CRA employees will also be required to work in office 3 days a week: ‘We feel betrayed’
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will soon require employees to make their way to the office for at least three days a week, following the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s lead.
Marc Brière, national president for the Union of Taxation Employees, which represents over 35,000 employees, confirmed Thursday that the agency will be adopting the same requirements for on-site presence.
“We were absolutely furious,” said Brière, adding that the union plans to file an unfair labour practice complaint against the CRA and has expressed its anger to the employer for not respecting the agreement made to end last year’s strike.
“Our people were very upset,” he said.
“We feel betrayed. The trust has been broken.”
The Treasury Board Secretariat updated its direction on prescribed presence in the workplace earlier this week, announcing that all public servants would have to spend three days a week in the office by Sept. 9. Executives will be required to be in the office at least four days a week.
The policy applies to all core public administration employees, though it was recommended that separate employers, like the CRA, adopt a similar strategy “to ensure a coherent approach for the whole public service.”
An email sent from CRA commissioner Bob Hamilton to all agency employees on Wednesday evening noted that the agency would be adopting the same requirements as it believes that the organization “benefits from having a consistent approach with the rest of the public service.”
“The September deadline provides time for us to work on a robust implementation plan and for you to make any arrangements to ensure a good transition,” the email read.
The email indicated that operational requirements could lead to managers requiring further
Read more on financialpost.com
