The City of Toronto is committed to ensuring that all positions are filled and awarded consistently, equitably, cost-effectively and in an unbiased manner. This policy establishes directives for managing non-union job assignments across the organization, promoting stability, professional growth and operational efficiency.
The purpose of this policy is to establish clear direction to both hiring managers and job applicants, on the conditions and approvals required to fill positions, time in role criteria and the use of Acting Assignments. The application of and adherence to this policy will help promote a fair and inclusive workplace by promoting transparent and equal access to job opportunities while supporting the City’s equity strategies and goals.
This policy applies to non-union employees and unionized employees in or applying to non-union positions. It does NOT apply to Council staff and staff in the City’s Accountability Offices. All placements are subject to individual candidate eligibility, divisional operational time and budget constraints, as well as collective agreement restrictions as applicable.
Acting Assignment (AA): the assignment of permanent non-union and unionized employees into non-union positions with a defined start and end date. During this time, employees receive the applicable rate of pay for the acting position while retaining their base position.
Acting Rate as Required (ARR): the assignment of an employee to act as a backup for another position on a non-continuous basis due to a divisional operational urgency, during which time the employee may fill in and receive the applicable rate of pay on a non-continuous basis.
Complement: the number of positions, stated as full-time equivalent (FTE), that have been budgeted and approved by City Council to support the division’s core services, service levels and specific capital-funded projects.
Cover-Off Assignment: a short-term arrangement where an employee temporarily performs the duties of another position while, at the same time, continuing their responsibilities without a change in pay. A cover-off assignment is NOT an acting assignment.
Direct Placement: the temporary placement of an employee into an alternative assignment of up to six (6) months without a competitive process due to operational needs.
Expression of Interest (EOI): a divisionally run internal hiring process in consultation with Talent Acquisition used to fill temporary assignments of up to one (1) year by posting the opportunity exclusively for employees within the division or section.
External Posting: a job listing displayed on the City’s external job board, published through SuccessFactors, and available to external candidates and eligible internal City employees.¹
¹ Current part-time City of Toronto employees can only view and apply for part-time non-union job postings through the external job posting site.
Fixed Term: a duration of time that has a specified end date. Temporary non-union employees are on a fixed term contract, with a defined start and end date.
Indefinite Term: A duration of time that does not have a specific end date. Permanent non-union employees are on an indefinite contract as there is no defined end date.
Internal Posting: a job listing displayed on the City’s internal job board, published through SuccessFactors, and is available to eligible internal City employees.
Job Classification: A group of related duties, responsibilities, skills and qualifications, held by one or more incumbents. Each Job Classification has a unique job code. Job Classifications are created and evaluated based on the job requirements and not the incumbents who perform the work. Job Classifications at the City are established and maintained by the Total Rewards-Compensation Unit.
Lateral Placement: the movement of a non-union employee to another position in the same wage grade. The new position involves different duties and responsibilities but is similar in difficulty and complexity to the previous position.
Permanent Employment: refers to an individual employed on an indefinite basis and holds a permanent base position in a division’s complement.
Position: a specific, individual slot in an organizational structure, tied to a particular person, defined by distinct tasks, responsibilities, location, and place in the hierarchy.
Probationary Employee: refers to employees who have not completed their probationary period.
Promotion: the movement of an employee into a position in a higher wage grade.
Talent Acquisition: the People & Equity section responsible for managing recruitment across all levels of the organization.
Temporary Assignment: Refers to a temporary opportunity requiring coverage for a division to meet their operational requirements. Temporary Assignments include cover-off assignments, Acting Rate as Required (ARR), Acting Assignments or temporary contracts.
Temporary Contract: Refers to an employment contract with a defined start and end date, including seasonal employment.
Temporary Employee: An employee hired by the City for a period with a defined start and end date, including seasonal employees.
