Did You Know?
Human Resources Council (HRC)
PE Competency Development Framework: Updated Assessment and Learning Tools for PE-01 and PE-02
As part of the Personnel Administration (PE) Competency Development Framework, the pre-assessment, checkpoint assessments and the associated learning plan are consolidated within one document and used collectively to:
- evaluate the participant’s ongoing progress against the eight PE competencies;
- identify the associated learning activities; and
- monitor the completion of learning activities.
This tool is intended to be used collaboratively between the participant and their coach/manager, to guide the participant’s professional development journey, both at the start of the Framework and throughout ongoing checkpoint discussions. For more information, please visit the updated PE Competency Development Framework.
HRC Newsletter
The March Human Resources Council Newsletter is now available! Please subscribe, at the end of the Newsletter, to receive the quarterly editions.
HRC SmartShop
Recording of the March 28, 2023, HRC SmartShop: Changes to the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA) – Overview of the Evaluation of Assessments Related to 36(2) of the PSEA.
The PowerPoint Presentation is available on GCconnex and GCXchange.
Reminder – HRC GCXchange Page
The HRC GCXchange page is now available! To join the GCXchange site for the HR Community, please follow these five steps.
If you encounter any issues or have questions about GCXchange, please email support-soutien@gcx-gce.gc.ca.
Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO)
Employee Relations and Total Compensation (ERTC)
Preparing for the Public Service Health Care Plan transition to Canada Life
The transition from Sun Life to Canada Life as the PSHCP plan administrator will take place on July 1, 2023. Members will need to take the following steps to maintain their coverage:
- Update and maintain personal information, including address, banking and dependent information, with the current PSHCP administrator, Sun Life, until June 25, 2023.
- Continue to submit claims for eligible expenses incurred prior to July 1, 2023, to Sun Life.
- Complete positive enrolment with Canada Life before June 30, 2023.
- Submit all claims for expenses incurred on or after July 1, 2023, to Canada Life. Members with Comprehensive coverage, living outside of Canada, should submit claims to MSH International as of July 1, 2023.
To learn more, visit: Preparing for the Public Service Health Care Plan transition to Canada Life.
Public Service Management Insurance Plan (PSMIP) Premium Rates
The new monthly PSMIP premium rates, effective April 1, 2023, are now available online.
People and Culture (PC)
Centre of Expertise on Mental Health in the Workplace
Federal Speakers’ Forum on Lived Experience
- A platform for public servants to share lived experiences related to mental health, accessibility, diversity and inclusion. To view the listing of available speakers and learn about the process to host or become a speaker, please visit the Forum website.
Workload Management Tool
- This workload management tool provides guidance to managers and employees to support you in managing your workload and your health.
Key Resources
- Try the useful tool, “Am I at risk for burnout?” to self-assess your exposure to work-related stress that may indicate a risk for burnout.
- Learn to recognize the signs and symptoms and identify strategies to prevent, recover from, and stay well after burnout.
- Take a problem-solving approach to managing your stress. Identify your stressors and adopt proven stress management strategies to develop and download your personalized stress management action plan.
- Learn how to identify employee burnout, recognize workplace factors and take pro-active steps for prevention: Burnout response for leaders.
- Spot the signs of burnout at work and take charge of your stress (sunlife.ca).
Psychological Health and Safety Resources
- Introductory training for all employees from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
- Psychologically Safe Leader Assessment for leaders
- Health Canada SOS Services for facilitated workshops on workload management, burnout prevention and reintegration to the workplace (cost recovery basis)
- Wellness Together: Together, we are fostering psychological health and safety in the federal public service.
Public Service Commission (PSC)
Amendments to the Public Service Employment Act – Implementation
- In the coming weeks, the PSC will publish Frequently Asked Questions to support implementation. We invite you to consult the GCintranet page on a regular basis.
- Registration is now open for the two workshops being offered to human resources professionals:
- The presentation and facilitator’s guide for the workshop on how to conduct an evaluation of biases and barriers in assessment are available on GCconnex.
