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Updates from the HRC – March 28, 2024

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Human Resources Council (HRC)

Have you joined the HRC GCXchange Page?

To join the HRC GCXchange page for the HR Community, please follow these five steps.

Once registered, you will be able to access a variety of useful tools and resources to support you in your day-to-day work as well as in your development as an HR professional, including the following:

  • NEW HR Functions Handbook: This job-aid explores the different HR disciplines and how they are connected throughout the employee lifecycle.
  • HR Resources Centre: One-stop-shop platform for finding legislation, policies, contacts, best practices, trends and tools related to the human resources function. Makes day-to-day work much easier!
  • HelloHR: Online toolbox of self-directed informational and developmental resources for all members of the HR community.
  • HR Learning Lounge: Suggested learning resources aligned with the HR competencies to enable HR professionals to develop their skillsets.
  • HRC SmartShops: To access recordings of recent Smartshops and find out about upcoming ones!

If you encounter any issues or have questions about GCXchange, please email support-soutien@gcx-gce.gc.ca.

Reminder – Call for Nominations: 2023 Government of Canada HR Leadership Awards

The Human Resources Council (HRC) is thrilled to open the nomination process for the 2023 Government of Canada HR Excellence Awards. This prestigious recognition, formerly known as the Michelle C. Comeau HR Leadership Awards, was renamed by the HR community in November 2023 to reflect the collective spirit of excellence and unity that defines our professional network.

The 2023 Government of Canada HR Excellence Awards are specifically designed to recognize:

  • The HR Community – Individuals and teams working in all HR disciplines and at all levels within human resources divisions, directorates, sectors or branches including people management teams established as a Deputy Head priority such as anti-racism secretariats or offices of conflict resolution. They can be affiliated with a central agency, a department, a separate agency or any other organization within the federal public sector from across Canada and overseas, including crown corporations, agents of parliament and parliamentary entities.
  • And our client-partners, working outside of the HR construct, who are essential to people management excellence. We encourage their nomination in the Business Leader Award Category.

This year, we are introducing a new award category, the “HR Administrative Support Professional Award”, to recognize the indispensable role played by our administrative and clerical support members in ensuring seamless HR service and/or HR program delivery.

With these award categories, no achievement goes unnoticed:

  • HR Administrative Support Professional Award (New)
  • Human Resources Team
  • New Human Resources Talent
  • Human Resources Professional
  • Human Resources Leader
  • Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Team
  • Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Individual
  • Business Leader
  • Career Contribution in Human Resources 
  • Head of Human Resources

The names of the top three finalists of each category will be announced in June 2024 and the award recipients will be revealed during the Government of Canada HR Excellence Awards ceremony in early Fall. To honor their outstanding contributions to people management in the public service, the recipients will receive a trophy.

Visit the GCconnex or the GCXchange pages to submit nominations according to the Guidelines and Forms. Completed nominations must be received by email no later than 23:59 (Pacific Time) on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. Please note that requests to permit nominations for a group larger than ten (10) people for the Team awards must be received by no later than Wednesday, April 24, 2024.

NEW: The HR Excellence Awards Ceremony will take place in the afternoon of October 17, 2024. Save the date!

Should you have any questions or require additional information, please contact the Human Resources Council at HRCouncil/ConseilRH@tbs-sct.gc.ca.

March HRC Newsletter

The March Human Resources Council Newsletter is now available!

In this edition:

Please subscribe at the end of the newsletter to receive upcoming editions and encourage members of the HR Community to do as well. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Human Resources Council at: hrcouncil/conseilrh@tbs-sct.gc.ca.

Quick Survey: Use of Artificial Intelligence in HR

Are you using AI in your day-to-day work in HR? If so, how do you leverage these tools and for what purpose(s)? We want to hear about it to get a better sense of how AI is currently being used within the HR Community. 

We invite you to help us paint this picture by taking a few minutes to complete our quick survey by April 5. We thank you in advance for your participation and we look forward to sharing the results in our upcoming newsletter. 

Privy Council Office (PCO)

Broadening the Values and Ethics Conversations within Organizations

Message sent on March 13, 2024 by the Deputy Clerk to Deputy Heads and Heads of HR.

Dear Colleagues:

In my new role as Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and Associate Secretary to the Cabinet, the Clerk has asked me to assume a leadership role in facilitating our dialogue on values and ethics.

As Deputy Clerk, and as a previous member of the Deputy Minister Task Team on Values and Ethics, I have seen firsthand the enthusiasm of public servants to participate in a conversation on Public Service Values and Ethics.

Public servants have a thirst to better understand how their contributions advance their organizational mandates and fit into the whole of the public service. Values and ethics come to life in the daily work of public servants within their specific organizational context, which underscores the importance of the role you will be playing in advancing this conversation.

One of my top priorities is supporting you as you lead your teams in embracing the practical dialogue that will drive our collective learning.

As a first step, I have worked with some of our colleagues to identify tools that can support you in fulfilling the direction from the Clerk.

