Horizontal Initiatives - 2015–16 Departmental Performance Report - Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Horizontal Initiatives

General Information

Name of horizontal initiative Workplace Wellness and Productivity Strategy – Modernizing Disability and Sick Leave Management
Name(s) of lead department(s) Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (the Secretariat)
Federal partner organization(s)

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC): Horizontal Initiatives note 1 The outcome of collective bargaining will determine the extent to which the expertise of PSPC’s Acquisitions Branch is required in procuring a new short-term disability plan. PSPC’s Accounting, Banking and Compensation Branch will support development of the technological solution required for interoperability with the People Soft–based absence management system and the human resources and pay systems used in the federal public service.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) – Labour: The Labour Program is identifying options for improving the administration of occupational claims under the Government Employees Compensation Act.

Health Canada: Health Canada is supporting the provision of an updated Policy on Employee Assistance Program and related departmental advice. Its activities are also helping to streamline the application process for medical retirement under the Public Service Superannuation Act.

Start date of the horizontal initiative
End date of the horizontal initiative 2019–2020
Total federal funding allocation (from start date to end date) (dollars) The amount of $25,010,838 in total funding has been allocated over a four-year period for the Secretariat, PSPC, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and Health Canada to carry out a range of activities in support of modernizing the current system for disability and sick leave management. The total allocated funding includes an amount of $21,092,649 from the fiscal framework, along with $3,918,189 from existing departmental reference levels.
Funding contributed by non-federal and non-governmental partners (dollars) Not applicable
Description of the horizontal initiative

Under the Disability Management Initiative in 2009, several structural gaps related to the existing disability management framework were identified. The Workplace Wellness and Productivity Strategy (WPS) was developed in response to the identified gaps. The goal of the WPS is to modernize the management of disability and sick leave in the federal public service.

The Government of Canada announced its intention to implement the WPS in Budget 2013 and earmarked $21.5 million over four years to do so. The funding was allocated between the Secretariat ($13.9 million), ESDC – Labour ($2.4 million) and PSPC ($5.2 million). This plan was reinforced in the October 2013 Speech from the Throne.

Budget 2014 identified the implementation of a modern, comprehensive and responsive disability and sick leave management system as a policy priority.

A business case was developed and identified options for addressing the structural gaps in the current system. The options were based on leading industry practices and on practices adopted by other public jurisdictions. Drawing from the business case and additional research and consultation, the Secretariat led the development of a strategy for Treasury Board and Cabinet consideration, which was finalized in early 2013. Funding for the initiative was subsequently earmarked in the fiscal framework and supplemented by resources from existing departmental reference levels.

In 2014, the Government of Canada embarked on formal negotiations with several bargaining units. In 2015–16, collective bargaining continued and included issues related to the Government of Canada’s initiative to modernize sick leave and disability management.

Shared outcome(s)

The targeted result to be achieved by the Secretariat and its partners is the modernization of key elements of the disability and sick leave management system in the federal public service, with a view to creating a seamless, integrated and sustainable system to support employee wellness and productivity. This initiative will aid in the prevention and improved management of employee disability, and will help to return a higher percentage of employees to work. It also aims to reduce or contain overall system costs associated with disability and sick leave management across the federal public service.

All employees in the federal public service will have the following:

  • Appropriate access to services to maintain their mental and physical health;
  • Support to recover and to stay at work, if possible, when illness or injury occurs, or to return to work as soon as it is safe to do so, with any necessary accommodations; and
  • Assurance of reasonable income security in cases where return to work is not possible due to the severity of the disability.
Governance structures The WPS initiative has put in place a detailed governance structure to support effective, collaborative and timely decision making to resolve ongoing emerging issues. The governance structure includes oversight at the highest levels, through the Deputy Minister Project Governance Committee, the Assistant Deputy Minister Steering Committee and a working-level group of committees covering each of the initiative’s major activities.
Performance highlights Since the commencement of formal collective bargaining, all engagements with industry have been temporarily placed on hold, to respect the bargaining process. Analytical and policy support continues to be provided to the collective bargaining process.
Comments on variances Implementation of the identified WPS activities was delayed because of current collective bargaining activities. As a result, industry consultations could not continue and further refinements to the plan design, which stem from input from the bargaining agents, could not be made. Given this situation, the project partners reduced their level of activity in order to preserve monies that will be required later to deliver the remaining planned activities. Resources have been reprofiled, as needed, to support these changes to the project timelines.
Results achieved by non-federal and non-governmental partners Not applicable
Contact information William Leffler, Acting Senior Director
Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer
140 O’Connor Street, L’Esplanade Laurier, East Tower, 8th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R5
613-946-4794

Horizontal Initiatives Notes

Horizontal Initiatives Note 1

Formerly Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC).

Return to Horizontal Initiatives note 1 referrer

Performance Information: Workplace Wellness and Productivity Strategy

Federal organizations Link to the organization’s program(s) Contributing programs and activities Total allocation (from start to end date) (dollars) 2015–16 Planned spending (dollars) 2015–16 Actual spending (dollars) 2015–16 Expected results 2015–16 Actual results against targets
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat People Management Direction Setting
Comprehensive Management of Compensation
$15,623,157 $4,469,000 $1,809,193
  • Project leadership
  • Coordination and oversight
  • Plan design and policy development
  • Input into the bargaining agent engagement, negotiation and consultation process
  • Change management activities.
  • Project leadership
  • Coordination and oversight
  • Plan design and policy development
  • Input into the bargaining agent engagement, negotiation and consultation process.
PSPC Acquisitions and Federal Pay and Pension Administration   $5,227,999 $3,552,975 $323,013

Support for the development of the Request for Information #4 and Request for Proposals for procurement of short-term and long-term disability plans; dependent on collective bargaining outcomes.

Activities in support of implementing pay and pension information system changes required for the short-term and long-term disability plans.

Preliminary analysis of business needs and preliminary process mapping.
ESDC Labour   $2,412,000 $221,600 $184,922 Activities focused on modernizing systems and arrangements involving occupational injury or illness claims filed under the Government Employees Compensation Act, to reduce reporting times and improve data collection and information available to departments and agencies.

Discussions and consultations under way with workers’ compensation boards to align policy and business requirements for the disability and sick leave management system.

Work under way to identify required system changes to Labour Program’s claims payment system.

Health Canada Specialized Health Services   $1,747,682 $588,141 $266,201

Activities in support of an updated Policy on Employee Assistance Program and related departmental advice.

Activities in support of a streamlined application process for medical retirement under the Public Service Superannuation Act (PSSA).

Work under way to identify required policy updates and changes to integrate ergonomics in line with the disability and sick leave management system.

Work under way to identify required business process changes to the application process for medical retirement under the PSSA.

Total for all federal organizations $25,010,838 $8,831,716 $2,583,329 Not applicable

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