- Organizations are encouraged to start using the PSC’s Guide and Tool for Mitigating Biases and Barriers in Assessment to learn, gain experience and adapt to the required changes.
- The PSC is working on the development of two new tools for mitigating biases and barriers in assessment: specifically for narrative assessments and performance agreements. These tools will be shared broadly, prior to coming into force of the remaining provisions.
- The PSC also provides advice and guidance to organizations on the identification and mitigation of bias and barriers in assessment when required. A Bias Mitigation and Evaluation unit was created within the Personnel Psychology Centre to assist with more complex issues. Departmental corporate staffing teams should contact their respective Staffing Support Advisors to access this service.
- The review and evaluation services for departmental assessment methods will be offered on a cost-recovery basis gradually starting in the fall of 2023.
Spotlight on diverse assessment boards
- The PSC published new guidance called Spotlight on diverse assessment boards. The guidance was developed in response to Recommendation 3 of the Audit of Employment Equity Representation in Recruitment with the aim of advancing diverse assessment boards to support inclusive appointment processes
- The guidance product provides best practices to support diverse assessment board members, managers and organizations.
- This guidance is complementary to other guidance already published by the PSC.
Hiring of Persons with Disabilities Initiative (PwD)
- The 4th PwD recruitment campaign was launched in November 2022 to support staffing needs in the field of science through creation of a Careers in Biology for Persons with Disabilities (BI-02) inventory.
- Candidates are being assessed with a written exam and, for those interested in bilingual positions, Second Language Evaluation tests.
- The pool is expected to be available in spring 2023.
- contact the PSC to participate in an upcoming event to match qualified candidates with hiring managers.
- Visit the PSC website for information on other available inventories.
Post Secondary Recruitment (PSR)
- The 2022-2023 PSR campaign was launched in November 2022. In collaboration with the GC Data Functional Community, the campaign aimed to attract and recruit Data Scientists (EC-03 or equivalent).
- Candidate assessments are taking place shortly with a written exam and, for candidates interested in bilingual positions, Second Language Evaluation tests.
- Hiring organizations are invited to contact the PSC to participate in an upcoming event to match qualified candidates with hiring managers.
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS)
Tabling of the 2023–24 Departmental Plans
On March 9, 2023, the President of the Treasury Board tabled the 2023–24 Departmental Plans in the House of Commons for consideration by Parliament.
Departmental Plans describe departmental priorities, programs, resource requirements and expected results to achieve for Canadians. Through the Main Estimates, the government seeks approval from Parliament to fund those priorities and programs.
The Departmental Plans are available on Canada.ca and through GC InfoBase.
Canada School of Public Service (CSPS)
Are you aware of the mandatory courses for public servants?
Discover new tools and best practices to help facilitate your transition into the new hybrid workplace:
Hybrid Workplace Series:
- April 5, 2023 – The Hybrid Workplace Series: Navigating Challenges and Embracing Change in the Hybrid Workplace
Federal Youth Network virtual event:
- April 12, 2023 – Welcome to the Government of Canada
New facilitated course in April 2023:
A foundational knowledge of unconscious bias prior to attending the course is required. For this reason, learners must complete the online self-paced course Moving from Bias to Inclusion (INC123) as a prerequisite.
Three new courses for public service executives:
- Reflecting on Canada’s Colonial History (IRA170)
- Supporting Indigenous Talent (IRA171)
- Building Meaningful Relationships with Indigenous Peoples (IRA172) – Please note: this course is reserved for executives nominated by their deputy heads.
Health Canada
As part of a regular review process and in response to the evolving COVID-19 situation in Canada, PSOHP has updated its COVID-19 occupational health guidance. The guidance is not prescriptive: it highlights preventive practices rather than requirements. Departments and agencies will tailor these practices to their work settings and employee functions.
Other HR-Related Updates
Take advantage of the Federal Internship for Newcomers Program to support your diversity recruitment strategies
What’s in it for you?
