Process for the Management of Vacant Positions

Context

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s (TBS) Directive on Classification states that organizations must manage their vacant positions through regular reviews and must keep the number of vacant positions to a minimum at all times.

Through diligent position management, managers will obtain a more accurate picture of their organizational structure, allowing more effective resource management.

The abolishment of vacant positions contributes to maintaining:

  • The departmental Salary and Wage Envelope (SWE) liability;
  • The currency and accuracy of organizational charts;
  • The integrity of the Classification Program by ensuring that positions reflect the organization's resource allocation;
  • The integrity of the Department’s Position and Classification Information System (PCIS) data, which is used for various purposes, including classification relativity studies, interdepartmental dashboard reporting and analysis by TBS and The Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO).

Within this context, a departmental process is required to document position life-cycles. Positions that have been vacant for an extended period and that are no longer required will be reviewed, tracked and abolished.

Requirements

  1. Positions will be created and maintained only when they reflect current operational requirements and are needed for staffing purposes.
  2. The number of vacant positions must be kept to a minimum at all times. Ideally, vacant positions should represent no more than 10-15% of an organization’s total population. This includes banks of vacant positions maintained for the purpose of developmental programs or ongoing temporary needs, such as seasonal recruitment.
  3. When a position has remained vacant for 2 years or more, it should be reviewed for continued relevancy.
  4. Positions that have been vacant for 3 years or longer will be systematically abolished.

Note: When abolishing vacant positions, the organizational structure will be reviewed by the Organizational Design and Classification Centre of Expertise (ODCCE) to assess impacts on subordinate and supervisory positions.

Process

Indeterminate Positions Vacant for an Extended Period

Outside of this process, a manager can request the abolishment of any vacant position under their responsibility at any time.

Vacant for 2+ Years

If an indeterminate position has been vacant for at least two, but less than 3 years, the position will be reviewed for relevancy. The Organizational Design and Classification Advisor assigned to the portfolio within the ODCCE will communicate with the responsible manager and have them confirm if the position is still required. If so, no action will be taken. If the manager identifies that the position is no longer required, then the position will be abolished.

Vacant for 3+ Years

To prevent unwarranted build-up of vacant positions and to ensure data integrity, vacant positions with no staffing activity shown in PeopleSoft for 3 years or more, will be systematically abolished.

Every 6 months, the ODCCE will prepare a list of vacant positions proposed for abolishment. The ODCCE will then provide Assistant Deputy Ministers with a report of vacant positions within their respective organizations identified for abolishment.

At the same time, a communication will be sent to those responsible within the Branch, being the manager of the positions and the respective Staffing Advisor, along with any other identified representative, indicating details related to the proposed positions to be abolished. The information will include: position number, title, group and level, and the planned date for abolishment.

Branch management will be required to respond to the ODCCE within 4 weeks to confirm whether or not the positions provided in the communication vacancy list can be abolished. If any of the listed positions are required for staffing, confirmation of a planned staffing activity must be provided. After expiry of this timeline, if communication from management has not been received, the ODCCE will abolish the vacant positions.

If the vacant positions to be abolished have active (encumbered) subordinate positions, the responsible manager will be required to specify the new reporting relationship(s) of these subordinate positions, prior to abolishment of the vacant supervisor position. If no alternative supervisor is identified, the “orphaned” subordinate positions will be moved to report to the supervisor of the vacant position to be abolished.

Vacant Term Positions

If the term of a determinate position has expired and the position is vacant, it is to be treated as though it has been vacant for 3 years. That is, it will form part of the list of vacant positions to be abolished that is provided to management and treated as per the process above.

Implementation of a Structural Model

Upon the implementation of a new structural model in an organization, vacant positions that do not meet the criteria listed in the exclusions section of this document will be abolished, regardless of the length of time they have been vacant. Vacant positions with active staffing actions for indeterminate appointments will be mapped to the new structural model. The list of positions to be abolished will be produced by the ODCCE and confirmed with the respective Branch/Region Assistant Deputy Minister or, any other identified representative.

Any remaining positions will be frozen and monitored along with the vacant position list. If a frozen position becomes vacant, it will be included in the list of positions to be abolished, regardless of how long it has been vacant. If any of the positions slated for abolishment contain one of the conditions noted in the exclusions below, they will be handled as per the process, below.

Vacant Positions that Meet Conditions Found in these Exceptions Will Not Be Abolished:

In the cases where a vacant position that is to be abolished should meet any of the exceptions listed below, they will be frozen until the condition has been removed (i.e. exclusion) or until the proper approval has been obtained.

Exceptions

This process applies to all positions with the exception of:

  • Executive (EX) positions;
  • Excluded positions;
  • Positions designated as essential;
  • Positions linked to an active staffing action.

Roles and Responsibilities

Organizational Design and Classification Centre of Expertise (ODCCE)

  • Maintain and produce a list of vacant positions to be abolished and share it with appropriate associates for action;
  • Review the list of vacant positions to be abolished to confirm whether or not there are active classification grievances;
  • Monitor and report on vacant position statistics and trends within the Department;
  • Communicate with Branch management and other stakeholders on the timeline to abolish vacant positons;
  • Abolish vacant positions, as required.

Manager

  • Request the abolishment of vacant positions that are no longer required;
  • Review list of vacant positions provided by the ODCCE for their respective organization;
  • Advise if there are active or planned staffing actions related to positions identified on the vacant position list;
  • Confirm which vacant positions in the list provided by the ODCCE are no longer required and may be abolished.

Monitoring

The percentage of vacant positions in the Department is reported annually as a performance indicator in the Classification Dashboard, produced by OCHRO. The review and abolition of vacant positions may also be part of ongoing monitoring activities undertaken by either the Department or by TBS.

References

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Directive on Classification, Appendix B - Control of Vacant Positions

Employment and Social Development Canada - Table of Human Resources Authorities

Inquiries

Director, Organizational Design and Classification Centre of Expertise (ODCCE)
Human Resources Services Branch