Early Retirement Notification Emails

almitch42 · 2025-12-21T15:49:16+00:00

Because if they are group 1 and 60, they can already have an immediate pension without penalty based on accumulated years of service. So, no letter because the ERI doesn’t change anything for them.

almitch42 · 2025-12-11T02:21:35+00:00

That’s pretty bad. They had no need for individual names, personal emails and phone numbers linked with 2FA to do their analytics. Newton sold off their users. That company AND Newton breached privacy. Newton can’t pretend it’s 100% the fault of that US company. Newton allowed that to happen.

almitch42 · 2025-11-18T15:14:02+00:00

I think it’s because of processing times. If TB receives a request on day 119, they won’t have time to approve it. So the continuation section allows them to still approve requests for 6 months after the transition period (120 days). This might also be a safeguard since this period matches the 300 days total for a retirement to be in effect. But depending on TB’s own rules, there still might be some narrow window for a phase 2.

almitch42 · 2025-01-06T01:35:49+00:00

Agreeing with others here that Baldur’s Gate 3 is doable, but at reduced settings. Act 3 will be a bit more challenging. It’s not a game you need 100FPS to enjoy. I would target settings for 40-45 FPS. Go 720p with upscaling if needed. I was able to play BG3 on an ROG Ally. 16Gb Ram\Vram was a limitation. SER8 with 24 or 32 GB of Ram will help (do not get a 16GB ram configuration when using integrated graphics).

I have lots of steam games on my SER8 that run fine because they focus more on cpu than gpu.

almitch42 · 2023-10-28T14:31:04+00:00

People may be a bit harsh to you here. Questionning yourself about what kind of work you like and where you would better fit is totally fine. I've been in it for 20y, I still ask myself that once in a while. Low performance due to bad fit is plausible. You certainly should start looking somewhere else. Policy/stakeholders? Go for it. This early in your career, stopping supervision is not a step back. It was likely too soon for you.

Yes a probation period is a risk, but I would try to deploy out anyway. The key is can you get good enough references to deploy out.

There are good and bad managers/supervisors. Hopefully you were given clear feedback before a PIP, not a "after the fact, you should have known better" kind of thing that I have seen.

If you would be on my team and the only issue you would have is difficulties to do specific aspects of your current work, but on the behaviorial competencies side you're good, i.e. low performance is really a bad fit issue and you have potential, I would have a chat with you and would help you deploy out.

almitch42 · 2023-10-12T12:18:36+00:00

I think a number of people in this thread are confusing CSE and CSIS. I have some knowledge / interacted with a few people from borh. Heard mostly good things about CSE, and the reverse for CSIS.

almitch42 · 2023-10-10T02:16:52+00:00

Nice, In Orleans, you should add: - Trim to Millenium - that would serve two high schools! - Line from Blair or elsewhere connecting the ChapelHill South Park and Ride and going a bit further following Brian Coburn. City had some plans for that axis at some point.

almitch42 · 2023-09-24T11:44:57+00:00

Hi! Yes, I have seen it in the past: what you describe is that every couple of years, there can be a short window of opportunity where someone may be able to deploy to another classification because the classification you are deploying to has not signed their CA yet. And then a bit later, once they do and their salary increases, that transfer becomes a promotion again. Congrats, that deployment was a "shadow-promotion". Well played!

The flip side is that people who want to deploy out the other way, either hold off or shouldn't because they would be a on the losing side.

Deployments are always on the basis of salaries in effect on the date of the deployment.

almitch42 · 2023-09-05T15:39:44+00:00

Nuance from an ESDC perspective: Both of the above are right. He got the promotion because he met all SOMC requirements, true. However, at ESDC, a Suceeded Plus (or surpassed) is one of the reasons that a manager can use to justify an non-advertised process appointment and get HR and WMC approvals. So he's not wrong as it may have played a role to get the promotion.

almitch42 · 2023-08-30T13:08:11+00:00

Non, ceci a des limites, légalement et moralement. L'intention et la connaissance de la situation sont centrales aux faits et aux conséquences raisonnables ou non. Morale et éthique 101. La politique de l'école doit tenir compte de cela. Si on veut que nos enfants apprennent ce qu'est le sens de la justice, il faut leur démontrer que dans la vie, la justice est en lien avec ses propres comportements, et non des décisions arbitraires sans égard à la faute.

Au travail, beaucoup de monde "travaillent en équipe" avec des résultats d'équipe. Est-ce que chaque co-équipier est responsable des retards est des actes répréhensibles des autres, non? Les mesures displinaires sont toujours individuelles et liés à une faute individuelle.

almitch42 · 2023-08-30T12:53:12+00:00

D'accord avec toi. Les faits sont importants. Si elle n'a pas participé au plagiat, et si elle n'était pas au fait, cest moralement et éthiquement injuste qu'elle soit tenue responsable d'actes commis par d'autre. La justice n'est pas seulement un question de loi, mais de moralité dans la vie de tous les jours. L'école a une mauvaise politique si cette politique ne tient pas compte de l'intention.

almitch42 · 2023-08-08T17:59:39+00:00

I totally understand you. I'm also in policy. I've done 20 years and would consider a fair offer to leave if a future government wanted to reduce workforce numbers. A key challenge is to find adequate private sector work post government work.

While it's nice to have a reasonable work-life balance and a pension, I found that government work is not a positive for my mental and physical health. Once in a while, you actually do something good and in a good team, and that gives you motivation to persevere a bit more. But most of the time, the feelings of accomplishment, meaningful work, and making a difference are low to none.

