Wednesday, October 14, 2020
As the government of Ontario prepares its Fall 2020 Budget, AMAPCEO has provided a number of recommendations to help start Ontario on the road to recovery.
The pandemic has been a reminder of the importance of a robust professional public service—planning and providing the quality public services that Ontarians rely on.
In our submission to the government, AMAPCEO reflects on the reduction in the size of the OPS as a result of the hiring freeze—resulting in Ontario being the smallest public service (on a per-capita basis) in the country. We also recommend increased funding for the broader public sector—in areas such as public health and funding for arts and culture—to help fight the pandemic and focus on economic recovery.
AMAPCEO is also recommending that, in light of the current high rates of transmission, the OPS Employer maintain remote work policies until it is safe to transition back.
We further suggest that the OPS Employer use this time to rethink what the OPS workplace can and should look like. To what extent can work be done remotely? What of open-plan workspaces? Is there an opportunity for the government to save money by reducing the amount of leased office space?
And—because we believe in a collaborative approach—AMAPCEO recommends that we work with the government and the OPS Employer to help answer these important questions.