Evidence of meeting #101 for Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was essential.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Okay.
I'd like some clarification. Am I correct in saying that banked sick leave cannot be cashed out when a public servant retires?
4:35 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Compensation and Labour Relations Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
That is correct. Banked sick leave can only be used by employees during employment. At the end of employment, our terms and conditions are such that if those days have not been used.... It's like a life insurance policy. If you've never been significantly sick and there are a considerable number of days left, you leave and retire. You don't cash them out.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Therefore, following your process earlier, that would have been at one time booked as a potential liability to the government that would never be incurred. Am I correct?
4:35 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Compensation and Labour Relations Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
The total liability is the total number of days banked. Whether people use it or not depends on their lifestyle and their luck.
4:35 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
It would be included in a liability. However, in a case where they never use it, then the liability that would be booked would not be the same as the actual cash payout down the road at any particular time. I'm just curious because you said that they cannot carry it.
4:35 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Compensation and Labour Relations Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
It can't be cashed out at the end of a person's employment. You use it, or you lose it. Hopefully, you don't get sick to the point of having to use it.
4:40 p.m.
Liberal
Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE
Just for the record, what would the ratio of people be? Again, the Parliamentary Budget Officer's report states that most civil servants are not replaced when they're out on sick leave.
4:40 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Compensation and Labour Relations Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
That is correct.
If I may, I'd like to turn it to Geoff.
4:40 p.m.
Assistant Deputy Minister, Compensation and Labour Relations Sector, Treasury Board Secretariat
Okay.
StatsCan has looked into the usage by public servants, and Geoff has that information here.
4:40 p.m.
Director General, Collection and Regional Services Branch, Census, Operations and Informatics Field, Statistics Canada
With regard to your question earlier, Sandra had that data in front of her, so I'll pass that on to the committee.
The same survey that I mentioned earlier, the labour force survey, tells us that in the broad public sector, on average, 13.5 days of work are lost due to absenteeism. That is the same number that was referenced in the Maclean's article that was referred to by the member on this side of the table.
April 30th, 2018 / 4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Thank you to all of you for being here today.
My first question is for Stats Canada.
Do you have on you any current statistics with regard to sick days in the private sector versus the public sector at the moment?
4:40 p.m.
Director General, Collection and Regional Services Branch, Census, Operations and Informatics Field, Statistics Canada
That's the number I just gave. The public sector number is 13.5 days. The private sector number is 8.4 days.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
4:40 p.m.
Director General, Collection and Regional Services Branch, Census, Operations and Informatics Field, Statistics Canada
The data are collected from the labour force survey. To what degree we can produce them regionally depends upon the sample size in that region. For bigger regions, we could produce some estimates. For smaller regions, we couldn't.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Thank you.
My next question is for CBSA.
I was wondering if the department has heard how front-line workers are affected, or if they are being affected, by the number of illegal migrants crossing the border at non-border crossings, and if this is taking a toll on the health of those employees and on their usage of sick leave.
4:40 p.m.
Director General, Labour Relations and Compensation, Canada Border Services Agency
I don't have any data that would support either way with regard to immigration patterns and usage of sick leave.
4:40 p.m.
Director General, Labour Relations and Compensation, Canada Border Services Agency
I don't have anything with me. I don't even have an idea that I could start guessing from, and I wouldn't guess. I would need to go back and do some research in relation to that.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
4:40 p.m.
Director General, Labour Relations and Compensation, Canada Border Services Agency
I'll see what's available and what kind of information I would have that would be useful and meaningful.
4:40 p.m.
Conservative
Rosemarie Falk Conservative Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK
Okay.
My second question is for you as well.
How would the proposed changes in this legislation affect the department's ability to adjust an essential service agreement in extraordinary circumstances—for example, if we had a looming strike and there was an influx of illegal migrants crossing the border at non-border crossings?
4:40 p.m.
Director General, Labour Relations and Compensation, Canada Border Services Agency
The proposed regime requires consultation and discussions with the bargaining agent, as opposed to the previous one, so that would be one point.
The other element would be to go back to the point I made about 95% of the front line being designated as essential under the agreement we were able to negotiate with the Public Service Alliance of Canada. We'd have to see how many more officers would need to be designated pending the crisis.