A key milestone in the work you are leading will be to report back in June 2024 with a written assessment of the actions undertaken in your organizations. So that we can all benefit from a public service-wide snapshot of our collective efforts underway, a common approach to reporting will be shared with you by the end of March.

The reporting model will be closely aligned with the Clerk’s directions in January. It will provide an opportunity for you to share additional observations from conversations with your employees, such as emerging themes, best practices and tools in development. Your input will feed into the fall Symposium.

As you advance this work, if you have not already, I strongly encourage you to appoint a Values and Ethics Champion who can advance work in your organization and across the public service by sharing best practices and exploring ways to tackle any gaps or barriers that surface. It will be useful to bring this group of Champions together periodically so please provide the name of your organizational Values and Ethics Champions and contact details to OCHRO at integrity-integrite@tbs-sct.gc.ca.

In my role, I will also be prioritizing conversations with public servants across the country and beyond to directly hear their perspectives and experiences.

Continuing this engagement on public service values and ethics is a key priority for me and the Clerk. I look forward to continuing this important work together.

Christiane Fox (she/her), Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and Associate Secretary to the Cabinet

Changes to the Policy on Security of Cabinet Confidences

On April 1, 2024, the 2014 Policy on Security of Cabinet Confidences will be replaced by a renewed Policy and a new, separate Standard on Security of Cabinet Confidences.

While Cabinet confidences will continue to be afforded all legal protections currently in place, the most significant change in the new policy is the decoupling of the automatic minimum security categorization from Cabinet confidences. This means that Memoranda to Cabinet, for example, will no longer automatically be categorized at least SECRET simply because they are Confidences of the King’s Privy Council. Instead, these documents will need to be categorized based on the level of injury of the information they contain, according to the Treasury Board Directive on Security Management – Standard on Security Categorization. Consequently, users will be able to handle, store and transmit these documents on the network and/or via other means adequate for the categorization level.

Given this is a significant change, there will also be a 12-month implementation period to allow for time to adjust departmental information management practices, update training and update IM/IT systems where required.

The security and proper handling of government information and assets is everyone’s business. Lack of appropriate information management and security practices puts at risk individuals as well as government information, assets, sites, and operations. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the changes in the policy and standard to ensure that you continue to handle documents marked Cabinet confidences in line with policy requirements.

Should organizational corporate services have any questions, they may contact the Privy Council Office at bcm-gca@pco-bcp.gc.ca.

Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO)

New: Restorative Engagement Program Reports

In October 2023, the government announced the creation of a panel of experts to lead consultations and provide recommendations on the design of a new restorative engagement program for the federal public service.

On March 21, TBS published 2 reports:

  • The Report on Written Submissions summarizes the results of the panel’s consultations from October 30 to December 8, 2023.
  • The Recommendations Report summarizes the panel’s recommendations on the design of a restorative engagement program following the consultation process. To maintain the integrity of the panel’s recommendations, this report has not been edited. As such, some of the language used may differ between the 2 reports.

Recommendations are currently being assessed. Further meaningful consultation will be conducted with key partners and communities of practice to ensure the program design meets the needs of public servants.

For more information, visit the Restorative engagement program page.

Employment Equity in the Public Service of Canada for Fiscal Year 2022 to 2023

The President of the Treasury Board presented the annual report for fiscal year 2022-23 to Parliament on employment equity in the Public Service of Canada.

Everyone is encouraged to read this report to find out more about our work to meaningfully include equity-seeking employees in the federal public service and better serve all Canadians.

New! Gender-based Analysis Plus and the Hybrid Direction for the Public Service – Considerations for Federal Departments and Agencies

The Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO) is pleased to share this resource outlining enterprise Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) considerations for the implementation of the Direction on prescribed presence in the workplace.

This document represents the collaborative efforts over the past months between the OCHRO, Women and Gender Equality Canada, Treasury Board policy centres, central service providers, and the ADM Flexible Workplace Committee. It provides practical information for federal departments and agencies as a reference for their own GBA Plus analysis and work when planning, implementing, monitoring, and assessing their hybrid approaches. It also includes additional GBA Plus resources, data sources and research literature.

The document is now available in the HR Resources Centre. 

If you have any questions, please contact hybridmodel-modelehybride@tbs-sct.gc.ca.

HR-to-Pay for Managers Updated Course

The HR-to-Pay Stabilization Training for Managers, a course included in the Treasury Board Mandatory Training Inventory, has been updated This simplified and modernized training supports the collective efforts of all Deputy Ministers and Heads of Human Resources to ensure accurate and timely pay for employees.

HR-to-Pay for Managers (COR137) is now available on the Canada School of Public Service platform. New managers with section 34 authority of the Financial Administration Act within the core public administration are required to complete this course. Organizations with a distinct HR system – that is Canada Border Services Agency, Statistics Canada, Transport Canada, Canada Space Agency, and Administrative Tribunal Support Services Canada – will continue to follow the existing HR-to-Pay Stabilization Training available on the GCPedia platform.

