Record of Discussions and Decisions

1.1 Opening remarks (Crystal Warner and Gail Johnson):

Gail Johnson and Crystal Warner welcomed members and guests to the meeting. Ms. Johnson presented two (2) changes that occurred in the Human Resources Services Branch since November 2017:

• Creation of the Compensation Directorate under David Swol that will consolidate all pay-related functions;
• Hiring of Danièle Besner as the DG, Workplace Management Directorate.

1.2 Approval of minutes for meeting of March 27, 2017:

The minutes were approved without any changes.

1.3 Status of Outstanding Action Items September 13, 2017 (Crystal Warner):

Gail Johnson indicated that from the six (6) action items identified at last meeting, only one (1) was outstanding which was the discussion of ‘weekend duty’ at the next Passport harmonization meeting with UNE and CEIU. Stephen Risseeuw and Evelyne Power will ensure that it is added.

Annick Langlois provided an update on the major classification projects: Classification conversions have been confirmed by Treasury Board Secretariat for the PA and CS group and new CT groups. Conversions are scheduled for spring-winter 2020-2021. The department is developing a strategy for the validation of outdated job descriptions. On a total of 34,143 job descriptions, only 1,393 are up to date. Some options are currently under consideration, such as proceeding by line of business for all administrative positions; proceed by group (AS, PM, etc.) or proceed by branch and regions. ESDC is working closely with other departments to alleviate overload of these exercises and review of internal and external relativity. Once the department’s strategy is endorsed, the committee will be informed on next steps.

Fabienne Jean-François asked how many of these job description had grievances on? Ms. Langlois said she would verify.

Crystal Warner suggested that as there are lots of job content and classification grievances, it could be a good idea to set up a committee. Annick Langlois responded that it would be great to work together.

Ms. Power to discuss ‘Week-end duty’ during next Passport Harmonization meeting

Ms. Langlois to validate how many grievances exist on job descriptions.

Annick Langlois to explore setting up committee.

2.1 Call Centres and Harassment in the Workplace (CEIU) (Crystal Warner)

Crystal Warner indicated that, in her role, she has assisted to a few meetings of CEIU National Call Centres Committee. An area of concern for CEIU is that members are struggling with abusive callers that could be perceived as harassment. The employees are referring to the three (3) strike rule, i.e, they should not end a call before having given two warnings. CEIU would like to have a broad discussion on the subject and suggest that the employer consider a one (1) strike only approach combine with a message on the interactive automated system informing client that harassment will not be tolerated.

Cliff Groen responded that this is a concern for management as no employee should work in an environment where harassment is present. He indicated that a three step process is part of their official procedures for Service Canada call centres and new hires receive guidance on how to manage difficult calls:

1. When a client is abusive the agent is expected to say what it is unacceptable and that the call will be ended if the above continues;
2. If the client continue to be abusive, the agent is expected to advise the caller again; and
3. After the third time, the agent can discontinue the call.

In April 2017, a tracking tool was created and employees were encouraged to report abusive calls. As of January 2018, approximately 1,065 calls were reported which represent about one (1) reported call per agent per year. Mr. Groen indicated that the current procedure could be clearer on the use of judgment by employees who are facing difficult calls. Therefore he has mandated Trevor Milne, Director General, Service Canada Specialized Call Centres, to consult the union on how they could bring greater clarity for the use of judgment by call centre agents. Ms. Warner welcomes the discussion to come.

Sebastian Rodriguez indicated that in-person employees (front end and back end staff) are also exposed to difficult clients. Consequently, a clear procedure for employees exposed to difficult clients (citizens) is needed.

Rose Touhey indicated that Passport is not tracking abusive phone calls but is supportive of the discussions to come.

Fabienne Jean-François indicated that the role of the supervisors will be key in defining judgment use for difficult/harassing clients.

2.2 Language Requirements for CSOs and Passport Agents for In-person Service (Fabienne Jean-Francois)

Fabienne Jean-François indicated that the bilingual requirements are different for in-person agents for Passport (BBB) and for Service Canada (CBC). She specified that it represent a major issue for CEIU members, specifically in colocated offices, as many passport employees do not meet the CBC requirement.

