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Updates from the HRC – September 27, 2024

In this Issue

Did You Know?

Human Resources Council (HRC)

Empowering HR for Success!

Join the HRC GCXchange page, by following these steps, and access a wealth of HR tools and information, such as:

  • 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!
  • Experienced Former HR Professional Inventory where you can leverage the expertise of retired HR professionals to meet your organization’s short-term hiring needs. These individuals bring in-depth knowledge of their field, flexibility and a desire to stay engaged in their community!

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

Recording and Resources – June 27, 2024 HRC SmartShop – Addressing Workplace Barriers: Key Messages and Resources 

The HR Community may consult, on GCXchange, the SmartShop recording and related tools such as the recording transcripts, the Guide to Recruiting Neurodivergent People and the Key Messages and Resources.

Privy Council Office (PCO) 

The Thirty-First Annual Report to the Prime Minister on the Public Service of Canada

The Thirty-First Annual Report on the Public Service of Canada highlights the essential role of the public service over the past year in improving the lives of Canadians.

The report also underscores public servants’ ongoing commitment to guide culture change within the Public Service of Canada, with a focus on values and ethics. Public servants advanced efforts to address racism and helped promote accessibility, equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and within our communities.

As we look ahead, the report outlines opportunities for the public service to drive progress and take further action to make life better for Canadians, protect our democracy, and help build an economy that works for every generation.

Reporting on the Call to Action and the renewed conversation on values and ethics

As public servants, we are united by our shared goal of serving Canada and Canadians with excellence. Our ability to serve Canada’s population is integrally linked to having a diverse, representative, and inclusive public service grounded on our values and ethics.

On April 4, 2024, the Clerk Hannaford and the Deputy Clerk Fox asked deputy ministers, heads of separate agencies, and heads of federal agencies to summarize their progress in implementing the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service (Call to Action) and their efforts to broaden the conversation on values and ethics. The responses have been published on the PCO website, as well as the reports that highlight key themes, findings, and actions:

The PCO thanks all organizations for contributing to this important work by completing their self-assessments. It is pleased to see the progress the public service has made in bringing our values and ethics to life and advancing the forward direction of the Call to Action.

At the same time, the PCO recognizes it is only through honest reflection and real accountability that we will be able to create lasting, positive change in our culture and workplaces.

The PCO looks forward to seeing you in the fall when we will gather for the October 15 and 16 Symposium to continue this important work.

Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO)  

Official Languages Centre of Excellence (TBS)

Official languages progress one year after the adoption of the modernized Official Languages Act

On June 17, 2024, the President of the Treasury Board issued a statement, highlighting the first anniversary of the modernized Official Languages Act (Act) and reporting on progress made over the past year. The purpose of this message is to provide you with further details.

Regulations on Part VII

Under the modernized Act, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS), in consultation with Canadian Heritage, is currently developing regulations for the application of Part VII of the Act (Advancement of Equality of Status and Use of English and French). The regulatory process is rigorous and includes a series of prescribed steps. The Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) has completed pre-consultations with federal institutions, representatives of official language minority communities and organizations working to promote both official languages, and the Commissioner of Official Languages. Statutory consultations will take place this summer and early fall.

Accountability and Reporting Framework

To support federal institutions, the President established a new Official Languages Accountability and Reporting Framework. It is one of the measures the President of the Treasury Board is taking to ensure good governance of official languages throughout the public service. This new framework replaces the Official Languages Accountability and Coordination Framework published in 2003. It clarifies and reiterates roles and responsibilities of key actors in official languages governance across government and within federal institutions, describes coordination, support and recourse mechanisms, and clarifies expectations with regard to accountability. The Framework is a reference tool that should help establish or refine your organization’s own official languages governance framework and assist decision-makers and official languages practitioners in implementing the modernized Act.

Language Training Framework

Bilingualism among federal public servants is key to serving Canadians effectively. This is why TBS launched another tool to support your work: the first-ever second official language training framework. The goal of this framework is to create enterprise-wide coherence in second language learning options so that they are effective, flexible, accessible, learner-driven and consider the needs of equity-seeking groups.

The framework includes 3 components: guidelines, a handbook, and a playbook. Both the guidelines and the guide are aimed primarily at managers, to better equip them to support their employees in their language training efforts and to offer equitable access to inclusive and standardized language training approaches. Both documents also provide advice on how to ensure the success of language training, notably through a shared responsibility between the employee and their manager.

The handbook includes best practices and recommendations to help institutions and managers implement the guidelines. The playbook is for all employees who wish to acquire and maintain their second official language skills. It contains various learning paths, tools and resources tailored to the needs of employees in a variety of organizational contexts. 

We hope that this framework will help and inspire you to maintain and promote a culture of bilingualism in your institution.

Supervisory positions

The modernized Act establishes that, as of June 2025, all employees occupying a position in a bilingual region will have the right to be supervised in the official language of their choice, regardless of the linguistic designation of their position. To ensure this requirement can be met, TBS is working on a policy change to increase the second-language requirements for bilingual positions responsible for supervising employees occupying positions in bilingual regions. We will provide further information later this summer.