Please note that the HR-to-Pay training for employees will also be updated. More information will be available in the new fiscal year.

Changes to Leave Without Pay Codes for Parental, Extended Parental, and Caregiving Leave

New leave codes are being created to record and differentiate the use of leave without pay (LWOP) for Standard Parental LWOP, Extended Parental LWOP, and Caregiving leave within human resources information management systems (HRIMS), pay
systems, and the PenFax pension system in use by PA, non-CPA and other organizations of the Federal Government of Canada.

Implementation throughout the HR-to-Pay-to-Pension environments is currently scheduled for June 15, 2024. Any changes will be applied on a go-forward basis and will not affect any current and historical data.

The Pension Centre issued a communication associated with the change: Amendments to the Treatment of Leave Without Pay for the Public Service Pension Plan.

Public Service Commission (PSC)

Coaching Services provided by the Public Service Commission’s Executive Counselling Services

The Public Service Commission’s Executive Counselling Services provides a platform where former executives (EX-2 to DM-1) work with executives or aspiring leaders to elevate their executive journey. The executive consultants offer a dedicated space for them to navigate challenges, strategize, and explore solutions through a leadership lens. The goal is to empower executives or aspiring leaders to excel in their career as a public service leader.

Who are these services for?

  • Executives at EX-1 to EX-5 levels
  • Aspiring executives at EX minus 3 to EX minus 1 levels (for example, AS-6, AS-8, EC-6, PM-6)

How can an executive consultant help you?

Our executive consultants can help executives address a range of situations, including:

  • Planning your next career move and exploring strategic options
  • Building and expanding your networks
  • Guiding your reflection on becoming an executive
  • Integrating a new EX position
  • Transitioning from an operational role to a more strategic one
  • Developing key leadership skills to meet the required level
  • Preparing for executive selection processes and interviews
  • Overcoming leadership challenges and navigating difficult situations
  • Addressing diversity and inclusion issues

How to set up a service request?

Visit Executive Counselling Services for additional information or contact the PSC (cfp.scc-ecs.psc@cfp-psc.gc.ca).

Reasons for the Use of Non-Advertised Appointments

On April 9, 2024, the Public Service Commission will increase precision of the reasons for the non-advertised appointments in the Priority Information Management System.

The previous list included an “Other reason” option with a free text box to specify the reason for the non-advertised appointment.

A review of the reasons provided by organizations showed that 50% had been entered in the “Other reason” option, with little or no detail on the reasons for non-advertised appointments.

The update will address this gap and provide more accurate and standardized reporting and will not impact priority clearance requests nor related procedures.

Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) – Summer Student Employment Opportunities:  Indigenous Student Employment Opportunity (ISEO) & Employment Opportunity for Students with Disabilities Student (EOSD)

Hiring managers are reminded to consider hiring indigenous students and students with disabilities for their recruitment needs.

The 2024 ISEO Summer student programming for indigenous students will begin on June 6, 2024. An important reminder to hiring managers to register students so they can access training, events, and mentorship opportunities.

The 2024 EOSD Summer student programming for students with disabilities will commence June 11, 2024. An important reminder to hiring managers to register students so they can access training, events, and mentorship opportunities.

Hiring managers are also invited to register (EN | FR) for an information session taking place on May 2, 2024, that will cover the following topics:

  • Overview of the EOSD program
  • The Duty to Accommodate – Key Messages and Resources
  • Government of Canada Workplace Accessibility Passport
  • Accessibility, Accommodation and Adaptive Computer Technology Lending Library
  • Supporting neurodivergent students in the workplace

The EOSD program will be seeking new mentors for the 2024-2025 fiscal year to support students with disabilities.

This year, the PSC will be piloting a matching component to help ISEO and EOSD participants to be paired with a mentor that matches their needs and interests.

Association of Professional Executives of the Public Service (APEX)

APEX Newsletter

Please stay apprised of APEX news via their monthly Newsletter.  

Canada School of Public Service (CSPS)

Taking Stock of Your Learning

Be sure to complete your learning commitments before the end of the fiscal year and check the School’s learning catalogue for other activities to support your professional development in the year ahead.

Learning Tools

National Managers’ Community (NMC)

The National Managers’ Community (NMC) March Newsletter is now available!

BACK TO TOP

What’s Coming Up

HRC

HRC SmartShops

Stay tuned for upcoming SmartShops and recordings / documents of previous SmartShops!

HRC Meetings

  • April 9, 2024 – HRC Executive Committee Meeting
  • April 16, 2024 – HR Council Meeting
  • April 19, 2024 – Special HRC Meeting: Heads of HR Conversation on Values and Ethics with the Deputy Clerk
  • April 23, 2024 – Human Resources Community Talent Management Steering Committee Meeting
  • April 24, 2024 – HR Community Engagement Hub

APEX

Reminder – APEX 2024 Leadership Summit and Awards of Excellence Ceremony

APEX will host the 2024 Leadership Summit and Awards of Excellence Ceremony, a premier annual learning event, offering professional learning, networking and inspiration – exclusively for Canada’s public service executive community.

