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Updates from HRC – December 1, 2023

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In this Issue

Did You Know?

Human Resources Council (HRC)

Calling Senior HR Leaders: Join us as a mentor at the January 25th “helloHR” Speed Mentoring Event!

In celebration of Mentor Month coming up in January, the HRC is hosting its first helloHR virtual speed mentoring event for the HR Community on January 25th, 2024, from 10:30 a.m. to noon (ET) in French and 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. in English! We would like to thank you for sharing the good news with your management teams, as several senior HR professionals have already volunteered as mentors.

We are seeking additional senior HR Leaders and Heads of HR to join us in this unique opportunity to flex your leadership skills and guide emerging HR talent in their careers. Please complete the registration form to confirm your participation by December 8th. You will then be contacted by the HR Council to confirm if you have been selected as a Mentor and will be provided next steps.

Thank you for your commitment to shaping the future of our HR Community!

Are you an HR professional nearing retirement? Or do you know of any former HR professionals who are looking to give back to the HR Community?

The HRC is establishing an inventory of former experienced HR professionals who are seeking various short-term roles, such as coaching or mentoring junior employees, managing special projects and/or providing subject matter expertise. Those interested in participating this upcoming initiative are invited to get in touch with our HRC team. Please share the exciting news with your networks and stay tuned for more information in the coming months!

Your Opinion Counts! Renaming the HR Community Awards

The HR Council Executive Office is pleased to announce an important update regarding our annual HR awards, designed to honor the exceptional accomplishments of the HR Community in promoting the people management agenda within Canada’s federal public service. The HRC Executive Office is engaging the HR community on the renaming of the Michelle C. Comeau HR Leadership Awards. This exercise will ensure that we remain current while representing the voices of our full and diverse community.

We are confident that, through this exercise, the HR community awards will continue to play a pivotal role in underscoring the essential contribution of HR in shaping the future of work and fostering an inclusive, nurturing, and respectful environment that supports the growth and well-being of all government employees.

Your opinion counts! Please rank the proposed names in order of preference or share your suggestions, including proposals for any new and relevant award categories, via this questionnaire by noon on December 11th.

For more information on the HR awards, please consult the Nomination Guidelines and the 2022 Nomination Booklet.

Thank you for your contribution!

Don’t Miss Out! Secure Top PE-01 Talent by December 31st

Looking for an efficient recruitment option to staff your entry-level HR advisor positions with skilled professionals across all disciplines? Look no further! The fully assessed pool of exceptional PE-01 candidates will close its doors at the end of December.

Hiring from this pool will enable you to tap into a diverse group of skilled candidates who are equipped with the necessary competencies and keen interest to contribute to the success of your HR teams.

  • All candidates have successfully passed the Remote HR Consultant Simulation, the Public Service Entrance Exam and an assessment of written communication;
  • Most are bilingual and have self-identified as a member of one, or more, of the employment equity groups; and
  • They reside in Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec.

Time is running out to take advantage of this convenient opportunity to leverage the fresh perspectives of the next generation of HR professionals before December 31st, 2023.

Please note: Managers who submit a request before the closing date can continue to complete their staffing process and hire candidates from the pool. Therefore, candidates referred prior to December 31 may be contacted directly by hiring organizations.

If you have any questions about this pool, please contact cfp.rp-psr.psc@canada.ca.

HR Council News

Stay apprised of HR news by subscribing to the Updates from the HRC and the Human Resources Council Newsletter. Subscription details are found at the end of both GCArticles.

Have you joined the HRC GCXchange Page?

To join the HRC GCXchange page for the HR Community, please follow these five steps. If you encounter any issues or have questions about GCXchange, please email support-soutien@gcx-gce.gc.ca.

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:

  • 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.

Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO)

Mental Health Resources in the Federal Public Service

The Centre of Expertise on Mental Health in the Workplace has developed the following list of mental health and wellness resources available to employees across the public service.

For immediate individual mental health support /assistance:

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

  • Short-term professional psychological support is available to all employees and their immediate families through your departmental EAP. Please consult this link to find your EAP provider: Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
  • Employees in departments that receive EAP from Health Canada can ask to be referred to a mental health professional who self-identifies as a member of a particular community or who has training and/or experience in supporting clients from a specific community (e.g., cultural or religious communities, Indigeneity, 2SLGBTQIA+).

