Benefits and Compensation
Total Compensation
As a Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) employee, your base salary accounts for approximately 70% of the total compensation you earn on a yearly basis. You’ll receive a competitive salary and exceptional benefits.
These benefits include a defined contribution pension plan (superannuation), insurance, extended health care, dental plan, relocation assistance, northern living allowance and extended vacation time.
Base Salary
The Government of the Northwest Territories provides its employees with a competitive salary. Approximately 15% of the average employee's salary is made up of paid leave, such as annual, sick, and special leave.
Pension and Health Care Benefits
The Government of the Northwest Territories cost-shares with the employee contributions and premiums required for federally regulated income protection programs including the Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance.
Additionally, the Government of the Northwest Territories participates in benefit plans to supplement these federally regulated programs. Some of these plans include:
- A pension plan which provides employees with income after retirement, based on 2% of the average salary over the best five years of service multiplied by the number of years of service
- Disability Insurance and Long-term Disability Insurance
- Dental Plan
- Public Service Health Care Plan, which provides coverage for specified services and products that are not covered under provincial/territorial health insurance plans
- Maternity and Parental leave
- Employee Assistance Program
Pension Plan
The GNWT participates in the Federal Public Service Superannuation Plan.
An employee contributes a maximum of 8.4% of salary to the superannuation plan, even if their pensionable earnings exceed the Revenue Canada salary threshold. The Government contributes 2.02 times the employee's contribution up to the Revenue Canada salary threshold and 7.3 times the employee’s contribution over the threshold.
For the average GNWT salary of $73,589, the employee contribution to the superannuation plan equals $4,610, and the employer contribution is $9,312.
Transfer Value
Employees with at least 2 years of service may be entitled to a variety of options, depending on age and when they leave, including a Transfer Value. A Transfer Value is a lump sum amount (a one-time payment rather than a monthly allowance) that is transferred to a locked-in registered retirement savings plan, a registered pension plan or to a financial institution to buy a life annuity.
The Total Transfer Value of a male, 35 years old at transfer date, with an average salary of $73,589 and five years of service equals $62,924.
Disability Insurance
Disability insurance provides an employee with up to 70% of salary if the employee becomes disabled. The benefits are reduced by 100% of any other payments the employee receives for a disability.
Premiums are cost-shared with the employee paying 15% and the employer, 85%.
Dental Plan
Dental benefits are available at no premium to the employee.
All eligible employees and their eligible dependant(s) are provided with a Green Shield Dental Plan that provides 100% reimbursement of all covered basic dental services subject to a yearly maximum; 50% reimbursement of all covered major dental services subject to a yearly maximum; and 50% of all covered orthodontic services for eligible children under the age of 19 subject to a lifetime maximum. Employees pay a deductible of $25 for singles or $50 per family. Dental coverage continues during disability and leave without pay.
Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP)
The GNWT provides an optional supplementary health care plan.
The Extended Health Provision is comprised of the following benefits:
- Drug Benefit
- Vision Care Benefit
- Medical Practitioners Benefit
- Miscellaneous Expense Benefit
- Dental Benefit
- Out-of-Province Benefit (for members with Supplementary Coverage only)
For most benefits, the employer will pay 80% of the approved costs. Employees must pay a deductible of $60 for single and $100 for family.
Northern Allowance
The Government of the Northwest Territories pays a northern allowance to offset community differences in cost of living and travel, based upon the community in which the Health and Social Service professional is employed. Northern allowance is paid biweekly. The current northern allowance paid to GNWT employees in Yellowknife is $3,450 annually. For Hay River, it is $5,800.
Overtime
DoT engineering staff are members of the Union of Northern Workers, and receive the benefits negotiated under the UNW collective agreement. Subject to supervisory approval, GNWT staff receive overtime or time-in-lieu of overtime at the rates specified in the collective agreement.
Leave
All GNWT employees upon initial hire receive Annual Leave totalling a minimum of 16.5 work days. After only four years, this rises to 20 days, and with continued service, the number of annual leave days continues to rise. In addition to Annual Leave, employees also receive five paid mandatory leave days, which is usually taken over the Christmas period. Those whose prior employment was with the Government of Canada can transfer their years of service to the GNWT for the purpose of calculating annual leave.
Employees who take their annual leave in the period from October 1 through March 31 are eligible for a single additional leave day (Winter Bonus Day) for each five continuous days of Annual Leave used during that period, to a maximum of four days. Statutory holidays can be included for the calculation of a Winter Bonus Day.
Sick leave is acquired at the rate of 1.25 days per month of service.
Special leave can be applied for on the basis of a number of circumstances such as the need to attend a family emergency.
Additional Benefits
Medical Travel Assistance
The Government of the Northwest Territories provides its employees and their eligible dependants with Medical Travel Assistance (MTA) to the nearest centre where appropriate and necessary insured non-elective medical treatment is available.
Moving Expenses/Transfer
The Government of the Northwest Territories reimburses employees for reasonable expenses for moving themselves and eligible dependants on initial hire or between places of duty with the Government of the Northwest Territories.