As you’ve probably heard by now, the Treasury Board Secretariat has released the final version of its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for all federal public servants, including the RCMP.

We encourage you to review the full details of the policy so that you understand how it affects you.

The Prime Minister announced that Crown corporations, agencies, and other employers in the federal public service will be expected to implement mirror policies, but the Treasury Board has clarified that this policy will not immediately apply to them.

As the union representing the scientists who approved the COVID-19 vaccines, PIPSC welcomes all efforts to increase vaccination coverage in Canada. That includes a vaccine policy that makes vaccines more accessible to our members and accommodates legitimate reasons for which an employee may not be vaccinated.

While an employer can’t force employees to get vaccinated, it can encourage vaccination and even make it a condition of work in certain jobs.

The consultation process with the Treasury Board was rushed and unsatisfactory. Nevertheless, we must work with the policy in its current form.

The consequences for non-compliance are very serious. Our primary concern is ensuring that all PIPSC members are in compliance, either by becoming vaccinated or by receiving accommodation in accordance with the policy.

The policy allows for accommodations in a few specific cases:

• a certified medical contraindication
• religion
• another prohibited ground for discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act

Here’s what you need to do to comply with the policy:

1. If you are not already vaccinated, make an appointment as soon as possible
2. Submit your attestation of vaccination as instructed by your department or agency
3. If you need accommodation, use the tools provided by your department or agency to request one

If your request for accommodation is unreasonably denied, our employment relations experts will then be able to review your individual case and offer recommendations. Please use this special vaccination help form to request help only after your accommodation request has been denied.

Some of you have expressed privacy concerns about providing your attestation of vaccination or other personal medical information to your employer. We will be diligently monitoring this issue to ensure your personal information is protected.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience as we work to ensure all PIPSC members are treated fairly and respectfully.

Over the past 19 months, Canadians have seen how public service professionals are vital in times of national emergency. To handle future crises and deal with rapidly changing workplaces, Canada needs a well-trained public service.

To address these needs, PIPSC is pleased to announce a partnership with the Future Skills Centre (FSC). FSC will contribute $2.5 million over 3 years towards an innovative initiative to help public service professionals gain the skills they will need to thrive in their careers.

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“Anticipating changes to labour markets and equipping workers with the skills needed to adapt to rapidly changing workplaces is one of the challenges of our time,” said PIPSC President Debi Daviau. “We are excited to be working with the Future Skills Centre to help members of the professional public service prepare for the future and continue providing Canadians with the vital public services they rely on.”

As a result of the Board’s decision to make full vaccination against COVID-19 a mandatory requirement for attending in-person union meetings, events, or activities, PIPSC has developed a system to automate the proof of vaccination process.

Please note that this is a one-time registration process. Once you have submitted your proof of vaccination and it has been approved, you are eligible to attend all PIPSC in-person meetings or events. 

The system is set up using our “Expense Claim” system in Concur. If you have ever submitted an expense claim, you’re already familiar with the process. However, even if you have never used it before, we’ve made it easy for you by outlining the 6 steps below.

How to upload proof of vaccination

Step 1. Sign into your Concur account and select “Create a new Expense Claim”. To sign in to Concur, click here.  [If you have never used or signed in to Concur, here’s a start-up guide to help you set up an account].

Step 2. Select “Proof of Vaccination” when asked for the “Meeting Type” and “Meeting Field”. Enter “N/A” in the “TAN/Meeting ID” field

Step 3. Click “Add a New Expense” and select “Vaccination Passport” under Section 07. Other

Step 4. For the “Transaction Date”, enter the date that you received your second valid dose. For the “Amount”, enter $0.00 

Step 5. Click on “Attach Receipt” and attach your Proof of Vaccination. This should be the dose administration receipt for your second vaccination dose.

Step 6. Click “Submit Report”

PIPSC staff will review your record. If there is an issue with your vaccination record, someone will be in touch with you to follow up. If you don’t hear back, it means your proof of vaccination has been approved.

It is with a profound sense of sadness that the Institute informs you of the passing of Harry Walker. Harry died on September 15, 2021, surrounded by family, after a lengthy illness.

Harry served on the AFS national executive from its inception in 2001 until 2016 as the AFS CS National Consultation Representative.

His commitment to members was deep and unwavering. Harry was recognized for his outstanding work for the CS community.

At the 2016 PIPSC Annual General Meeting, the Institute presented Harry with the Institute Service Award.

We will remember him with respect for his commitment and professionalism to members.  