Public Service Health Care Plan Psychological Services

  • Employees can now see a psychologist, social worker, psychotherapist, or counsellor without a prescription at a reimbursement of 80% of the cost under the Public Service Health Care Plan. As of July 1st, 2023, these benefits have increased from $2K per calendar year to $5K.

Wellness Together Canada

  • Employees can visit Wellness Together Canada, which is available to all Canadians, to access different levels of mental health resources and tailored support, ranging from self-assessments and self-care strategies to peer support and counselling.

Ombud Services

  • If your organization has an Ombuds office for mental health, employees can access confidential, impartial advice by reaching out through your departmental intranet.
  • Ombud services vary from department to department, but generally include being a sounding board; providing guidance or coaching so employees can raise and resolve issues; and/or supporting them in preparing for a difficult conversation.

For ongoing mental health supports:

Nurturing positive employee and workplace mental health is a long-term endeavor. The following are some resources to foster or improve positive individual and workplace mental health.

Centre of Expertise on Mental Health in the Workplace

Resources for improving employee self-care strategies and workplace mental health are available by visiting Centre of Expertise on Mental Health in the Workplace at Canada.ca, including mental health supports for managers.

Informal Conflict Management System

Contact your ICMS office to find out how they can help employees to prevent, manage and resolve a workplace issue that may be inhibiting psychological health and safety in the workplace.

Canada School of Public Service

The Canada School of Public Service offers the Mental Health Learning Series with self-paced courses, and they also have one-page job aids for quick reference on topics including:

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

The Centre offers comprehensive resources on issues related to health promotion, wellness and psychosocial safety in the workplace.

Workplace Strategies for Mental Health

This organization provides policies, programs and prevention strategies to support workplace mental health and psychological safety for everyone.

Specialized Organizational Services (SOS)

The Specialized Organizational Services (SOS) unit within Health Canada’s Employee Assistance Services (EAS) division is well poised to meet your workplace wellness and mental health needs, for individuals, teams or the entire organization, through various service delivery models:  

  • Tailored services such as workshops, coaching, workplace health assessments and more;
  • Off-the shelf learning products like The Working Mind, Mental Health First Aid, and our newest offering, Shift Your Mind; and
  • Promotion/awareness activities such as kiosks at your events, or info-sessions for your Human Resources professionals, manager groups or leadership structure.

Services are accessible and available in person or virtually.

SOS operates as a shared service available to all federal departments and agencies across Canada on a cost recovery model. Consult our brochure or contact info-sos@hc-sc.gc.ca for more information.

Call-Out For Best Practices on Official Languages – Official Languages Centre of Excellence

Best Practices Forum on Official Languages

Did you know that the 2024 Best Practices Forum on Official Languages will take place the week of February 5th to 9th, 2024?

What is the forum?

The forum is an annual event co-organized by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, the Council of the Network of Official Languages Champions and the Department of Canadian Heritage. It is considered the biggest event in official languages, bringing together official languages experts across the federal public service for a week of networking, learning and most importantly, sharing best practices. Since 2021, the forum boasts several activities that are open to all interested public servants.

How can my institution contribute to the forum?

Does your team or institution have a best practice, tool, initiative, video or other resource that you would like to showcase during the forum? If so, please  complete this submission form no later than December 8, 2023. The organizing committee will select initiatives that will be presented during the week via virtual workshops.

How can I participate in the forum?

All public servants will be invited to view a webcast on February 6, 2024 and participate in several workshops and information sessions taking place during the week. The full program will be available online here. 

If you wish to receive communications related to the forum, please write to OLCEInformationCELO@tbs-sct.gc.ca and ask to subscribe to our newsletter The OL Connection.

Internal Audit Employee Movement (AS) – Reminder to Departments

Please continue to notify the Pay Centre and/or your organization’s Compensation Advisors whenever an employee moves retroactively on an effective date prior to September 28, 2023, into or out of an approved AS internal audit position.  This information should be submitted through the normal notification process, i.e., using a Pay Action Request (PAR) for the Pay Centre serviced organizations. 

Without this notification, Compensation Advisors will not be aware these employees do not fall under the CT collective agreement.  This can impact the rate of pay applied to these employees, their eligibility for future economic adjustments and whether they are converted to the CT-IAU occupational group and subgroup on September 28, 2023 in the HR and Pay systems. 

