My org uses Archibus. We are able to book desks five or six weeks ahead of time and booking opens at 12:00pm the day before the day you’re booking —if you are booking for Tuesday, December 3rd, Archibus will open up bookings on Monday, November 4th.

If Monday is one of your in office days, you have to log in to Archibus and book your desk on Sunday at 12:00pm. It’s a pain in the ass and we shouldn’t have to log into a work app on a Sunday just to make sure we have a decent desk five weeks from now.

Are all organizations like this or is it just mine?

So what happens if an employee is pregnant during their term? Employed for a year only do they get mat leave at all? Eventually lose their job when term ends? Wanting to try for a second child but also want to become indeterminate one day I’m just getting older so I don’t think I can wait.

I am an indeterminate AS-02, must I be in a pool to apply for other As-02 indeterminate positions ? or am I automatically qualified for an AS-02 pool ?

I recently had an adult psycho-educational assessment and I have ADHD. My psych has accommodation recommendations. I do not want to share the entire report but just the accommodation portion. Who all will see this? Or can I send in an HR or similar ticket myself? I dont think it’s my boss’s business of the medical details but only what I need to be accommodated. TL is a big gossip so I know how this will go if she gets a hold of docs.

Hello everyone, I currently have 2 pathways I can go down in life to achieve my dream job, a BSO in the CBSA (I know... im aware of the negative job satisfaction and the negative reputation but it's something i've wanted to do since high school). I was wondering if you could take a few minutes to read my post since this will have major impacts on my life (especially if you have or know people with CBSA experience)!

Here's a bit of information about me:
- 21 years old
- Currently living in British Columbia Vancouver
- Currently completing my 3rd year in University studying a Bachelor of Economics
- Currently working under FSWEP for a small administrative office position.

Here are my 2 pathways I can go down:

1 . I am currently being offered an indeterminate full-time CR-4 position starting in March 2025. I was thinking of working as a CR-4 indeterminate until September 2026 (to complete my probation), then taking 1 year LWOP for education until September 2027 (so that I can graduate with a degree). Then working the mandatory 1 year upon my return until September 2028 (I believe this is mandatory with LWOP but correct me if I'm wrong). Then in September 2028, I apply to CBSA with my 2 years of full-time CR-4 indeterminate experience.
Pro's:
- It's already an indeterminate position, and considering the budget cuts and hiring freezes might be a good idea to get a foot in the government, but i'm not sure if 2 years as a CR-4 will help my CBSA application???
- I can work a CR-4 indeterminate government position while I go through the very long CBSA hiring process.
Cons:
- I'm not interested in working an office CR-4 position with 0 WFH days (and this job is also a 1.5 hour commute with public transportation) and September 2028 feels sooo far away, I want to become a BSO in the CBSA as soon as possible.

2. (the option I'm considering) At the end of 2024, I will have over 1 year of student government experience working in administrative positions. I could use this experience to apply to become a SBSO (student BSO), and during my University time I could also improve my French and get my BBB. By April 2026, I would have graduated with a University Bachelor degree and get my French BBB by then, and hopefully at least one SBSO term.
Pro's:
- I have the chance of becoming a BSO in the CBSA sooner (April 2026 vs September 2028)
- I would have learned French by the time I graduate and get the 800$ bilingual bonus and hopefully get deployed as a BSO at better places in Canada since I'm bilingual (I can not learn French with option 1 since my work-study schedule would make my life too busy).

Cons:
- Becoming a BSO in CBSA is a very very long process, I could be unemployed for some time after graduation, but then again I could also just work casual term positions with my University degree until I get into the CBSA.

Basically I am wondering... if you were someone who was interested in only becoming a BSO in the CBSA, what option makes more sense, 1 or 2?
Does 2 years as a CR-4 really make a difference in a CBSA application for BSO or is 1 year of student government experience with a University degree and BBB French enough?

Thanks :)

I’m looking for the policy/directive that details how long your own position will be held for you while you are on long term disability. Thank you.

As the title indicates there is a high chance of a snap election being forecasted either Spring or early summer, with budgets in many departments not being finalized what impact will this have? Will departments stop hiring, shutting down non priority work, not committing to things?

I vaguely remember during pandemic being allowed to use a certain type of leave to get vaccinated. Does this still exist?

Hey all, looking for some advice as I navigate my next career steps in the public service!

I started as a CR-04 less than two years ago, worked hard to secure an indeterminate position, and was promoted to an AS-02 just under two months ago. I’m feeling confident in my role, supported by positive feedback from my team lead and a great working relationship with my manager and colleagues.

During my time as a CR-04, I applied to several higher-level competitions within my agency to potentially advance. I’ve qualified as an AS-03, as an AS-02 twice, and am currently in the middle of a CT-FI-01 competition. Despite getting the “qualified” emails from assessment boards, I found that these pools didn’t lead to any job offers for months. But since my recent promotion within my team, I’ve suddenly received two at-level AS-02 opportunities this week.

