Dear Members,
Well, we are just about to wrap up 2022, and those of us in the northern hemisphere are approaching the longest night of the year. In this, my last message to you of the year, I want to take a bit of time and give you a sense of what to expect from PAFSO for 2023. But, before I get into that, there’s a few last bits of news that I need to address.
Deborah Chatsis Indigenous Scholarship in International Affairs
Last month, I asked you to support our “Giving Tuesday” fundraising drive for the AMBCANADA/PAFSO Deborah Chatsis Indigenous Scholarship in International Affairs at Carleton University, and now I have great news to report. The numbers are still rolling in, but so many of you stepped up and gave generously, that we raised in the neighbourhood of $12,000 towards the scholarship. With Carleton’s matching funds of just over $8,000, the $50,000 mark has been reached for the fund, making it an endowed (permanent) scholarship.
Although this year’s “Giving Tuesday” has passed, contributions to the scholarship are still very much welcome and fully eligible for tax receipts. Click here to learn more about the fund and how you can help ensure that Indigenous people are properly represented in Canada’s Foreign Service.
Common Hybrid Work Model for the Federal Public Service
On Thursday, December 15, the Treasury Board Secretariat gave Bargaining Agent representatives a few hours’ notice of their decision to impose a “common hybrid work model” across the federal public service. This model, which will require that all employees of the core Public Service report to the office 2-3 days per week or 40-60 percent of their working hours, regardless of their functions or position assessments, will come into effect on January 23, 2023, with full implementation by the end of March.
Although most PAFSO members have been working in a hybrid model since the early days of the pandemic, and much of our work requires face-to-face interaction, we are disappointed with the Employer’s decision to abandon its previous promises of flexibility and respect for individual circumstances and requirements for a one-size-fits-all model. We believe it is especially unfair that existing full telework agreements may not be respected under the new system. At a minimum, this decision ushers in additional uncertainty and tension at a time when COVID-19 remains a serious public health issue.
Our concern, as always, is with how the Employer’s new policies unfold in real life. Measures must be applied fairly and with consistency in Canada and at missions abroad. Hybrid and telework arrangements should be provided equitably across the workforce while taking into consideration the Employer’s operational requirements. If you believe that the new model is being applied to you in an unsafe, unfair, or discriminatory way, please do not hesitate to reach out to our office for advice.
GAC employee pulse survey
By now, members at GAC should have received an invitation to participate in the Employer’s latest “pulse check” survey. Nominally, this survey put together by the Future of Work Task Force is seeking employee feedback to help identify particular challenges or new areas of attention related to the recent return to the workplace. It is our understanding that the information collected through the survey will serve to improve communications between managers and employees in divisions where issues/concerns will have been identified and was supposed to also be used to shape the Employer’s return to the workplace policies in the NCR.
The Employer did invite bargaining agents to provide their input on the initiative. However, they did so with only a few days’ notice. As a result, we were unable to review the specific questions the way we would have liked to before the survey was launched. For now, we encourage you complete the survey in order to share with the Employer your thoughts, concerns and experiences related to the last few months since coming back to the office. We will be keeping an eye on how the Employer uses the data it collects from you, especially in light of their decision to impose the mandatory hybrid model, as mentioned above.
Standby pay
With the holidays right around the corner, I want to remind everybody of the standby provisions in Article 17.02 of our collective agreement. Whenever the Employer requires you to be available for a specified time during off-duty hours, including by monitoring your e-mail, cell phone, or messaging apps to see if anything is required of you, you are entitled to be compensated at a rate of one half-hour for every four hours of that period, or portion thereof.
I recommend that you approach your manager in writing before the holidays and ask if you are required to be available outside working hours. If they say yes, inform them that you will be claiming standby pay in accordance with your collective agreement. If they say no, take them at their word and stay away from your devices! Your time is valuable, especially when it’s time off, and both you and the Employer should respect that fact. We must also recognize that rest and renewal are essential for our psychological and physical well-being.
A look at the year ahead
And finally, we close out the year with a look ahead to what’s in store for 2023. This year saw many important developments for our association, including making the full-time presidency a permanent part of our governance structure, and creating the new General Manager role. The coming year will see us closing the loop on many initiatives set out in our three-year strategic plan.
In accordance with our mission to promote and preserve Canada’s professional Foreign Service, 2023 will see PAFSO work to integrate a comprehensive intersectional GBA+ perspective in HR issues at IRCC, GAC and TBS. We will also be addressing the systemic and cultural issues that affect the psychological health of our members in the workplace.
2023 will also see us reach a new collective bargaining agreement with the Employer and a renewed and amended set of FSDs later in the year. And, with the COVID-19 pandemic set to persist into the new year, we will continue to advocate on your behalf with respect to OHS standards and the Employer’s return to the workplace policies.
Under the banner of Governance and Organizational Renewal, we will continue the review of PAFSO programming and activities begun by our former Executive Director. We want to make sure that our members are getting the best value for their money and that our initiatives are relevant and aligned with our strategic priorities.
Most importantly, next year will see PAFSO intensify its ongoing advocacy and engagement efforts. As I noted at our Annual General Meeting in October, it’s time for us to focus on addressing the gaps public perception and political support that are at the root of the issues we face in dealing with the Employer, both at the bargaining table and elsewhere. Through the establishment of a new Advocacy and Stakeholder Relations Officer position, we will be able to identify and engage a network of external supporters with whom we can work to further the interests of our members. As well, we will be developing a comprehensive legislative strategy to identify issues on which we can engage with politicians at both provincial and federal levels.
It’s going to be a busy year, but also one in which we intend to make significant advances for our members and our profession. And, through it all, I will be keeping you up to date on every step of our progress.
This will be my last message to you before the holidays, and I hope you all will have a chance to rest, relax and reconnect with loved ones. If you have any concerns with your situation at work, please send a detailed email to our General Manager, Bertrand Myre, and he will connect you with one of our Labour Relations Advisers. For all other inquiries, email info@pafso.com. Please remember that our offices will be closed for the holidays on the week of December 26.
Happy holidays, and I look forward to reconnecting with you early next year! Until then, take good care of yourselves, and of each other.
All the best,
Pam Isfeld
President