Acting President to Address Issues with
Minister Anand at Mayor's Breakfast
OTTAWA,
ON, May 22, 2024 /CNW/ - The Professional
Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) has released preliminary data
from a recent survey of its members, highlighting significant
challenges faced by federal public service workers under the new
Return to Office (RTO) mandate.
"Our survey results reinforce this order's lack of
evidence-based decision-making and nonsensical nature," states
Eva Henshaw, Acting President of
PIPSC. "The vast majority of our members do not even have an
adequate office environment to return to."
Key findings include:
- Fewer than 30% of respondents have a dedicated
workstation.
- Less than half feel their current working conditions meet their
needs.
- 50% of racialized, LGBTQ2S+, and people with disabilities are
likely or extremely likely to consider leaving the public service
due to the RTO directive.
"There is a clear contradiction between the government's RTO
mandate and the government's goals on increasing equity, diversity,
and inclusion within the public service," says Henshaw. "It's time
for telework agreements that will diversify the workforce and truly
reflect the geography and demographics of Canada."
Further, one of the primary rationales behind the increased push
for RTO – opportunities for collaboration – is not supported by the
data.
"91% of PIPSC members said their meetings are always or almost
always virtual," Henshaw noted. "The public might imagine teams
working closely together in the same space, but the reality is
employees are sitting on video calls all day – rarely even in the
same building as their teammates."
PIPSC will be attending the Mayor's Breakfast event in
Ottawa this Thursday, where
Treasury Board President Anita Anand
is the invited guest. "Our attempts to engage with Minister Anand
have been met with silence," Henshaw said. "It is concerning that
we are forced to buy tickets to a municipal breakfast event to
initiate a dialogue."
In May 2024, PIPSC conducted a
survey of more than 60,000 of its members working for Federal
Departments or Agencies, to assess how the members feel after
returning to the office. More than 20,000 responded to the
survey.
PIPSC calls on the federal government to reconsider its
Directive and work with unions to develop smarter policies
representing the present and future of work.
PIPSC represents over 75,000 public-sector professionals across
the country, most of them employed by the federal government.
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SOURCE Professional Institute of the Public Service of
Canada (PIPSC)