Carleton will be extending tuition fee deadlines for students who have had issues with their pay over the summer due to the Phoenix pay system.
According to Laura Wilson, assistant supervisor in the university’s student accounts department, around 20 students have contacted her with pay issues from their jobs in the federal government so far. Wilson said she is currently handing all issues on campus regarding Phoenix.
Phoenix is an automated federal pay system that aims to modernize an outdated system for federal public servants. It initially launched in February 2016, and since then, more than 80,000 public servants have experienced problems with their pay, deputy minister Marie Lemay told the CBC in July.
Students affected by Phoenix “have been asked to provide a letter from their supervisor to confirm their employment, confirm that they have been impacted by the pay issues, and if possible, provide an estimate of the amount of back-pay owed,” Wilson said.
“[We] understand that students who have been impacted by this issue are likely experiencing financial difficulty and feeling stressed about the tuition fee deadline,” Wilson said. “Carleton is hoping to relieve some some of this stress by allowing students additional time to make their tuition payments.”
Wilson added that the school has been able to remove late fees and interest charges related to the Summer 2016 semester. Additionally, Carleton is “able to provide an extended deadline so that the students will not be charged Fall 2016 late fees or interest,” she said.
The university is in contact with an employee from the deputy minister’s office, who said they are making an effort to resolve the pay issues of students as soon as possible, according to Wilson.
Amanda Roberts, a PhD candidate in political science at Carleton, experienced issues with Phoenix after starting a co-op placement with the Public Health Agency of Canada in May.
“I made my manager aware that I have a disability that requires that I attend medical appointments every few weeks,” she said. “I was not put into the Phoenix system until July, so I had no way to deduct the time missed from my pay.”
Roberts said that after several attempts to receive proper payment, she spent most of June and July working nine hour days to try to compensate for her missed time.
“I learned from my member of parliament’s office that I was actually being paid $2 less per hour than what was written in my letter of offer,” she said.
Roberts is still dealing with a large financial burden, and as a result she ended her co-op placement early due to stress from the Phoenix pay system. She added her medical condition had worsened due to stress.
Roberts is still owed $1,300, “but the pay centre thinks I have been overpaid,” she said.
Suzanne Blanchard, vice-president (students and enrolment) at Carleton, said students are able to be in direct contact with the deputy minister’s office.
“Carleton understands this is a stressful time for students and it is important to help them in this difficult situation.”
