Latest news with #TreasuryBoardSecretariat
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
N.L. government, St. John's offering paid leave to employees to volunteer at Canada Games
Both the Newfoundland and Labrador government and the City of St. John's are encouraging their public service employees to volunteer at the Canada Games this August, and offering them paid time off to do it. St. John's Mayor Danny Breen told CBC News time off would need to be approved by their managers, but the city is offering 16 hours of paid leave for volunteering — eight hours per week for each week of the event. "It's a way that we can support the Canada Games, a way that we can support the volunteer capacity and allow our staff to volunteer," Breen said. "Many city employees will be volunteering far more than that, so it's seen as kind of just a small part of their total commitment." In an email sent on behalf of the provincial Treasury Board Secretariat, communications director Diana Quinton said they're "offering public service employees up to six paid days of leave to volunteer directly with the Canada Summer Games, where operationally feasible." "Employees who have already booked leave during the games may switch to special leave with pay under this exemption, provided they meet the criteria," the email said. Quinton's email said they didn't know yet how many employees would be included in the paid leave. On Wednesday, the Canada Games said they had officially exceeded their 5,000 volunteer recruiting goal. Speaking with reporters on June 18, host society co-chair Karl Smith said around 500 people came forward when the paid leave was introduced. In a recent interview, Premier John Hogan said he welcomed the plan. Public sector employees want to volunteer, he said, but can't control that some events happen during the workday. "It's a big production, and it needs lots of volunteers. And I think it's a great thing that people throughout the community be given that time if necessary [and] they want to volunteer," Hogan said. "This doesn't come along very often. It's an honour to host the Canada Games here and have all Canadians from across the country coast-to-coast-to-coast come to St. John's." Download our to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our . Click .
Ottawa Citizen
23-06-2025
- Health
- Ottawa Citizen
More public servants struggling with stress and mental health
Stress levels are rising, mental health is worsening and overall less public servants feel valued at work, according to results from the latest Public Service Employee Survey. Article content The Treasury Board Secretariat released the public service employee survey results from 2024 on June 23, showing a snapshot of regressed well being within the public service. Article content Article content The federal government conducted the survey of employees from 93 departments and agencies between Oct. 28 and Dec. 31, 2024. Typically, the survey is conducted every two years. Article content Article content In total, close to one in four federal public servants experienced high or very high stress levels, according to the survey results. Those levels were the worst since 2019. Article content Article content Around 8 per cent of public servants said their stress levels were very high compared to 6 per cent the previous year, while 15 per cent said stress levels were high, compared to 13 per cent in 2022. Article content The level of public servants experiencing moderately high stress levels also saw a jump of 2 per cent from 37 to 39 per cent. Article content In general, around 8 per cent of public servants had poor mental health, up from 6 per cent in 2022. Meanwhile, those with excellent mental health was down from 12 to 10 per cent, while those with very good mental health was down from 28 to 25 per cent. Article content The survey also found that more than a third of workers were either always or often emotionally drained after a workday. Article content Article content Fewer public servants said they felt valued at work with around two-thirds, or 67 per cent, saying they felt valued in the 2024 survey. In 2022, around 71 per cent said they felt valued at work. Article content Article content Around 20 per cent said they did not feel valued, which was up from 16 per cent in 2022. Article content The response rate for the 2024 survey was 50.5 per cent. Article content It's unclear what could be the cause of worse results when it comes to workers' stress and mental health. The size of the public service shrink by almost 10,000 jobs, after the Liberal government promised to shed 5,000 jobs over a number of years through a spending review. Article content
Winnipeg Free Press
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Newly launched Access to Information review is flawed, transparency advocates say
OTTAWA – A newly launched federal review of the Access to Information system is being greeted with deep skepticism by transparency advocates. The Treasury Board Secretariat announced the government review, which takes place every five years, in a news release late Friday. The release says officials will seek input from a broad range of Canadians, Indigenous groups, experts and other interested people in the coming weeks and months. For a $5 fee, people can use the access law to ask for federal documents — anything from internal emails to policy memos — but the law is widely seen as out of date and poorly administered. Several concerned groups and individuals recently said the review should be overseen by an independent panel — not the government — to avoid a conflict of interest. University of Ottawa professor Matt Malone, who was among those advocating an independent review, says the exercise is flawed from the start and will waste precious government resources. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2025.
