During this year’s collective bargaining negotiations, the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) sought to secure strong language on telework. Progress was made, through a Letter of Agreement on telework, which calls for the establishment of a joint consultation committee to review the Directive on Telework and provides for the creation of joint departmental panels – comprised of management and CAPE representatives – to review employee grievances on telework decisions.
These elements are an important step to improving the current policies and making decisions on telework fairer and more equitable for every employee.
As the employer has committed to these actions through the Letter of Agreement, we will ensure that they fulfill their promise to work collaboratively on a path forward. We are working in the best interests of our members so that everyone is able to work in an environment that safeguards their wellbeing and allows them to deliver at their best for all Canadians.
Joint Consultation Committee
The first Joint Consultation Committee meeting with the Treasury Board took place earlier this fall. These meetings present an opportunity to modernize the telework directive, which was last updated before the COVID-19 pandemic. CAPE is now identifying concrete improvements that can be made and will press the employer to evaluate and update the current policy, and ensure this committee delivers meaningful impact for our membership.
The next meeting is scheduled for February 2024.
Union-management panels
CAPE has been consulting with departmental management representatives to establish the joint panels on telework. The panels are intended to review grievances from employees who feel that a telework request has been denied unfairly.
The Treasury Board shared draft guidance for these panels with CAPE and all departments and agencies. CAPE consulted with Local leaders to obtain their feedback and CAPE Labour Relations Officers are now in consultation with departments and agencies, providing feedback and emphasizing the need for decisions on remote work to be made on a case-by-case basis.
CAPE return-to-office consultations
Following extensive consultations with CAPE members, particularly those belonging to equity-deserving groups, CAPE is in the final stages of completing the full report and supporting materials, including an advocacy toolkit for CAPE members to formulate their arguments when discussing their own accommodation needs with management. These products will be shared with members shortly.
The information and data gathered through member statements, as well as an extensive literature review, will build a strong case for why, in its current form, the Direction on prescribed presence in the workplace is harming members.