This unique learning event will be held in-person and online on May 14-15, 2024 at the Shaw Centre in Ottawa.

This year’s Summit themed Leadership Excellence: Rethinking and Reinventing Together is much more than just a conference; it is a convergence of visionaries, thought leaders, and trailblazers shaping the future of work, public service and leadership. This year’s theme is dedicated to exploring Leadership Excellence: Rethinking and Reinventing Together – reflecting our commitment to fostering, growing, and adapting leadership in an ever-evolving global landscape. The high-profile lineup of keynote speakers and industry experts will share their insights, strategies, and success stories, providing invaluable perspectives on leadership excellence of today and tomorrow.

Registration is now open.

Stay apprised of upcoming APEX events and resources from previous events.

CSPS

Upcoming Events

Course COR128 – Becoming a Strategic HR Practitioner: From Theory to Practice also available in classroom format

Are you looking to deepen your skills after completing COR118 – Becoming a Strategic Human Resources Specialist: Fundamentals? We have an opportunity for you! Our course COR128 – Becoming a Strategic HR Practitioner: From Theory to Practice is now available in classroom format!

Course dates :

  • April 18, 2024 (English)
  • May 29, 2024 (French)

Location: 111 Sussex, Ottawa

Schedule: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (ET)

This classroom course offers a unique opportunity to develop your skills in a dynamic and interactive environment. Our experienced trainers will guide you through hands-on activities and relevant discussions to strengthen your understanding and expertise.

Be sure to reserve your seat now so you don’t miss out on this exceptional professional development opportunity!

To go ahead, simply select the desired date at the bottom of the course page on the School’s learning platform here: Becoming a Strategic HR Practitioner: From Theory to Practice (csps-efpc.gc.ca).

(*) Please note that COR118 is part of the COR118-COR128 sequence. Thus, once participants have completed COR118, they typically complete COR128 in a second phase.

If you have any questions about how to register, please contact the School’s Client Contact Centre at: General inquiries – CSPS (csps-efpc.gc.ca).

National Managers’ Community (NMC)

Stay apprised of NMC events and activities!

Joint Learning Program Workshops

The Joint Learning Program (JLP), created in 2001 as a partnership between the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the TBS, continues to deliver free joint learning activities. All union members and management in the core public administration are eligible to participate in the JLP as organizers, facilitators and participants.

BACK TO TOP

HRC Meeting – March 19 , 2024

Item 1: Opening Remarks

Darlène de Gravina, Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM), HR Services Branch, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and HRC Chair welcomed Monika Jaworska-Stach, Patented Medicine Prices Review Board, as a newly appointed Head of HR.

She reminded Heads of HR to recognize the good work accomplished by our community via the HR Excellence Awards. The deadline to submit an approval request to nominate a team of more than 10 is April 24th and for all other nominations is May 8th. The Award Ceremony will take place on October 17, 2024, in the afternoon. The Clerk, Chief Human Resources Office (CHRO), Associate CHRO, President of the PSC and Vice-President from the CSPS will all be present for this important recognition event.

Darlène added that the HRC will be launching the inventory of former experienced HR professionals in April. Approximately 57 individuals have already shared their interest. She encouraged the HR community encourage colleagues nearing retirement to apply to the Experienced Former HR Professional Inventory by completing the required questionnaire.

The following upcoming events were highlighted:

  • March is the Fraud Prevention Month and the “Rendez-vous de la francophonie”
  • March 20th is International Day of La Francophonie 2024, an opportunity to celebrate the French language and culture in all its diversity, as well as the traditions that shape the culture Francophones in Canada. Several events are scheduled, including one at the CSPS.
  • March 21st is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. While much progress has been made, Indigenous peoples, and racialized and religious minority communities in Canada continue to face racism and discrimination every day. This day serves as a call to action for individuals, organizations, and all levels of government to actively work to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination, injustice, systemic racism and hate.
  • Two HRC SmartShops:
    • March 21, 2024: Explore People Management Data”, co-hosted by OCHRO and the PSC
    • March 28, 2024: “Data Analysis Process 101” in collaboration with Statistics Canada
  • A Special HRC Event will take place March 22nd  for Heads of HR + 2 guests with Deri Latimer, TedX Speaker, Author, on the neuroscience of leadership. Our special guest speaker will share tips and tricks to maximize leadership effectiveness while working with the best parts of the brain!

Item 2: 2024 APEX Leadership Summit and Awards Ceremony

Carl Trottier, CEO,  announced  that this year APEX is encouraging aspiring Directors’ to attend the 2024 APEX Leadership Summit and Awards of Excellence Ceremony. APEX is offering one to two seats per organization, depending on their needs, hoping to provide aspiring Directors with direction and encouragement in their journey toward becoming Executives.

