Email Templates

Military and civilian leaders/supervisors (Chain of Command) are responsible for keeping their staff informed, having ongoing conversations to confirm they are comfortable with the way forward, and ensuring that local public health measures are being followed when employees perform duties onsite/at the workplace.

The text below provides template messages that can be used/adapted to communicate information to team-level staff about our current posture and its impact on each L1/Command.

Please modify as required.

• Message to managers of public service employees on the launch of the Initiating Directive on Transitioning to a Hybrid Workforce to Support Full Business Resumption. Suggested timeline: August/September

  Managers,

  The Initiating Directive on Transitioning to a Hybrid Workforce to Support Full Business Resumption has been released. I ask that all (LIST L1) managers take a moment to read the directive to understand what it means for them.

  This new directive supports the modernization of the work experience, with the introduction of hybrid work. To aid in this transition, we ask managers to take the following actions:

  Evaluate the feasibility of telework for their employees. This exercise would include taking the time to review the guidance criteria for telework and reflect upon common tasks that are required to support business operations and determine the most appropriate work location where those tasks can be completed. As tasks better suited onsite are identified, managers will lead the discussion with their employees’ to determine and agree on a hybrid work schedule.

  Office Space Allocation – (LIST L1) will be looking at how to repurpose the existing office space into neighbourhoods, in order to help with collaborative and horizontal work. The workspace will include a mixture of available unassigned seating, shared and assigned office space, and collaborative hybrid work spaces that will allow managers to bring teams together physically and virtually.

  Clean Desk Campaign – starting Aug 10 – Sept 5, 2022, I request all managers to ask their employees to retrieve any personal items (photographs, certificates, plants, etc.) from their workstations. Managers can encourage their employees to make use any of the unassigned or hoteling stations, as directed by the Management Services Officer, while onsite. This is a department-wide effort and the sooner employees have depersonalized their former office space, it opens the opportunity to repurpose the space to best support future work styles.

  Participate in the exploration phase of returning to the workplace. This includes encouraging employees to go on-site to complete their tasks autonomously or with others and trialing the revised office space model, which will ultimately help us evaluate the effectiveness of this new way of working. Feedback can be shared with the Future of Work positional mailbox.

  I understand that you will have a multitude of challenges and questions on what this means to you and your team. Whether these questions come from your employees, colleagues, or they’re your own, I encourage you to use the tools that are in place to meet your questions and needs can be found at Directive on Hybrid Work: Managers FAQs and Guidance for Managing Hybrid Teams.

  Finally, should you have any further questions please submit your thoughts to the new HR-Civ email at the Future of Work positional mailbox.

  Thank you for your support as we navigate this new way of working together.

  Sincerely,

  (LIST L1)

• Message to personnel on mental health resources. Suggested timeline: Week after announcing L1 work posture moving forward

  To: Unit level personnel
  From: Managers/Supervisors
  Subject: Reminder of Defence Team support resources

  Le français suit

  Team,

  There has been a lot of discussion recently surrounding reverting back to pre-pandemic conditions and the future of our workplace, based on the Directive on DND/CAF Operating and Reconstituting in a Persistent COVID-19 Environment. While it represents a moment of significant opportunity for us to redefine how the Defence Team works, it also represents a time of significant change; change is not always easy.

  The decisions we are making now as a team will affect each of us differently. For some it will be a welcome change, for others it may add to existing stress and anxiety. We must work together to find solutions that maintain operational readiness and productivity, while also supporting and protecting each other.

  I want to remind you that I am here for support. If you are feeling uncertain, stressed, or simply would like to know more, I encourage you to access the Defence Team COVID-19 – Mental Health and Wellness resources, the Frequently asked questions, leverage the Ask Anything: COVID-19 submission box, HR Go RH App and CAF App (Apple/Android), and most importantly, reach out to myself or someone within the Chain of Command. I hope that you do what you need to maintain your mental and physical health, and know that I will support you however needed through the coming months.

  We are navigating these challenges together and we appreciate your patience and resilience. No one is meant to go through this alone and each of us should lean on one another for support.

  [Insert Signature]

• Message to personnel on compliance with PPE and PHM. Suggested timeline: as personnel are returning to facilities

  To: Unit level personnel returning to the workplace

  From: Managers/Supervisors

  Subject: Reintegrating into the physical workplace – adherence to PHM and PPE

  Le français suit

  Dear  [staff member/team],

  First and foremost, I want to thank you for your ongoing patience during this time.

  As we continue in an environment altered by COVID-19, it is my responsibility as your supervisor, to equip you with the necessary protective equipment for you to safely enter DND/CAF facilities.

  As such, with the PHM Qualitative Comparison Framework, we have made the decision to continue to adopt the following Public Health Measures (PHM) and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) within DND/CAF facilities:

  • [Insert building/unit specific messaging like where to access masks etc. from your local health and safety representative.]

  Remember, the CDS Directive 003 on CAF COVID-19 Vaccination for Operations and Readiness and the Government of Canada’s Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination continue to be the main direction for Defence Team members on COVID-19 vaccinations. The majority of Defence Team members have received two doses of the vaccine and it is encouraged that all of these individuals will take the next step and receive their boosters.

  We will continue to adjust our workplace PHMs as the local situation changes, based on regional public health guidance.

  If you have any questions surrounding PHM and PPE’s or about entering the workplace, please consult the Continuing Work: COVID-19 web page, Directive on DND/CAF Operating and Reconstituting in a Persistent COVID-19 Environment, web page. For all remaining questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out at any time or submit them through the Ask Anything: COVID-19 submission box.

  Thanks,
  [Insert signature]