Tuesday, August 16, 2022
Over the past year, AMAPCEO members have made it clear that fair and consistent access to flexible working conditions is a priority for their future.
In a recent membership survey, 98% of respondents expressed a desire for some form of alternative work arrangement (AWA), with access to remote work being the highest priority. Over half of all respondents indicated a preference for a combination of AWAs—for example, remote work and a compressed work week.
While AWAs have been a provision of the AMAPCEO-Ontario Public Service (OPS) Collective Agreement for many years, members reported that there are significant inconsistencies in access to AWAs within workplaces and across the OPS.
As AMAPCEO President Dave Bulmer noted, “Managers have too much individual discretion and too little guidance.”
Last month, AMAPCEO drew from this feedback to draft its submission to the OPS Employer’s “Future of Work” policy consultations.
AMAPCEO’s recommendation was for the establishment of a joint review process in which management and union representatives would together determine a set of AWA standards for similar AMAPCEO-represented positions.
Each position would be evaluated and receive a set standard number of remote working days, specified compressed work week (CWW) arrangements, or a combination of both. The set number would be the default arrangement should an employee request an AWA.
Employees would still have the option to work with their managers to adjust their individual agreement, but a set standard would eliminate the discretionary judgment that may be based on the employee’s relationship with their manager, the city they work in, the ministry they work for, or any other bias.
As OPS bargaining talks are set to resume, AMAPCEO has made it clear to the OPS Employer that it believes this policy is the way forward: it provides members with consistent, fair access to flexible working conditions professionals across most sectors and countries have come to expect.
In the coming weeks, AMAPCEO may urge OPS members to take action to demonstrate their commitment to securing fair, flexible working conditions and their support of their union. The union encourages members to keep their eyes on their inboxes and check amapceo.on.ca/bargaining/ops for more information and to join the upcoming OPS Bargaining Town Hall on September 15.