Your assistance in bringing this to the attention of the appropriate groups within your organization will help ensure these employees do not experience the issues mentioned above. 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact OCHRO’s Organization and Evaluation of Work team.  

Mass Retroactive Payments

Details regarding the mass retroactive payments for many recently signed collective agreements are available.

Once you’ve received the payment, you can view details by logging into the Phoenix Pay System and accessing the Retro Details:

Phoenix > Main Menu > Self Service > Payroll and Compensation > Retroactive Payroll > Retro Details

Refer to the salary rates update and mass revision payment tentative schedule for more information.

Updates on Canada Life’s Progress on Addressing Service Challenges

While challenges were expected in the transition of 1.7 million members of the Public Service Health Care Plan from one plan administrator to another, the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer shares the concerns of the many members who continue to experience long wait times, as well as those unable to reach a Canada Life representative to resolve their situation.

Please visit Canada.ca for an update on Canada Life’s progress on addressing service challenges, as well as important information for members on key changes to the plan and a new urgent escalation process for denied claims.

Employee Relations and Total Compensation

Update to the Disability Insurance Plan benefits

Did you know that new collective agreements can have an impact on your disability benefits?

Read this update on the disability benefit adjustments to find out about the latest changes for plan members who are, or were, in receipt of disability benefits from Sun Life Financial under the Disability Insurance Plan.

Reminder regarding the application process for disability benefits

Employees and managers need to understand their role regarding the application process when an employee is applying for disability benefits under the Disability Insurance Plan (DI) or the Public Service Management Insurance Plan (PSMIP). 

When an employee’s illness or disability is expected to be prolonged beyond the 13-week elimination period or they have exhausted their sick leave balance, they should promptly advise their immediate supervisor or manager of their intent to apply for disability benefits. 

To apply for DI or PSMIP disability benefits, four claim forms must be completed and submitted to the appropriate Plan administrator, Sun Life for DI or Industrial Alliance for PSMIP: 

  1. The Employer’s Statement (Immediate Supervisor or Manager) is completed by the employee’s immediate supervisor or manager.
  2. The Employer’s Statement (Compensation Advisor) is completed by the employee’s departmental compensation advisor or the Public Service Pay Centre.
  3. The Employee’s Statement is completed by the employee.
  4. The Attending Physician’s Questionnaire is completed by the employee’s attending physician. Choose the questionnaire that best describes the medical condition. 

For more details, please refer to the Disability Insurance plan claims process information notice or Improvements to the Public Service Management Insurance Plan Long-Term Disability claims process information notice.  

2024 Pension Indexing

The Employee Relations and Total Compensation sector of the Treasury Board Secretariat provides pension stakeholders annually with information regarding the pension indexing increase effective on January 1st.

Accordingly, effective January 1, 2024, the pension indexing increase will be 4.8%. For more details on the methodology for calculating the indexing benefits, please go to the Indexation rate webpage. Kindly distribute this information to the appropriate individuals in your department. 

If your HR Corporate Services have any questions concerning this information, please contact Arsène Kouao at (613) 282-9214 or arsene.kouao@tbs-sct.gc.ca.

Public Service Commission (PSC)

Public Service Commission’s Three-Year Priority and Risk-based Audit Plan, updates to the Staffing Oversight Reference Tool (23-04)

On June 15, the Commission approved the Three-year Priority and Risk-based Audit plan. This plan presents the list of audit activities planned for the 2023-2024, 2024-2025, and 2025-2026 fiscal years. Topics were identified as part of a risk assessment exercise that included internal and external consultations. These topics reflect what the Commission sees as potential risks or potential vulnerabilities to the staffing system. Heads of HR and Chief Audit Executives are encouraged to review these topics and consider them as part of their own ongoing monitoring activities and future audit planning.

As of July 4, the PSC has updated the Staffing Oversight Reference Tool to reflect the amendments to the Public Service Employment Act that are now in force. This tool is a resource that outlines the staffing compliance elements stemming from the PSEA, other applicable statutes and regulations, the PSC’s Appointment Policy, and the Appointment Delegation Accountability Instrument. Departments and agencies are encouraged to refer to this reference tool when planning staffing monitoring and oversight activities, based on their own specific context and risks.

