Debates of October 13, 2005 (day 9)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’ll pick up where my questions left off. The questions again are for the Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board. I didn’t hear an exact answer when I asked the question about whether or not FMBS had a policy regarding retiring employees. If they do have a policy, can I please see it? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Two questions there. The honourable Minister responsible for the Financial Management Board, Mr. Roland.

Return To Question 110-15(4): Retiring Employees Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, our relationship with our employees clearly set out their requirements in the employee handbook that we have in place with employees. As for an actual policy how we deal with those that are retiring from the government, again much of that comes out of the actual union agreements we have in place, years of service and so on. I’ll have to go back to the department to see if we have a specific policy in place for dealing specifically with retirements. I don’t believe we do have. We operate with the union agreements we have in place in how we deal with our employees. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 110-15(4): Retiring Employees Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I would like to see the Minister ask the department that question specifically, because I’d hate to see other employees have to go through the same thing that these two constituents of mine had to recently go through. I wanted to ask the Minister as well, is it common practice for pay and benefit officers to go to meetings with predated and pre-signed forms for employees to fill out? Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 110-15(4): Retiring Employees Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’ll have to check into that as well. If there was agreement on certain timelines between the employee and the department they were resigning from or retiring from, that would all be case by case I would believe, but I will check into that to see if that is normal practice. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Roland. Supplementary, Mr. Ramsay.

Supplementary To Question 110-15(4): Retiring Employees Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, we know that these individuals are owed severance money, they’re owed pension money and, Mr. Speaker, I believe they are owed an apology. I’d like the Minister to let me know when they will be given an apology for the appalling treatment that they have been given at the hands of FMBS. Thank you.

Hear! Hear!

Thank you, Mr. Ramsay. Mr. Roland.

Further Return To Question 110-15(4): Retiring Employees Policy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I’ll do that right now. I’ll apologize for the department in dealing with employees. We have timelines, we set our goals high to try to meet those timelines and, unfortunately, because of the work we’ve done around the corporate human resource service centres and pulling the staff together, some of the files have had to sit a little bit until we’ve had the staff in their new positions to deal with that. As well, as I was saying, because of this and pulling everybody in under one roof, it’s become much clearer now that there have been many files that have been sitting in places that they shouldn’t have been and actually should have been done. So at this point I’ll apologize to our employees that we haven’t been able to meet our timelines, and that in fact we are aiming to improve on that and make sure that they are treated in a manner that is responsive and reflective of the environment we work in. Thank you.

Good answer.

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