Here’s where I could use some advice:

1. Retention Allowance and Salary: In my current role, I’m eligible for a retention allowance since I work in compensation, which means I earn a bit more baseline than I would in other AS-02 roles. If I accept one of these other AS-02 positions, can I negotiate a step increase to offset the loss of this retention allowance? Has anyone here been in a similar situation?

2. Career Progression: The offered AS-02 roles have a different team structure, with more AS-03s in the mix, making upward mobility feel more realistic. In my current team, AS-02 is about as high as it goes, there are no AS-03s, and many colleagues have been in their AS-02 roles for years. Is it worth moving for the chance of quicker advancement?

3. FI Stream and Long-term Goals: My background is in finance, so the FI stream appeals to me. It’s a chance to work in a field that aligns with my education. However, I’m still in the competition phase and haven’t been offered a specific FI role. Should I wait this out, or does the more structured AS-02 progression sound like a better immediate choice?

4. Loyalty and Reputational Concerns: I’m grateful for my current promotion, as it came sooner than I’d expected. I worry that taking a deployment so soon, just two months after being promoted, might feel like a betrayal to my current team. I feel a sense of loyalty and don’t want to burn bridges, especially with the support my manager and team have given me. Any thoughts on handling this aspect?

As a relative newbie to the public service, I’d really appreciate any advice or insights you all might have. Thanks in advance! 😊

My husband (a federal public servant) and I would both like to take significant time off after our baby is born. Our plan is to apply for maternity/ parental leave paid over 12 months as far as Service Canada is concerned ( standard maternity/ parental). My employer only pays top ups on the first 4 months of leave, so I will claim 4 months of EI benefits/ employer top ups. My husband will take 8 months off and will claim the remaining 8 months of EI / top ups from his employer. I still plan on asking for 18 months of leave from my employer ( which I should be entitled to based on provincial labour laws). I will just plan on being completely unpaid for 14 of those months. My husband will take 8 months off and claim EI/ employer top ups for that time. My understanding is that we should each be able to do this but I wanted to make sure that I'm not missing something here.

Heyo,

PIPSC-SP member here. Was checking my work email (don't judge me I know I have a problem) and I have an email from Jay Krishnan telling me to re-elect Samah Henein as my Regional Director.

This smells... gross? Off? Getting a union email to my work is very odd in the first place. Telling me who to vote for is also very much uncool. The email is BCC'd to (what I assume) is a whole bunch of PIPSC members.

Is this kosher? First time in my 10 years that I can recall something like this happening.

I can't believe I held out this long or that it finally happened. 8 years of uncertainty (4 years of casuals, 4 years of terms), 2 different departments.

I know this is very rare for terms right now so I feel incredibly lucky and grateful.

Ever since the announcements that terms aren't being renewed I've been dreading going back to consulting in the private sector. The work/life balance at past companies I've worked at have been awful and I'm so glad I don't have to go back to that again. They're all full time in the office as well with insane overtime.

My current team and manager are excellent. There's zero drama, we're not micromanaged, plenty of opportunities for relevant training and promotions. What I'm doing is basically exactly what I went to post secondary for. Hallelujah!

Slapping on the golden handcuffs felt so good and was worth the wait.

So, there is still a sliver of hope for terms in these dark times!

Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of posts on this sub regarding term employees, budget cuts and term contracts not being extended across the GoC.

Where is everybody getting this consensus from? Was a big general announcement made about budget cuts or minimizing the public service that I missed?

Lately, I’ve seen many posts from concerned employees and those looking for other opportunities. People often mention using GCJobs and FB groups, but I want to suggest Career Marketplace as another useful tool. Job postings there have significantly increased over the past few months.

To use Career Marketplace, you’ll need a GCConnex account. Besides browsing job postings, you can also post if you’re an employee search for an opportunity.

I’m past the 60 days now for the PSHCP, does that mean I have to wait 5 whole months before I am eligible for the coverage? Why isn’t it automatic and why is the wording so confusing? I asked around during my first month of work and everyone told me I had to wait 3-6 months before I could even sign up for it.

Hi all,

I just got offered a position with the City of Ottawa until Dec 2026 and have been considering taking the job. My manager and colleague informed me that I can take 1 year and 3 month LWOPs possibly consecutively. Is this true under PSAC's collective agreement? Is anyone aware of the implications on insurance and pension?

Any info would be greatly appreciated as I weigh the pros and cons

Many thanks

Hi,

I am trying to help a friend out as sadly she had a very late term stillbirth (after 20 weeks). It's clear that she still qualifies for EI, but I am wondering if she still can get the maternity employer top-up. She is PSAC.

I am just trying to help her out with paperwork and understanding what she needs to do so she doesn't have to deal with it as it just happened.

Any help is greatly appreciated

Hello- I'm not sure where to find the answer for this so hoping for some thoughts.

I acted in a management role for 6 months and that period ended at the end of July and I went back to my substantive. In Sept while in my substantive my manager advised me that I am expected to do PMAs for the team since I was acting for the majority of the fiscal up to that point.

Is this typical to have to do team PMAs after your acting has ended? Is there information out there that provides guidance on it?

Thx.

