Fact Sheet #4

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Affected employees

If you’ve received written notice from the Commissioner that your services may no longer be required because of a work force adjustment situation, you are an affected employee.

Specific individuals or groups of workers can receive these notices. It doesn’t necessarily mean that your employment will end. This notice gives you a “heads up” that there might be changes for you down the road.

The CRA is required to provide you with an individual counsellor to help you assess your situation (1.1.29, see Getting Help fact sheet). If you believe your position will probably disappear, you can take one of the following steps.

• Take part in a retention processes. Where the CRA can guarantee some, but not all, employees in a work unit a reasonable job offer, they will run retention processes. You’ll be informed of the criteria, how you’ll be assessed, and how to request accommodation. After the process, you’ll be notified whether you’re retained or become an opting employee.
• Request retraining from the CRA to assist you in moving into an existing or anticipated vacancy. The CRA is required to make every reasonable effort to provide retraining (4.1.1).
• Request the Commissioner to give you surplus preferred status or access to the rights provided to opting employees, if you can demonstrate your duties have already ceased to exist (1.1.8).
• Do nothing and wait to see what happens if the Commissioner ultimately decides your services are no longer required.