Service to the public

Champions, persons responsible for official languages or coordinators for Part VII of the Act play a key role in ensuring that official languages are at the very heart of how their institution serves and communicates with Canadians. With regard to Canadians’ right to receive federal services in the official language of their choice, please note that the Official Languages Regulations Reapplication Exercise (OLRRE) is currently underway and will be carried out in several stages between now and 2027 in order to keep the linguistic designation of offices up to date. TBS is coordinating the OLRRE, while institutions are responsible for taking the necessary steps to confirm the linguistic designation of their offices. It is expected that the application of the Regulations will increase the number of bilingual points of service of your institutions by 700 and we appreciate your commitment to full implementation.

New Burolis

It is essential for Canadians to be able to communicate with and receive services from federal institutions. To this end, TBS recently launched a new version of the Burolis online tool. Burolis is the public-facing website for obtaining information on federal offices and whether they offerservices to the public in English, French or in both official languages.

The new Burolis offers an improved user experience that includes a streamlined look and feel and a refined search engine that allows for key word searches, among other enhanced features. Burolis search results provide an office’s contact information, its official language designation, and hyperlinks to the institution’s website. The new Burolis website will become a key resource for institutions (including the Commissioner of Official Languages) and Canadians when seeking information on the language designation of offices.

Annual Report

We are also glad to inform you that the President has tabled the 35thAnnual Report on Official Languages in Parliament. This is the first report since the modernized Act received royal assent in June 2023. We trust you will find the information in this report useful for managing the official languages programs within your institutions, keeping in mind that both parliamentary committees on official languages have shown a heightened interest in monitoring and reporting on individual institutions’ performance and in deputy head accountability in the area of official languages.

The publication of this report is an opportunity every year to engage your deputy head and your management team in reviewing your institution’s official languages performance. We hope this will allow you to consider shortcomings, where they may exist, develop plans to address them and monitor progress.

If you have any questions, we invite Departmental Corporate Services to contact TBS-OCHRO’s Official Languages Centre of Excellence which is ready to provide advice and guidance regarding your institutions’ official languages responsibilities. It can be reached at OLCEInformationCELO@tbs-sct.gc.ca.

Centre of Expertise on Mental Health in the Workplace

Navigating Organizational Changes 

Explore the resources below to better understand and mitigate the effects of organizational changes on your team’s mental health: 

Other Key Tools and Resources 

  • Health Canada’s Decompression Program is now available to all federal government organizations! This two-week program supports the mental health and well-being of employees, managers or executives who have experienced significant operational stress. You can consult this resource from Specialized Organizational Services at Health Canada to learn more about the program. 
  • Effective performance management not only drives employee success but also supports psychological health and safety in the workplace. This tool from Workplace Strategies for Mental Health provides practical guidance on clearly expressing work expectations and fostering a supportive environment.

Suicide Prevention

September 10th marked the World Suicide Prevention Day.

Please help foster a healthy and supportive work environment by actively communicating and reminding employees of the mental health supports available to them and their immediate family members:   

For more information, please consult the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention toolkit. 

Preparing for the new Public Service Dental Care Plan contract

As previously communicated, the new dental contract effective November 1, 2024, requires mandatory positive enrolment. Canada Life is completing positive enrolment for almost all PSDCP members. However, they will not be able to complete positive enrolment for or communicate with employees who were added to the Public Services and Procurement Canada coverage and eligibility file sent to Canada Life after August 29, 2024. These members will need to complete positive enrolment on their own.    

Action required  

Your assistance in contacting new employees, whose information was included in the file sent to Canada Life after August 29, to inform them of the positive enrolment requirement, is appreciated. Ensuring these members know of the positive enrolment requirement will help prevent disruptions in the processing of their claims after November 1, 2024.  

Instructions on how to complete positive enrolment are included in the Preparing for the new Public Service Dental Care Plan contract link.

Public Service Commission (PSC)

New! Interdepartmental portability of level A and B results for alternative methods of oral proficiency testing

To make second language testing more efficient, the PSC will allow departments and agencies greater flexibility in using alternative methods for oral proficiency testing (temporary measure 3). 

As of August 1, 2024, at the discretion of deputy heads or their sub-delegated managers, levels A and B results from alternative methods for oral proficiency can be transferred between departments and agencies subject to the Public Service Employment Act.

For more information, please refer to the Letter to Heads of Human Resources entitled “New flexibility added: Interdepartmental portability of level A and B results for alternative methods of oral proficiency testing (24-03).

Reimbursement of Fees for Exclusions on Medical Grounds

As of July 1, 2024, hiring departments and agencies will be responsible for the fees, previously paid by the PSC, for the independent medical reviews that allow the PSC to render a decision on requests for exclusions on medical grounds.

For more information, please consult the Letter to Heads of Human Resources.

Public Service Employment Regulation

Regulations Amending the Public Service Employment Regulations have been officially pre-published in the Canada Gazette Part I.

We invite everyone to review the proposed regulations and submit your comments.

The 30-day consultation period for to this regulatory proposal ends on October 7, 2024.

Candidates Available for Referral

To focus efforts on students and mandated recruitment programs, some PSC pools and inventories will close on November 30, 2024. The PSC would like place as many candidates as possible, particularly those candidates who will contribute to increasing the diversity of our Public Service.

