-Division has advised local governments, through their multi-year plans, of estimated financial liabilities.
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