GLOBAL BEST PRACTICES IN PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION REFORMS:
A COLLECTIVE, MERIT-BASED APPROACH TO
MANAGING WORKFORCE ADJUSTMENT
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
OF CANADA
RDIMS #1073264
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE CANADIAN
PUBLIC SERVICE
Federal Human Resources Management
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Whole-of-government effort to
reduce the size of the Canadian
public service
Led by the Office of the Chief
Human Resources Officer (OCHRO)
of the Treasury Board Secretariat
Included all key stakeholders in the
human resources management
system
Canada School of Public Service
Privy Council Office (PCO)
Public Service Commission (PSC).
Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer
Public Service Commission
Supports the achievement of a high-quality workforce
and workplace through classification, compensation
and labour relations, diversity and employment equity,
human resources management, learning and
leadership development, official languages, pensions
and benefits, Performance Management Program for
Employees, talent management, values and ethics
Holds authority to appoint, delegate powers and
administer provisions relating to political activities;
provides staffing policies and guidance; conducts
investigations and audits of appointments, and
investigations of improper political activities; provides
staffing and assessment services; and reports directly
to Parliament
Departments, Agencies
and Bargaining Agents
Canada School of Public Service
Supports the growth and development of public
servants; helps ensure they have the knowledge, skills
and competencies needed; assists deputy heads in
meeting the learning needs of their organization.
Privy Council Office
Provides public service leadership; manages the
appointment process for senior positions; and sets
policy on human resources issues and public service
renewal
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CANADIAN WORKFORCE REDUCTION
EXERCISE – AN OVERVIEW
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TBS/OCHRO and other central bodies proactively developed public service-wide
tools and solutions promoting a responsible and coherent approach to managing
public servants faced with potential job loss as a result of the workforce reduction
initiated in 2012.
Anticipated and took advantage of opportunities to strategically plan for human
resources needs by managing vacancies and using attrition to minimize number of
employees affected once a workforce reduction process was initiated.
Reductions guided by Workforce Adjustment Directive and the Directive on Career
Transition for Executives.
Affected employees provided with several options to manage their affected status,
including voluntary departure, job swapping through an alternation initiative and
education and retraining allowances.
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CANADIAN WORKFORCE REDUCTIONS– A FRAMEWORK OVERVIEW
Work Force Adjustment
• Deputy Head decides that the services of one or more indeterminate employees will no longer be
required due to: lack of work; discontinuance of function, relocation (where employee refuses to
relocate); or alternative delivery initiative.
• Deputy Head must determine which employees will receive a Guaranteed Reasonable Job Offer
(GRJO) and which ones will become “opting” employees.
Employee with a GRJO
On surplus priority status until receives/accepts
a RJO, is laid-off or resigns.
Employee
Accepts RJO
• Removed from
surplus priority
status.
Source: TBS
Employee refuses RJO
• Laid-off but no sooner
than 6 months from
beginning of surplus
period;
•Layoff priority status
(unpaid) for 1 year.
Opting Employee – No GRJO
Employee has 90 to 120 days to choose one of
three options depending on which agreement applies
Option A: 12-Month
Surplus Status to
Secure a RJO
•Receives/accepts RJO.
• If does not receive/accept
RJO, is laid-off (no sooner
than 6 months) with layoff
priority status for 12 months
(unpaid).
•If no RJO received /
accepted during layoff
priority status, entitlement
ceases. No longer an
employee of PS.
Option B: Transition
Support Measure (TSM)
• Employee resigns.
• Receives cash payment
of up to 52 weeks salary,
based on years of service.
Alternation
(job swapping)
between those
declared
affected and
those who
wanted to
leave
voluntarily
Option C: Education
Allowance
• Cash payment equivalent
to TSM plus education
allowance of up to $11,000.
• Employee resigns or
takes leave without pay
(LWOP) for up to 2 years to
pursue education.
• After LWOP, if no alternate
employment is found
employee is laid off with layoff
priority status for 12 months
(unpaid).
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WORKFORCE REDUCTION USING A MERIT-BASED
APPROACH – LEGISLATIVE OBLIGATIONS
PSC Mandate: Promote and safeguard merit-based appointments that are free from political influence and, in
collaboration with other stakeholders, protect the non-partisan nature of the public service.
In the context of workforce reductions PSC has two roles: to provide policy guidance and support to departments
in selecting employees for retention or lay-off; and to support persons that have a priority for appointment in the
public service.
Selection of Employees for
Retention or Layoff
(SERLO)
• When a selection among employees in similar positions is necessary, PSC requires that
decision be based on merit using a SERLO process.
• Managers required to establish assessment strategies and administer assessment
instruments to support selection decisions.
