Debates of October 22, 2004 (day 26)

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to pick up where the honourable Member for Tu Nedhe left off with regards to civic leave. My questions are for the Minister responsible for FMBS. I am sure the Minister is aware that smaller communities are generally at least 50 to 70 percent staff of government. In order to run the many boards and councils that are needed for the communities, a lot of these people offer their volunteer time, Mr. Speaker. Constituents in the Nahendeh riding are particularly concerned about regional manager's interpretation of the rules with regard to civic leave. Does the Minister have a system in place, Mr. Speaker, where the interpretation is clear across all departments? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board, the Honourable Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 287-15(3): Policies Respecting Civic Leave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, it has been recognized that with our fragmented system of human resource management throughout the Government of the Northwest Territories, many issues of this nature do arise. That is why we have taken the effort to pull that together so that we will have a better process in place, and the same interpretations of our rules would be enforced, worked on and delivered. We do recognize that and are working to make that better so that all employees would have the same understanding of what is available to them.

I haven’t been made aware of the specific issues of different areas, but in our manual it is fairly clear as to who is able to take leave and at what time. There is some discretion when it comes to maintaining whatever environment it is where we have staff working. We can’t have everybody going off to different areas at the same time and leaving us unable to do the work that is required on a daily basis. There is some discretion in existing policies, but, yes, we are working to ensure that everybody will have the same understanding. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Supplementary To Question 287-15(3): Policies Respecting Civic Leave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess, specifically, there are instances in the community where I am from, in Fort Simpson, where community band councils are involved in strategy sessions. It takes a lot of time during luncheon meetings. That is where some of the employees have been having a problem, Mr. Speaker. The rules that exist really don’t address luncheon meetings. I was wondering if the Minister has any comments in that regard. Often employees have to meet beyond lunch hour, beyond 2:00. Does the Minister know if it is in the existing guidelines to extend employees at least perhaps an hour or two through lunch hours and classified as civic leave? Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 287-15(3): Policies Respecting Civic Leave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, an employee is eligible for up to 15 days annually. That amount cannot be booked or gone over. It is fairly clear there that there are 15 days. That can be broken down into whatever number, a half-day at a time, a few hours at a time, and put into practice that way. There isn’t a process in place to say that they met during lunch hour and need to take a different time for that process. That isn’t built in. If their meetings go over, and it is part of the allowable reasons for civic leave, then, again, it would be just a matter of applying for the hour that they were sitting and doing work, as eligible under the civic leave policy. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Supplementary To Question 287-15(3): Policies Respecting Civic Leave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I guess if anything, it’s just to make the Minister aware and if he can convey that to his department, that it occurs, it’s unplanned where the meetings go beyond the lunch hour. But I’m still quite concerned about the administration of civic leave, with regard to different departments administering it differently. There are still cases where, say on this particular band council there are members from four different departments and only two of them will get approved for specific strategy sessions. Does the Minister have any current plans to have a level playing field when it comes to administering civic leave? Thank you.

Thank you Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 287-15(3): Policies Respecting Civic Leave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our civic leave is considered one of the most generous across the land as to how we make time available for employees to go and do work with other agencies, and it’s because we understand in small communities there is a need for this from time to time. But each case is going to have to be looked at individually, if members from a different band or department may have used up their time or if there are potential conflict issues with the issues that are going to be addressed in their work within the department they have. So there are a number of factors that come into play, and each one would still have to be dealt with on an individual basis, but the policy itself will be understood across the board. That’s our goal as we go forward with our work around human resource management. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Final supplementary, Mr. Menicoche.

Supplementary To Question 287-15(3): Policies Respecting Civic Leave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It wasn’t clear in the Minister’s answer whether they are going to undertake to have a good, solid review of the policy. I am particularly concerned with the many, many boards that the community has. There are a couple of them that are just as important, but they are not on this approved list, Mr. Speaker. So I would like to ask the Minister responsible when will he be looking at reviewing the policy? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Menicoche. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 287-15(3): Policies Respecting Civic Leave

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the issue of civic leave has come up with respect the overall policy, and I have done a review and discussed with my Cabinet colleagues the potential issues and avenues that we had. It was felt that we leave it at the existing stage. Now it becomes an issue more of making sure that the implementation is the same across the board. So we have looked at it and feel that we are fairly generous. We have to be careful here, because it can go either way with the review, either tightening it up and making it very rigid or making it too loose and have a hard time accounting for all the time that is being taken. So I have looked at it and it is more, at this point, ensuring that the policy is interpreted the same across the board. Thank you.