Evelyne Power referred to the 2010 Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL) Audit Report (Delivery of Bilingual Services to the Public by Service Canada) and the departmental response plan that was put in place:

• Phase I - Citizen services: Assessment was finalized in 2013 setting the minimum number of bilingual positions per bilingual office and the bilingual level required at CBC. Implementation is monitored by Citizen Services Branch and is currently at 70% complete;
• Phase II - call centre and processing centres: A preliminary analysis was done and discussions with the client have been initiated. The goal is to establish a working group comprised of key management representatives and HR to discuss the work and identify the appropriate linguistic profile using the TBS tool;
• Phase III - Passport services to follow.

Ms. Jean-François explained that some employees lost their employment because they could not meet the language requirement and asked if a stage calendar was envisioned. Ms. Power responded that she needed more information on the loss of employment as she is unaware of any situation. With respect to passport operations, language requirements will be examined after the passport volume dip which is expected in summer 2018

Rose Touhey indicated that the training developed for CSO should not be inter-mingling. Ms. Power confirmed that there is no intention to create super-agents, but there is a requirement for flexibility, especially in small offices. To do this, employees need to be trained. Ms. Touhey said that for any changes to positions, all employees should have the opportunity to apply for jobs at Service Canada.

Ms. Jean-Francois asked how managers can calculate the time a passport employee works for Service Canada. The department needs to be coherent in their approach. Mr. McDonald indicated that the UNE is the union representative of passport and that they oppose this slow merger. He does not want to see anyone losing their jobs. Passport funding is not intended to support Service Canada. If UNE members want to go to Service Canada, they can apply for positions. Ms. Power clearly stated that the resolving fund/user fees are not used for any ESDC Programs.

2.3 Denials of time in lieu vs. overtime payments (Crystal Warner)

Ms. Warner stated that prior to this meeting the CEIU contacted their fifteen (15) National Vice Presidents to confirm and prioritize the top issues of concern. This topic was the second most important, raised. Comments received from locals, is that there are complaints to the fact there are blanket denials of use of time in lieu in Employment Insurance. Emails from some of the regions contain language which is of concern and management are not making decisions on a case-by-case basis. The language in the collective agreement is clear on this matter. Mr. McDonald noted there are similar problems with passport.

Mr. Cyr responded that he was not aware of any blanket decisions and he would like to receive the emails and review further. Ms. Warner said that an education piece is missing and that perhaps more consultation would help. There are some good actions being taken at the local level and she is happy to discuss this outside of this meeting.

Ms. Jean-Francois mentioned that a local approach should be preferred because specific situations can vary greatly. The situation for UNE is different from CEIU. EI Overtime is done to help other regions, not just their own region.

2.4 Public Service Employee Annual Survey (PSEAS) (Julie Simard)

This item was added to the agenda because it was postponed from the previous meeting. Ms. Simard presented the highlights from her deck. The highlights included more than 12,000 respondents to the survey; employees are happier generally than in 2014. There are still however some areas that require attention. There are increased levels of stress at work and employees are feeling emotionally drained.

Problems of harassment, discrimination and stress are revealed in the survey. An action plan is in place and ESDC has five priorities: harassment, discrimination, mental health, innovation and recognition. Page 12 of the deck notes the need for the department to determine the root causes of these issues.

Ms. Warner noted concerns around wellness and the importance of merging activities. She asked if there is going to be a link with the mental health task force. Ms. Besner confirmed that links were being worked on by management. Ms. Jean-Francois made the point that she accepts leadership from the national level, and there is a need for national level support for initiatives at the local level and to provide tools and leadership.

Ms. Johnson noted that there is a need for coherence and regions must have their own initiatives. Ms. Simard stated that the regions are doing some really great work and that those best practices need to be shared.

Trevor Milne to contact Crystal Warner to clarify use of judgment when facing difficult/abusive calls.

Evelyne Power to include use of judgment in the discussions with UNE.

Ms. Warner will send Mr. Cyr examples of emails denying time in lieu.