Changes to the Public Service Employment Act

The Public Service Commission conducted a pulse survey this fall with all organizations to obtain an overview of the status of the implementation of the changes to the Public Service Employment Act. The survey had a 76% response rate. Below is an overview of the results: 

  • Overall, full implementation is on track for the January 1st, 2024, deadline.
  • Approximately 75% of organizations have updated staffing policies and procedures, as well as their sub-delegation instrument.
  • However, only 14% have obtained the new attestation form of all their subdelegated managers.
  • About half of organizations reported experiencing some challenges with the application of the new requirement. For instance, for non-advertised appointments, comfort identifying bias and barriers and training for managers.

The PSC staffing support advisors have followed-up with organizations about the challenges raised where required and continue to provide personalized advice and guidance.

Information sessions for managers were provided on November 2nd in collaboration with Canada School of Public Service and National Managers Community. Over 4080 participants attended the event. A video recording of the event was also shared by the School on their YouTube channel for a period of 10 days after the event and 30 days internally following the event:

A video on how to conduct an evaluation of biases and barriers in assessment has been published. It is a 20-minute self-paced training. This new learning product for hiring managers and HR specialists is available on GCextranet: Guide to Mitigating Biases and Barriers in Assessment (psc-cfp.gc.ca).

Consultations – Public Service Employment Regulations

The PSC has undertaken a review of the Public Service Employment Regulations (PSER). The PSC has consulted various stakeholders on proposed changes and is in the process of drafting proposed amendments to the regulations in collaboration with Justice Canada.

Following a recent joint letter of agreement between the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) with respect to seniority in the context of workforce adjustment situations and given the recent amendment to the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA) to identify and address bias and barriers in assessment methods, the PSC has re-opened consultations on these subjects. The employer, Heads of Human Resources, bargaining agents, and diversity and inclusion networks have been sent a consultation document to provide their input.

Stakeholder input is a key part of the regulatory review process. The PSC is requesting feedback and considerations by December 22, 2023.

Three Ongoing Audits

Three audits are currently underway, and their respective reports will be available by the end of fiscal 2023-2024.

  1. Audit of Employment Equity Representation in Acting Appointments 

Objectives:

  • Determine whether the four designated employment equity groups are proportionately represented in acting appointments.
  • Determine what systems and practices organizations have in place to promote access to appointments for employment equity groups.
  • Determine the extent to which hiring managers consider employment equity when making acting appointments.

In addition to a system-wide data analysis, the audit is examining organizational documentation and a sample of 350 acting appointments from 14 organizations.

2. System-Wide Staffing Audit 

Objectives:

  • Determine whether appointments and appointment processes comply with specific legislative, policy and regulatory requirements.
  • Determine whether the choice of appointment process (i.e., use of advertised or non-advertised appointment processes) adheres to the direction established by the deputy head.

The audit is examining a sample of 292 advertised and non-advertised appointments (internal and external) from 19 medium and large organizations.

3. Audit of Biases and Barriers in the Pre-Assessment Process 

Objectives:

  • Determine the representation of equity-seeking groups for which data is available throughout the pre-assessment process (job application and Public Service Resourcing System (PSRS) screening stages).
  • Determine the extent to which potential barriers exist in the pre-assessment process, including their frequency and relation to the application rates of equity-seeking groups included in the audit.
  • Identify systems and practices in place to reduce potential biases and barriers disadvantaging persons belonging to equity-seeking groups in the job application and PSRS screening stages.

In addition to system-wide data analysis, the audit is examining both the population and a sample of 202 job advertisements from the fiscal year 2022-23.

Mentorship Session: Indigenous Student Employment Opportunity

The Indigenous Student Job Opportunity has launched its fall programs! Registered participants will be able to participate in an Indigenous Career Pathways workshop on December 14th.

The program is open to all Indigenous students hired into the public service. For full details or to register, visit the Indigenous Student Employment Opportunity (ISEO) page.

Canada School of Public Service (CSPS)

New courses 

Accessibility guides, tools and training

In case you missed it

Listen. Learn. Act.

Introducing the Government of Canada Digital Talent Strategy

The Government of Canada’s (GC) ability to effectively serve people across the country is underpinned by the capacity and capability of its digital community. This community consists of digital talent, which refers to individuals who develop and deliver digital products and services and who work in domains like development, data, design and cyber security.

Aligned with Canada’s Digital Ambition, the GC Digital Talent Strategy sets direction and identifies priorities to ensure our government has the digital talent, processes, and culture to design and deliver human-centered, secure, and sustainable digital services.