Request for candidate referrals can be submitted until November 1st, 2024, for the following:

  • Business, Project Management and Government Programs
  • Careers in Biology for Persons with Disabilities (BI-02 and SR-CFIA-2)
  • Careers in Communications
  • Policy and Data Analyst: Careers for Persons with Disabilities (EC-01 to EC-05)
  • Careers in Data Science (EC-03)

Managers or HR personnel wishing to discuss their specific needs with a candidate matching specialist are invited to write directly to the following address: cfp.jumelage-matching.psc@cfp-psc.gc.ca

The PSC will no longer launch large post-secondary recruitment campaigns but will continue to modernise its programs to support your diverse hiring needs and contribute to Public Service priorities such as hiring 5,000 net new persons with disabilities by 2025.

Visit the new GC Managers Hub, a centralized site of our products, tools, and services.

Employment Opportunity for Students with Disabilities (EOSD)

The Employment Opportunity for Students with Disabilities (EOSD) program welcomed 120 students from 37 departments and agencies during summer 2024.

Deputy Minister Champion for Federal Employees with Disabilities, Kristina Namiesniowski provided remarks at the opening and closing events.  A total of five events were held for students and managers on topics such as

  • the duty to accommodate;
  • accessibility tools and adaptive technology;
  • neurodivergence in the workplace; and
  • the importance of mentorship.

The EOSD Mentorship program currently has 110 mentors from 34 departments and agencies who are established public servants with disabilities. The year-end student questionnaire has been issued and will inform programming for the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year.

Indigenous Student Employment Opportunities Program (ISEO)

The summer 2024 Indigenous Student Employment Opportunities Program (ISEO) welcomed 146 students registered from 47 departments and agencies.

Guests including Elder Luce Bélanger, Gina Wilson (Deputy Minister at Indigenous Services Canada & Champion of Indigenous Employees), and Senator Michèle Audette, provided remarks at ISEO events, where topics included:

  • Navigating your career path effectively;
  • A sharing circle with the support of the Knowledge Centre for Indigenous Inclusion; and
  • A workshop on finding employment after graduation.

The session on best practices for onboarding Indigenous students was attended by over 469 managers.

The ISEO Mentorship program currently has 38 mentors from 28 departments and agencies who were eager to mentor Indigenous students. The year-end student questionnaire has been issued and will inform programming for the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year.

Indigenous Career Pathways

The PSC’s Indigenous Centre of Expertise supports departments in their Indigenous recruitment efforts and the Indigenous Career Pathways is one way hiring managers can quickly access a diverse pool of Indigenous talent, suitable for positions across various groups and levels.

Over 60 graduates and pre-qualified candidates are ready to be hired through student bridging, helping to streamline your staffing process.

You are encouraged to explore the Indigenous Recruitment Toolbox for guidance on establishing qualifications, drafting job postings, forming assessment criteria, conducting interviews, and addressing barriers to Indigenous employment (available on the Government of Canada network).

Additional information on these and many other resources for Indigenous recruitment can be found on the page: Indigenous recruitment – Information for hiring managers.

Executive Counselling Services for Indigenous Employees

The Public Service Commission’s Executive Counselling Services is pleased to announce that, through their ongoing collaboration with the Knowledge Circle for Indigenous Inclusion, they have increased their capacity to offer coaching for public service leaders provided by Indigenous Executive Consultants. Indigenous Employees at the EX minus 3 levels and above may find out more about the services offered and how to access through their website, or by sending an email to cfp.scc-ecs.psc@cfp-psc.gc.ca

New version of the workshop “How to conduct an evaluation of biases and barriers of an assessment method”

This fall, the PSC is offering a new version of the workshop “How to conduct an evaluation of assessment biases and barriers”.

This 2-hour workshop aims at developing knowledge at an intermediate level and includes interactive scenarios on implicit bias and user-centered design in the context of assessment.

Sessions will be available from October 2024 to March 2025. For more information, contact the Personnel Psychology Centre at cfp.cpp-ppc.psc@cfp-psc.gc.ca or 819-420-8671.

Audit of Employment Equity Representation in Acting Appointments

The objectives of the audit were:

  • To determine whether the 4 designated employment equity groups are proportionately represented in acting appointments
  • To determine what systems and practices departments and agencies have in place to promote access to appointments for employment equity groups
  • To determine the extent to which hiring managers consider employment equity when making acting appointments

The system-wide data analysis revealed that, from 2011 to 2021, the representation of women, Indigenous Peoples and members of visible minorities in acting appointments was on par with or exceeded their representation in the federal public service. However, employees with disabilities were consistently underrepresented in acting appointments. The audit also showed that all 4 groups were underrepresented in acting appointments in the Technical occupational category. Having said this, the audit findings pointed to improved results for all 4 designated employment equity groups over time.

The review of organizational practices showed that the 14 participating departments and agencies had implemented various measures to promote access to appointments for employment equity groups. Finally, the audit determined that for about a third of the 350 acting appointments examined, hiring managers had documented how they had taken employment equity into account as part of the appointment process.

This audit points to areas where improvements are required to achieve representation in the workplace and provide all public servants with opportunities to realize their full potential:

  • Recommendation 1: Deputy heads should monitor acting appointments so that members of all employment equity groups are not disadvantaged, especially persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities sub-groups where gaps have been identified.
  • Recommendation 2: Deputy heads should implement measures to improve the representation of employment equity groups in acting appointments for positions in the Technical occupational category.
  • Recommendation 3: The PSC should share data on employment equity representation in acting appointments with departments and agencies to support deputy heads in identifying solutions and making appropriate changes for more inclusive staffing practices.

