HR info RH Bulletin
CA-266-21-05
This week's edition includes:
Mental Health Week 2021
The Canadian Mental Health Association's Mental Health Week is taking place May 3-9, 2021. This year's theme is about understanding our emotions. Recognizing, labeling and accepting our feelings are all part of protecting and promoting good mental health for everyone especially in these unprecedented times.
Please consider participating in any of the ESDC highlighted activities as individuals, with your teams or even just taking a few moments to read one of these Canadian Mental Health Association articles, which offer practical advice and information to help you #GetReal about how you really feel.
Monday, May 3, 2021:
Activity: Grand opening of the ESDC Resilience Gym!
The Resilience Gym's goal is to equip you to deal with change by developing the following 'muscles': self-awareness, optimism, mental agility, self-regulation, character strength and connection. Access a suite of tools, videos, and daily practices at any time.
For: All employees.
Activity: Mindfulness Moment Monday
Join your colleagues from across the country for a simple and relaxing guided mindfulness moment offered by IITB every Monday morning from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. EDT.
For: All employees
Register before the event to participate.
Tuesday, May 4, 2021:
Activity: Wellbeing Check-In for Self and Team Live Session
Participate in a live virtual session with the Workplace Mental Health Team where you will experience a team check-in exercise that explores your current mental and emotional state.
For: All employees
Register by Monday, May 3, 2021.
Wednesday, May 5, 2021:
Activity: LifeSpeak's Mental Health Marathon
Join the movement to end stigma around mental health by participating in the English LifeSpeak Mental Health Marathon taking place between 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. EDT. LifeSpeak is bringing out leading mental health experts to answer your questions for a full day in their popular Ask the Expert web chat format.
For: All employees
Register early for the sessions you want to attend (session on this date in English only).
Activity: Alcohol Consumption and Substance Use during COVID-19
The Canada School of Public Service is pleased to present a virtual panel discussion to celebrate Mental Health Week entitled Alcohol Consumption and Substance Use during COVID-19.
For: All public servants.
Register by Wednesday, May 5, 2021, 10:00 a.m. (EDT)
Thursday, May 6, 2021:
Activity: Wellbeing Check-In for Self and Teams for all Leaders Live Session
Participate in a live virtual session with the Workplace Mental Health Team where you will experience the team check-in exercise and how to use it to spark 'real' conversations and build trust among team members.
For: All team leads, supervisors, and managers
Register by Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Friday, May 7, 2021:
Activity: Watch a video on Emotional Attunement
The Emotional Attunement video explores paying attention to feelings and emotions, and how to respond to ourselves and others, in a connected and helpful way. The video is one of many from Train the Brain, developed by the Labour Program.
For: All employees
Be among the first to try ESDC's Mental Health Learning Path!
In honour of Mental Health Week 2021, and to continue to support the well-being of ESDC employees, we are pleased to announce the arrival of ESDC's Mental Health Learning Path.
Be among the first to try this newly launched, one-of-a-kind tool. It allows you to browse nearly 200 mental health learning options with the help of specially designed filters, which will produce search results tailored to your learning needs. After all, a topic as personal as mental health deserves a personalized approach.
The Mental Health Learning Path is designed by ESDC employees, for ESDC employees! Your comments and feedback are valuable to us, and help us ensure that the Mental Health Learning Path is responsive to the changing needs of ESDC employees. We encourage you to share your thoughts on the new tool by contacting the GD Mailbox.
Find this innovative new tool and many more mental health learning opportunities and resources in the May edition of Connexion Corner.
Numbers can talk. Do you know how to listen?
No matter your level of experience, "Data: The Basics" can help you turn data into insights! Leverage the data you have access to as an ESDC employee, to better design and deliver services to internal clients and Canadians.
Brought to you by the College@ESDC and the Chief Data Office, consider adding this brand new series to your learning plan! While it is recommended to take them in order, this suite of five courses is fully flexible: they can be taken in any order, at any time, and from anywhere you have internet access! Topics covered in this suite of courses range from data, research, analysis, visualization, storytelling, statistics, and more.
Ready to start learning? All you need are your Saba credentials because "Data: The Basics" is open to all employees! Just search the keyword: "Data" in Saba to register.
For this learning opportunity and many more, visit the Transformational Learning page on iService.
Updates to contribution and premium rates effective April 1, 2021
Employees, take note, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat has updated the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP) contribution rates and the Public Service Management Insurance Plan (PSMIP) monthly premium rates, effective April 1, 2021.
For further information, employees are encouraged to reference:
- The Public Service Health Care Plan Contribution Rates, which provides the monthly contribution rates effective April 1, 2021.
- The Public Service Management Insurance Plan (PSMIP) Premium Rates, which provides rate updates effective April 1, 2021.
Questions regarding the Health Care Plan or the Insurance Plan should be directed to the following email address: NC-CORP-COMP-REMUN-MIN-GD.
Implementation of salary retroactivity for the Computer Systems (CS) group
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada have signed a new collective agreement for the Computer Systems (CS) group as of February 26, 2021.
The implementation of the salary retroactivity will occur as follows:
- The new rates of pay were updated on April 1, 2021 and the payment for the retroactive period from December 22, 2018 to March 17, 2021 will be reflected on the May 12, 2021 pay cheque.
The non-pensionable $500 payment will be paid out to employees, if applicable, within 180 days of the collective agreement signature in recognition of the extended implementation timeframes. This payment should be paid on August 4, 2021, and will appear on the pay stub under the description "initial implement lump sum payment".