Ottawa Citizen
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Ottawa Citizen
Five things public servants need to know about new language requirements
For federal public servants, workplace language rights have been a decades long struggle. Article content New language requirements for supervisors in bilingual areas will go into effect on June 20. The changes, which apply to supervisors with positions deemed bilingual, are meant to ensure workers can comfortably use their language of choice with their supervisor. Article content Article content In an interview with the Ottawa Citizen, Official Languages Comissioner Raymond Théberge called the changes 'a very positive move on the part of government to ensure that the language rights of public servants are respected.' Article content Article content He added that the policy has something his predecessors 'have asked for many, many times.' Article content Article content The requirements, Théberge said, will help language rights within the public service, as well as bilingual service delivery. Article content So what are the changes and how will they impact public servants? Here's everything you need to know. Article content For the public service, the language requirements for supervisors in bilingual regions has been BBB, which means intermediate levels in reading, writing and oral conversation. Article content On June 20, those requirements will increase to CBC, meaning proficient levels in reading and oral conversation, with only intermediate levels in writing. Article content Bilingual regions for the federal government include parts of Quebec and Ontario, New Brunswick and the National Capital Region. Article content To limit the operational impact of the changes, the Treasury Board Secretariat said that the new rules will only apply to new appointments. Article content Article content Supervisors that currently do not meet the new language requirements will be grandfathered in won't be mandated to take language training. Article content Article content However, the Treasury Board Secretariat said that if one of these supervisors changes roles they will be required to meet the new language requirements. Article content Supervisors that do not meet the new requirements 'are also encouraged to work towards CBC (or equivalent) proficiency to assist them in their current role and in their career progression,' Rola Salem, a spokesperson for the Treasury Board Secretariat, said in an emailed statement.
Economic Times
25-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Nearly 10,000 vanish from public service, CRA hit so hard, even tax season feels it
Canada's federal workforce shrinks for first time in a decade , thousands laid off, CRA at epicenter of cuts Canada's federal public service has contracted for the first time in a decade, shedding nearly 10,000 jobs between 2024 and 2025. This significant reduction, detailed by the Treasury Board Secretariat, reflects a broader governmental push towards fiscal restraint and efficiency. The federal public service workforce decreased by 2.6 percent as of March 2025, from 367,772 to 357,965 employees. This marks the first decline since 2015, interrupting a steady growth trajectory that had persisted for ten Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) experienced the most substantial cuts, losing 6,656 positions, which constitutes approximately 68 percent of the total federal job reductions. The CRA's workforce now stands at 52,499 employees. These cuts have been particularly concentrated in the National Capital Region, affecting both frontline and executive roles. Marc Brière, National President of the Union of Taxation Employees, expressed deep concern over the impact of these layoffs, stating, "These successive cuts hit our members hard, but they also greatly impact the Canadian population and businesses. With every position eliminated, processing delays grow longer, calls go unanswered, files pile up, and citizens are left behind in uncertainty." Beyond the CRA, other departments have also faced significant reductions. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) saw a loss of 1,944 employees, bringing its workforce down to 11,148. Additionally, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) announced the elimination of 800 term positions at Service Canada, effective June 27. These workforce reductions align with the federal government's broader strategy to achieve $15 billion in savings over four years. Prime Minister Mark Carney has emphasized the need for government efficiency and a thorough review of spending, with a focus on capping public service growth and integrating artificial intelligence to streamline some departments have faced cuts, others have seen growth. Natural Resources Canada, for instance, added 293 employees, reflecting a governmental emphasis on energy projects and sustainable the government prepares to release its budget in the fall, the full impact of these changes on public services and the Canadian populace remains to be seen.
