Agreed.
Agreed. Page 236, Human Resources, labour relations, active positions, information item. Questions?
Agreed.
Agreed. Page 239, Human Resources, recruitment services, operations expenditure summary, $4.393 million. Questions? Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Just a couple of questions. The first one has to do with direct appointments and I think there was some discussion about direct appointments earlier. My understanding is that we have changed how we are using direct appointments recently. I would like to know from the Minister if he could explain what that change is and why. Thank you.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. There has been no change to the Direct Appointment Policy.
Okay. I am not quite sure how to get around that one, but I will ask a different question. This department, I presume, is involved in the issue of decentralization, a policy that this government has put in place in the last couple of years. I would like to know how the Department of HR is involved in the decentralization process. Thank you.
The department supports the other departments by trying to increase and implement opportunities in the decentralized positions. We work with the departments to attract and develop a labour market where it is needed, where we are decentralizing positions. We work with them to recruit those positions. We work with the departments in trying to develop excellent terms of employment to retain those jobs and we ensure that the division that is in the 17th Assembly is something that we try to reduce results by making sure that whenever there is a decentralized position identified by the departments in the overall government when we identify positions, then as Human Resources, we support the departments to recruit for those positions.
If I heard the Minister correctly, a position has been identified by another department and the Department of HR then assists in recruiting for the position that has been decentralized to another community. That suggests to me that these are unfilled positions that are being transferred. Is that correct?
It’s kind of an interesting comment. An unfilled position would be the only reason that we would be trying to fill it.
To the Minister, then, maybe unfilled is the wrong term. What is the policy for decentralization? Do we decentralize positions without somebody in them? When the PY is moved from one community to the next, does the person not go with it? That’s why I’m asking if it’s a vacant position, or if it’s a new position that would then suggest to me that it needs to be filled. What is the policy for decentralization?
The details on position of decentralized positions can be best answered by the Premier.
Thank you, Minister Beaulieu. Premier McLeod.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. When positions are identified for decentralization, obviously we would prefer if the incumbents, if there are incumbents, would go with the position. The most recent examples where we’ve identified decentralized positions, the incumbents have chosen not to move with the position. HR, we have a policy that those incumbents that are in positions to be decentralized become part of the priority hiring list so that they can be matched up for jobs, and the decentralized position, if they’re vacant then HR helps with the recruitment on the other side when the decentralized job is moved into other communities.
Thank you, Premier McLeod. Ms. Bisaro.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. When we look at moving positions, decentralizing positions, is there any consideration given to whether or not that position is vacant or new? Is there any consideration given to the impact on an employee who was told that their job is moving?
It’s a program decision. It’s not based on whether a position is filled or vacant. It’s what’s in the best interests of fulfilling this decentralization priority of this government.
I guess I would suggest that it sounds as though what’s in the best interests of a policy is going to be followed through, never mind the best interests of the employee and/or their families, and I have a problem with that.
Last question has to do with the length of time for us to complete competitions. I believe that the department has an eight week target length of time to complete competitions. I’d like to know from the Minister whether or not they have been improving on the length of time to complete competitions in the last year or if they have actually had an increase in the length of time to fill competitions.
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to have the deputy minister respond to the question.
Thank you, Minister Beaulieu. Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The department is looking at different various tools and options for clients to expedite the recruitment process including the accountability framework where we’re looking at streamlining our processes to make it more efficient and quicker in the tools that we provide our clients and looking at our metrics that would help expedite the process.
Thank you, deputy minister. Ms. Bisaro.
Thanks, Mr. Chair. Have we gotten better or have we gotten worse?
Thank you, Ms. Bisaro. Minister Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. At this time, the time frame for recruitment is the same.
What is that time frame? Eight weeks? Six weeks? Ten weeks? Twelve weeks?
The time frame is between six weeks and eight weeks.
Thank you, Minister Beaulieu. Committee, we’re on page 239, management and recruitment services, operations expenditures, $4.393 million.
Agreed.
Management and recruitment services, active positions, information item. Questions?
Agreed.
Page 243, regional operations, operations expenditure summary, $3.397 million.
Agreed.
Page 244, regional operations, active positions, information item. Questions?
Agreed.
Page 247, strategic human resources, operations expenditures, $8.339 million. Mr. Dolynny.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. The issue of workplace safety comes under this activity summary, and with that my question goes to the Minister here. What does the GNWT do, specifically the Department of HR, to support a culture of safety within the GNWT?
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Deputy minister.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. Currently, we are looking at different kinds of communication to enhance the culture of safety with this government to provide some support and services to our clients, as well as looking at other communication strategies for this culture shift of safety in this government and working with other stakeholders on tools and services that we could provide for clients to make safety as a number one priority for us in HR and communicate that across to our client groups.
Besides working on communication, what is the department doing to establish government-wide occupational health and safety training programs?
Safety, according to the act, is based on the needs of the positions and why you do risk assessments, so it’s really the departments that assess what their risks are to implement safety. We do have some programs that are provided through one of our contractors and we have safety for supervisors and employees as well.
I’m hearing a bit of a tonality of defiance here that it’s not my job to be doing this, which is quite puzzling, because HR, really, is the funnelling aspect that departments look upon to create this so-called safety culture net.
We heard about a contractor. Is this the gold standard? Are we using this contractor to provide these training programs, and if so, are these training programs system-wide for all departments to use?
Thank you, Mr. Dolynny. Minister Beaulieu.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Department of Human Resources is committed to health and safety and wellness of its employees and to providing a healthy and safe work environment that minimizes risks in the workplace injuries, minimizing risk to workplace injuries, accidents and illnesses. HR is currently developing a robust occupational health and safety program that meets legislative requirements under the Safety Act and general Safety Regulations. The program is near completion and will be available within the coming months for HR staff. The complete program is intended to be shared with other departments to give our stakeholders tools and resources to ensure they are meeting compliance and legislation. Thank you.
Mr. Chair, I do appreciate that paid political announcement.
Can the Minister indicate how many coordinators that we have in our government dedicated to safety? Thank you.
Mr. Chair, each department has a health and occupational safety coordinator, but it’s not that individual’s position. It would be a position where a person in the government is responsible for that position. Each department has one. Some of the departments that have maybe more… Some of the positions where we’ve had more incidents for, health and safety would have an actual health and safety occupational coordinator position, but I could maybe add to that by just asking the director to indicate which departments would have their own.
Thank you, Mr. Beaulieu. Ms. Beard.
Thank you, Mr. Chair. I don’t have the current list in front of me, but as the Minister stated, each department has a representative that is their occupational health and safety representative for the department. For example, as the director of finance for the Department of Health, occupational health and safety is with me and I have a coordinating role and position. In departments like Justice where it’s a 24/7 operation, they have higher needs than the Department of Human Resources. They have a dedicated person who is an occupational health and safety coordinator. Most of the departments that are 24/7 – Transportation, Justice and, I believe, Health – we can certainly provide the Member with a list, but off the top of my head I know most of the 24/7 operations have a dedicated individual for occupational health and safety. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
