Dear Members,
I skipped my usual update last week given the many messages about Workforce Adjustment we sent you the week before, but now that we’ve all had a bit of time to absorb the news, I’m back. Of course, PAFSO’s regular business has continued during this time.
Workforce Adjustment (WFA)
PAFSO hosted three webinars on the subject in recent weeks, the first two for all members and the third for FS-04 members who are facing specific challenges given the planned elimination of the FS-04 pool by GAC. As well, GAC officials Ann Flanagan Whalen, GAC’s Director General, Assignments, Performance and Talent Management, and Antoine Chevrier, Chief Human Resources Officer met yesterday with the FS-04 employees who received affected letters to clarify, from the employer’s perspective, the plans for the FS-04 pool going forward.
The meeting notes from all the webinars are (or will be shortly) available in the library section of the PAFSO website in the members only area. You can register or log-in here. Your registration will be approved by PAFSO once submitted.
The deadline for affected members to submit their final decision whether they want to accept Transition Support Measures is March 18. We encourage you to take the time to assess your options before making a final decision. If more than 50 members from the FS03 category step forward, the decision on who gets to leave is based on seniority and not who got their application in first Speak with a financial advisor, the Government of Canada Pension Centre, your family and others before making a final decision. You also have access to counselling through GAC’s EAP section at GAC for help with this stressful situation.
Return to Office Announcement
On February 5, the Employer announced that all Executive staff will be required to be in the office five days per week starting May 4, and all other employees are expected to return four days per week starting July 6. While there have been signs that this decision was coming for some months, we realize this can seem to be a sudden and shocking change.
PAFSO takes the position that individual managers and employees are best placed to determine the best way to get the job done for Canadians. We will continue to engage with our members, the Employer, and other bargaining agents to ensure that our members do not suffer unduly under the new directive. This will take some time moving forward, but we also recommend that you speak with your manager as soon as possible, especially if you have special circumstances that could require accommodation. If after engaging with your manager, you believe that your situation is being handled in an unsafe or discriminatory way, please do not hesitate to contact us to be put in touch with one of our labour relations advisors.
We will continue to encourage managers and the Employer to be flexible and look at accommodations for those employees who need them. We will be reminding the Employer of its obligations to employees, including their responsibility to provide safe and appropriate work environments, as well as their duty to use taxpayer money effectively and responsibly.
Black History Month
As I’m sure you are all aware, February is Black History Month, and the announced theme is “30 Years of Black History Month: Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations — From Nation Builders to Tomorrow’s Visionaries.” This theme celebrates three decades of Black History Month in Canada by highlighting the enduring contributions of Black Canadians across time.
In 2023 we lost one of our most active and exceptional black colleagues, CJ Scott, when she passed unexpectedly. In her honour, a scholarship has been launched at Carleton University, and thanks in large part to your December 2025 donations on Giving Tuesday, the fund now sits at $7100, well over the original $5000 target The scholarship supports Black undergraduate students pursuing studies in diplomacy and international relations. It reflects C.J.’s lifelong commitment to mentorship, excellence, and equity in Canada’s Foreign Service. You can read more about CJ and her contributions to International Relations and Diplomacy and make a donation here. Please also encourage interested students to apply here before February 25, 2026.
You can read more about Black History Month at the Canadian Heritage website.
Collective Bargaining
It will soon be time for PAFSO to service notice to bargain to the employer and we want to thank those of you that took the time to answer our quick survey about members priorities and concerns. We had over 500 members reply to both the survey in October and more recently in February and received many insightful comments. The information has been passed to the Bargaining Committee and will be used to help form PAFSO’s position going forward. Just a reminder that PAFSO will not be publicly sharing our bargaining position for obvious reasons and that the timelines for the process are unknown. We will keep members updated on what we can as the process moves forward.
Travel Directive – Arbitration Decisions
It’s always good to end on a good news story. In November and arbitration hearing was held between the employer (NJC) and the bargaining units which includes PAFSO, to address the impasse regarding the renewal of the NJC Travel Directive. The key outstanding issues for the unions were increases to the dependant care and incidental allowances, including indexation. For the employer, the primary issue was an expansion of the headquarters area, with a proposal to increase the radius from 16 km to 40 km.
The decision was just released and the key wins were:
- The declaration-based dependent care allowance has increased from $35 to $50 a day per household.
- Where dependent care is provided by a person or organization in the business of providing care and supported by receipts the allowance has increased from $75 a day per household to $100 a day per dependent.
- The incidental expense allowance has increased from $17.30 to $25 per day.
Indexation was not awarded and there was no increase given to the Headquarters area, but this will be great for our members who travel and especially if you must find childcare to do so. Hopefully this will allow for greater flexibility for everyone.
These changes will take effect 45 days following the award (March 28, 2026) and it was determined that there would be no retroactive payments made.
PAFSO Breakfast on the Future of FS Careers at GAC on Monday, 23 February at 0800
Antoine Chevrier, GAC’s Assistant Deputy Minister for Human Resources, and Ann Flanagan Whalen, Director General for Assignments, Performance, and Talent Management will join us for one of our virtual breakfasts on 23 February at 0800 Ottawa time. This will be an important opportunity to hear the Employer’s perspective on what Foreign Service careers will look like at GAC after the implementation of the CER. It promises to be a lively discussion, and I encourage you to register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/swfRTp8EQUGS91XH2PG9jg
Memorial for David Malone
The many of you who have worked with and known David Malone will be interested to learn that there will be an event in his memory, organized by friends, that will take place on Tuesday, March 24 at 10:00 am at the Beechwood cemetery.
You are also invited to send a short note with your own memories of David to Elizabeth Heatherington at elizmaryh@gmail.com.
Resources
As always, should you have any concerns at work, do not hesitate to reach out to us. That’s what we’re here for. Are you having issues with your pay? Do you feel harassed or discriminated against? Do you have a grievance or a staffing complaint? Or do you just want some clarifications on our collective agreement or the FSDs? Whatever the case, PAFSO is here for you. Just send us an email with your name, department and a detailed description of your concerns. You can click here to learn more about all the member services PAFSO has to offer. For anything and everything else, please send us an email at info@pafso.com and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
Until next time, take care of yourselves and each other.