Transition Binder for Chief Executive Officer

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Time Billing Guidance for Board of Directors

Purpose

The purpose of this guidance is to support a consistent, appropriate and predictable approach to time billing and entry for the Canada Energy Regulator (CER) Board of Directors. It endeavours to recognize the valuable time that Directors contribute to the CER and support efficient time reporting administration.

This document outlines expectations for the number of hours to be billed by Directors as well as information on how time is entered.

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Background

Directors work on a part-time basis. Directors will be present at all Regular Meetings (approximately quarterly), and Special Meetings when called, as per Board of Directors By-law #1. Directors will also be present for all Committee Meetings of which they are members, as identified in the Board Plan. Advance notification of non-attendance at any meeting to the Chief of Staff and Board Chair is required per para 5(2) of By-law #1. For greater certainty, for the purposes of these Guidelines, a reference to a Board Meeting includes both Regular and Special Meetings as defined in By-law #1.

All travel related to Board Meetings will be in compliance with the National Joint Travel DirectiveFootnote 1.

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Expectation of time

The table below outlines the general expectations of time billing for each activity. Subject to the circumstances, Directors will align their work with these expectations.

General expectations of time billing for each activity

Activity

Expectation of time

Maintain situational awareness

  • Includes miscellaneous activities in the normal course (e.g. reading and responding to emails including review and approval of attached reports and resolutions, reviewing media, generally staying apprised of external environment and context

15 hours/2 days per month

Hours will be entered by the Executive Administrator to the Board without further instruction from Directors on a monthly basis.

Board, Committee and Joint IAC-Board Meeting Preparation

  • Includes reading meeting material

7.5 hours/1 day per each scheduled BoardFootnote 2 and Joint IAC-Board meeting to provide time to review material and prepare. For Committee meetings, an equivalent amount of preparatory time to the meeting time will be billed up to a maximum of 7.5 hours/1 day (e.g., for a one hour meeting, one hour of preparatory time will be automatically billed).

Hours will be entered by the Executive Administrator to the Board without further instruction from Directors and will generally be entered in the week prior to meetings.

Meeting preparation hours will be entered regardless of attendance at meetings (see below), as Directors are expected to review all materials even if they unable to attend a meeting or part thereof.

Board, Committee, and Joint IAC-Board Meeting Time

Hours entered will be based on the agendas of Board, Committee, and joint IAC-Board meetings. However, if a Director does not attend a meeting or departs a meeting early, hours entered will be accordingly adjusted downward.

For any virtual meeting that is equal to or exceeds 4 hours in length, 7.5 hours per meeting will be entered.

Hours will be entered by the Executive Administrator to the Board without further instruction from Directors.

Board and Committee Chair(s)

  • Includes planning of Board and Committee meeting agendas and related activities, including preparing for monthly leadership meetings

15 hours/2 days per month for the Board Chair

7.5 hours/1 day per month for the Vice-Chair and Committee Chair(s)

Hours will be entered by the Executive Administrator to the Board without further instruction from Directors on a monthly basis.

Additional meetings/activities as a Director of the Board

  • Includes meetings/activities other than Board, Committee, and joint IAC-Board (e.g., additional meetings, engagement activities, learning sessions, time required for administrative/IT support and onboarding requirements)

Directors participate in additional meetings/activities with the endorsement of the Chair.

An equivalent amount of preparatory time will be automatically billed for each additional meeting/activities up to a maximum of 7.5 hours/1 day (e.g., for a one hour meeting, one hour of preparatory time will be automatically billed).

In the case of learning activities for the full Board and any mandatory training, time spent will be billed. In the case of individual learning activities (e.g., elective professional development courses, non-mandatory training), time spent will not be billed.Footnote 3

Hours entered will be based on the time allocated for the meetings or activities. However, if a Director does not attend a meeting or departs a meeting early, hours entered will be accordingly adjusted downward.

Where a meeting is in Directors’ CER calendars, hours will be entered by the Executive Administrator to the Board without further instruction from Directors.

There is anticipated to be a reasonable amount of additional onboarding time required for new Directors in the first 6 months following appointment. These hours will be provided by the new Director to the Executive Administrator to the Board for entry.

Travel Time

Number of hours spent travelling on CER business.

After each trip, Directors are required to promptly provide their total travel time to the Executive Administrator to the Board for entry.

Guidance regarding CER business travel combined with personal travel

Directors are required to seek agreement in writing from the Chair and CEO before booking combined personal (including activities undertaken for other employers/organizations) and CER business travel

As general guidance:

  • If travelling from somewhere other than the Director’s home address, the CER will cover any fare difference up to a maximum of $500, and the Director will be responsible for any amount in excess of this;
  • In the event personal travel overlaps with CER business travel, the CER will take this into account and prorate as required for related expenses (e.g., parking, travel, meals, hotels, etc.).

For the Chair of the Board, there is an expectation that additional time, and travel when necessary, will be consistently used for engagement activities and meetings outside of the Board meetings. This aligns to expectations set out in By-law #1 section 3(5).

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Time coding

Board of Directors will provide travel time and receipts, as required by the National Joint Travel Directive, to the Executive Administrator to the Board of Directors.

If a Director uses materially less time for meeting preparation, they will inform the Chief of Staff and the Executive Administrator to the Board so that time entry can be adjusted accordingly.

The Executive Administrator to the Board enters all time for Directors into the CER TIME system; Directors do not enter time directly.

The Chief Executive Officer approves all time entries of Directors within the CER TIME system, in a manner consistent with this Guidance.

The Executive Administrator, on behalf of the Chief of Staff, provides a quarterly report to the Chair of the Board on time billed.

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