3.1 Update on the Diversity and Employment Equity Action Plan (Rawan El-Komos)

Ms. El-Komos focussed on some of the key highlights from the deck she provided. Existing gaps are clearly illustrated in the deck and include:

Women: The key gaps for women are found in the EC and CR groups. A new gap of minus two (-2) has appeared in the EG group. The increase in representation could be as a result of deployments (lateral transfers).

Visible Minorities: The key gaps for visible minorities are found in the EX, NU and CS groups with the largest gap being in the NU group (-90).

Aboriginal Peoples: Overall, the Department is recruiting Aboriginal Peoples at a higher rate than their workforce availability. Key gaps for Aboriginal Peoples are found in the EX, EC and PE groups. Approximately 28% of Aboriginal Peoples employees in the EX group will be eligible for retirement in the next five years.

Persons with Disabilities: The key gap for Persons with Disabilities is found in the FI group. This gap has increased by 4 compared to the last quarter and now stands at minus seven (-7).

Although there is currently no gap for persons with disabilities in the other occupational groups, ESDC is not recruiting at a fast enough rate. It is the only EE group for which the representation of new hires at ESDC is lower than their workforce availability. Within the main occupational categories, between 35.8% and 57.7% of ESDC employees with disabilities will be eligible for retirement in the next five years, making them the EE group with the highest retirement eligibility rates in the Department.

We continue to see the same gaps, indicating potential systemic issues that require targeted actions. The EX group has a high potential for retirement. Work is continuing to try to drill down for greater understanding, for example into the gap in indigenous representation in the EX community as well as feeder groups. The deck outlines the commitments and aims for the department. Outreach is occurring to target diversity, communication and implementation plans are in place. An indigenous inventory has been created, focused mainly on at level moves. ESDC has 90-100 applicants.

Another example of work underway is the working group developing a website for transgender and transitioning employees.

The Diversity and Employment Equity Steering Committee is changing to Diversity and Inclusion to broaden the conversation in order to include things such as mental health, harassment in the workplace, etc.

Next steps for FY 18/19 will include a self-identification blitz and a relaunch of the visibility minority network.

Mr. Rodrigues thanked Mr. El-Komos for the presentation noting the importance of a pro-active approach and targeted hiring. He noted this subject is helpful as a standing agenda item. Mr. Rodrigues asked if there is a plan to deal with indigenous retirements and if the minutes from the Regional diversity committees can be provided, along with regional diversity stats?

Mr. Bourque asked if data is available to compare last year and five years ago. Mr. El-Komos stated that details are included in the notes of the presentation but more information can be provided if desired.

Ms. Warner noted that self-identification is a big concern for the CEIU and that there needs to be a meaningful discussion/consultation on that topic. Ms. El-Komos in responding to Mr. Rodrigues stated that the department has worked with the Indigenous Employee Circle using specific initiatives for recruitment, retention and advancement for indigenous people. Once the visible minority employee network is active again, similar work can be undertaken with them. He also noted that Regional statistics can and will be shared with committee members.

3.2 Update on the Phoenix Pay System (Jennifer Hamilton)

The statistics for Phoenix issues remain consistent. 70% of ESDC employees have issues. 5,800 Emergency Salary Advances have been issued

 

Recent initiatives have been undertaken: on January 11, 2018 a message was shared providing information on where to go to log concerns regarding overpayments.

Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer (OCHRO) has developed new training modules which employees and managers must complete by March 31, 2018. The training has four modules covering (1) Understanding the pay cycle, (2) The HR to Pay system, (3) Submitting leave and pay and (4) a module for managers only.

