Public servants’ number of sick days are ‘unsustainable’: Clement
The Conservative government is taking aim at sick leave in the public service, where it says the absenteeism rate of 18.2 days a year is more than two-and-a-half times the the private sector average.
Treasury Board President Tony Clement outlined the new policies Monday in the foyer of the House of Commons, releasing the first details on plans that were hinted at in the March 2013 budget.
Mr. Clement wants to replace the existing rules, which haven’t been changed since 1970, with two new programs. A short-term disability system will be put in place for workers with temporary illnesses.
The long-term disability program will be reformed with an aim to improve reintegration into the workplace.
Mr. Clement points out that the current system of banked sick days leads to an absenteeism rate that is well above the average of 6.7 days in the private sector.
“That is simply unsustainable for any employer that intends to run a modern, high-performing and effective work force,” said Mr. Clement.
The minister argues that not only is the current system a problem for taxpayers, it is not fair to employees.
Relying on banked sick days is an “inefficient and haphazard” way of managing human resources, according to the minister, because it does not involve case management and rehabilitation support.
“It’s also unfair to employees. If you are stricken with a sudden illness and you need an operation that will force you to be off work for three or four months, but you don’t have enough sick days, you are simply out of luck,” he said.
According to the minister, 11 per cent of public servants do not have any banked sick days and nearly 60 per cent don’t have enough sick days to cover them until the 13-week mark, when long-term disability insurance kicks in. This is seen by the government as discriminatory toward newer and younger employees.
It is not clear exactly what the change in policy will mean for sick days and whether there will be an annual amount set aside.
This latest government proposal will become part of the bargaining mix when negotiations get seriously under way in 2014. Changing the rules surrounding sick leave and disability will require changes to collective agreements, many of which expire in 2015.
Monday’s announcement is the latest tranche in a serious of reforms and proposed reforms aimed at saving money and improving productivity.
Previous changes included requiring workers to foot half the cost of pension programs, eliminating voluntary severance for workers who quit their jobs and implementing mandatory performance management reviews.
The changes – combined with consecutive years of budget cuts in federal departments – have led to a sometimes hostile relationship between the government and public sector unions. The largest federal union – the Public Service Alliance of Canada – has run several versions of a campaign called “Harper Hates Me” that criticizes Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Mr. Clement notes that at annual cost of $43-billion, spending on public sector pay and benefits is the most significant federal expenditure.
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