Going through the process of scheduling an ADHD assessment ment. All the provided availabilities are during work hours.

It’s technically considered psychological testing and not a medical appointment. What leave should I be submitting for this? Sick leave? Vacation time?

I only recently realized that you could take leave for routine medical/dental appointments. So would like to confirm the approach for this situation.

Thanks in advance!

Hello!
I left my position 8 months ago and I had about one full week of vacation leave when my term ended and I wasn't permitted to take it before leaving unfortunately. I was wondering who I would contact to follow up on this still not being payed out to me? Also do I also get the one time vacation entitlement payed back to me as well or will I still have it in my bank if I ever go back to Gov? Just unsure who best to email rather then just a general email to the paycenter. I used to work for DFO if that helps and I know some people have waited longer in the past but just want to send an email with the small chance it may speed it along.

Curious to hear some thoughts on the Occupational Health Assessments / Invasive medical questionnaire that is new for Telecommunications operators?

Has anyone gone through with and completed the process? Tell me what it was like.

For those that are refusing to do it, have you faced any disciplinary action? Any any all feedback is much appreciated!

https://www.hrreporter.com/focus-areas/employment-law/rcmp-accused-of-invasion-of-privacy-in-handling-employee-health-evaluations/389415

In red-circling/reclassification situations, is any effort made to find the encumbered employee who occupies the box an at-level position first? Or is the employee basically on their own to either find something else or be reclassified? TIA.

Hello everyone, I have been getting conflicting information from both my HR and my pay center and friends and family about how parental/paternity leave works for us.

Collective Agreement between Treasury Board and Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada

Here is my situation, if anyone could help or point me in the right direction it would be greatly appreciated.

My wife and I are expecting our first child beginning of December, we are both Ontario residents.
My wife works for the hospital here in town, not a federal public service employee.
I work for the Govt of Canada in the Capital Region.

I was told by my HR that if my wife takes standard leave, i must as well take standard leave.
- Is this true?

If my wife DOES NOT work for the federal government, and she takes 12 months for her maternity leave/parental leave (are they the same?, what's different?) do I only get to take off the 5 weeks for my parental/paternity? (are the 5 weeks i get from parental leave the "paternity leave"?)

I keep reading 35 weeks, 40 if shared, for standard parental leave.

If my wife has already booked and took her maternity leave for the year starting Nov 1, is she completely separate from my leave time as a federal employee? Can i take that full 35 weeks as she takes her own 35 weeks? or am i still splitting it with my wife?

In your opinions what would be the best more beneficial way to take our leave?

My one co-worker says since shes not a federal employee, i could take up to 7 or 8 months off with top up
- Is this true?

I am lost haha

Thank you so much for taking the time and reading my post, which has probably been asked a thousand times, but I am at my wits end with conflicting information.

Anyone following the news lately on the cybersecurity breaches in Government? It's concerning to say the least and I expect the Government's response will be archaic. Instead of hiring the right talent and securing the networks properly, they'll just form a perimeter around the network (by eliminating remote access) and use it as an excuse to force everyone back to the office 5 days a week.

As usual, archaic responses to a modern problem - the Government of Canada way. Curious to get everyone's thoughts on this.

This afternoon some downtown Ottawa-based HC offices were told they’ll be moving to a different building next year. The email suggested it would be all hoteling, and mixed with other departments. Has anyone outside of HC been told they’ll be moving to 219 Laurier soon? Just wondering who I should expect to be collaborating with.

If anyone currently works in this building, what do you think of the place? How are the washrooms? Any bedbug issues?

Or will there continue to exist term positions? I am currently term and although I am looking for indeterminate positions, they are very far and few. Is this truly the end?

This is from my fb page, you'll be able to tell I'm feeling blah lol

I welcome input...

As a public servant in her 23rd year, I've seen alot and endured alot I've worked hard and made up for others' lacking. Just like I've dealt with shitty doctors vs good doctors, shitty cops vs good cops, shitty customer service reps vs good ones, shitty whatever vs great whatever.

The complaint from every non public-servant is the whole * I pay your salary, your pension and you do shit and ask for too much, you slack off etc** I am sick of this!!!

I also pay into that every public servants pension and salary as I am also a tax payer! I also pay towards provincial and municipal salaries and services, which aren't always perfect, right?! if you were in my shoes where you competed for a job, earned it based on knowledge and merit, would you turn your back on the perks that come with it??? NO your would NOT. And if you did, that's your problem!!

Commited Public servants, those of us who are your friends, your partners, those of us who have (too much) commitment to our work, we are not to blame for the shittyness that is out of our control.

So while you may think public servants are abusing a cushy useless job, that is not the case!!

(Most) as am I, are committed, and do love their job.

But at this time we are nothing but ministerial slaves and political bait!

Recently been on sick leave due to depression and anxiety which has caused my autoimmune disease to flare up. My current MG called me to check on me but then and told me about how horrible work is how we are all just a number and how no one can be trusted and threw me into a panic attack about what I will be going back to. What or how do I approach this? I am close to returning but this call threw me into a downward spiral. I have been off for 3 weeks while medication sorts its self out.