HR info RH Bulletin
CA-266-21-05
Reminder: New Employee Active Screening Tool
In an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our workplaces, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) has developed a new online Employee Active Screening Tool. All employees, regardless of function or position, who are accessing the physical workplace or carrying out critical work in client sites, are required to answer a series of screening questions each day before entering the physical workplace or visiting a client site.
The tool is user-friendly and employees do not have to connect to the Department’s network to use it. It is available on ESDC’s external internet site and is accessible through a work/personal computer or smartphone.
For more information, refer to Active Screening FAQs.
ESDC’s Guide to Returning to the Workplace
ESDC’s Guide to Returning to the Workplace has the latest pandemic-related information for employees, managers and other enablers.
Managers are reminded to:
- Immediately report confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 in the workplace;
- Promote the continued importance of physical distancing and frequent hand hygiene measures; and
- Maintain regularly contact with remote workers and encourage employees working remotely to regularly assess their workspaces using the “Setting Up and Equipping Your Home Work Space” tools available in the Toolkit for Employees: Working Remotely.
Manager’s Guide on Human Resources Issues During a COVID-19 Pandemic
The Manager’s Guide on Human Resources Issues During a COVID-19 Pandemic has been updated to include:
- Additional guidance on employees claiming deduction for home office expenses and Revenu Quebec requirements.
- New guidance on leave for employees who are experiencing side effects due to the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Updated information on documentation requirements for employees working remotely.
You can find the complete list of updates in the Summary of Updates section of the Manager’s Guide.
Managers with case-specific enquiries can also contact their Regional Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Advisors through the Human Resources Service Centre.
Classification renewal (conversion) – IT, PA and CT
The Treasury Board Secretariat, in discussion with bargaining agents and core public administration (CPA) organizations, has been undertaking a classification renewal (conversion) exercise for the past several years in an effort to modernize the public service’s classification program.
The Clerk’s Beyond 2020 report calls for a more agile, inclusive, and equipped public service. Modernized and streamlined classifications help ensure that our tools reflect the work of today’s public service and bring more consistency in how similar jobs are evaluated.
As a result of these renewal efforts, changes will be made to update some occupational groups. In many cases, organizations will apply an interdepartmental standardized job description structure that shows clearer career paths to facilitate employee mobility across the public service.
Three upcoming occupational group changes are expected to be implemented over the next year and a half.
- Targeting October 2021 for implementation:
- The Computer Systems (CS) group will change to a new occupational group called Information Technology (IT).
- Targeting October 2022 for implementation:
- The Program and Administrative Services (PA) group will be restructured to five new sub-groups:
- Program and Service Operations (PA-PVO)
- Program Development and Administration (PA-PDM)
- Executive Administrative Assistant (PA-EAA)
- Communications (PA-CMN)
- Rehabilitation and Reintegration (PA-RHB).
- Work within the current PA group that involves Negotiation, Mediation and Conciliation currently classified as “PM-MCO” will become a new group, with a new acronym “MN”.
- A new Comptrollership (CT) group will be created to bring together work in the areas of financial management, as well as external and internal audit.
Making changes to an occupational group involves several steps that take some time to implement. This means that there are no immediate changes to the classification or salary levels of any position. Positions are expected to be renamed or converted to these new groups.
Unless otherwise informed, your current collective agreement continues to apply and your bargaining agent does not change.
Timing for implementation
The implementation dates, outlined above, will be confirmed closer to the conversion dates, based on organizational and systems readiness, and in discussion with bargaining agents. This includes ensuring that the new classifications and corresponding rates of pay can be seamlessly integrated into the pay system.
Changes to job evaluation and/or qualification standards and rates of pay
New job evaluation standards and in certain cases, new qualification standards, have been developed for the new groups and sub-groups. If you are an indeterminate employee already in the position performing the job, you will be considered to have met any new minimum qualification requirements for the position based on education, experience, and/or training. As an indeterminate employee, this will also preserve your career mobility and allow you to advance within the new group or, sub-group, if you wish to do so.
There are no changes to current salaries. Rates of pay for the new groups will be negotiated through the usual collective bargaining process. Salary protection measures will apply if the maximum salary of your new group and level (or sub-group and level, if applicable), is lower than the maximum salary of your current group and level, although this is not expected to be the case for most employees.
ESDC’s Conversions Champions
For each conversion exercise, ESDC Champions have been designated:
- IT Conversion Champion:
- Peter Littlefield, CIO, IITB
- PA Conversion Champions:
- Darlène de Gravina, ADM, HRSB
- Mary-Ann Triggs, Regional ADM, Ontario Region
- Debora Brown, ADM, PASRB
- CT Conversion Champions:
- Karen Robertson, CFO, CFOB
- Sheri Ostridge, CAE, IASB
The Champions will release additional information over the coming months on the respective conversions.
Next steps
We recognize that these changes can create some uncertainty about what this means for your position. We are taking all of the necessary steps to ensure that these changes are implemented as smoothly and with as little disruption as possible. Please speak with your manager if you have concerns. You may also contact your union representative for more information.
We will keep you updated as implementation moves forward. To learn more and to find out if your position will be part of these changes, please consult the Classification Renewal GCintranet page, which includes links to a new video explaining these upcoming changes as well as detailed Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
If you require additional information, please contact Nadine Gauthier, Director, Organizational Design and Classification Centre of Expertise.
New Collective Agreement CS Group
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) and the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) signed a new collective agreement for the Computer Systems (CS) group on February 26, 2021.
Of note, the Labour Relations Bulletin contains a summary of the key changes that may have a direct impact on the Department’s operations.
Managers who have questions regarding the application or interpretation of collective agreements may contact Labour Relations through the Human Resources Service Centre (select “General HR Enquiry Form”).
Provincial/Civic Holiday According to the Location of Employee’s Position
This message is to remind all employees that leave entitlements do not change even though some employees are working remotely. As indicated in the “Leave Provision” section of the Manager’s Guide on Human Resources Issues During a COVID-19 Pandemic, employees remain entitled to a provincial/civic holiday recognized in the province where their position is located in a normal work situation and not during remote work (further details available in section 8.8.3).
For any questions about paid holidays, please communicate with Labour Relations through the Human Resources Service Centre (select “General HR Enquiry Form”).