The NPF’s position is that:
- A Member working or travelling for more than 10 hours should normally be approved to claim at least two meals.
- Immediate deployment, early departure, delayed return, operational demands, and the Member’s normal shift-based meal routine must all be considered.
- Exceptionally long duties may justify additional meals where it would be reasonable for the Member to eat again.
- Night shift Members are not required to organize meals around conventional daytime hours.
- A Member should not be expected to wake during their normal sleep period merely because the employer made food available at a conventional meal time.
- Food available only while the Member would reasonably be asleep should not automatically be treated as satisfying the Member’s meal entitlement.
A meal should only be considered “provided” where it is:
- Available to the Member at a location where the Member is at for those mealtimes. The existence of meals at a site does not establish that a meal was available to every Member.
- Available in sufficient numbers to ensure the provided meal is available. It is incumbent upon the employer to ensure that enough meals are available for all Members expected to receive them.
- Accessible at a reasonable time and location.
- Safe to store and consume. Where the employer provides meals requiring refrigeration, the employer must also provide sufficient, dependable, and accessible refrigeration at the deployment location. Where appropriate refrigeration is not available, the food should not be considered a safely provided meal. This is especially important during hot weather, extended shifts, or when meals may remain unrefrigerated for several hours.
- Reasonable in quality and portion size.
- Suitable for the Member’s dietary requirements. A meal that cannot safely or reasonably be consumed because of celiac disease, an allergy, intolerance, religious requirement, or another legitimate dietary restriction, is not a suitable provided meal.
- For example, where no celiac-safe meals were available throughout SCORE26, affected Members should be treated as having received no suitable employer-provided meals.
- Available at a time consistent with the Member’s shift and sleeping pattern.
If the food is unsafe, unsuitable, and cannot reasonably be considered a meal at all, the NPF’s position is that the full applicable meal allowance should apply.
Important: Meal Breaks and Meal Allowances Are Separate Entitlements
- A meal allowance reimburses the cost of food under the NJC Travel Directive.
- A meal break is paid time provided under the Collective Agreement.
- Receiving a meal or a meal allowance does not eliminate the Member’s right to an actual meal break.
Mileage and Transportation
- When authorized travel or overtime disrupts the Member’s normal commuting pattern, additional transportation costs should be reimbursed.
- Authorized use of a personal vehicle is reimbursed at the applicable NJC kilometric rate.
- A Member travelling to another work location may claim mileage between their residence and the destination, including a required stop at their regular worksite.
- Travel to an overtime shift may qualify for transportation or mileage reimbursement, including where the overtime occurs at the Member’s home unit.
Weekend Travel Home
Under NJC Travel Directive section 3.3.12, a Member whose travel status extends through or beyond a weekend may travel home where:
- The work schedule permits the absence.
- Appropriate transportation is available.
- The travel is practical and reasonable.
Weekend travel home does not interrupt the Member’s continuous travel status. The Member is reimbursed for actual transportation costs, subject to the applicable maximum. The maximum is a cap, not an automatic payment.
Where accommodation is cancelled:
- Actual transportation costs are capped at what it would have cost the employer to maintain the Member at the deployment location.
- The calculation may include accommodation, meals, incidentals, and other applicable expense allowances.
Example:
- Cost to maintain the Member at the deployment location: $652.50
- Actual transportation cost: $600
- Reimbursement: $600
If the actual transportation cost was $850, reimbursement would be capped at $652.50.
Where accommodation is not cancelled:
- Actual transportation costs are capped by the Weekend Travel Home Transportation Allowances in Appendix C.
Effective April 1, 2026, the Canada maximums are:
- Two-day weekend: $392.50
- Three-day weekend: $588.75
- Four-day weekend: $785.00
Example – Two-Day Weekend:
- The Member keeps their accommodation.
- Actual transportation for a two-day weekend costs $310.
- Reimbursement should be $310.
- If actual transportation costs $550, reimbursement would be capped at $392.50.
What Members Should Document
Members should retain:
- Travel authorizations.
- Deployment schedules.
- Shift start and finish times.
- Travel departure and arrival times.
- Meal notices and employer directions.
- Photographs of inadequate meals.
- Records showing that meals ran out or were unavailable.
- Details of refrigeration or food safety concerns.
- Details of dietary restrictions and notice provided to the employer.
- Receipts for supplementary or replacement food.
- Transportation receipts and mileage records.
- The date, time, and name of the supervisor notified.
- A brief explanation of why the expense was reasonably necessary.
Members should not be financially disadvantaged because the employer required them to travel, work extended hours, attend another location, or respond unexpectedly.
Entitlements should be assessed reasonably, based on the Member’s actual work, travel, total hours, shift schedule, sleeping pattern, access to food, dietary requirements, operational restrictions, and out-of-pocket expenses.
Any Member who has submitted claims that are not consistent with this messaging should adjust their claims to ensure they receive all compensation to which they are entitled.
If you believe you have been inadequately compensated, or if you have any concerns, please speak to your Local Area Representative (LAR) or reach out to the NPF Member Services Centre at [email protected] or 1-833-NPF-TEAM.