Policy on Services to the Public in Both Official Languages at Service Canada
1. Effective date
This policy takes effect on July 23, 2013.
2. Background
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Official Languages Act (OLA) are the legislative authorities that govern official languages policies. They state that English and French are the official languages of Canada for communications with and services to the public.
Part IV of the OLA states that Canadians have the right to communicate with and receive services in the official language of their choice when dealing with the Government of Canada and its institutions. The Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations set out the circumstances under which an office of a federal institution has the duty to communicate with and serve the public in both official languages.
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) portfolio, including Service Canada and the Labour Program, must have sufficient bilingual capacity to communicate with and serve the public in both official languages in all designated bilingual offices, and to provide the contact information of its bilingual offices.
The Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) has responsibility for the general direction and coordination of the policies and programs of the Government of Canada relating to the implementation of Part IV of the OLA.
3. Objectives
Service Canada’s Policy on Services to the Public in Both Official Languages sets out the organization’s obligations in terms of the public’s right to communicate and receive services in either official language for all services offered by Service Canada.
The purpose of this policy is to:
- ensure respect for the right of Canadians to be served in the official language of their choice, regardless of whether that service is provided by telephone, by email, in person, over a website, through publications or signage, or at events in which the organization participates;
- set out the rights and obligations of managers and employees in the area of service to the public; and
- set out the obligations of offices that serve the public.
4. Application
This policy applies to Service Canada’s administrative offices and offices that serve the public, including Service Canada Centres (SCCs), scheduled and mobile outreach sites, and call centres.
5. Definitions
5.1. Bilingual office
At Service Canada, an office must offer services in both official languages and is designated bilingual if it meets the following criteria:
- Location of the office: an office that is located in the National Capital Region, if it offers services to the public.
- General rules governing significant demand: significant demand is determined on the basis of the number of persons composing the English or French linguistic minority population of the area served by an office, the particular characteristics of that population, and the proportion of that population to the total population of that area. The rules governing significant demand do not apply to offices located in the National Capital Region.
- Specific rule governing significant demand that applies to Service Canada:
- Restricted clientele: when an enabling act provides that offices must offer services to a restricted clientele and at least 5% of that clientele expresses a preference for one of the two official languages.
- Nature of the office:
- The specific services offered to a restricted clientele (e.g., youth services, outreach services for seniors);
- The offices located in a national or historic park;
- The national or international mandate that serves all regions or that represents the Department (e.g., Olympic Games);
- The correspondence services or toll-free long-distance telephone services (1-800 lines); and
- The communications and services made available through an automated system accessible to the public.
All of Service Canada’s bilingual and unilingual offices that serve the public are listed in the Treasury Board directory named Burolis (www.burolis.gc.ca). This directory is regularly updated by Official Languages Service for Citizens (OLSC), when the decennial census data are published, or as needed following an assessment of demand or a change in service delivery or service area.
If an office is designated bilingual, contracted third parties that offer services to the public on behalf of the institution must also provide those services in both languages.
5.2. Unilingual office
A unilingual office communicates with and provides services to the public in the official language of the majority of the population of the province or territory where the office is located. Such communications and services must be intended exclusively for the public that office serves.
5.3. Public
The term “public” refers to any person, group of persons, professional association, organization, company or representative of a provincial or municipal government, in Canada or abroad. In short, the general public is made up of all clients other than employees of federal institutions.
An office serves either the general public, or a restricted clientele when it is always made up of the same clients, regardless of number, and they are identified on a list in the office.
6. Obligations of designated bilingual offices
ESDC, Service Canada and Labour Program offices that are designated bilingual or that have committed to offering services in both official languages have the duty to communicate with and serve the public in both official languages across all service channels.
The duties of bilingual offices under the OLA are set out in the Treasury Board Secretariat’s Policy on Official Languages, Directive on Official Languages for Communications and Services, and Directive on the Implementation of the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations.
However, unilingual offices have certain duties under the OLA that are identified in Service Canada’s Directive on Official Languages Obligations in Unilingual Service Canada Offices.
7. Obligations of unilingual offices
ESDC, Service Canada and Labour Program offices that are unilingual have the duty to inform the public of the contact information of designated bilingual offices and to direct the public to designated bilingual offices.
However, unilingual offices have certain duties under the OLA that are identified in Service Canada’s Directive on Official Languages Obligations in Unilingual Service Canada Offices.
8. Websites and electronic communications
An office must use both official languages when communicating with the public using electronic forms of communications, such as websites, emails, discussion forums, recorded messages, electronic billboards and computer terminals at information kiosks. All of the institution’s material and communications must be issued simultaneously in both official languages and be of equal quality.
9. Other considerations
9.1. Order of official languages
In all cases (greetings, institutional signatures, memos, business cards, and so on), the order of language is as follows:
- French appears first or to the left for an office located in Quebec.
- English appears first or to the left for an office located in the other provinces and the territories.
9.2. National distribution and national events
All material distributed nationally must be issued simultaneously in both official languages. Moreover, if an office hosts or participates in a national or international event, communications and services need to be in both official languages.
9.3. Communicating with the public through media
Another vital feature of bilingual service to the public is the appropriate use of the media for notices, advertisements and other purposes.
Notices and advertisements published in print media with a general circulation must appear in English in an English publication and in French in a French publication. If this is not possible because there is no publication for one of the official languages, a bilingual text can be used. Equal prominence must be given to both official languages.
Manner of communicating – Depending on the target public, the use of both official languages may be required. The type of media chosen should make it possible to communicate with the target public in the most effective and efficient way in the official language(s) of their choice.
9.4. Feedback from the public
To ensure service excellence, the Department must take into consideration the public’s comments and assess its official language services as an integral part of the overall evaluation of the performance of an office.
10. Supporting documents
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations
11. Responsibilities of the various stakeholders
11.1. Citizen Service Branch (CSB)
- Implement the Policy on Services to the Public in Both Official Languages and its related directives within ESDC, and amend them as needed.
11.2. Official Languages Service for Citizens (OLSC)
- Provide expert advice on all issues relating to the application of Part IV of the OLA.
- Facilitate the process for submitting and resolving complaints.
- Keep Burolis up to date.
11.3. Policy, Partnerships and Corporate Affairs (College@ESDC)
- Work with OLSC to design, modify or review the official languages training module included in the Citizen Service Officer training program.
12. Information
Please send any inquires about this policy to the generic mailbox: nc-ol_program-programme_lo-gd@servicecanada.gc.ca