We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the GC Digital Talent Strategy. It offers valuable insights into how the digital community will be supported across the GC, including digital practitioners and teams at TBS.

In addition, the GC Digital Talent Platform shares GC job opportunities in digital and technology from entry level to executive for people thinking about joining the GC and for current employees. Candidates apply to opportunities by creating a profile that emphasizes skills gained from diverse experiences and potential, not only formal education or training. Part of the Platform expansion includes the launch of the IT Apprenticeship Program for Indigenous Peoples, a program to attract Indigenous talent. The Platform creates a consistent approach to recruiting digital talent by consolidating job postings and pools into a single recruitment repository.

Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages

The Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages has published a Follow-up exploratory study on linguistic insecurity in the telework and hybrid work environment in the federal public service.

The follow-up study focuses on telework and hybrid work. In this new environment, there is no clear framework to ensure respect for the language rights of federal public servants. This has exacerbated the feeling of linguistic insecurity among some employees, particularly French speakers.

In line with the findings from our original 2021 study on linguistic insecurity, and with insights on new workplace realities, a tool called Best practices to encourage linguistic security in the hybrid workplace has been created. The tool includes practical tips on how to set a good example, help employees acquire and maintain language skills, and foster an inclusive environment for all.

Furthermore, Snapshots of official languages in Canada, with statistics on the use of official languages in Canada as a whole and information on official language minority communities in each province and territory has recently been published.

Tabling of Departmental Results Reports 2022–23

On November 9th, Treasury Board President Anita Anand tabled the annual Departmental Results Reports (DRR). These reports measure progress towards objectives set in annual Departmental Plans and give Canadians a view of the results achieved by Government of Canada organizations and how resources were used to achieve those results. You can view the DRRs, including the report for Treasury Board Secretariat, on Canada.ca. To dig further into the numbers, you can also explore the DRRs through interactive data visualizations on GC InfoBase.

National Managers’ Community (NMC) November Newsletter

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

Office of Public Service Accessibility

The next edition of the GC Workplace Accessibility Passport Newsletter is coming out soon on GCPedia!

What’s Coming Up

HRC Smartshops

Stay tuned for upcoming SmartShops!

HRC Meetings

  • December 8, 2023 – HR Council Meeting
  • December 12, 2023 – HR Council Executive Committee Meeting
  • December 15, 2023 – Special HRC Meeting – Digital GC workplace Accessibility Passport

APEX

December 6, 2023 – Making the Leap to the Executive Rank: Another Conversation – APEX

Keep apprised of upcoming APEX events and past learning event resources.

Canada School of Public Service (CSPS)

Upcoming Events

January 9, 2024 LEARNX 2024

Future Focused Learning and Development

The Canada School of Public Service and the Heads of Learning Forum (HOLF) are proud to host LearnX 2024: Future Focused Learning and Development. This annual conference is the only professional development event for performance and learning professionals in the public service. Every year, LearnX brings together the brightest and best minds in learning and development to deliver relevant and practical sessions. And, as in past years, we expect this event to fill quickly. So, register today!

This year’s event, with the theme of ‘Future-Focused Learning and Development,’ will feature public and private sector speakers, who will share their real-world stories to highlight the importance of designing, developing and implementing learning with a focus on diversity, equitability, inclusivity and accessibility. Additionally, speakers will highlight how leveraging evaluation data and artificial intelligence improves learning outcomes.

Shared Services Canada

The Accessibility, Accommodation and Adaptive Computer Technology program at Shared Services Canada will be hosting workshops on accessibility from November 2023 to January 2024. These workshops will talk about the roles and responsibilities of Shared Services Canada as well as introduce you to various accessible IT solutions that are available to make our workplace more inclusive.

For more information, please visit the GC Accessibility Training and Events page. If you have any questions, contact the AAACT program at aaact-events-aatia-evenements@ssc-spc.gc.ca.

HRC Meeting – November 21, 2023

Item 1: Opening Remarks and HRC Update

Darlène de Gravina, Assistant Deputy Minister of Human Resource Services at Employment and Social Development Canada and Chair of the HR Council opened the meeting by extending a warm welcome to recently appointed Heads of HR, including: Brian Radford from the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada; Anne Lamarche from the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police; Marie-Pierre Jackson from TBS; Melanie Forsberg from Statistics Canada; and Sylvain Souligny from Indigenous Services Canada.

