NCT-Minimum Three Days Per Week Direction
Dear colleagues and friends,
On May 1, 2024, the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) announced that by September 9, all federal public servants in the core public administration (CPA) eligible for a hybrid work arrangement will be required to work on-site a minimum of 3 days per week. IT classification employees who were exempted till now, will commence transition in September 2024, with minimum three days per week presence in the office by September 2025.
This announcement was made without any consultation with employees and the unions which represent them, including PIPSC. Public servants reached out to their unions and consequently, all public sector unions spoke against this decision with one voice. The issues with this announcement are briefly summarized in my article that was published in The Hill Times during the National Public Service Week. You can find this article (in English) here: Return to which Office?
To encourage TBS to rescind their Directions and demonstrate more flexibility that makes sense, rebuild employees’ morale, take advantage of the virtual tools and increase in productivity, and reduce the environmental footprint of government operations, PIPSC and other unions held peaceful rallies. They filed policy grievances against the TBS decision on the grounds of violations of collective agreements and filed unfair labour practice complaints.
PIPSC and other unions also encouraged and supported their members to write letters to the TBS President, and their Members of Parliament, which you can find here: Demand our MPs and Treasury Board President Anita Anand reject a 3-day RTO – send a message now!
While we are challenging the TBS Direction, I am simultaneously working with management at Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Impact assessment Agency of Canada to encourage them to demonstrate flexibility in their implementation plan. In accordance with the Collective Agreements signed between PIPSC and TBS last year, I have established Joint Review Panels on Telework, which you can find here: 1; 2.
The purpose of the joint review panel is to help address dissatisfaction with decisions resulting from the application of the Employer’s Directive on Telework and Direction on prescribed presence in the workplace,
The panel does not replace the existing three step grievance hearing process. If no settlement is reached prior to the final step of the grievance procedure prescribed in the applicable collective agreement, the employee may refer the grievance to the joint review panel, at which point the grievance will be held in abeyance pending the completion of the review by the panel. The Panel will try to achieve consensus and make recommendations to the Deputy Minister or his nominee, for final decision. If consensus is not reached, PIPSC representative will record its reasons for its disagreement with management.
To help our stewards and members file grievances where warranted, I am sharing with you three distinct “Individual Grievance” templates prepared by PIPSC. You may use the appropriate template for Return to Office situations described below:
- To address unreasonable denials of telework requests
- To address contraventions/violations of current telework agreements
- Misrepresentation when hired as telework employee
These templates are attached here: 1. 2. 3.
Please note that any PIPSC steward can help members file grievances, regardless of their classification or geographic location. For your convenience, you can find a list of stewards at Environment and Climate Change Canada here: Stewards List
I welcome feedback and suggestions from all our members. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of any assistance.
Stay safe, stay well!
Respectfully,
Waheed Khan
President, National Consultation Team