2023 SNPS – Thematic Report on the Results for Employment Equity Groups and Equity Seeking Groups

Results shed light on the perceptions of employment equity groups and equity-seeking groups regarding merit, fairness and transparency in the staffing process, and their experiences of biases and barriers in staffing processes. A report presenting the survey results across the federal public service was published earlier this year.

Employment Equity Groups

  • Members of visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities had less positive perceptions on merit, fairness, and transparency in the staffing process.
  • Employees who identified as another gender had the least positive perceptions of any demographic group on merit, fairness, and transparency in the staffing process.
  • Employees with disabilities were 3 times more likely than employees without disabilities to require assessment accommodations and were less satisfied with the accommodations they received.

Equity-Seeking Groups

  • Employees with dependants were more likely than employees without dependants to say that they faced biases and barriers in a staffing process.
  • 2SLGBTQIA+ employees were more likely than employees who did not identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ to say that they faced biases and barriers in a staffing process.
  • Among members of religious communities, employees who identified with Hinduism, Sikhism, and Traditional (North American Indigenous Spirituality) were the most likely to report facing biases and barriers in a staffing process.

In addition, the PSC has updated the interactive data visualization tools to allow you to explore your organization’s results. Departments also have access to all responses from the SNPS on the Open Government portal. We will all need to take a hard look at these results, identify gaps and develop measures to address them.

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)

Launch of the GC Employee Pay and Benefits Facebook page

To help you access relevant and timely information about pay and benefits, PSPC launched a GC Employee Pay and Benefits Facebook page. The page aims to provide help with general questions related to pay and benefits. You are encouraged to engage through private messages or comments on published content. Social media agents will provide tailored answers to questions.

For answers to pay and compensation questions for indeterminate, casual, term and student employees, the Client Contact Centre can help.

For specific personal cases or situations, communicate directly with the Client Contact Centre or visit the Pay, Pension and Benefits page.

MyGCPay external access

MyGCPay is available outside of Government of Canada (GC) network if you:

  • are on leave without pay, including parental leave and long-term sick leave
  • are leaving the Public Service, including new retirees and students
  • do not have access to a GC network due to the nature of your work

Visit MyGCPay external access to sign in.

Employees with access to a GC network must connect through internal access.

Canada School of Public Service (CSPS)

Learning Paths

  • New! Leadership Learning Path: The new Leadership Learning Path serves to empower and equip learners at all levels with the essential skills, knowledge and mindsets needed to develop as a leader at any stage of their career.

Training

  • Redesigned Manager Development Program. A reminder that the Program must be assigned by the Learning Coordinator for the learner to proceed with the Redesigned version.
  • New! Leading Teams in a Hybrid Workplace (TRN461): This online self-paced course explores the principles and practices necessary to become a compassionate and effective leader who can foster a sense of community and equity within hybrid teams.

Video recordings

Ongoing HR Training Projects

  • Self-Study: the Work Force Adjustment Directive (COR123) – content updates, anticipated launch Q4 2024-2025
  • Staffing for HR Specialists, Part 3: Doing (COR131) – new course, anticipated launch Q1 2025-2026
  • Managing Official Languages Obligations (FON413) – redesign, anticipated launch Q2 2025-2026
  • Values and Ethics Foundations for Employees (FON301)  – content updates Q3, redesign Q4 2024-2025
  • Values and Ethics Foundations for Managers (FON302) – content updates Q3, redesign Q4 2024-2025

Equipping on Values and Ethics

In support of prioritizing the implementation of Values and Ethics, OCHRO and the CSPS make the following resources accessible to all HR professionals:

Global Affairs Second Annual Report on Addressing Misconduct and Wrongdoing

Global Affairs Canada published their second annual report on addressing misconduct and wrongdoing, covering fiscal year 2023-2024.

The report can be accessed via this link: Addressing Misconduct and Wrongdoing at Global Affairs Canada: Second Annual Report.

 Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Privacy Act Bulletins are intended to offer lessons learned, best practices and other important privacy news, trends and information related to privacy protection in the federal public sector.

Latest edition of Privacy Act Bulletin: Protecting privacy in the digital workplace.

 Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE)

The September Equality Matters newsletter is now available!

APEX Newsletter

Please stay apprised of APEX news via their monthly Newsletter.  

National Managers’ Community (NMC)

NMC Annual Report

The NMC is thrilled to share the 2023 NMC Annual Report to the Clerk of the Privy Council. It offers a detailed summary of our accomplishments, innovations, and growth over the last year. Discover important insights, inspiring stories, progress and vision for the future.

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What’s Coming Up

HR Council

  • October 17, 2024, 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. ET – HR Excellence Awards Ceremony. The HR Community is encouraged to register for this hybrid event to celebrate the accomplishments of our peers.  Check out the Ceremony Program, featuring our senior leaders and special guest speaker, Canadian astronaut David St-Jacques, and the Nomination Booklet for additional information!
  • October 22, 2024 – HR Council Meeting
  • October 23, 2024 – HR Community Engagement Hub Meeting

HRC SmartShop

October 24th HRC SmartShop – Demystifying the Executive Talent Management Process, organized in collaboration with OCHRO. At the end of this SmartShop, participants will better understand:

  • The activities and timelines associated with talent management (TM) for executives, including the ADM TM process;
  • The application of extended guidance on the talent placement Ready for Advancement (RFA), and the identification of High Potential (HIPO) executives and ADMs with expertise in priority areas;
  • The impact of SLE results on talent placements; and
  • The use of Executive Talent Management System (ETMS) in supporting the process.

