PSAC has filed policy grievances against Treasury Board and agencies for unilaterally imposing changes to our members’ working conditions while we’re in negotiations for 165,000 federal public service workers.
Guidelines for those impacted to file individual grievances are also now available.
The grievances follow PSAC’s statutory freeze complaints filed to halt the government’s hybrid work plan first announced in December.
PSAC’s grievances argue that the policy contravenes important articles of the collective agreement, as well as the health and safety provisions of the Canada Labour Code, and the Canadian Human Rights Act.
We are demanding that the government:
- Immediately rescind its hybrid work policy;
- Immediately engage in joint consultation with the union on the return to workplace issue;
- Identify all potential instances of discrimination that may impact members as a result of returning to the workplace for the union to review duty to accommodate, as per Article 16 of the collective agreement and relevant provisions of the Canadian Human Rights Act; and
- Provide damages for any losses that might have resulted from the policy.
Filing a grievance
PSAC encourages members to file an individual grievance if they believe the policy has been unfairly applied to them. The deadline for filing an individual grievance is 25 business days from the date that the policy is implemented in your workplace.
Filing a grievance is an important procedural step that protects your right to have the dispute resolved by the Federal Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board. It also means the employer must meet with you and your union representative, listen to the problems you are having because of the hybrid work policy, and provide a formal response about what they are doing to correct it.
It is important to carefully document the return to workplace problems you are having. To file a grievance, contact your steward, a member of your union local executive, or your component labour relations officer as soon as possible.
We especially encourage members experiencing serious impacts due to the government’s policy to file grievances in order to protect their rights.
If you have incurred expenses and financial losses as a result of the return to workplace policy, be sure to identify these damages to your union representative.
For more information, reach out to your component labour relations officer.
This article was first posted on the PSAC website.