Carl noted that APEX, as a non-profit organization, relies on Summit revenue, covering approximately 50% of operating costs. Decreased attendance significantly impacts APEX and its services to the Executive Community. APEX aims to having 1000 attendees. Organizations are therefore urged to promote the APEX Leadership Summit and boost attendance and registration numbers within their ranks.

Jeremy Stowe, Chief Learning Officer, APEX underlined that the early bird pricing for the Summit  is available until April 8th. In-person registration will close at the start of May, while virtual participant registration will close a few days before the event. The Summit Program is now available. The Deputy Clerk of the PCO, Christiane Fox, and the Deputy Minister of Transport Canada, Arun Thangaraj, will serve as the two Summit Co-Champions.

Jeremy reminded Heads of HR that the APEX Summit qualifies as a training, and he encouraged current and acting executives to incorporate it into their personal learning plans.

This year, all award selections will be finalized in advance. Consequently, all departments will be informed of the recipients across the 8 award categories and will receive official invitations. The goal is to encourage organizations to promote their recipients and ensure that ambassadors, Heads of HR, Deputies, or any other interested individuals can attend.

For more information, please refer to the PowerPoint presentation or contact  info@apex.gc.ca.

Item 3: Canada School of Public Service Leadership Learning Programs

Michael Rutherford, Director, Leadership Fundamentals, Transferable Skills, Innovation and Skills Development Branch, CSPS provided an update regarding the Non-EX Leadership Learning Programs.

In 2020, the CSPS conducted a review of their existing Manager and Supervisor Developments Programs.​ Last year, the two programs underwent thorough examination, which included a survey of the 27 most engaged organizations, as well as an analysis of evaluations and enrollments. The conclusion drawn was that the programs needed to reflect the emerging needs and priorities of the public service, such as hybrid workplace and equity, diversity, and inclusion. They also needed to leverage new CSPS learning content launched since 2020 and address obstacles encountered by some learners during enrollment and throughout their training journey.

For 2024 and 2025, the CSPS has plans to introduce two new programs for learners:

  1. The Leadership Pathway a self-directed learning journey allowing learners to earn recognition and optional certification upon completion of the series. Registration will be open to leaders at all levels, with plans to launch this pathway in Q1 of 2024-25.
  2. The Manager Development Program, which will be fully cohort based over 8 weeks, with one 8-hour learning day per week. This new program is schedule for piloting in May-June 2024, with a full launch expected in October 2024. CSPS aims to accommodate demand by offering as many cohorts as possible, each with 30 participants. In the past, demand has been around 1000 participants per year.

For more information, please refer to the PowerPoint presentation.

Item 4:  Interim Standard on Occasional Travel to a Designated Worksite

Christopher LeBrun, Senior Director, Workplace Policies and Programs, PC, OCHRO, TBS, provided an update on reporting and implementation of Appendix B of the Directive on Telework, the Interim Standard on Occasional Travel to a Designated Worksite.

He reminded Heads of HR why the Interim Standard was created. Given that certain employees within the Core Public Administration (CPA) organizations reside beyond a reasonable commuting distance from their designated worksite and are engaged in full-time telework, Deputy Heads sought policy authority to authorize the reimbursement of travel expenses for full-time teleworking employees when they occasionally report to their designated worksite. In response, a two-year policy authority (effective from June 1, 2023, to March 31, 2025) was implemented under the Directive on Telework to address the requirements of Deputy Heads.

Currently, 76 organizations are actively participating in this Interim Standard. Regarding reporting obligations, organizations are tasked with quarterly monitoring and reporting on the utilization of this authority. For the first quarter of 2024, all organizations have submitted their quarterly reports. Authorized travels have predominantly been for operational activities and meetings. Efforts are underway to facilitate reporting for CPA organizations.

Christopher LeBrun reminded Heads of HR of the April 10, 2024, deadline to provide OCHRO with feedback on the Directive on Telework.

Additional information is available in the PowerPoint presentation.

For questions or discussion, organizational corporate services may send an email to wpp-ppt@tbs-sct.gc.ca.

Item 5: 2023 Student Experience Survey Results

Nicolino Frate, Executive Director, and Diana Macecek, Manager, both from the Workforce Business Intelligence Services, Strategic Directions and Digital Solutions, OCHRO, TBS, provided an overview of the Student Experience Survey (SES), in order to improve the experience in 2024.

The SES was available from July 31 to September 15, 2023. A total of 5,471 students (41%) responded, from 76 participating organizations. The same nine (9) key people management themes from previous years were evaluated.

Overall, students consistently expressed positive sentiments, indicating that departments have effectively maintained a favourable work experience for student employees over the years.​ The year-over-year trend shows a generally positive onboarding experience from the student respondents.

Under the theme of Recruitment, results suggest that there are opportunities for improvement in providing students with sufficient information about the job prior to applying for the position.

Regarding the choice of future careers after graduation, the year-over-year ranking indicates that “Gaining work experience in my field of study” and “salary” consistently hold top positions, while “Pension and benefits” and “Job location” remained in a lower ranking.