She also announced that the HRC Executive Office will engage the community in the coming weeks regarding the renaming of the HR awards. Additionally, she highlighted the upcoming helloHR Virtual Speed Mentoring Event for the HR Community scheduled for January 25th, 2024, in both French (10:30 a.m. to noon ET) and English (1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET). Further details will follow.

Darlène de Gravina concluded by noting several significant events, including Hindu Heritage Month in November, International Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20th, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25th, and a Special HRC on the Digital Workplace Accessibility Passport scheduled for December 15th. She encouraged attendance to stay fully informed about this key initiative, which facilitates the duty to accommodate process.

Item 2: HR & Pay

Alex Benay, Associate Deputy Minister at Public Services and Procurement Canada, presented a comprehensive overview of the renewed enterprise-wide perspective on HR and Pay, outlining the subsequent steps to be taken.

The Government of Canada is transitioning to an enterprise approach, aiming to make human resource management and pay in the public service more user-centric, iterative, integrated, and digitally modern. The objective is to tackle this intricate government priority by adopting an integrated strategy for human resource management and pay.

Recognizing that human resources and pay issues extend beyond mere technical aspects, the initiative addresses data, business management, and cultural considerations. Four foundational pillars have been established to confront key challenges in the public service:

  1. Human Resources: Standardize processes, practices and systems to ensure consistent human resource management across departments, with TBS-OCHRO as the business owner facilitating this uniformity.
  2. Pay: Automate the pay system to the greatest extent possible, ensuring that the system is modern, purpose-fit and continues to reduce backlog.
  3. Data: Modernize the delivery of human resources and pay services by utilizing Artificial Intelligence, robust data governance, and advanced reporting. This aims to create a single, central data hub for all employee data, serving as the definitive source of truth.
  4. Management: Key management decisions will revolve around the operating model, technology and the human resources and pay solution. A change management and communication plan will clearly define the roles and responsibilities of various stakeholders within the public service.

Equal investment and planning are imperative for approaching the four pillars to revolutionize People Management within the public service. Throughout each stage of the process, there will be a focus on integrating culture and change management into the planning and development of the way forward.

For additional details, please consult the PowerPoint presentation.

Item 3: Review of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act

Mary Anne Stevens, Senior Director, People and Culture, OCHRO, TBS, provided an update on the review of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (PSDPA).

The PSDPA establishes a mechanism for reporting serious wrongdoing and safeguards public servants from reprisals. Disclosure is permissible in instances where:

  • Wrongdoing has transpired.
  • Wrongdoing is anticipated.
  • Someone has been solicited to engage in wrongdoing.

In November 2022, the President of the Treasury Board announced the formation of the PSDPA Review Task Force. The task force is tasked with evaluating opportunities to improve the federal disclosure process and strengthening protections and support for federal public servants who disclose wrongdoing. The mandate also includes presenting recommendations to the President of the Treasury Board in a report due in Spring 2024.

The Task Force is actively seeking submissions from stakeholders and interested parties regarding potential amendments to the PSDPA or its administration.

To  provide input to the PSDPA review, please contact PSDPAReview-ExamendelaLPFDA@tbs-sct.gc.ca.

For further details, please refer to the PowerPoint presentation.

Item 4:  Restorative Engagement Program

Thérèse Ngo, Executive Director, Employment Conditions and Labour Relations and Irène Arkorful, Director, Litigation Risk Management and Compliance, Employee Relations and Total Compensation (ERTC), OCHRO, TBS, emphasized crucial aspects regarding the Government of Canada’s restorative engagement program.

Restorative engagement addresses harm and fosters positive transformation in individuals, groups, institutions, and systems. By focusing on understanding root causes and fostering healing, it aims for transformative change, emphasizing proactive processes to nurture relationships, prevent conflicts and deter harmful behaviors.

In collaboration with an interdepartmental advisory working group, a panel of four experts—Jude Mary Cénat, Linda Crockett, Gayle Desmeules and Robert Neron—will lead the development and implementation of a restorative engagement program. During Phase 1, the panel will gather input from stakeholders to define the program’s structure. In Phase 2, individual employees will provide feedback on program implementation, focusing on elements promoting learning, well-being, addressing harms and contributing to systemic changes. Continuous improvement will be ensured through ongoing assessment, partnerships and participant contributions to foster sustainable change.

Further information may be found at the Government of Canada’s restorative engagement program.