The Compensation Directorate has been established and is becoming a more robust team. The intention is to support ESDC employees directly, to help them navigate the pay system, to provide robust tools and to help facilitate employees’ management of their own pay. Ten (10) compensation advisors were hired last year. Five (5) more have been hired and will start the week of January 29, 2018. They will have full access to Phoenix for ESDC employees. The focus is on the most complex cases. To date 700 cases have been assigned with a 70% resolution rate. The Compensation Directorate is looking at hiring additional compensation advisors. The Pay Centre is the lead but this is a valuable resource to help address issues impacting ESDC employees

Ms. Warner asked if the compensation advisors were all in Winnipeg, which was confirmed, but Ms. Hamilton said they are also looking to hire in Gatineau. Ms. Warner was concerned that, compared to other departments, fifteen (15) seems to be a small number and she is concerned about the workload. Ms. Johnson said ESDC is trying to hire more, but supply is limited and the department has to find them. Ms. Johnson also restated that this is a very serious matter for the Deputy Minister

Ms. Hamilton answered that it is not included in the training but even experienced employees have gained new knowledge from the training. They are encouraging managers to help identify the gaps and trends, so that the department can start to provide information sessions this year.

Advisors are not working on a quota system, they are a participant in the assignment, looking at the whole issue. They are encouraged to do their work well. Competencies of Compensation Advisors ESDC are looking for is quite high. ESDC is looking at the learned ratio as we move through this process.

Mr. Bourque asked about the turn around when cases are sent to the Compensation Directorate. Ms. Hamilton answered that it could be an hour however others may need to take actions in different phases. In some cases it may take more than one pay cycle, a few days to a few months.

Mr. Bourque asked if it is possible to be informed when they refer a case? The answer for which was yes.

Regarding repaying the gross for overpayments, the employee is not required to repay these immediately. Mr. Bourque asked why is there a deadline to report these? Ms. Hamilton responded that there are issues with CRA and T4s, but employees don't have to pay until July.

Mr. Bourque commented that there should be something in place for next year, as Phoenix issues will still persist.

Ms. Hamilton strongly urged that everyone file their taxes even if they know that their T4 is incorrect.

3.3 Passport Harmonization Update (Evelyne Power)

• The Service Management Structural Model: article 18.07 of the collective agreement has been invoked. Job content meetings are going to be scheduled soon.
• Connectivity issues exist for passport employees who work on a different email system. Progress is being made on transferring them to Outlook. The transition is on schedule for April 2018 completion. This is positive news and will build stronger linkages with Service Canada.
• IRIS is moving to the desktop ESDC server.
• Backend, full implementation is scheduled to be completed by fall 2018.
• Position with SC College: the work is completed. 11 positions have been reassigned to Citizen Services Branch, where they are a part of Business Expertise.

For next steps, the key focus will be required staffing levels, which are predicted to dip through the summer months as demand levels for passports decrease due to the introduction of 10 year passports. The intent is to keep employees in the department ready for when demand increases again. To prepare for this passport will undertake a series of HR snapshots.

3.4 Budget 2017 Updates (Catherine Adam / Benson Gorber)

Ms. Adam table dropped a deck for attendees. This presentation met the commitment previously made to return to the HRUMCC and provide further details on Budget 2017 activities.

A status update was provided on Social Infrastructure initiatives and Skills and Training initiatives such as:

• Early Learning and Child Care (including Indigenous People);
• Homelessness Partnering Strategy (Preventing Homelessness);
• Youth Employment Strategy and Youth Service Initiative;
• Temporary Foreign Worker Program: Implementation of a new global talent stream and Foreign Credential Recognition.

Mr. Benson Gorber spoke to the impact on FTE relating to these initiatives. The operating resources budget for 2017-18 is $165 million. Most funding was renewal funding for many programs.

Ms. El-Komos to provide regional statistics to committee members.

4.1 Round Table and Closing Remarks

Dean Corda spoke about PIPSC policy if union representative attend union meetings during week-end, the department should let the employee request union leave without pay for the following Monday, to take a day off at the expense of the union. He also indicated that some Examination Leave requests (SH art. 17.16) were recently denied and would like to discuss with Guy Cyr on the issue.

Ms. Warner indicated she had not followed up on a prior request for regional statistics on casuals, terms, acting assignments etc. Ms. Johnson asked to have the request sent to her so that the specifics of what is requested can be seen. Ms. Warner also said that union input to the agenda for the next HRUMCC will be more robust next time but they would like more time for the planning meeting.

Guy Cyr to call Dean Corda to discuss issue.

Ms Warner to send specific request for statistics to Ms El-Komos.