Values of the Public Service Employment Act

 

The Public Service Commission protects the core values of merit and non-partisanship, as well as the guiding values of fairness, transparency, access and representativeness.

Core Values

Merit

  • Every person appointed meets the essential qualifications, including official language proficiency, established by the deputy head for the work to be done.
  • The manager may take into consideration any current or future asset qualifications, operational requirements, and organizational needs also identified by the deputy head.

Non-partisanship

  • Appointments and promotions to and within the public service are made free from political influence.
  • Employees have the right to engage in political activities, while maintaining the principle of political impartiality in the public service.
  • The political activity of employees must not impair, or be perceived as impairing, their ability to perform their duties in a politically impartial manner.
  • Political activity means any activity in support of, within or in opposition to a political party; any activity in support of or in opposition to a candidate; or seeking to be a candidate in an election.

Guiding Values

Fairness

  • Decisions are made objectively and free from political influence or personal favouritism; policies and practices reflect the just treatment of persons.
  • Persons have the right to be assessed in the official language(s) of their choice in an appointment process.

Transparency

  • Information about strategies, decisions, policies and practices is communicated in an open and timely manner.

Access

  • Persons from across the country have a reasonable opportunity to apply, and to do so in the official language(s) of their choice, and to be considered for public service employment.

Representativeness

  • Appointment processes are conducted without bias and do not create systemic barriers to help achieve a public service that reflects the Canadian population it serves.

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