National Work Force Adjustment (WFA) Committee Meeting Record of Discussion

LOCATION: 395 Terminal Avenue, 8th Floor, Ottawa

Combined Affected Employee List / Preferred Status Report

Management provided the Union with an update on the combined affected employee list / preferred status report. An additional 15 situations had been resolved since the last report was shared on March 23, 2015.

The Union asked about the timeframe for responding to an offer of relocation. They believed that the deadline for a response had passed for three employees who were on the list. 

Management responded that the employees in question had until July 8, 2015, to accept or decline the relocation offer.

Both parties were pleased that the number of employees on the list continued to decrease.

Launch of the Alternation Calculator

The Alternation Calculator had been launched in early March 2015. This tool determines the groups and levels that are considered equivalent for alternation purposes according to the equivalent definition in the WFA Appendix. It can assist managers in determining the appropriate communities (i.e. employee groups and levels) to consider as potential alternates to exchange positions with opting employees. Employees could also use the tool to express their interest in alternating.

The Union suggested adding language to clarify that the manager had the authority to make the final determination as to whether a proposed alternation will result in retaining the skills required to meet the needs of the position and the CRA. Management agreed with the Union’s suggestion.

Update – SLE Results in WFA Situations

In July 2012 the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) put in place a temporary measure to allow employees in a WFA situation, who had previously held valid SLE results, to be appointed to bilingual positions. These employees were required to meet the language requirements of the position within 12 months of being appointed. The Agency had adopted the same practice which would be in effect until March 31, 2015.

Recently, the Agency decided to continue to extend this measure to all employees who were currently on the WFA list.

The Union asked about the number of people impacted by the decision. 

Management did not have specific numbers to provide but noted that considering the overall number of WFA cases, the use of this temporary measure was minimal.

Closing Remarks

Both parties expressed their appreciation for the positive discussions. The meetings demonstrated the commitment of both the union and management, to employees who had been impacted by workforce changes.