Ottawa, February 13, 2026 - After years of review and negotiation, federal public service unions have secured meaningful improvements to the National Joint Council (NJC) Travel Directive. These updates better reflect the real costs and realities of work-related travel.

The improvements were awarded by a board of arbitration in a historic ruling. In more than 80 years of NJC operations, third-party arbitration had never been required to resolve an impasse during a cyclical review. The arbitrator intervened only where necessary and reaffirmed a clear principle: work-related travel should result in neither financial gain nor financial loss for employees.

These updates are the result of an extensive cyclical review that began in 2021 and involved years of co-development and negotiation between the bargaining agents and the employer. The result is a modernized Directive that is more responsive to the financial realities members face when travelling for work.

Higher allowances for members who travel 

Through arbitration, the bargaining agents secured the following increases:

• Incidental expense allowance: from $17.30 to $25 per day
• Declaration-based dependant care allowance: from $35 to $50 per day per household
• Receipted dependant care allowance for professional care: from $75 per day per household to $100 per day per dependant

These increases reflect the rising costs associated with travel. Notably, these allowances had not been updated since 2002, leaving employees to absorb growing expenses for over two decades.

Clearer rules and stronger protections  

Additional improvements agreed to during the review include:

• Clearer provisions regarding meal timing and provisions for shift workers
• Flexibility to exceed meal limits in exceptional circumstances with receipts
• Improved emergency provisions allowing employees to return earlier or later due to personal illness, accidents, or urgent situations at home

Changes agreed to by the parties during the review came into effect on October 1, 2025. Changes awarded through arbitration take effect 45 days after the date of the award.  

How the review works  

The NJC Travel Directive is updated through a cyclical review process led by the National Joint Council, rather than through traditional collective bargaining.  

The Directive provides a framework to reimburse employees for reasonable expenses incurred while travelling on government business. It forms part of employees’ collective agreements.  

During each review cycle, the 19 public service bargaining agents develop proposals collectively and present them to employer representatives. Where agreement cannot be reached, outstanding issues may be referred to interest arbitration.

Negotiations are also ongoing for several other NJC directives, including those related to relocation and bilingualism allowances.