Positions may be filled through:
Talent Acquisition Consultants, People Services Teams and Hiring Managers must adhere to the following when filling positions:
| Duration of Assignment | Positions Can be Filled Through |
|---|---|
| Up to six (6) months |
|
| More than six (6) months and less than one (1) year |
|
| More than one (1) year |
|
EOIs should be used exclusively within the division where the vacancy exists. Any intention to post an EOI across multiple divisions requires consultation with People & Equity’s Talent Acquisition Team via the Cross-Divisional EOI submission portal and approval from the impacted Division Head(s).
If a temporary non-union assignment is filled through an internal or external job posting, the division can permanently place the employee without an additional competitive process. Employees placed within a temporary assignment through an EOI or direct placement cannot be permanently placed within the position. The division must post the position corporately and conduct a competitive selection process to permanently fill it.
Acting assignments allow permanent non-unionized and unionized employees to temporarily assume a different non-union position, ensuring operational continuity while offering professional growth and career development opportunities.
Acting assignments and any extensions thereof require the approval of both the receiving manager and the releasing manager. Authorization is at their discretion. All approvals must be documented and are subject to an Acting Assignment (AA) or extension letter detailing duration, compensation, and benefits during the assignment.
Acting Assignments are limited to a maximum duration of twenty-four (24) months. When an assignment is expected to extend beyond twenty-four (24) months, divisions must conduct a review to determine whether the assignment can be converted to permanent or if the employee should be returned to their base position. To promote professional growth and career development, acting assignments may result in more than one person being selected and a rotation arrangement being implemented.
While on an acting assignment permanent non-union and unionized employees retain their base position. During this period, they cannot hold or assume any position beyond their base position and current acting assignment. At the conclusion of the acting assignment, employees will return to their base position and conditions of employment, including wage grade and wage rate.
Exclusions:
Acting Rate as Required (ARR) is the assignment of an employee to act as a backup for another position on a non-continuous basis. When the employee acts in the position they receive the applicable rate of pay for the time worked.
Filling ARR assignments must adhere to the recruitment directives outlined within this policy. ARRs cannot be used to fill long-term continuous vacancies. Business requirements for coverage of a continuous period of 30 days or more should be assessed and filled through an Acting Assignment.
ARRs are intended for short-term, time-limited, sporadic coverage (i.e. covering for vacation, illness, or other temporary absence) on an as-needed basis and are appropriate in the following situations:
Supervisory Coverage: For areas requiring continuous supervision a division can maintain a list of qualified employees who may be assigned to supervise sites on an as-required basis.
Work Coverage: For areas requiring specific licenses for legislative compliance a division can maintain a list of licensed professionals who may be called upon, on an as-needed basis, to perform tasks in the absence of other licensed staff.
Additional Coverage: Given the scope and complexity of City operations, ARRs may also be required in other situations on an as-needed basis, including for operational needs or health and safety requirements.
For information about unionized ARRs, refer to the applicable collective agreement.
Occasionally non-union employees may be expected to handle some duties from another position while also fulfilling the responsibilities of their own position, subject to operational needs and workloads. This is typically to provide relief coverage for a vacation, illness, or temporary absence.
Cover-off assignments do not involve a change to the employee’s pay.
Time in role conditions promote operational stability by providing clear guidelines on how long employees should remain in a position before seeking new opportunities within the City. They promote career growth by allowing employees to gain the necessary skills and experience required to advance their careers. Employees must meet the following Time in Role Conditions to be eligible to accept a new position:
The exceptions to the time in role conditions are outlined below:
The City Manager, Deputy City Managers, and Division Heads may approve exceptions based on operational needs and in consultation with Talent Acquisition. Exceptions must be objectively justifiable, align with the City’s goals of maintaining stability and equity within the workforce, comply with other City policies including the Human Rights and Anti-Harassment/Discrimination Policy and the City’s equity and reconciliation priorities, and reflected in updated employment contract documentation.
Exceptions to the policy may also be necessary as a result of interaction of other City policies, such as the City’s Human Rights and Anti-Harassment/Discrimination Policy (HRAP), Accommodation Policy, and Health & Safety related policies.
People & Equity will conduct an annual review of all employees on temporary contracts and acting assignments and provide this information to divisional leads.
Chief People Officer
February 16, 2026