Audience:  HR professionals involved in the executive talent management process, such as TM Delegates and Executive Services, however, the entire HR Community is welcome to attend.

Registration:

Presenters :

  • Päivi Soucy, Senior Analyst, Talent and Performance Operations, People and Culture (PC), OCHRO, TBS
  • Loubna Tarras, Senior Analyst, Talent and Performance Operations, People and Culture (PC), OCHRO, TBS

Note: Related documents will be published on GCXchange.

The Government of Canada’s Quarterly Update on HR and Pay

October 2, 2024 – Christiane Fox, the Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council will return with Associate Chief Human Resource Officer Francis Trudel and Associate Deputy Minister Alex Benay to follow up after the launch of the Transparency by Design series on July 9, 2024. They will provide updates on the Integrated Enterprise HR and Pay Strategy, including progress on the HR and Pay system, ongoing efforts to replace Phoenix, and insights from recent engagement sessions. 

Registration: 

  • October 2, 2024, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm EST (Online French Session)- Register now! 
  • October 2, 2024, 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm EST (Online English session) – Register now! 

CSPS

Public Service Commission (PSC)

Workshop on Staffing Irregularities for Human Resources

The Investigations Directorate of the PSC is pleased to offer once again the workshop on staffing irregularities tailored for human resources professionals.

Registration for workshops: 

Once you register to a session, a confirmation e-mail will be sent to you containing the instructions on how to join the session. Please do not hesitate to contact cfp.enquetes-investigations.psc@cfp-psc.gc.ca if you have any questions.

APEX

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

National Managers’ Community (NMC)

Introducing the New “Top 3 Things Managers Should Know About…” Series!

  • October 15, 2024 – Workplace Accessibility Passport: Find out how this tool supports inclusive hiring, retention, and career advancement, and how managers can leverage it effectively. Register here.
  • Novembre 19, 2024 – Benefits of Hiring Students: Gain insights from Camille Beausoleil, NMC Executive Director, on the immense value of student hiring and its transformative impact on your career and your team. Register here

The NMC Team Want Your Input to shape future sessions. Please share your suggestions.

NMC Managers Connect: In-Person Events Across Canada

These events provide an excellent opportunity to network, build skills, collaborate and engage with peers from all departments.

  • Charlottetown, October 2, 2024: Delve into leadership through Indigenous Sacred Teachings, discuss ethical decision-making in the face of climate change, explore the influence of AI on the work environment, and engage in a workshop on values and ethics in action. Registration details and full program here.
  • Ottawa (NCR), October 9, 2024: Join an interactive workshop on leading through ambiguity and change fatigue, participate in an Executive Panel Discussion on constructive conversations, and enjoy a dynamic speed mentoring session. See full program here.
  • Kelowna, October 23: Learn how to manage difficult conversations using an interest-based approach to improve outcomes. Register here.
  • Sudbury, October 29, 2024: Enjoy a keynote speaker, listen to an executive panel discussion and engage in speed mentoring.  This event will provide the chance to build on your leadership competencies and enhance your skills. Registration details and program here
  • St-Hubert/Longueuil, October 30: Network with colleagues and discover the leadership of tomorrow with Luc Lespérance, as he shares his vision on AI and new style of managing. Register here.
  • Kitchener, November 27: Enjoy a day of networking, keynotes, and speed mentoring to strengthen your leadership competencies. Details and registration here.

More Networking & Events to Come

The best way to find out about upcoming networking opportunities, activities and events happening near you is  in our NMC newsletters and on the NMC events and activities page. Feel free to share widely with your colleagues!

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HRC Meeting – September 18, 2024

Item 1: Opening Remarks

Renée de Bellefeuille, new Chair of the Human Resources Council (HRC) and Senior Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM), Human Resources (HR), Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), began by extending a warm welcome to the newly appointed Head of HR: Catherine Villeneuve, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC), Amy Jarek, Canada Energy Regulator (CER), Elizabeth Blunden, Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC), Jean-François Poirier, Military Police Complaints Commission of Canada, Denis Pogrebinski, Ingenium, Réa McKay, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), Rawan El Komos, Parks Canada and Natasha Despres, Military Grievances External Review Committee.

She announced that the Awards Ceremony Program and the Nomination Booklet  highlighting the achievements of the finalists and nominees for the October 17th Award Ceremony, are now available online. She reminded the Heads of HR to mark their calendar for the event and encouraged them to register.

The following upcoming events were highlighted:

  • September 18: International Equal Pay Day
  • September 22: International Day of Sign Language
  • September 30: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
  • Month of October:
    • Healthy Workplace Month
    • Cyber Security Awareness Month
    • Women’s History Month
    • Canadian Islamic History Month
    • National Disability Employment Awareness Month
    • ADHD Awareness Month
  • October 7-11: Invisible Disabilities Week
  • October 10: International Ombuds Day and World Mental Health Day
  • October 6 – 12: National Mental Illness Awareness Week
  • October 19: Conflict Resolution Day

Item 2: Driving Accountability on the Forward Direction of the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service

Germaine Chazou-Essindi, Director of Operations, and Robert McLeary, Acting Assistant Director, Public Service Renewal Secretariat, Privy Council Office (PCO) provided an overview of the Call to Action progress report, and discussed the next steps.

The Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity, and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service (Call to Action) was released in 2021 to combat racism and to build a more diverse, equitable and inclusive public service. This initiative gained momentum shortly after deputy ministers, heads of separate agencies and heads of federal agencies were asked to outline their progress on the Call to Action in the form of open letters in June 2021. Extensive engagements followed, revealing the need for better information sharing. This led to the Call to Action Symposium in October 2022, where inclusion and recruitment practices were discussed. In 2023, the Forward Direction of the Call to Action provided clearer guidance, asking organizations to set goals, measure progress, and ensure accountability. By June 2024, 92 organizations submitted their self-assessment questionnaires indicating a general increase in anti-racism, equity, and inclusion efforts. 

The progress report highlights four areas of focus:

  • Setting goals:
    • 75% organizations have set recruitment goals for Indigenous employees, 67% for racialized employees and 39% for Black employees.
    • 39% of organizations have set promotion goals for Indigenous employees, 37% for racialized employees and 21% for Black employees. 
  • Measuring progress: Organizations are using a variety of strategies and tools to track progress, including dashboards, external reviews, surveys, and comprehensive performance measurement frameworks.
  • Consequential accountability: 83% of organizations have incorporated qualitative objectives in their performance management agreements, 40% set quantitative goals, and 16% have initiated a model for consequential accountability.
  • Tangible actions: There has been an increase in activities promoting anti-racism, equity, and inclusion, including multi-year action plans, employee network support, sponsorship opportunities, and language training.

Organizations also reported common challenges in their efforts. In terms of representation, many struggle to set specific goals for Black employees, particularly smaller organizations that face difficulty balancing targeted recruitment with internal talent development. Additionally, technical and specialized roles present challenges due to a limited pool of qualified candidates. For measurement, issues included accessing disaggregated data, collecting information beyond the four Employment Equity groups, and dealing with stigma and confidentiality concerns in self-identification. Additionally, micro and small organizations encountered data suppression due to their size.

Accountability challenges involved finding tools to measure inclusion and establishing quantitative measures in performance management agreements. Resource constraints were significant, with a lack of permanent funding for initiatives supporting Indigenous, Black, and racialized employees. Moreover, there was resistance to new initiatives, with some feeling that prioritizing these employee groups was unfair.

Moving forward, a committee of Assistant Deputy Ministers (ADMs) is ready to collaborate on addressing the challenges that hinder progress on the Call to Action. Organizations are encouraged to share best practices and specific obstacles encountered when implementing initiatives for Black, Indigenous, and racialized employees. Efforts should focus on identifying and overcoming systemic barriers, as well as developing methods to counter resistance.

For further details, please refer to the PowerPoint presentation.

Item 3: New Second Language Learning Framework

Carsten Quell, Executive Director, and Mélodie Blais, Senior Manager, Official Languages Centre of Excellence, Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO), Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) presented the new Second Official Language Training (SOLT) Framework and outlined strategies for its effective use.

On June 17, 2024, the President of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Anita Anand, officially launched the first-ever SOLT framework, aimed at increasing the bilingual capacity of the public service. This initiative is part of the broader official languages reform, English and French: Towards a substantive equality of official languages in Canada, announced in 2021.

The framework comprises three key elements: the Guidelines, the Handbook, and the Playbook. The Guidelines promote equitable access to language training and highlight the shared responsibility between employees and managers. The Handbook offers best practices for implementing these guidelines, while the Playbook provides a variety of learning paths, tools, and resources, including self-directed online options, to help learners acquire and maintain their language skills.

The framework encourages organizations to offer diverse training, including informal SOLT for flexible learning and formal classroom-based SOLT for skill enhancement. Institutions are advised to plan and prioritize training equitably, ensuring diverse employee access and fair representation of designated groups. They should also collect and track data on language training participation.

SOLT is a shared responsibility, with managers in bilingual regions setting the example and encouraging second language use and improvement. Regular discussions on language development should be part of performance reviews, with managers guiding employees on training options and reviewing requests based on learning needs and workload. Employees must maintain their second language skills with management support, and both should discuss SOLT for career growth and include it in development plans.

The SOLT framework seeks to boost bilingual capacity, strengthen linguistic security, and ensure equitable access to language training, aiding career growth for equity-seeking groups. It will also help identify gaps through data and improve Public Service Employee Survey results, especially on language training access.

Additional details can be found in the accompanying PowerPoint presentation and on the Language training Hub web page.

Item 4: Creating Safer Workplaces: Consolidated Report on Harassment and Violence Prevention

Aline Taillefer-McLaren, Senior Director, and Marc Gosselin, Director, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Centre of Expertise, Employee Relations and Total Compensation (ERTC), at OCHRO, within TBS, presented the Employer’s Annual Harassment and Violence Occurrence Report for organizations within the Core Public Administration (CPA).

In its fourth year of implementation, the Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention initiative continues to evolve, with the team actively coordinating the Community of Practice (CoP) for OHS representatives. 2023 marks the first year where a comprehensive view of OHS across organizations has been achieved, thanks to a higher number of organizations completing the survey. Most organizations reported between 10 and 30 incidents, with larger organizations tending to report higher numbers of incidents.