Item 5: Organizational Wellness Leadership Initiative

Jennifer Feeney-Svab, Director, Wellness and Mental Health, People and Culture, OCHRO, TBS, explained the rationale for the Organizational Wellness Leadership (OWL) horizontal approach and outlined key considerations and next steps.

Findings from the 2020 and 2022 Public Service Employee Survey  revealed increased workplace stressors for executives (EXs) due to the COVID pandemic. Consequently, this surge in stress has resulted in burnout symptoms, potentially impacting the effectiveness and efficiency of the federal public service, affecting both its internal operations and service to Canadians.

In response to these challenges, the OWL approach aims to foster a federal public service leadership that is characterized by respect, inclusivity and psychological well-being. This vision is guided by three key principles: an enterprise-wide focus on organizational wellness, a commitment to leadership at all levels and support for diverse populations. The framework for achieving Enterprise-wide Organizational Wellness encompasses four pillars, namely: building an evidence base, setting expectations, enhancing enterprise-wide supports and training, and addressing the incentive structure and accountabilities.

For additional information, please refer to the PowerPoint presentation.

Item 6: Central agencies and Partners Updates

APEX

Josée Lafontaine, APEX Executive, shared insights from the 2023 Recognition of Entry into the Executive Ranks Ceremony, which welcomed over 900 new executives. A key challenge identified relates to the designated contact person within each organization, particularly when these individuals depart, creating a gap in APEX data provision. APEX is actively reaching out to Heads of HR, seeking collaboration to address this issue and kindly requesting their support in providing essential contact names for the continued success of the annual induction ceremony.

Public Service Commission (PSC)

Guillaume Fontaine, A/Director General, PSC, provided an update on the Public Service Employment Regulations (PSER).

The ongoing review of the PSER is progressing well, having already conducted consultations on various proposed changes and advanced the drafting process in collaboration with the Department of Justice Canada.

In response to recent developments, the PSC is reopening consultations on policy intent for two specific topics, both related to the Selection of Employees in Lay-Off situations (SERLO):

  1. Firstly, stemming from recent collective bargaining between the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Employer, an agreement was reached to request the PSC to examine the potential inclusion of seniority as a factor in SERLOs – an aspect falling under the PSC’s authority as per the PSER.
  2. Secondly, the PSC is taking the opportunity to propose alignment with a recent amendment to the Public Service Employment Act, suggesting the addition of a requirement to evaluate assessment methods used in SERLOs for biases and barriers before their application.

The consultation package has been sent out to all Heads of HR, bargaining agents, and employee diversity networks, with feedback requested by December 22, 2023.

The subsequent steps involve analyzing the results of consultations, confirming the policy intent, and finalizing the drafting process. The PSC aims to publish in the Canada Gazette for consultation in the upcoming months.

 Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO)

Heidi Kutz, Associate ADM, People and Culture Sector, OCHRO, TBS, provided the subsequent updates:

  • 2022-23 Employment Equity Annual Report must be tabled to Parliament by the end of March 2024. Heidi thanked those who shared narratives on public service-wide accomplishments and how these activities made an impact in creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. OCHRO expects the report will have a dedicated section on Black employees as it did in last year’s report, as well as a new set of data trends on representation, salary and hirings, promotions and separations.
  • Modernised Self-Identification Project:
    • The objectives are to enable TBS and departments to continue to implement the legislative requirements of the Employment Equity Act as well as to support the public service in providing an inclusive workplace and greater sense of belonging for employees, while combatting all forms of hate.
    • At this time, the launch of the Modernized Self-Identification (Self-ID) platform remains a priority for the OCHRO, which is working closely with Statistics Canada and other partners in giving due consideration to setting up departments for a successful launch in the Core Public Administration.
  • 2023-2024 Talent Management Cycle: The Executive Talent Management System (ETMS) opened on October 17, 2023, for all executives (EX-01 to EX-05 and LCs). A few key dates to keep in mind:
    • Deadline to submit ADM talent management questionnaires to OCHRO is December 1, 2023, as well as the high potential ADMs and ADM nominees for the Executive Leadership Development Program.
    • OCHRO will be scheduling cluster discussions with Deputy Heads expected to take place in February/March 2024.
    • In January 2024, Heads of HR and Deputies will be receiving additional guidance and preparation materials ahead of the cluster discussions.
  • 2022 – 2023 Performance Management Agreements: As prescribed in the Directive on Performance and Talent Management for Executives, to be eligible for performance pay and in-range salary movement, executives and non-executives appointed to an executive position must have a completed and signed performance assessment in ETMS. Please contact OCHRO if guidance or assistance is required to close the 22-23 performance agreements.
  • Interim Standard on Occasional Travel to a Designated Worksite: The first reporting period ended on August 31, 2023, and data is being reviewed. It is an authority that has been granted to Deputy Heads of organizations in the core public administration until March 31, 2025. This authority is available for all Deputy Heads to decide when and how they will use it within their operational context until March 2025. Travel can only be authorized for employees that are excluded, unrepresented, or represented by a bargaining agent participating to the pilot as listed in Appendix B to the Directive on Telework. The second quarter report, for the period started on September 1, 2023 and ending on November 30, 2023, is due by December 29, 2023. Heads of HR are encouraged to work with Departmental Chief Financial Officers to collecting the required data for reporting.
  • National Joint Council Bilingualism Bonus Directive – Cyclical Review: On October 11th, the National Joint Council launched the cyclical review of the Directive, inviting the Employer and Bargaining Agents to submit their proposals. To ensure that the Employer’s proposal considers input from federal institutions, OCHRO sent an invitation to the Heads of HR of organizations to which the Bilingualism Bonus Directive applies to submit their proposals for amendments by December 18. All input from institutions will be reviewed and considered in developing the Employer’s proposal.

