Regional supplier responsibilities (except the National Capital Region and Quebec)

Find the responsibilities for temporary help services suppliers in all regions other than the National Capital Region and Quebec and consult provincial and territorial labour legislation.

Supplier responsibilities

Suppliers are responsible for keeping their contact information and rates up to date. It is for this reason that the catalogue is refreshed every six months. If there are any changes that affect the mandatory criteria which initially qualified your firm as a standing offer holder, you are to advise the standing offer authority for the area as soon as possible.

Suppliers must provide services in accordance with the respective provincial and territorial labour legislation terms of the standing offers (no other conditions are applicable).

Suppliers are responsible for reviewing their rates, and must be able to provide skilled individuals at those stated rates:

  • If a temporary employee is found to be unsuitable and the company is notified within four hours, the client won't be charged
  • If the supplier cannot provide advertised temporary help, or provides poor service or unqualified individuals, clients are to contact the standing offer authority for the area with details, and the supplier will be notified
    • Three separate complaints will result in the removal of the supplier from the catalogue
  • If bilingual employees are specifically requested, they will be provided at a charge of $0.55 per hour over-and-above the rate specified in the catalogue
  • For clerks (CLK), secretaries (SEC), word processing operators (WPO), desktop publishing operators (DTP), receptionist-switchboard operators (RSO) or data entry operators (DAO), interviews will not generally be required
  • If the client requests interviews for these classifications, they will be charged four times the appropriate hourly rate for each interview
    • Clients are to issue a separate call-up document for these interviews
  • For all other classifications, clients are entitled to one interview for up to three candidates at no charge, and may request résumés or work samples
  • Specified rates include travel to and from job-sites in the specified geographical areas identified in the catalogue
    • Travel beyond the stated area as part of the performance of work will be charged at Appendix B, Appendix C and Appendix D of current Treasury board rates
  • Overtime, when approved by the user in advance, is charged according to the provincial and territorial labour legislation for the week starting on the Monday at the given rate multiplied by the stated overtime multiplier
  • Suppliers will be paid only for actual time worked. The cost for working on statutory holidays is already included in the posted hourly bill rate. Note that federal government offices are generally closed on the following days:
    • New Year's Day
    • Good Friday
    • Easter Monday
    • Victoria Day
    • Canada Day
    • Civic Holiday (ON, MB, SK, NU) /Natal Day (NS) /New Brunswick Day (NB) /British Columbia Day (BC), Heritage Day (AB), Saskatchewan Day (SK)
    • St-Jean Baptiste Day (QC)
    • Labour Day
    • Thanksgiving Day
    • Remembrance Day
    • Christmas Day
    • Boxing Day

Note:

Federal government offices are generally open on Family Day/Louis Riel Day (AB, SK, MB, ON). Suppliers should confirm if the temporary help individual will be expected to work on a holiday.

Suppliers' employees will not use government facilities for their personal purposes and will abide by regulations at the job site.

Suppliers are responsible for basic WHMIS training; any training requirements specific to the workplace are the client's responsibility.

All parties will make best efforts to ensure electronic systems are maintained and the Crown will not be held responsible for any downtime. If an employee reports to a government office that is closed as a result of an unforeseen event, payment is to be made to the supplier provided that:

  • there is certification by supplier and employee that they could not be re-assigned
  • there was no one at the job-site
  • and the employee will be paid by the supplier

The supplier listed in the catalogue will be the same supplier receiving the order and sending the invoice. Payment shall be made within thirty days after work performed or invoiced, whichever is later. If the Crown objects to the invoice, they must advise the supplier within fifteen days of receipt, or interest will be calculated each day on overdue accounts. Invoices outstanding for 45 days are automatically entitled to interest.

Invoices, paper or electronic as instructed on the call-up, will include:

  • address of the departmental responsibility centre
  • consignee code
  • standing offer serial number
  • customer department's requisition number
  • client reference number (if applicable)
  • financial coding
  • period services rendered
  • classification and published rate on the date the order was placed
  • the temporary employee's name

Suppliers have a responsibility to respond within the following timeframes:

  • four hours to reply to client requests
  • dispatch a qualified resource within forty eight hours 80% of the time
  • if the forty eight hours cannot be met, inform the client within 24 hours of the specific date the resource will be available

In summary, suppliers will, as a result of a call:

  • review their inventory of temporary employees in the specified area to identify all personnel possessing the basic skills (including skill testing of administrative support classifications)
  • review the experience and previous performance of individuals and match with the job/task description provided by the client
  • select the best qualified candidates in other than administrative support, this involves finding up to three available candidates who meet the requirements and are prepared to provide resumes and/or work samples and be interviewed
  • contact the person to verify their willingness/ability to accept assignment
  • charge the published rate on the date order placed

Provincial and territorial labour legislation

Find conditions of work for temporary employees and their agencies, as governed by provincial or territorial labour legislation.

Links below lead to webpages that are external to the Government of Canada.
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