The report presented by TBS OHS Centre of Expertise is based on self-reported data from various organizations. The findings indicate a rise in sexual harassment incidents between 2022 and 2023. Sex, disabilities, and race were the three most prevalent factors of discrimination-based harassment and violence in 2023. Notably, 53% of harassment and violence cases involved employee-manager relationships. Additionally, many employees affected by sexual harassment incidents take long-term sick leave following such events.

The OHS Centre of Expertise is working with unions and organizations to implement corrective measures. Priorities remain focused on prevention, improving management communication practices and biases, favoring informal resolution measures, fostering cultural transformation, exploring retention strategies, and reflecting on the impact of HR community practices. Key takeaways include a stable proportion of reported incidents, the impact of the return to office on incidence numbers, and a concerning upward trend in sexual harassment and violence reports. The upcoming actions involve:

  • Partnering with external stakeholders
  • Briefing senior management
  • Supporting designated recipients
  • Facilitating collaboration between HR functions
  • Monitoring judicial reviews and jurisprudence

Departments are highly encouraged to continue submitting their annual reports on Harassment and Violence Prevention regularly, as they are helpful and provide valuable data for analysis and action.

For further details, please refer to the PowerPoint presentation.

Item 5: Update on Pay Equity

Marcel Page, Executive Director, Organization and Evaluation of Work, and Annie Longchamps, Manager, Policy Development and Integration, ERTC, OCHRO, TBS, provided an update on the progress and next steps for pay equity.

On May 31, 2024, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat on behalf of the Treasury Board as the employer of the core public administration (CPA) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) filed a request with the Office of the Pay Equity Commissioner to extend the deadline to post the final pay equity plans for the CPA and the RCMP. Due to the complexity of the work, the Pay Equity Commissioner (PEC) granted TBS an 18-month extension to post the final pay equity plan for RCMP members by February 28, 2026, and a 3-year extension for CPA employees by August 31, 2027. As a result, employees who may be entitled to an increase in compensation under the final pay equity plans will receive that increase, as well as interest on that sum, backdated to the original deadline of September 4, 2024.

Members of the joint pay equity committees continue to meet monthly to advance work for creating an inclusive public service founded on the right to equal pay for work of equal value, through the implementation of the final pay equity plans. The pay equity committees have made significant efforts to advance this work, and these extensions allow the pay equity committees to complete important work.

For additional information regarding the context and rationale of pay equity, please refer Item 4: Update on Pay Equity from the HRC Meeting held on December 8, 2023, Item 3: Update on Pay Equity from the HRC Meeting on May 21, 2024, and the Pay Equity webpage.

Item 6: Central Agencies and Partners Updates

APEX

Josée Lafontaine, APEX Executive, shared that the 2024 Recognition of Entry into the Executive Ranks Ceremony will take place on November 13th at the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, QC, with just over 700 participants registered this year.

In addition, a Montreal outreach event occurred on September 25th as part of APEX’s regional engagement strategy. This initiative aims to ensure that the perspectives of executives outside the National Capital Region are heard and that discussions take place where they live and work.

Significant changes are also underway at APEX, as the current CEO, Carl Trottier, has decided to retire from the federal public service, effective October 11, 2024. Jean-François Fleury, Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Directions and Digital Solutions from OCHRO has been appointed as the new CEO.

Office of Public Service Accessibility (OPSA)

GC Workplace Accessibility Passport

The GC Workplace Accessibility Passport is moving from a  Word version to a digital version! The OPSA will pilot the new digital Passport application from October 1st to November 27th with a small number of organizations. The pilot phase provides an experimental environment to gather valuable data on the application’s performance, usability, accessibility, and potential areas for improvement prior to enterprise launch. Stephanie Austin thanked heads of HR in pilot organizations for leading on cultural transformation and for their support during this pilot phase. Participating pilot organizations include Agriculture Canada, Canadian Heritage, Canadian Transportation Agency Health Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada and Shared Services Canada.

Hands-On Accessibility Measurement Workshops

The OPSA and Statistics Canada (StatCan) announced a series of accessibility measurement workshops beginning September 25th. All organizations are encouraged to participate to strengthen their measurement capacity, share lessons learned, and to network with other accessibility colleagues.   

The workshops will be hands-on with tangible take-aways that can directly apply to accessibility plans and progress reports. Participants will receive practical training by working through worksheets to improve their accessibility measurement confidence. Together we will work toward developing an accessibility measurement framework that can be replicated and built upon for future accessibility plans and progress reports. 

If you have any questions or to register, please email accessibility.accessibilite@tbs-sct.gc.ca.  

OCHRO – TBS

2024 Student Experience Survey (SES)

The 2024 SES was launched on August 6th and concluded on September 13, 2024. OCHRO thanks Heads of HR and teams for their continued support in making the SES a success once again.

This year, 73 departments and agencies participated, with 4,637 students taking part which provides a valuable foundation for better understanding the student workforce. The data gathered from the survey will help the public service continue to offer meaningful work experiences to students while also maintaining a competitive edge in attracting top talent for workforce renewal.

The public service-level results are expected to be published on Canada.ca by January 2025, and a detailed analysis will be shared with all participating departments and agencies. As in previous years, departmental contacts will receive the results prior to the public release. The overall results will also be made available on Open Government.

2024 Public Service Employee Survey (PSES)

The 2024 PSES is set to launch on October 28, 2024, and will run until December 31, 2024, with 92 departments and agencies participating this year. Results are expected to be released in the summer of 2025.

