Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Today, the Ontario Public Service (OPS) Employer announced that they were further delaying Phase III of their Graduated Return to OPS Workplaces (GROW) plan until November 1.
What this means for AMAPCEO members in the OPS who are currently working remotely:
- Between September 13 and October 31:
- Your manager will begin to work with you to develop a plan for a hybrid return to the workplace starting no earlier than November 1.
- If you wish to voluntarily attend the workplace, you may do so after you check in with your manager. You must be fully vaccinated for at least 14 days and voluntarily disclose this to your manager.
- Starting November 1:
- Depending on the plan you have developed with your manager, AMAPCEO members currently working remotely will begin to return to the workplace in a hybrid approach.
This is a welcome announcement, as we continue our advocacy to ensure that your health, safety, and livelihood are protected during these times.
Many of you will be aware of the COVID-19 Science Advisory Table’s recent assessment that the province is now in the fourth wave of the pandemic, driven in large part by the highly-contagious Delta variant.
The Table recommended that employers continue their work-from-home policies until vaccination is high enough to better protect the population. This would help avoid another lockdown and help keep transmission numbers from going higher.
To that end, AMAPCEO, along with fellow bargaining agents the Association of Law Officers of the Crown (ALOC), the Ontario Crown Attorneys’ Association (OCAA), and the Professional Engineers Government of Ontario (PEGO), wrote to the OPS Employer today to formally request the GROW plan be paused indefinitely until the fourth wave of the pandemic subsides.
While today’s deferral was a good start, we will keep you updated on our advocacy to push the return date even further.
In the meantime, your union will continue to review Ministry- and workplace-specific plans to ensure the Employer is doing all they can to keep you safe and healthy at work.
And I remind you that if you have a need for a formal health or family status accommodation, please contact an AMAPCEO Workplace Advisor as soon as you are able. You can find the Workplace Advisor for your Ministry or agency on our website.
We will provide you with more updates as we get them.
Until then, be well and stay safe.
Stronger together,
Dave Bulmer
President & CEO