For more information, please visit the PowerPoint presentation. Corporate services within departments may also contact  PSES-SAFF@tbs-sct.gc.ca.

Item 6: Break

Item 7: Updates from the Public Service Renewal Secretariat at Privy Council Office

Germaine Chazou-Essindi, Director of Operations and Shelley St.George, Director of Operations, at Public Service Renewal Secretariat, Privy Council Office provided updates on the conversations around Values and Ethics and on the Clerk’s Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service.

Pertaining to the Call to Action, Germaine emphasized the importance of transparent data sharing, noting that sharing data with hiring managers can facilitate constructive conversations about closing gaps. Some organizations have delved deeply into goal setting, setting representation goals at regional and classification levels, and aligning them with their business needs. However, she also acknowledged that measuring representation is simpler than assessing inclusion.

As the one-year anniversary of the release of the forward directions to the Call to Action approaches, Germaine highlighted the Clerk’s expectation to see progress in fostering a more diverse and inclusive work environment. Accountability is crucial to bringing about lasting cultural change, emphasizing the need for open and honest reporting. To facilitate this, Deputies will soon receive two reporting templates: one for the Call to Action and one for Values and Ethics, with the expectation of responses by early June. Once responses are collected, analysis will be conducted to identify common challenges, strengths, emerging practices, and opportunities for learning. In keeping with the transparency of the Call to Action, all responses received will be published on the PCO website to enable employees and networks to track progress within their organizations.

In regard to the Values and Ethics initiative, Shelley highlighted that the Deputy Ministers’ Task Team has conducted over 90 engagement sessions to spark discussions across the public service. The Report to the Clerk of the Privy Council  marks just the beginning of the conversation, signaling a continuing dialogue rather than a conclusion. To this end, the Deputy Clerk will be leading dialogues on values and ethics with public servants nationwide.

Item 8: Equipping on Values and Ethics

Mary Anne Stevens, Senior Director, PC, OCHRO, TBS, along with Erik de Vries, Director General and Marie-Josée Gosselin, Director, Community Development and GC Learning Priorities, GC and Public Sector Skills, Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) provided an update on learning paths and tools, such as the Values Alive: A Discussion Guide to the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector, in support of the implementation of the Values and Ethics priority.

Mary Anne highlighted that the Deputy Clerk recently communicated with Deputies, informing them about the collaboration between the OCHRO and the CSPS regarding Federal Public Sector Values and Ethics. This partnership aims to equip departments with resources to aid in the development of training plans, the review and enhancement of codes of conduct, and the facilitation of dialogues within their organizations.

The Values Alive: A Discussion Guide to the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector has been updated and reposted to include scenarios that are more relevant to today’s public sector.

Values and ethics practitioners within organizations benefit from access to numerous additional scenarios through their membership on the Codes to Cultures GC Connex group. To maximize effectiveness, it is recommended that organizations tailor these scenarios to align with their specific business lines and current issues, thereby enhancing their relevance and impact on employees.

OCHRO is in the process of compiling a list of Departmental Champions for Values and Ethics and has requested Heads of HR to share this information at Integrity / Integrite. Additionally, OCHRO continues to facilitate monthly meetings with the inter-departmental network on values and ethics to address evolving questions and discussions within the community, particularly concerning issues related to values and ethics and conflicts of interest. A reminder to departments that the DM Task Team is no longer gathering feedback on values and ethics. Focus should now be on values and ethics dialogue within organizations, aligning with the reporting requirements in June.

Finally, CPSP has recently launched:

The School is planning the following:

  • Symposium with the Clerk – building on V&E and the importance of EDI (October 2024 TBC) ​
  • Planned redesign of online courses: Values and Ethics Foundations for Employees and Values and Ethics Foundations for Managers (FY2024-25)​
  • Content of the Authority Delegation Training: Managing People Effectively course (July 2024)​
  • Toolkit in engaging in meaningful discussions on values and ethics (March-April 2024)

The above School training and development may be found in the PowerPoint presentation.

Item 9: Moving the Dial Forward – Responding to the Call to Action

Philippe Blanchette, ADM and Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO), People, Culture and Workplace Sector, Sophie-Anne Tremblay, Head of HR and Rachel Bleskie, People Programs Advisor, HR Programs and Policies, People, Culture and Workplace Sector, Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) shared good practices in enhancing employment equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, through Specialisterne and WithYouWithMe.

FINTRAC, with its approximately 500 employees, operates as a Separate Agency, requiring top secret security clearance for all staff. Crucial to its ability to advance impactful equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives are four pillars: commitment, barrier removal, fostering partnerships, and promoting a sense of belonging.