- Great flexibility in job categories and levels. The FIN candidates were assessed in the following categories: EC-02, PM-02, IT-01, AS-01 and CR-04. However, with their high level of education and extended experience, they can be placed in any category/level at the discretion of the hiring manager and in consultation with HR.
- Opportunity to retain the talent following completion of the internship. Recent changes to the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA) giving permanent residents the same preference as Canadian citizens offer more flexibilities to hiring managers who want to retain FIN interns following their casual placements.
- Support for meeting the Treasury Board Directive on Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- Efficient “concierge” service offered by the FIN Team: By selecting this link, you can send your hiring request to the FIN Team, who will send you hand-picked CVs within 5 business days, facilitate the security clearance process and offer mentorship to interns to support their onboarding.
To learn more about the FIN Program, please visit Hire a newcomer as an intern – Canada.ca or email the FIN Team for more information.
Do you know about the Federal Contracting Fraud Tip Line?
The Federal Contracting Fraud Tip Line is an important tool for anyone wanting to anonymously report cheating in federal government contracts. Notice something suspicious in a federal contract? Shine a light on contract cheating by reporting it anonymously.
To learn more, visit Public Services and Procurement Canada’s website.
Reminder – Nominations for the Public Service Pride Awards
The 3rd annual Public Service Pride Awards Ceremony will take place in late August. Nominations for these prestigious awards close on Wednesday, April 12.
For more information, visit the Public Service Pride website, which also includes the 2022 Annual Report Public Service Pride Network.
Budget 2023 – A Made-in-Canada Plan: Strong Middle Class, Affordable Economy, Healthy Future
On March 28, 2023, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, tabled in the House of Commons Budget 2023, A Made-in-Canada Plan: Strong Middle Class, Affordable Economy, Healthy Future. We encourage you to read it.
What’s Coming Up
HRC
- April 5, 2023 – HRC Smartshop: The GC Workplace Accessibility Passport: Facilitating the accommodation process, organized in partnership with OCHRO, the Office of the Public Service Accessibility (OPSA), line departments, is open to the entire HR community, to better understand:
- How the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport can facilitate a timely duty to accommodate (DTA) process for persons with disabilities and how it can be used to proactively identify and remove barriers.
- How Human Resources professionals, including Labour Relations, can support managers in creating inclusive, respectful and accessible workplaces.
Register now!
- French Session – April 5, 2023, from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm (ET)
- English Session – April 5, 2023, from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm (ET)
- April 18, 2023 – HR Council Meeting
- April 25, 2023 – HRC SmartShop: Introduction to Performance-Based Compensation for Executives. The presentation is intended for HR advisors who are new to the executive performance pay process, as well as those who would like a refresher. Stay tuned for registration details.
- April 26, 2023 – HR Community Engagement Hub
APEX
- April 12, 2023: Influential Leadership: Leveraging all five influence styles to foster trust and mobilize teams (French session on April 5, 2023)
- April 19, 2023: Navigating the Future of Work
- May 30 – 31, 2023 – APEX Leadership Summit 2023 and Awards of Excellence Ceremony
HRC Meeting – March 21, 2023
Item 1: Opening Remarks
Darlène de Gravina, Assistant Deputy Minister of Human Resource Services at ESDC and Chair of the HR Council:
- Introduced and welcomed new HR leaders to our community: Marie-Josée Lacombe – Defense Construction Canada.
- Reminded Heads of HR that they will be able to further exchange during the upcoming Cluster Group Discussions.
- Mentioned that the HRC Executive Office has recently enrolled Heads of HR in the HRC’s Heads of HR Corner on GCXchange, which is an MS Teams channel exclusively for heads of HR.
- Welcomed new Chief Human Resources Officer, Jacqueline Bogden, on behalf of the community.
- Reminded that a new date has been set for the MCC HR Leadership Awards Ceremony – September 27, 2023, at 1:30 (ET).