Julie Metcalfe, Director, Experimentation and Innovation, OCHRO, mentioned that last March, OCHRO requested to all deputy heads to complete a departmental profile questionnaire on hybrid work progress. The collected information informed our collective efforts and decisions regarding hybrid implementation across the public service.

Now, OCHRO seeks an update on organizations’ implementation status to provide an enterprise-wide snapshot of progress, identify challenges, and gather insights into best practices. The questionnaire, due by December 1, maintains consistent questions for trend analysis and includes additional inquiries on compliance, hazard prevention programs, and use of the Interim Standard for Occasional Travel.

For technical questions on completing the profile template, please contact the OCHRO Research and Experimentation Team at HRexperimentationRH@tbs-sct.gc.ca. Organizations will discuss compliance and monitoring systems in upcoming Public Service Management Advisory Committee meetings.

Human Resources Council (HRC)

Aaron Feniak, Executive Director of HRC, delivered an update on Values and Ethics. DMs have the flexibility to decide how and when to initiate discussions on Values and Ethics within their respective organizations. The consultation tools were recently shared with Heads of HR, which offer valuable resources to facilitate these discussions and ensure a thoughtful and inclusive exploration of ethical considerations.

Employee Relations and Total Compensation (ERTC) – OCHRO

Charles Vezina of ERTC, OCHRO, TBS provided updates on collective bargaining, payments, adjudication and the Public Service Health Care Plan transition to Canada Life.

Within the core public administration (CPA), 26 of the 28 bargaining units have served notice to bargain for the 2021-2022 round of collective bargaining. Currently, collective agreements have been either finalized and signed or tentative agreements reached with 13 bargaining units.

Additionally, the finalization of a guide for Labour Relations addressing overpayment grievances is currently underway and is expected to be distributed within the next month.

The Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB) launched an accelerated adjudication process on October 17, 2023, providing recourse for employees (claimants) who had their severe impacts claim related to Phoenix denied. 

Lastly, regarding the Public Service Health Care Plan transition, daily meetings with Canada Life executives are ongoing. In anticipation of upcoming changes, 140,000 letters have been sent to Plan members currently on brand-name drugs, advising them of the imminent Mandatory Generic Substitution for prescription drugs, scheduled to come into effect on January 1, 2024.

Item 7: Closing Remarks

Darlène de Gravina, HRC Chair and ADM, HR Services Branch, ESDC, highlighted that the upcoming HRC meeting is a hybrid session, scheduled for December 8th at 90 Elgin in Ottawa. Throughout this meeting, heads of HR will have the opportunity to both hear from and engage with the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), Jacqueline Bogden, and the Associate CHRO, Francis Trudel. In expressing her gratitude, she acknowledged the active participation of presenters, heads of HR, and guests.

HRC Planning Calendar

Please see the HRC Planning Calendar for upcoming meeting dates.

Contact Us

HRCouncil/ConseilRH@tbs-sct.gc.ca

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