In 2021, FINTRAC engaged in a Pilot project called Specialisterne, led by the TBS Office of Public Service Accessibility, with the aim to facilitate the recruitment of neurodivergent individuals. Currently, it is completing its third cohort. Observable cultural shifts, as evidenced by significant positive highlights, have occurred within the organization. A key takeaway is the recognition that building awareness is essential from inception to completion. Notably, 70% of FINTRAC employees participated in the initial neurodiversity 101 session, indicating a high level of engagement across all organizational levels. The prevailing mindset emphasizes the potential for collective improvement and the importance of dispelling biases surrounding neurodivergent individuals.

Additionally, FINTRAC established a partnership with WithYouWithMe, a social impact company committed to aiding organizations in accessing new and often overlooked talent pools, including neurodiverse individuals, veterans, Indigenous Canadians, and women in technology. Their approach primarily revolves around identifying potential and providing targeted upskilling through their proprietary, in-house training program, typically spanning no more than 12 weeks. With expertise in talent identification and upskilling, they ensure individuals are well-prepared and equipped for employment. Moreover, the company extends recruitment services across various domains, including project management. The overwhelmingly positive feedback received thus far reaffirms FINTRAC’s decision to continue this partnership into the coming year.

Key lessons learned from these two initiatives include:

  1. Commitment facilitated by a designated coordinator, with a focus on integrating change management practices.
  2. Management accountability and collaboration with key internal partners.
  3. Implementation of a streamlined onboarding process to guarantee that employees possess all necessary resources for success.

For more details, please refer to the PowerPoint presentation.

Item 10: Updates from Central Agencies and Partners

PSC

Ravinder Rakhra, Vice-President of the Public Service Commission (PSC) provided an update on the following two items.

Launch of Specific Name Referral Experiment

As part of student programs modernization efforts, the PSC launched a pilot for Specific Name Referrals during the week of February 26, 2024, involving eight participating organizations. The goal is to test out this provision of flexibility to request a specific student from the FSWEP inventory, under specific criteria: 

  1.  Member of an employment equity group;    
  2.  Remote locations, where it is traditionally difficult to hire;    
  3. Specialized field of study. 

A critical foundation underlined by Ravinder is ensuring that the staffing value of fairness is met. The scope of this experiment will be expanded depending on success. The PSC will keep the HRC apprised of progress.

Request to update Candidate Status in PSRS for Active Job Processes

Following a recent update to the Public Service Resourcing System (PSRS) database, the PSC recently asked organizations to refresh their active job processes within the PSRS. It is crucial that the data be refreshed prior to making any appointments as the status of candidates with priority entitlement and preference (Canadian citizens, permanent residents, Veterans and Canadian Armed Forces members) may have changed.

For further guidance on how to use the Refresh function, please refer to the “Refresh status – manage applicant status updates” section in the PSRS Support Center. If further information is needed, Super Users can contact the PSRS Help Desk.

OCHRO, People and Culture (PC)

Christopher LeBrun, Senior Director, Workplace Policies and Programs, PC, OCHRO, provided updates on the following items:

Launch of tools to support workplace mental health (Federal Public Sector Workplace Mental Health Dashboard and Back Pocket Guide to Executive Supports)

Soon, OCHRO will send Deputy Heads and Heads of HR a communication to launch the new iteration of the Federal Public Service Mental Health Dashboard. The Dashboard is an online tool available to federal public servants that enables the measurement of psychological health and safety in our workplaces. It provides a practical way to assess performance, track progress and identify strengths and areas for improvement.

Based on an advanced model developed by Statistics Canada measuring psychosocial factors from the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace using questions from the PSES, the Dashboard provides scores:

  • for 2019, 2020 and now for 2022;
    • for the enterprise, departments, and now for sub-organizational units (e.g., branches, directorates); and,
    • at the aggregate level and for numerous demographic categories.

A demonstration of the Dashboard will be provided at an upcoming HRC meeting.

The other product that will be launched in the coming weeks is a Back Pocket Guide to Executive Supports, an evolving guide developed to consolidate resources available across the enterprise to support executives throughout their careers. It aims to facilitate access to the supports, tools, and training executives need to succeed.

The Back Pocket Guide to Executive Supports has been developed by OCHRO in collaboration with enterprise partners such as Health Canada, the CSPS, PSC, and APEX. It provides resources on topics such as:

  • Self-care and support for teams
    • Transitioning into a new EX role
    • Executive advice and guidance
    • Continuous learning in an EX role.

The Guide will be shared via different forums, including with Deputy Heads and Heads of HR. OCHRO will provide a template to share this guide within organizations.

This tool is one of several initiatives underway to promote psychologically healthy and safe workplaces where executives feel supported in their roles.

Employment Equity Act Review Task Force Report

OCHRO is working closely with the Labour Program and will lead engagement with public service equity seeking communities.

In December 2023, the Government announced that it welcomes and broadly supports the Task Force recommendations and intends to create two new designated groups under the Act; the Black people and 2SLGBTQi+ people. It also committed to update definitions and terminology for the designated groups.

OCHRO is collaborating with the Labour Program on planning stakeholder engagement and consultations in the public service on how best to effectively implement these changes, and other Task Force recommendations. More to come over the coming weeks.

