HR info RH Bulletin
CA-266-21-05
Ensuring a Safe and Secure Work Environment is Maintained While Working Remotely
It has been a little over a year since many of us have started to work remotely because of the pandemic. In order to ensure that a safe and secure work environment is maintained while working remotely, all employees are required to complete the Remote Working/Teleworking Security Attestation Form and the Remote Work / Telework Occupational Health and Safety Attestation Form for fiscal year 2021-22. This annual requirement applies to all employees working remotely due to the pandemic and to all employees teleworking under a telework agreement.
To facilitate the process, a new telework module has been added in myEMS (PeopleSoft), and both forms (the Remote Working/Teleworking Security Attestation Form and the Remote Work / Telework Occupational Health and Safety Attestation Form) have been integrated into the module, making the process paperless.
As such, employees who have been working remotely for one year, and new employees joining the department who will be working remotely, are required to use PeopleSoft, by June 30, 2021, to complete these forms. This also applies to employees who already had renewed the paper and/or electronic forms for fiscal year 2021-22. A guide is available to help managers and employees enter the necessary information and effectively navigate through the steps.
That said, employees who do not have access to PeopleSoft can also complete the electronic version of the Remote Work / Telework Security Attestation Form and the Remote Work / Telework Occupational Health and Safety Attestation Form. These forms must be completed, signed and kept by both the employee and manager. You might receive an error message when clicking on the links. If so, please be sure to clear your cookies via your web browser.
Please note, working remotely differs from telework in the sense that telework is a voluntary arrangement where employees have pre-approval to carry out some or all of their work duties from a telework location. Whereas remote work is used to describe work being accomplished in a remote location, as a temporary measure during unforeseeable circumstances, such as pandemics, other states of emergencies and inclement weather. As such, employees who are completing the module in PeopleSoft, in the context of working remotely due to the pandemic, are asked to select the "Working Remotely-Employer Rqst" option as the reason for teleworking and disregard the references made to telework.
Useful information on working remotely in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic can be found in the Manager's Guide on Human Resources Issues during a COVID-19 Pandemic and the Toolkit for Employee Working Remotely. Employees are also encouraged to reference the Best security measures to apply while working remotely page for information on remote working security concerns.
Employees are also reminded to complete a Loan of Departmental Equipment form (PDF, 96 KB) (opens new window) to identify all departmental assets that are provided for use while performing their duties at a remote location. This includes all departmental equipment and assets that have been borrowed from the department (e.g. monitors, laptops, cell phones, office chairs, etc.). This form must be updated each time there is a change of equipment used remotely or a change in the remote work location. A copy of the completed form is to be kept by both the employee and the manager.
Considerations for Alternate Work Locations
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of ESDC employees are working remotely. This new reality, as well as improvements to the network's capacities, have opened the door for discussions on the "work anytime/anywhere" philosophy. Specifically, how the Department could implement this philosophy into a reality.
While the Department continues to evaluate what its future of work will look like, it is important to remember that as a public service organization, the Department is subject to legislative and policy frameworks and is held to a higher standard in terms of accountability to the public.
Labour Relations in collaboration with subject matter experts in Human Resources, Finance, Real Property, Security and Information Technology created a Considerations For Alternative Work Locations Update to assist managers in understanding workplace and work arrangement options currently available when hiring new employees, as well as when responding to requests from current employees to work away from their designated workplace.
Questions
Managers should contact Labour Relations via the Human Resources Service Centre (HRSC) should they have any other questions on this matter.
International Coaching Week – May 17-21, 2021
Have you discovered an interest in coaching or want to hone your skills? Do you know the difference between coaching and mentoring? Well mark your calendars! The Office of Informal Conflict Management (OICM) is pleased to highlight International Coaching Week – an annual celebration of the power and impact of professional coaching. This year it is taking place May 17-21, 2021.
Join a one-hour Coaching Awareness presentation on May 18, 2021. In this introduction to coaching techniques participants learn the distinction between coaching and mentoring (yes there is a difference) and are introduced to the coaching approach as a distinct communication tool, including:
- Asking Powerful Questions: using open questions in a way that increases awareness and helps people consider different perspectives;
- Listening Empathically: active or reflective listening as a way of responding to another person that improves mutual understanding and trust;
- Giving Courageous Feedback: authentic and honest messages based on observed behavior and its impact; and
- Making Audacious Requests: bold, courageous requests that help move a person out of their comfort zone.
Continue your learning on May 19 and 20 where you can join a group coaching session on either Resilience or Building a Culture of Trust. Participants are introduced to the topics and will have the opportunity to share their experiences. Be coached on ways to build resilience along with the seven key elements that help you to build trust in the workplace.
Sessions are offered via MS Teams in both English and French:
- Group Coaching on Building Resilience
- Coaching Awareness Session
- Group Coaching On Building a Culture of Trust
Spaces are limited – sign up now!
MyGCPay Stub Relaunch
Following the initial launch of the new MyGCPay stub in fall 2020, Public Services and Procurement Canada experienced technical issues and had to temporarily remove the pay stub feature from MyGCPay.
Please note that the issues have been resolved and the MyGCPay stub feature is now available to federal public servants.
MyGCPay gives employees a simple, detailed, and centralized view of their pay and benefits information. Specifically, the pay stub includes more detailed information and features, such as:
- Three tabs to separate information on earnings, taxes, and deductions;
- The department or agency that is issuing the pay;
- A deductions tab with three sections that identify the employer deduction contributions, voluntary deductions, and other deductions;
- Capability of a printable PDF version of the pay stub;
- Definitions of terms and acronyms will be available; and,
- Only the last three PRI digits will be visible on the printable version of the pay stub.
If you have questions about MyGCPay, please submit your request through the Human Resources Service Centre:
- Select "Pay Escalation Issue (including the Phoenix Pay System Damages Agreement)";
- Select the category: MyGCPay;
- Select the sub-category that best describes your question and provide the details of your request, including any screenshots that will allow for better analysis of the issue.
You can find more information about MyGCPay, including frequently asked questions and answers, on the GCpedia page.