Transition Exit Initiative (OPS)

If you are considering leaving the Ontario Public Service (OPS), you may wish to consider applying for the Transition Exit Initiative (TEI), where, if approved and subject to the Employer's discretion, you may receive a severance package to leave the OPS. This will help minimize the impact on other AMAPCEO-represented employees.

AMAPCEO has negotiated the details of the TEI program in a Memorandum of Agreement (pages 177 to 179) within your Collective Agreement.

Eligibility

Regular (permanent) employees

Whether you are full-time or part-time, you are eligible to apply for TEI.

If you have been on Long-Term Income Protection (LTIP) for more than two years, then you may not be eligible for TEI. Please contact an AMAPCEO Workplace Representative for help checking your eligibility.

Fixed-term (contract) employees

Fixed-term (contract) employees are not eligible to apply for TEI.

The Transition Exit Initiative (TEI)

Under the Transition Exit Initiative (TEI), you can receive an exit package to leave the OPS if:

• your Employer plans to reduce positions within the AMAPCEO bargaining unit in the OPS, and
• you apply for TEI, and
• your Employer determines that your exit supports the transformation of the OPS.

When reviewing TEI requests, your Employer will consider operational requirements. While the decision is solely theirs to make, they must consider every request reasonably and in good faith, and without discrimination or arbitrariness. If you apply and suspect that your application is not being considered in good faith, please contact an AMAPCEO Workplace Representative for help.

TEI is not the same as the Voluntary Exit Registry (VER) or the Voluntary Exit Option (VEO), although you can apply for TEI and be registered for VER at the same time.

TEI exit package options

If you are approved for TEI, you must choose to receive one of the following options:

a) a single lump sum payment, paid within three pay periods of your last day of work, totalling:

• six months’ pay, and
• one week of pay for every year of continuous service (with no maximum); or

b) salary continuance for six months:

• your salary paid bi-weekly as though you were at work, and
• benefits during this time (including vacation and pension credit accrual, although you will not be eligible for Short-Term Sickness Plan or Long-Term Income Protection), and
• one week of pay for every year of continuous service (with no maximum), paid in a lump sum; or

c) enhanced salary continuance for six months:

• your salary paid bi-weekly as though you were at work, and
• benefits during this time (including vacation and pension credit accrual, although you will not be eligible for Short-Term Sickness Plan or Long-Term Income Protection), and
• one week of pay for every year of continuous service (with no maximum), paid bi-weekly (unless if you are 65 or older, in which case, you must receive a single lump sum payment).

You may wish to consult a financial advisor to help you determine which option is right for you.

If you leave the OPS through TEI and are reappointed to an OPS position within 24 months, you will be required to repay your exit package.

Applying for TEI

To apply for TEI:

1. Carefully review the Guide to the AMAPCEO Transition Exit Initiative (TEI) Program, available on InsideOPS.

2. If you are ready to apply, complete the TEI application form, available on InsideOPS. You will have to indicate which exit package option you would like, if your application is approved.

3. Submit the application to the manager of your home position.

4. You can cancel your application by writing to the manager of your home position, as long as your application has not already been approved.

5. If your TEI application is approved, you will receive a letter. Your last day of work will be five working days following your approval, or any other date upon which you and your manager agree (make sure you get the confirmation in writing from your manager).

• Tip: use your remaining vacation or overtime credits as paid leave prior to your last day of work. If you have more credits than you can use before your last day of work, they will be paid out. These credits cannot be used to extend your last day of work.

6. If your TEI application is not approved within 90 calendar days, you will receive a letter letting you know that while your request has not been approved at this time, it will remain active for your Employer’s ongoing consideration.

Cancelling your TEI application

You can cancel your application by writing to the manager of your home position, as long as your application has not already been approved.

Frequently asked questions

Are partial years of service included when calculating years of service?

No.

Only full years of service are taken into consideration when calculating years of service for TEI purposes.

What information can assist me in calculating my TEI exit date?

You may want to contact the Ontario Pension Board for your pension information and/or to find out the implications of leaving the OPS before your retirement date. AMAPCEO does not have that information.

You should also determine if you will have any unused vacation or overtime credits.

And you may want to seek independent financial advice.

If I am approved for TEI, will I receive severance?

No.

Severance payments are not available to employees who voluntarily leave the OPS. The TEI exit package options are listed above.

Will there be deductions on my TEI package?

Yes.

All deductions, including taxes, Employment Insurance (EI), Canada Pension Plan (CPP), pension contributions, and union dues, will be made to your TEI package.

If I am approved for TEI, and there is an across-the-board increase, will I receive it?

If you selected salary continuance for your TEI exit package, and an across-the-board increase for AMAPCEO-represented employees in the OPS that comes into effect during the six-month portion of your TEI package, then you will be eligible for this salary increase. If an across-the-board increase comes into effect during the one week of pay for every year of continuous service portion of your TEI package, you are not eligible for this increase.

If you selected a lump sum option for your TEI exit package, you will not be eligible for across-the-board increases.

Is there a bridging option under TEI, similar to Article 27 – Job Security in the Collective Agreement?

No.

Bridging is a surplus entitlement if:

• employment ends involuntarily; or
• a VER applicant’s position is matched with a surplussed AMAPCEO-represented member who accepts that position.

If you have questions or need assistance

Please contact an AMAPCEO Workplace Representative in your District. They do not have to be in your Ministry.

Workplace Representatives are trained union members who have volunteered to confidentially assist members like you in the workplace. They should be your first point of contact in seeking information and representation with an issue at work.

Your Workplace Representative may ask you to use the union’s secure web-based system, RADAR, to provide details about your situation. RADAR will help you and your Workplace Representative keep track of things without the privacy concerns that could come from using the Employer’s email system.