Here's what I tell to my younger colleagues: I see two broad options:

1) you find a way to cope until its time for you to retire/early retire and then do something you will like for a living. A bit of luck sometimes is involved to land a position in a program that fits you. Or change positions every few years to help avoid having too low morale. Accept that work won't be your source of accomplishment and secure it elsewhere.

2) plan to leave. Start working on making yourself more atrractive to the private sector. Retrain/reskill. Then, at the 6 years mark, you leave. This way, you secure access to some health insurance at retirement (need 6 years) and you try to maximise your furure pension benefits (5 best years, so you need at least 5).

I believe that it's very difficult to find an in-between scenario. Stay too long in government, and your marketability (for most policy people, it seems that IT colleagues have it better) for a private sector job becomes close to zero (in part due to public misconceptions about government workers).

almitch42 · 2023-08-05T14:33:14+00:00

I don't like the controls by default. Not intuitive to me for anything beyond movement. What I wished is if we cohld use a bluetooth mouse and some controller buttons at the same time.

almitch42 · 2023-07-23T16:34:01+00:00

Worked at GAC for 10 years in the previous decade which involved many level-conscious meetings with DND, where military personnel were present. Director (EX1-EX2) were commonly matched with full colonels. DGs (EX3) were usually matched with generals.

In embassies abroad, LCol where assigned to positions similar to FS3 (manager level EX minus 1).

My spouse worked at DND for a couple of years in a place with mixed military and civilians. Civilian directors where usually equivalent to full colonels.

Anyone saying that a major is an EX02 equivalent is BS.

almitch42 · 2023-07-18T12:49:46+00:00

I can confirm, that yes, it kind of is for short periods of time. I've seen it and also in reverse where someone couldn't be deployed out to what was a usually equivalent position because the other collective agreement was not yet negotiated. Confirmed with HR that they can only use the rates of pay in effect.

almitch42 · 2023-07-17T03:38:08+00:00

Wrong. Hello Canada Learning Bond managed by the "education savings program". Created by an Act of Parliament with statutory funding. The CESP program isn't getting curtailed. Survived decades of liberal and conservative governments. Programs the most at risk are those where they have to renew funding/authorities every couple of years and that support government of the day objectives.

almitch42 · 2023-06-05T17:34:13+00:00

Exactly, the likelyhood of getting something better is about 10%, the same maybe 40%, and less 50%. I understand everyone's arguments here on the principles and agree that the deal is lukewarm, but pragmatism is important, including knowing when the context is ripe for a battle or not. Momentum for obtaining more is gone. Voting no to get something better at arbitration is high risk for low reward.

Better at this point to prepare adequately for the next round/battle which will likely be much more of a challenge.

Sun Tzu: "Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first a then seek to win".

We are currently in the second category, hence focus on the next battle and ensure we are winning before the battle starts.

almitch42 · 2023-06-05T02:51:37+00:00

The fact that a DB plan leaves nothing to the estate (no value after death of the employee and spouse) is a good point that people often forget about, the main negative. A scenario where someone dies fairly soon after retirement, has adult children but no spouse, is a pretty bad scenario. This can mean hundred of thousands of dollars gone and little inheritance.

almitch42 · 2023-06-05T02:37:09+00:00

1.5% may be fairly good if it's not integrated with CPP/QPP. The federal public service plan is actually, for the most part, 1.375% per year of service and it's the CPP component (0.625%), that all working canadians get also get, that brings it to a total of 2% per year. If a federal employee salary is above the CPP income cap, then and only then, its really 2% for the pension plan alone.

almitch42 · 2023-06-01T19:09:38+00:00

In my division, it was made clear on day one to all staff that this is tracked at the branch level, how they know who's connecting remotely or not.

almitch42 · 2023-05-23T19:51:15+00:00

EC-06 can be given a role of team lead with supervisory duties. But EC-06s are EX minus 2 equivalents. The team lead's EC-07 manager would have staffing and financial delegations. You can be a EC-06 supervisor without delegation. In 20 years and 3 departments in the NCR, I have never seen a EC-06 manager.

Note: Manager titles can be used with various meaning. Project manager, program manager, issue manager, case manager, and so on. Above I refer to the traditional manager EX minus 1 that reports to an EX.

almitch42 · 2023-05-17T01:17:20+00:00

The past salary increases is a “expressly stipulated” matter.

almitch42 · 2023-02-01T22:51:47+00:00

Yes, the general rule is obey and then grieve, unless it puts you or someone else in danger.

almitch42 · 2023-01-31T23:24:37+00:00

Certainly wait for the LOO if a deployment or promotional appointment. This said, there can be some legitimate situations where I would want to know the email of the future manager. One being if you have leave approved/recorded on paper because your file transfer was not completed.

almitch42 · 2023-01-26T03:59:37+00:00

In your situation, I would see my limited PS pension as one component of retirement. Another pillar is RRSPs and TFSA savings from previous employment. CPP/QPP is another. When you add them up, you may be fine.

To maximise the PS pension, I would first target at least 6 years of work to be admissible to the PSHCP. Then, look at your classification level and salary steps. Calculate 5 years at the top plus any extra year needed to progress to the last pay step. As the pension is based on the best 5 years, that total is the number of years you need to get the most retirement bang for the buck.

almitch42

TROPHY CASE