• Use of SERLO emphasizes merit as the basis for employment in the public service and
allows the public service to retain qualified employees who have the skills and experience
needed for the future.
The Priority Administration
Program
(Redeployment of Affected
Workers)
• In line with legislative requirements, surplus employees and laid-off individuals are
placed in the Priority system and are eligible to be appointed ahead of all others to vacant
positions in the public service, provided they meet the essential qualifications of the
positions. The Priority Administration Program allows the public service to redeploy
skilled and experienced employees.
• An employee may remain in the priority system, depending on their priority status, for a
period between 1 and 2 years.
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PARTNERING TO MANAGE CHANGE
Engagement and Priority Setting Involving Human Resources Management Partners
Capacity Building & Training to Ensure Effective Roll-out
PSC Areas of
Responsibility
Merit-Based
Selection of
Employees for
Retention or
Lay-off
(SERLO)
Priority
Placement
(Redeployment
of Affected
Workers)
Systems & Tool
Development
Updated guidance
documents, and
addition of
components relevant
to the workplace
reduction exercise
Increased training and
support for the PSC
staff responsible for
administering priority
placement
Updated the Priority
Information
Management System
(PIMS)
Process
Management
Proactive outreach to
explain technical
requirements and to
respond to questions
Execution
Attended weekly ADM-level
Priority Information
Management System (PIMS)
and the Strategic Workforce
Issues Management (SWIM)
meetings
Attended bi-weekly meetings
of the Strategic Issues
Management Working Group.
Provided services to assist
managers to establish
assessment strategies and
administer assessment
instruments
Delivered cross Canada
presentations to
regional councils in
partnership with TBS
and CSPS
Established clear
internal and external
governance structures
Launched a Priority
Portal – a web-based
application in a secure
electronic window
linked to the PIMS
database that enhances
the user experience for
all
Monitoring &
Course Correction
Added questions about
SERLO in the
government-wide
Survey of Staffing
Amended the deputy
head delegation
instruments to ensure
priority placements are
made in accordance
with legislative
requirements
Merit-Based Workforce
Reduction
Consistent Communication, Collaboration and Coordination
Added a deputy level
accountability to ensure
proper priority
management in
departments
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WORKFORCE REDUCTION USING A MERIT-BASED APPROACH
ENABLING FACTORS
• Shared accountability, collaboration and
coordination between organizations
responsible for Human Resources
Management, Deputy Heads in organizations
and Bargaining Agents
• Enabling legislation
• A mature delegated system with appropriate
checks and balances
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WORKFORCE REDUCTION USING A MERIT-BASED APPROACH
IMPACTS
Selection of Employees
for Retention or Layoff
(SERLO)
• PSC sample of 36 SERLO processes conducted between January 1, 2012 and December
31, 2013 in nine departments and agencies to establish early signals as to the success of
SERLO processes.
•Overall results of review: SERLO processes examined in the sample compliant with
regulations.
•PSC undertaking a study using findings and respondent comments related to SERLO from
the 2012 and 2013 surveys of staffing to get a greater sense of how SERLO processes have
been perceived by survey respondents.
The Priority
Administration
Program
(Redeployment of
Affected Workers)
•Between fiscal year 2012-2013 and to date in 2014-2015, approximately 2,865 federal
public servants have been declared surplus. Of that number approximately 500 public
servants proceeded to lay-off.
•Result suggests the public service effectively retained and redeployed skilled and
experienced employees as well identified skill sets that are no longer required to fulfill its
mandates.
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WORKFORCE REDUCTION USING A MERIT-BASED APPROACH
SUSTAINABILITY AND TRANSFERABILITY
• The requirement for leaner public service
organizations may become a reality in other
jurisdictions.
• Overall business continuity was maintained during
the workforce reduction process.
• A merit-based approach to workforce reductions
and priority placement allows the public service to
redeploy skilled and experienced employees.
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WORKFORCE REDUCTION USING A MERIT-BASED APPROACH
LESSONS LEARNED
Selection of employees
for Retention or Layoff
(SERLO)
The Priority
Administration
Program
(Redeployment of
Affected Workers)
• Clear and timely communications is essential to effective messaging.
• To prevent misunderstanding on the part of affected individuals (e.g. “I
have to compete for my own job”), once policy announcements are made,
all tools to facilitate execution should be in place.
• Engagement at all levels and realignment of organizational priorities
ensured responsive attention to policy and systems issues as they arose.
• Extensive consultation and collaboration with stakeholders and
establishing a Community of Practice helped to bridge the organizationcentral agency gap and allowed capacity to be scaled up quickly and
effectively.
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