Harry was also a Harley Davidson enthusiast and regularly attended, along with his beloved spouse Terry, the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota.  A final ride for Harry will be held in Kelowna, British Columbia, at a later date.

The Institute extends its condolences to Harry’s family and friends.

OTTAWA, October 5, 2021 — Auditors, forensic accountants, and other tax professionals at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) have had enough of wealthy individuals and corporations avoiding taxes. They want the time and resources needed to collect offshore taxes, according to the union representing them.

“The release of the Pandora Papers provides another disturbing window into the complex global commercial landscape that allows many wealthy individuals and corporations to look for a haven where the tax rules don’t apply,” said Debi Daviau, President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC). “We need more investment in the CRA, along with enhanced transparency, international cooperation and political will to ensure everyone pays their fair share.”

The Liberals committed in their platform to invest up to $1 billion per year in the CRA to combat this type of tax avoidance, and to work with international partners to implement a global tax minimum so that corporations can’t escape the taxes they owe.

“We urge the government to fast-track its tax fairness agenda,” said President Daviau. “Canadians are fed up with the shell game, and tax professionals at the CRA are firmly among them.”

According to an Abacus Data poll commissioned by the Broadbent Institute and PIPSC, 92% of Canadians support closing tax loopholes used primarily by the wealthy and making it harder for corporations to strategically book profits in tax havens.

“Tax laws need to be revised and tax professionals at the CRA need the resources to enforce them equitably. The new Liberal government promised to take this issue seriously, and the new Minister of Revenue should get clear marching orders in their forthcoming mandate letter,” concluded Daviau.

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada represents approximately 60,000 public service professionals across Canada, including nearly 12,000 auditors, forensic accountants, and other tax professionals at the CRA.

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For more information: Johanne Fillion, 613-883-4900 (cell), jfillion@pipsc.ca

In 2021, we awarded 36 scholarships worth a total of $56,000.  To date, we’ve awarded $1,050,000 in scholarships to 542 students.

Thank you to our members and corporate sponsors. Congratulations to all our laureates.

Our scholarships are funded by the generous contributions of individual members, constituent bodies, and by corporate sponsors.

You can help us support a new generation of young professionals and make a difference in their lives.

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Earlier this summer, the government announced the launch of a new Task Force to review the Employment Equity Act and break down the barriers to the recruitment, promotion and retention of members of equity-seeking groups in federally-regulated workplaces.

This issue is top-of-mind for our members and the Institute fully supports the work of the Task Force. 

Given our members’ unique perspective on the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) situation in federal workplaces, we are eager to work with the Task Force towards developing permanent solutions to address this critical issue. We have contacted its Chair, Professor Adelle Blackett, to request a meeting with her team in the weeks ahead and have also submitted our analysis and recommendations in writing.

The representation of equity-seeking groups in the federal workplace cannot improve in the current context. Decisive and immediate action must be taken to finally create a federal workplace that reflects the people of Canada and their values. The federal government must move away from “quick fixes” and address this critical issue once and for all.

We are in the process of preparing a second document for the Task Force that will exemplify many of our racialized members’ staffing and employment equity experiences in federal service.

The federal government announced today that it would mandate COVID-19 vaccines for all federally regulated employees.

As the union representing the scientists who approved the COVID vaccines, PIPSC welcomes all efforts to increase vaccination coverage in Canada. That includes a vaccine policy that makes vaccines more accessible to our members and accommodates legitimate reasons for which an employee may not be vaccinated.

While an employer can’t force employees to get vaccinated, it can encourage vaccination and even make it a condition of work in certain jobs. A blanket policy without the necessary legitimate exceptions, however, will fail.

That’s why we’re working with the government to share our views about what they’ve missed in their proposed policy, so that it can be improved and they can get this right. 

Update:

We’ve heard from the Treasury Board that they will be releasing their revised draft policy in a few days. This means that we still don’t know important details – including how members who can’t be vaccinated will be accommodated. It also makes it difficult for us to respond to individual member concerns. Our best advice for members who anticipate they will need accommodation is to wait for the policy to be released before seeking union support.

From the moment vaccines were approved, PIPSC has been pushing the government to meet its obligation to provide vaccines to employees in critical positions. At the time, the government passed responsibility to the provinces. Now that it seems more interested in vaccine coverage in federal workplaces, we want to see them adopt our recommendations.

We are also calling on the federal government to continue other measures to reduce exposure to the virus, such as working from home, staggered schedules, and flexibility for family care.