Ottawa, April 2, 2026 – The Association of Justice Counsel (AJC), representing more than 3,500 federal lawyers and prosecutors, announces  that the updated National Joint Council (NJC) Travel Directive, which came into force on March 28, 2026, is now available on the NJC website.

This updated Directive reflects important gains secured for members, including:

• A higher incidental expense allowance  
• An increased declaration-based dependant care allowance  
• An improved receipted dependant care allowance for professional care  
• Clearer provisions regarding meal timing and shift workers  
• Greater 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

These changes better align the Directive with the real costs and realities of work-related travel.

For more details on the improvements secured through this process, read our February 13 announcement.