Minutes of the Contact Centre Committee Meeting

SUMMARY OF DISCUSSIONS:

Opening Remarks

The meeting opened with a roundtable to introduce all participants.

The Management Committee Co-chair welcomed all attendees and shared her appreciation for the opportunity to meet and for the ongoing collaboration with the Union.

The Union Committee Co-chair also welcomed the participants. He then asked for clarification on the cancellation of the May meeting. Management responded that the meeting had been cancelled due to the timing of the workforce adjustment letters to employees in parts of the Agency. The Union emphasized that the well-being of contact centre employees continues to be a pressing issue. They noted that this topic was addressed during the National Union-Management Consultation Committee (NUMCC) held on June 12, 2025, where such concerns were raised and acknowledged by senior leadership. The Union further stated that UTE president (Marc Brière) has since raised the issue with the Minister and advocated for increased budget allocations to address challenges contact centres are facing across the country.

1. Ratio of permanent vs. contract employees by contact centre

The Management Committee Co-chair provided updated statistics for the Assessment, Benefits and Services Branch (ABSB). As of June 2025, the overall percentage of permanent employees at the SP-04 and SP-05 levels was 64%. This represents an increase since the last report in February and it was achieved primarily through the release of term employees. Specifically, Business Enquiries now stands at 96% permanent staffing, while Individual Enquiries has reached 59%. Across all staffing types and classifications in ABSB contact centres, the current proportion of permanent staff is 68%. While the numbers appear positive, Management acknowledged that the increase is largely due to the release of approximately 1,300 term employees.

The Director, Collections Directorate (CD), provided updated statistics for the Collections and Verification Branch (CVB). As of May 2025, the workforce composition is approximately 46% permanent and 53% term employees. The structure has remained stable due to consistent budget funding and the absence of seasonal fluctuations. No term employees have been released in the Debt Management Call Centre (DMCC), and workforce adjustments have mainly occurred as employees returned to their substantive positions.

2. Debt Management Call Centre (DMCC) update

The Director (CD), shared that the DMCC continues to perform very well as they are exceeding service level targets. Furthermore, occupancy rates are high, and average response times remain just over a minute. Management noted that the DMCC serves a different type of audience and that the majority of its workload is comprised of outbound calls, in contrast to ABSB’s inbound calls.

The Director also mentioned that the Accounts Receivable National Inventory (ARNI) team continues its activities, although call volumes have plateaued. Management confirmed that there are currently sufficient agents to meet demand, allowing some to take on pilot projects and other additional responsibilities. This will continue moving forward, with no expected budget reductions.

The Union asked if the current team structure remains at 12 teams. Management confirmed that the ARNI workload team structure remains the same with approximately 120 Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs).

In conclusion, the Union expressed their satisfaction towards the DMCC’s recent performance and workforce stability.  

3. Contact Centre Services Directorate (CCSD) update

The Management Committee Co-chair provided an overview of the current situation in the  CCSD, noting that the financial outlook continues to be challenging. A further minor decrease in overall spending has been implemented, particularly affecting program-specific funding such as the Canada Carbon Rebate. These reductions are having an impact on service capacity.

While post-call surveys remain positive and complaints have not increased, taxpayers are waiting an average of 30 minutes to speak with an agent. The main issue continues to be the ability to connect with an agent due to limited funding and insufficient capacity to meet standard service targets.

Call handle times remain consistent with the end of the previous fiscal year, averaging 15 to 16 minutes. While this is an important metric, Management emphasized that the quality of interaction should not be compromised in efforts to improve efficiency. Agents should not be ending calls prematurely or use practices that would lower call handle times.

The Union stressed that effectiveness is equally important as call handle time. Agents should be correcting necessary client information but should not be expected to gather excessive or irrelevant details. The Union reiterated the importance of passing clear messages to team leaders and maintaining consistent communication.

Management added that the accountability framework scorecard is meant to provide a more holistic evaluation, incorporating multiple performance indicators including call handle time and service quality.

Management also noted that Carolyn Stanley and Trixie Gorzo are currently working on a standardized rehire checklist to be used nationally. The checklist will be developed in collaboration with local management and is expected to be adopted across all sites. The Union acknowledged that while regional variations exist, 95% of the process should be standardized to ensure consistency.

The Union inquired whether time spent by callers navigating self-serve systems and interactive voice responses system prompts are included in the measurement of average wait time. Management clarified that the 30 minutes average only begins once a caller enters the agent queue. While callers can bypass prompts by pressing 0, Management acknowledged the Union’s concern that self-serve navigation time is part of the client experience. This information is not currently measured but may be tracked in the future with the implementation of new technologies.

Management confirmed that a new contact centre platform has been selected. Bell Canada will be the system integrator, and the chosen platform is called Genesys, a global leader in contact centre technologies. The migration is expected in late 2026. Features will include enhanced automation, AI integration, scheduling tools, shift bidding, and advanced analytics. It is anticipated that the platform will also improve the client experience and agent efficiency.

Management emphasized that this change will significantly modernize operations. New features include dynamic vacation modeling based on call demand history, real-time agent feedback tools, and integration of client history for agents to better assist callers. The new platform will reduce administrative burden and improve performance monitoring.