- Highlighted the importance to continue our inclusion efforts. As such, it is important to note that:
- March 21st was the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
- April 2, 2023, is World Autism Awareness Day
- April 12, 2023, is International Day of Pink, supporting equality for the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community.
Item 2: Implementing the Common Approach to Hybrid Work
Cynthia Shelswell, Director, Strategic Integration and Planning, Jean-Philippe Prost, Executive Director and Brian Russel, Manager, Employer Representation in Recourse, from OCHRO, TBS, provided an update on the implementation of the Common Approach to Hybrid Work.
Cynthia Shelswell shared the following information:
- A short questionnaire will soon be sent to departments to gather best practices and identify key challenges.
- The E-binder, shared by OCHRO, is being updated with new information on security and clarification on ergonomics and relocation.
- For any questions on exceptions and extensions, please reach out to Cynthia Shelswell and Dwayne McDonald.
- A hybrid inbox – hybridmodel-modelehybride@tbs-sct.gc.ca – is available for questions.
Jean-Philippe Prost provided important reminders regarding the Directive on Telework and the Duty to Accommodate (DTA):
- No changes were made to the Directive on Telework or the Directive on DTA.
- Telework is not an acceptable arrangement in place of family care arrangements.
- DTA is not an exemption to the Direction on prescribed presence to the workplace, does not require ADM approval and extends beyond the traditional workplace (that is, it extends to wherever employees work). Employees who previously had telework-DTA agreements in place do not have to make new agreements under the new Direction on Prescribed Presence in the Workplace. Also, DTA does not always need documentation.
- The E-binder includes guidance on how to use the GC Accessibility Passport.
Brian Russel elaborated on the following guidance:
Compliance guidance:
- According to the Canada Labour Code, employees have the right to refuse dangerous work, but they must be at their specified work location to do so. Further, the danger must exist at the time of refusal; it cannot be hypothetical.
- From a Labour Relations perspective, a recommended course of action was provided for when an employee refuses to work or comply with onsite requirements.
- Information on failure to comply to the Direction will be included in the updated E-binder.
Recourse guidance:
- Separate agencies dealing with grievances related to the Direction are asked to communicate with Brian Russel’s team to ensure a coordinated response.
Item 3: Working Together: An update on product development and setting the stage for 2023-2024 learning projects at the Government of Canada and Public Sector Skills (GCPSS)
Marie-Josée Gosselin, Acting Director, Community Development and GC Learning Priorities, shared updates about HR learning products and introduced the 2023−2024 learning projects.
On March 28th, the School will share additional information with identified central agency learning project partners. The Government of Canada and Public Sector Skills’ GCXchange page is being updated to equip School partners with tools and resources.
For more information, please refer to the PowerPoint presentation on GCconnex and GCXchange.
Item 4: Updates from the Central Agencies
Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO)
Collective Bargaining and Strike/Job Action Contingency Planning
Claudia Zovatto, Executive Director, provided an update on collective bargaining and strike contingency planning.
Transition from Sun Life to Canada Life on July 1st
Jennifer McKinley, Director, shared key points about the transition from Sun Life to Canada Life. A reminder pop-up will be posted on MyGCPay as a reinforcement message.
Jean-Philippe Prost provided information and updates on the following topics:
Leadership Profile:
- On March 31, 2023, OCHRO will seek input from Deputy Heads on the new leadership competency profile for the public service. OCHRO will share the deck with the HRC Executive Office for distribution to members, recognizing that HRC membership is broader than PSMAC departments.
Executive Performance Management
- A new tool is being developed to replace the Budget Module in ETMS. Its release is planned for mid to late April and training will be provided for budget delegates.
- More information around the Executive Performance Pay cycle will be provided in the coming weeks via your HHR and corporate performance and talent management teams.
HRC Planning Calendar
Please see the HRC Planning Calendar for upcoming meeting dates.
Contact Us
HRCouncil/ConseilRH@tbs-sct.gc.ca
