Untapped horizons: inside the government unit that helps Canada think (way) ahead
Hidden on the 15th floor of an Albert Street office tower is a government branch whose workers write on the walls and telecommute by robot. It sounds more like a tech start-up, but Policy Horizons Canada is tasked with thinking outside the box to take the extra-long view on issues that could affect Canadians 10 […]
MPs, Senators, staffers brace for Centre Block’s massive move-out, ‘a lot of us won’t be returning’
PARLIAMENT HILL—Spring is not the only thing in the air these days. There’s also a feeling of nostalgia as MPs, Senators, and hundreds of staffers on the Hill brace themselves for the upcoming and massive move from Centre Block which could be closed for at least 10 years for renovations. The move could happen this summer. […]
Phoenix problems compounded by Tories scrapping key back-pay feature, PSPC minister says
Public servants frustrated over delays in receiving retroactive pay should direct their ire to the previous Conservative government, which scrapped crucial related parts of the Phoenix pay system project to save money, the procurement minister suggested to Senators last week. During a March 21 appearance before the Senate’s National Finance Committee, Carla Qualtrough (Delta, B.C.) […]
PSPC launches new ‘ambassador’ program to help employees navigate Phoenix fixes
Nearly 250 public servants within Public Services and Procurement Canada are volunteering to help their colleagues find fixes for Phoenix-related pay problems. “Across government, departments are putting in place measures to support employees facing pay issues,” PSPC spokesperson Pierre-Alain Bujold said in an emailed statement. “This grassroots initiative, made up of PSPC employees, will help […]
Down to the wire to decide on Centre Block summer move-out, Tory whip says delay ‘worrying’
With less than three months until the House rises for the summer, there is still no firm decision on whether MPs will return to Centre Block in September or move into their new digs in West Block as part of ongoing renovations, members of the House Board of Internal Economy were told last week. While […]
Senators complain of ‘shameful’ second-class translation services
The Senate is tired of being the federal Translation Bureau’s second-place client, and wants services comparable to what the House of Commons receives, a group of Senators says. “The first issue that needs to be addressed is the different standard of services from the bureau between the House of Commons and the Senate. First and […]
Legionella ‘absolutely not’ a risk for federal public servants, PSPC says despite Ottawa firm’s findings
Senior bureaucrats and an Ottawa company hired to test federal buildings for the bacteria that causes legionnaires’ disease are at odds over the risk the findings pose to public servants. Spartan Bioscience partnered with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) through the Build in Canada Innovation Program to try out new testing methods for the […]
Feds shell out $250K to bureaucrats for Phoenix-related financial losses
The government has doled out nearly $250,000 since September 2016 to cover financial losses public servants have incurred because of the Phoenix pay system, according to the Treasury Board, which unions say indicates the program is working well despite seemingly low engagement. From September 2016 to January 31, 2018, 1,452 claims have been processed government-wide, […]
Phoenix backlog down 4,000 cases last month, but could still climb, feds say
There was some good news for the public servants affected by the troubled Phoenix pay system today: for the first time in more than half a year, the backlog has dropped. The February update of a government website tracking the issue—known as the Public Service Pay Centre’s “dashboard”—showed 4,000 fewer open cases in the backlog […]
Unions cautiously optimistic about Treasury Board leading post-Phoenix fix, but worry about more delays
The two largest public service unions are applauding the decision in the 2018 federal budget to have the Treasury Board lead the search for a Phoenix pay system alternative, but caution the government can’t cut corners this time. Both the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Professional Institute of the Public Service (PIPSC) […]