ADM Talent Management

The 2023-2024 ADM talent management cluster discussions are completed. Once again, this year, the conversations have been rich; marked by robust engagement and insightful dialogue. OCHRO expressed their appreciation for enabling this exercise and addressing numerous requests for information and support from their team.

Heads of HR are encouraged to respond in a timely fashion to OCHRO requests to share SLE results for ADMs who have been identified as Ready for Advancement or Lateral Movement. Unfortunately, considering measures implemented during the pandemic, OCHRO does not have access to these official languages proficiency results.

Christopher highlighted two upcoming steps:

  • The calibration meeting is scheduled for April 10th; this meeting includes select deputies from various clusters who examine the outcomes of the talent discussions and finalize the nominees for the ADM ELDP from an enterprise perspective. We have received 10 Deputies volunteers to participate in the meeting, all of whom have confirmed their participation.
  • Additionally, the Committee of Senior Officials meeting to endorse the final talent management outcomes and the ADM ELDP cohort is expected to occur in early May.

He kindly reminded everyone that until the Committee of Senior Officials (COSO) endorses the results, it is imperative that deputies refrain from sharing the talent placements with their ADM’s.

EX Performance Management

OCHRO is preparing for the end of the current and launch of the next Executive Performance Management cycle. A communication will be disseminated to Heads of HR containing information on year end and launch activities.

Guidance will be available in the coming weeks and will include information on consequential accountability stemming from the Call to Action; information on assessing anti-racist and inclusive behaviours; and on the revised Budget Tool and Executive Performance Pay.

In addition, OCHRO anticipates the Government-Wide Corporate priorities to be published early this year.

Collection of Information on Conflicts of Interest Involving Contracting

Mary Anne Stevens mentioned that on March 12th, 2024, OCHRO sent to Heads of HR, Deputies and their Chief of Staff a reporting template to provide data on conflict-of-interest disclosures that departments have received concerning contracts employees have with the government. The completed reports were due on March 18th. She thanked organization who have already responded and encouraged others who have yet to do so to respond as soon as possible. 

OCHRO, Strategic Directions and Digital Solutions

Elizabeth Hardy, Senior Director, Research and Experimentation, Strategic Directions and Digital Solutions, OCHRO, announced the new Gender-based Analysis Plus and the Hybrid Direction for the Public Service – Considerations for federal departments and agencies.

This resource outlines enterprise Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) considerations for the implementation of the Direction on prescribed presence in the workplace. Elizabeth thanked the following partners who collaborated to this tool:  OCHRO, Women and Gender Equality Canada, Treasury Board policy centres, central service providers, and the ADM Flexible Workplace Committee. This tool is particularly useful as a reference for organizational GBA Plus analysis and work when planning, implementing, monitoring, and assessing hybrid approaches. It also includes additional GBA Plus resources, data sources and research literature.

Organizational Corporate Services may contact OCHRO for questions or comments.

OCHRO, Employee Relations and Total Compensation (ERTC)

Claudia Zovatto, Executive Director, provided an update on potential labour disruptions and on the following subjects.

Performance Pay Plan for Lawyers as per the Law Practitioner (LP) collective agreement – Appendix ‘B’

She provided a reminder that the Performance Pay Plan in the LP collective agreement identifies two (2) types of performance pay:anin-range increase and a lump sum award.

Budget Considerations: Departments, based on their performance pay budget, continue to have the latitude to determine each year what the percentage of performance pay will be, while respecting the maximum as per the provisions of the collective agreement.

MSH International (Progress and Challenges):

  • Following a cyber incident in February 2023 – services to members have been fully restored as of February 27, 2024, after a 2.5-week outage needed to safeguard member data and guarantee systems were secure.  
  • TBS and PSPC are actively working with Canada Life to find solutions to improve MSH International claims processing and contact centre wait times.  

Office of Public Service Accessibility (OPSA)

Nadira Saleh, Analyst, OPSA, TBS, provided an update on the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport. She mentioned that a round of user acceptance testing in February and March 2024 for the digital Passport revealed that there were some accessibility issues with the application, which has a much higher standard of accessibility given its users. OPSA would like to be fully confident in the accessibility and usability of the application before launching.

The organizations in the Adopter Community of Practice (CoP) have also requested additional time to line up resources before launch. In consultation with IT, OPSA is looking at starting piloting the digital passport with two organizations. The timing of the limited launch is to be determined. OPSA hopes to gather rapid feedback from this pilot before expanding to the rest of the Adopter Community.

OPSA is currently revising guidance and updating the Word version of the Passport. Materials will be shared with the HRC.

Item 9: Closing Remarks

Darlène de Gravina, ADM, HR Services Branch, ESDC and HRC Chair mentioned that the next HRC meeting will be in person at 90 Elgin and is scheduled for April 16, 2024. She also reminded Heads of HR of the Special HRC Event taking place March 22nd, with guest speaker Deri Latimer.

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