The Union shared on the importance of bringing any updates to the Contact Centre platform to the Technological Change Committee. Management stated that this new technology/platform will be on the agenda for the upcoming Fall Technological Change committee meeting in addition to being presented to this committee.

Management also updated the committee on the current status of term employees. As of July 2025, approximately 800 terms have contracts ending on September 5th. Management expects to confirm retention decisions within the next two weeks and will share office-level breakdowns with the Union. Although demand remains high, the government has not allocated new funding for additional staffing. Instead, emphasis is being placed on service expansion through technology.

The Union questioned why some regions, such as Quebec, appear to retain term employees while others are releasing them. Management explained that regional budget allocations differ and are influenced by various operational factors.

The Union asked if term employees, with contracts ending in September, will be notified about the low possibility of being rehired. Management confirmed it will be included in the upcoming communication. Management also stated that a re-hire pool will still be created but will most likely not be used in the foreseeable future.

Management added that an internal review by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) is underway, focusing on three main areas: public reporting of service levels, the procurement process, and the quality of employee training. Findings are expected to be shared with the Union once available (note the OAG has restrictions on sharing).

In conclusion, Management stated that a Well-being action plan email is scheduled to be sent to all contact centre agents by the end of July or in August. Prior to being sent, the email will be shared with the committee.

4. Accountability Framework update

Management provided an update on the implementation of the Accountability Framework (AF). Prior to the meeting, the Union has raised questions regarding scorecards and the required response time for Quality Evaluation (QE) requests. Management confirmed that any QE requests must be submitted within five calendar days of receipt.

The Union indicated that they had not received concerns from members recently regarding scorecards and noted that previous issues affecting term employees had been resolved. Management confirmed that system enhancements now allow for more automatic updates, which should help prevent similar issues moving forward.

The Union inquired whether QE evaluations are still conducted by QE evaluators working in the same office as the call agent being evaluated. Management confirmed that for the time being, QEs are evaluating within their own sites while awaiting full implementation of the automated process and improvements to language capability. Centralizing evaluation remains a priority, and Management is working toward this objective by fall 2025.

Management mentioned that draft versions of the SP-05 and MG-03 scorecards are expected to be ready by fall 2025. Management intends to share these with the Union for review and field testing.

The Union asked whether agents could have buffer time at the start and end of their shifts to complete system updates as some employees have reported receiving tardiness letters from their local management. Management responded this as a local issue and encouraged employees to raise this locally, where appropriate. They reiterated that this situation should not be occurring and committed to following up with the regions.

Finally, regarding the screen recording initiative, management confirmed that some agents are currently working through technical issues as management is preparing to expand the initiative to more participants. The full rollout across the contact centres will occur with the launch of the new platform.

5. Union Issues

a) Team morale

The Union stated that the Committee recently had an Ad hoc meeting to discuss the issue of team morale and that Management has agreed to provide an action plan. Management suggested creating a dedicated subcommittee to address morale issues rather than combining this topic with the existing Well-being Committee. A national engagement network would be established, mirroring successful past initiatives and best practices from local offices would be collected and shared across the country.

The Union also expressed concerns about the challenge of freeing up agents to participate in team meetings. They advocated for longer and more meaningful team meetings as it is a place where employees can voice their concerns and talk to their colleagues. Management agreed to follow up with the regions and issue reminders about the importance of holding regular team meetings, especially outside of peak periods. Suggestions were also made for off-peak team-building activities.

b) Vacation access

The Union thanked Management for the recent increase in summer vacation availability.

c) Call Evaluations / Scorecards

This item has been discussed earlier in the meeting. 

d) Rehire Process

This item has been discussed earlier in the meeting.   

e) Budget Coverage

The Union noted that some offices are having to handle more end of the day closures than others. Management acknowledged the concern and then provided more details regarding offices closing coverage. The Vancouver office closes at 5pm (pacific time) and they have approximately 174 closing agents, on average. In comparison, the Calgary office has around 97. Management concluded the topic by confirming that no change to the actual model is therefore needed.   

f) Duty to accommodate 

The Union reported lengthy delays in the accommodation process, with some employees being off work for extended periods of time waiting to be accommodated. Management acknowledged backlogs due to both internal processes and external delays in obtaining medical documentation. In DMCC, remote work is offered during the interim. The Union stressed the need for a more human, expedited process.

g) Equal service hours

The Union requested that the Newfoundland office be allowed to start work at 8:30 a.m., consistent with St. John, NB. Management declined, citing national service standards and insufficient call volume during those early hours.

h) Member Access / Onboarding presentations

The Union highlighted ongoing difficulties in reaching members, particularly in Ontario region, and asked for better support for onboarding presentations by local Union Presidents. Management acknowledged this as a regional issue and agreed to revisit the messaging.

i) Span of control

Management stated that the current team leader / employee ratio is at 1-14. CCSD and DMCC will align and move to a 1-15 ratio.

Closing remarks

The Union thanked all participants, noting that while some updates on the financial situation were difficult to hear, the transparency and early communication are appreciated and help the Union better support its members.

Management committed to sharing communications regarding term employees in the coming weeks and agreed to clearly flag items that are confidential.

The meeting concluded with a positive update from CVB: additional funding has been secured to hire two new teams (approximately 12 employees) and 12 more ARNI agents beginning in September. This funding is expected to be recurrent over the coming years.