TRANSLATION BUREAU AFTER-HOURS SERVICE
June 8, 2005
Since the Translation Bureau launched its after-hours emergency translation service pilot project, designed to offer its clients a round-the-clock translation service 7 days a week, the local and CAPE have been making every possible effort to protect your interests, given the legal and contractual constraints involved.
As a result, after numerous meetings with the Bureau to seek an end to the practice of telephoning TRs who are not on call at home after normal working hours, the Bureau has undertaken to set up a team of volunteers prepared to work a staggered schedule from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Team members are to be paid a premium of $7 an hour for time worked after 6:00 pm, as set out in the collective agreement (see Pay Notes, Note 5, Pay Supplements, paragraph (m)). We trust this will allay your concerns and limit unwanted calls outside normal working hours.
The team is already being assembled, and should make its presence felt as its members settle in and familiarize themselves with texts from the various sectors concerned. Note that it is not too late to notify your manager if you are interested in joining the team. Management has expressed willingness to preserve any special working conditions already in place for employees wishing to join.
With regard to weekend calls, the employer has also undertaken to issue a call shortly for volunteers to be on call, who will be paid accordingly (see article 13.08, Standby Pay), rather than continue its current practice of effectively placing all translators on call without paying them the specified premium. Should sufficient volunteers not be forthcoming, however, the employer could exercise its management right to designate employees to be on call, but they would then be entitled to any premiums provided for, according to whether or not they were called back to work (see articles 13.07, Call-Back Pay, and 13.08).
We have also obtained the Bureau's agreement to take into account the special circumstances of certain employees by making every reasonable effort not to call back to work an employee who has previously notified their manager of a medical or other condition.
CAPE trusts the Bureau will keep its commitments and thereby substantially reduce the number of bothersome telephone calls in the evening and on weekends.
Until the foregoing arrangements are all in place, unless you are officially notified in advance of overtime work or a requirement to be on call, in accordance with the collective agreement, you are under no obligation to be "reachable", or to return to work at the request of a client adviser. On the other hand, if your manager does call you at home to request that you return to work (or work at home) after normal working hours, we strongly suggest that you comply with any direct order, and subsequently file a grievance if the circumstances so warrant. In such a case, do not hesitate to contact the CAPE National Office.
June 8, 2005
Since the Translation Bureau launched its after-hours emergency translation service pilot project, designed to offer its clients a round-the-clock translation service 7 days a week, the local and CAPE have been making every possible effort to protect your interests, given the legal and contractual constraints involved.
As a result, after numerous meetings with the Bureau to seek an end to the practice of telephoning TRs who are not on call at home after normal working hours, the Bureau has undertaken to set up a team of volunteers prepared to work a staggered schedule from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Team members are to be paid a premium of $7 an hour for time worked after 6:00 pm, as set out in the collective agreement (see Pay Notes, Note 5, Pay Supplements, paragraph (m)). We trust this will allay your concerns and limit unwanted calls outside normal working hours.
The team is already being assembled, and should make its presence felt as its members settle in and familiarize themselves with texts from the various sectors concerned. Note that it is not too late to notify your manager if you are interested in joining the team. Management has expressed willingness to preserve any special working conditions already in place for employees wishing to join.
With regard to weekend calls, the employer has also undertaken to issue a call shortly for volunteers to be on call, who will be paid accordingly (see article 13.08, Standby Pay), rather than continue its current practice of effectively placing all translators on call without paying them the specified premium. Should sufficient volunteers not be forthcoming, however, the employer could exercise its management right to designate employees to be on call, but they would then be entitled to any premiums provided for, according to whether or not they were called back to work (see articles 13.07, Call-Back Pay, and 13.08).
We have also obtained the Bureau's agreement to take into account the special circumstances of certain employees by making every reasonable effort not to call back to work an employee who has previously notified their manager of a medical or other condition.
CAPE trusts the Bureau will keep its commitments and thereby substantially reduce the number of bothersome telephone calls in the evening and on weekends.
Until the foregoing arrangements are all in place, unless you are officially notified in advance of overtime work or a requirement to be on call, in accordance with the collective agreement, you are under no obligation to be "reachable", or to return to work at the request of a client adviser. On the other hand, if your manager does call you at home to request that you return to work (or work at home) after normal working hours, we strongly suggest that you comply with any direct order, and subsequently file a grievance if the circumstances so warrant. In such a case, do not hesitate to contact the CAPE National Office.