In a win for PSAC members at the Library of Parliament, the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB) ruled that the employer cannot avoid negotiating telework into the collective agreement.
This decision sets an important precedent for workers’ rights around telework.
For too long, the employer has argued that telework falls outside the FPSLREB’s jurisdiction when it is acting as an arbitration board under the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act, framing telework as a unilateral management right that can be imposed or changed without consulting workers or unions. PSAC has consistently pushed back on this because telework improves work-life balance and productivity, saves money, and reduces traffic, among other benefits.
What does this mean?
In this case, the FPSLREB has confirmed that key telework provisions can be negotiated at the bargaining table, for example:
- Telework requests must be fairly considered by the employer;
- Written reasons must be provided as to why telework is being denied;
- Workers have access to union representation in telework discussions;
- Unions must be meaningfully consulted before declaring positions “unsuitable” for telework.
This decision strengthens PSAC’s position at the bargaining table. It also builds on the union’s ongoing work to defend and expand telework rights, not just for our members, but for all workers who can work remotely in Canada.
This article was first published on the PSAC website.
