Latest news with #TreasuryBoardofCanadaSecretariat
Cision Canada
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Cision Canada
Statement from the Commissioner of Official Languages on the coming into force of changes to increase the language requirements for supervisory positions and on the right of federal public servants to work in the official language of their choice Français
GATINEAU, QC, June 20, 2025 /CNW/ - Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada Raymond Théberge made the following statement today regarding the coming into force of changes to increase the language requirements for supervisory positions and on the right of all federal public servants who work in designated bilingual regions to work in the official language of their choice: "I'm very pleased that amendments to the Official Languages Act have come into force that now confirm federal public servants' right to work in the official language of their choice in regions designated as bilingual for language-of-work purposes, regardless of the linguistic identification of their position. This means that even federal public servants who are in a unilingual position identified as English Essential or French Essential still have the right to be supervised in the official language of their choice. "In another highly anticipated change, effective today, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat has raised the language requirements for bilingual positions that involve supervising staff in regions designated as bilingual for language-of-work purposes. The minimum second language proficiency level for these positions has been raised from BBB to CBC. "My predecessors and I have made repeated recommendations on the need to raise the minimum bilingualism requirements for supervisors and to strengthen the language rights of all federal public servants in designated bilingual regions. After all these years, these are two major gains in terms of recognizing public servants' language-of-work rights. "That said, I'm still concerned about what might happen to employees who are supervised by incumbents of unilingual supervisory positions or by incumbents of bilingual positions who do not meet the CBC second-language requirement. It's important to note that the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat is leaving it up to federal institutions to identify and implement administrative measures to protect public servants' language-of-work rights. "In my 2024–2025 annual report, which I tabled in Parliament earlier this week, I've recommended that by September 30, 2026, the President of the Treasury Board implement a monitoring mechanism for federal institutions to ensure that they take and maintain measures to protect the language rights of public employees in designated bilingual regions who are supervised by incumbents of unilingual positions or by incumbents of bilingual positions who do not meet the CBC second-language requirements. "I'd also like to mention that many public servants are still reluctant to file a complaint when their language rights are infringed for fear of damaging their work relationships. We therefore need to continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure that these new changes are fully implemented throughout the federal public service. I'm counting on all public service executives and managers to make the necessary changes and help to ensure full respect for their employees' language rights."
CBC
18-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Court dismisses $2.5B class action alleging systemic racism in the public service
Social Sharing A Federal Court judge on Monday dismissed a motion to certify a proposed class-action lawsuit launched by Black public servants in 2020 who alleged there was systemic racism within the public service. In an "order and reasons" document, Justice Jocelyne Gagné said the case did not sufficiently meet the class-action requirement that the claims raise common issues. Gagné also said the scope of the plaintiffs' claim "simply makes it unfit for a class procedure." Filed in 2020, the class action sought $2.5 billion in damages because of lost salaries and promotion. The Black Class Action Secretariat, a group created as a result of the lawsuit, is seeking long-term solutions to address systemic racism and discrimination in the public service, including compensation and the appointment of a Black equity commission. Gagné said the court acknowledges the "profoundly sad ongoing history of discrimination suffered by Black Canadians" and that plaintiffs have faced challenges in the public service. However, she said the plaintiffs didn't present an adequate litigation plan and that they failed to present grounds for the court to assert jurisdiction over the case. The document also said there are several class actions against individual federal departments and agencies alleging racial discrimination, which "overlap significantly with the present action." Proposed class members, the judge said, "would therefore be included in the class definition of these other class proceedings." Plaintiffs call decision 'major disappointment' The Black Class Action Secretariat said in a news release Monday that the ruling was a "major disappointment, but it is not the end of our fight for justice." It said "this has been a David vs. Goliath battle, and while today's outcome is frustrating, it only strengthens our resolve." The news release said systemic anti-Black racism has long been recognized by the federal government and that the plaintiffs will meet with their legal team to "explore next steps." In 2023, a grievance ruling by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat found that the Canadian Human Rights Commission discriminated against its Black and racialized employees. In 2024, an internal report found that public servants working at the Privy Council Office were subject to racial stereotyping, microaggressions and verbal violence. "For decades, Black public service workers have faced systemic discrimination, and today's decision does nothing to change that reality," said Nicholas Marcus Thompson, head of the Black Class Action Secretariat. A Federal Court hearing took place last fall to help determine whether the lawsuit could proceed. At the time, the federal government filed a motion to strike, asking the judge to dismiss the case. The government argued that Black public servants could file grievances or human rights complaints. The government also called to remove Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP members, as well as Department of National Defence and Correctional Service Canada employees as class members because of ongoing similar class actions. Thompson says the government used procedural barriers to "avoid addressing the merits of this case, rather than standing on the side of fairness and accountability." The government has spent around $10 million fighting the class action.
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Public service productivity study group not looking at remote work, says member
OTTAWA — The working group tasked with measuring productivity within Canada's federal public service has not looked at remote work, one of its members says. Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress and one of the group's seven members, said remote work "is not part of anything that we've discussed at this moment" and she doesn't know if the topic will be part of the study. The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, which is behind the study, would not share details about whether the group will look at remote work, despite it becoming a hot topic among public servants after many were required to return to the office at least three days a week in September. Treasury Board spokesperson Martin Potvin said the group "will explore a wide range of issues and opportunities" based on members' areas of expertise. Maria Gintova, an assistant professor at McMaster University's department of political science, said the group should be taking remote work into account. "I think it's an integral component of any kind of productivity study or any kind of future human resource planning," said Gintova, who has researched the Ontario provincial and the federal public service. "It's happening, like it or not, and the lack of strategic consideration here will … come back and bite." Gintova said she was not necessarily surprised the working group wasn't looking at remote work. She highlighted a recent study in the International Public Management Journal that found only eight out of 56 departments in Canada's federal and provincial governments conducted "thorough analyses of employee productivity, effectiveness, efficiency, or equity with telework prior to implementing their post-pandemic telework policies." The study group has held two meetings so far, with several more planned throughout the winter. A final report with advice and recommendations is expected to be delivered to the president of the Treasury Board by the end of March. Former Treasury Board president Anita Anand launched the government-led task force last year. She said the group would look at issues including the uses of technology, the size of the public service, the relationship between the public sector and the private sector and overall declining productivity. The Government of Canada website for the initiative said the study will examine how productivity is measured in other countries and look at how those tactics could be applied in Canada, while exploring areas where the public service can increase its productivity and finding ways to improve service delivery to Canadians. The working group's members include former bureaucrats, academics and researchers. Bruske, who noted the project was launched in response to concerns that productivity was lagging, said she can't share much information about the group's work. She said it's looking at how to quantify productivity and the work has not yet reached a solutions-finding stage. "We haven't carved out any one particular thing," Bruske said, adding the group is looking at the entire public service, including Crown corporations. "My role there is to make sure that workers' voices aren't being lost when we're trying to find ways to improve public sector productivity." Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre told Radio-Canada on Tuesday that it doesn't matter if public servants work from home, so long as their work gets done. He also said work is not getting done within the federal government, though he did not offer details about public servants' productivity. Poilievre called for public servants to be given clear assignments and be monitored to ensure they're completing their tasks. He also said he would cut the size of the federal public service, arguing that Canada has far too many bureaucrats. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2025. Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press