The PSES sampling frame is based on employee lists provided by HR contacts within the participating departments and agencies, with September 6, 2024, serving as the reference date for this cycle. The survey content was developed through consultations with departments and agencies, central agencies, bargaining agents, TBS policy groups, Government of Canada academics, functional communities, and the Government of Canada’s employment equity group committees.

OCHRO – People and Culture (PC)

Mélanie Laflèche, Executive Director, Enabling Talent Programs, PC, OCHRO, provided updates on the following items:

Executive Talent Management

The 2023-24 executive talent management cycle had now closed. To those who have submitted their questionnaires, thank you. Those with delayed questionnaire submissions have until September 20, upon which time the 2023-2024 module will close to transition to the next cycle set to launch in early October.

The 2024-2025 cycle launch we will include guidance for Deputy Heads, Heads of Human Resources, and Assistant Deputy Ministers. We will also host various information sessions for HR teams on executive talent management and leadership programs.

Executive Performance Management

We have reached the end of the 2023-2024 Executive Performance Pay Exercise. If your organization has not already done so, we would like to remind you to submit Pay Action Requests and associated performance pay documents to your pay services promptly, so that executive performance pay can be processed by end of calendar year. We will continue to engage with HR professionals to improve our tools and to assess training needs for next cycle. 

Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP)

The first cohort of the Executive leadership Development Program dedicated to Black leaders was launched last week. The second cohort will be launched next week. We thank you for your contributions in the nomination process.

For organizations that have participants, we are seeking your support to remind your management team to support their full participation in the program, including enabling them to participate in all activities.

EX Group Classification

Organizations of the Core Public Administration (CPA) received their 2023-2024 Health Reports earlier this summer. The 2023-2024 CPA dashboard will be published in the coming weeks and will outline enterprise results and trends. A meeting will be held in November with CPA deputy heads to discuss the results.

Directive on Telework

As a follow-up to the June HRC, a reminder that OCHRO is finalizing its review of the Directive on Telework and is working with the HRC to schedule a presentation on the results of all consultations and any updates to the directive. OCHRO is targeting a December 2024 presentation.

Directive on the Duty to Accommodate (DTA)

Several departments have reported an increase in accommodation requests on account of changes to the Direction on Prescribed Presence. A reminder that the technical briefing package provided to Heads of HR on May 1, 2024, provides guidance on how to ensure timely and effective responses to DTA requests on a case-by-case basis while balancing the privacy and dignity of employees. Heads of HR are also reminded that should they have any questions to please send them to the OCHRO policy interpretation inbox at wpp-ppt@tbs-sct.gc.ca.

Update of the modernization of Self-Identification (Self-ID)

Modernizing Self-Identification (Self-ID) in the public service is a key commitment OCHRO has made to meet equity, diversity, and inclusion policy and legislative requirements.

This initiative will position TBS to implement the Government’s initial commitments to modernize the Employment Equity Act and deliver on its response to the 2023 Office of the Auditor General (OAG) audit report on Inclusion in the Workplace for Racialized Employees management action plan.

As we prepare for a successful launch, OCHRO will continue to engage and equip deputy heads, equity-seeking employees, bargaining agents, heads of HR and heads of communication.

More information on the new Self-ID Questionnaire and application is expected to be presented to Heads of HR in due course.

New Guidance and Next Steps in response to Auditor General of Canada’s Audit on Inclusion in the Workplace for Racialized Employees

Following our presentation on of TBS Management Action Plan in response to the Auditor General’s Audit on Inclusion in the Workplace for Racialized Employees at the April 16 HRC meeting, we are pleased to inform you the Chief Human Resources Officer will shortly share with deputy heads three (3) guidance documents to support accountability for inclusion at the organizational and individual levels:

  • New Guidance on Establishing Performance Indicators to Measure and Report on Equity and Inclusion Outcomes in the Public Service;
  • New Guidance on Inclusive and Anti-racist Behaviours in Performance Management; and 
  • Existing Guidance for Executive Performance Management and Consequential Accountability.

OHCRO will encourage your deputy heads to forward the message to you and your Designated Senior Officials on Employment Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (DSOEEDI) and the documents will be more broadly profiled through a virtual kiosk at the Values and Ethics Symposium.

OHCRO will continue to refine and update this guidance through the additional consultations and engagement that we will be undertaking this year.  For instance, the Inter-Departmental Advisory Working Group (IDAWG) started reviewing existing expected behaviors to foster an anti-racist and inclusive work environment in the Core and Key Leadership Competencies in the spring to identify and address gaps by developing behavioural indicators.

Heads of HR and DSOEEDI of the six (6) audited organizations will soon receive an invitation to be briefed on the next steps and the importance of their organizations’ engagement as the IAWG members will conduct consultations within their respective organizations to gather feedback.

The focus of the upcoming IAWG meetings will be on finalizing the revised inclusive and anti-racist behaviors and preparing to pilot the assessment of the revised behaviours during the 2025-2026 performance management cycle.  Concurrently, the Treasury Board Secretariat will lead broader consultations with equity seeking group networks and other stakeholders.

Additional volunteer departments could potentially take part in the pilot, which will provide an opportunity to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments before a full-scale implementation by March 2026.

Item 7: Closing Remarks

Renée de Bellefeuille, HRC Chair, thanked Heads of HR and encouraged
everyone to attend the October 17th HR Excellence Awards ceremony.

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