Getting started with Phoenix self-service
Employees use Phoenix self-service to view personal information, enter time and request leave. The self-service feature also allows employees to track their status at all times.
This fact sheet includes helpful tips to ensure employees have the resources and information needed to use Phoenix self-service and to avoid common mistakes.
- Tip 1: Establish your employee–section 34 manager relationship
- Tip 2: Enter time and leave
- Tip 3: Review and check exceptions
- Tip 4: Receive and review payments
- Tip 5: Get to know your Phoenix support resources
Tip 1: Establish your employee–section 34 manager relationship
This relationship allows managers to approve employee time, leave, extra-duty pay, et cetera. Using Phoenix self-service:
- delete all previous section 34 manager relationships before adding a new one
- update the employee–section 34 manager relationship when assigned to a new manager
- outstanding time entries will be automatically rerouted to the new manager
Tip 2: Enter time and leave
Know when to use Phoenix self-service to enter time and leave requests.
Employees in organizations using PeopleSoft 8.9 (GCHRMS) should report:
- positive time
- overtime
- leave without pay of five consecutive days or less
Employees in organizations using PeopleSoft 9.1 (My GCHR) should report:
- positive time
- overtime
Employees using My GCHR must request leave without pay of five days or less using the PeopleSoft HR system's self-service tools.
Tip 2: Related link
- Frequently asked questions for employees (available on the Government of Canada network only)
Tip 3: Review and check exceptions
Phoenix updates overnight and automatically generates “exceptions,” or errors, when an entry does not comply with the relevant collective agreement or other rules regarding time and labour.
Some exceptions create issues with payments
The employee or manager must correct such exceptions to ensure payments are processed. Section 34 managers must approve entries and then section 33 personnel must authorize entries before they can be included in a given pay period. Delays in approvals and authorizations will result in delayed payments.
To avoid such delays:
- enter time carefully to avoid errors
- check back the day after making an entry to review and act on exceptions, if applicable
- review the payable time report to check the status of entries (that is, approved, pushed back, denied)
- confirm that your section 34 manager approved your time and labour entries on time
Tip 4: Receive and review payments
Understand how the pay calendar works.
- Employees in the April rollout received their first pay through Phoenix on May 4, 2016
- Pay stubs are available through Phoenix
Get to know the new paystub.
- Employees may see slight changes in their pay with Phoenix implementation
- Phoenix calculates pay differently than the old regional pay system
Tip 5: Get to know your Phoenix support resources
These resources are available on the Government of Canada network only: