Scientific Regulation Classification

Rollout & Next Steps��

Presented by:

Colby Briggs

Team Leader - Compensation

Compensation@pipsc.ca

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Agenda

• Background
• Deadlines
• Misclassification of current job
• Misclassification of former jobs
• Legacy Grievances
• Employer-initiated remapping
• Member-initiated remapping
• Concluding Remarks

Definitions

• Position: A container for an employee. Specific tasks and conditions assigned to a single employee to conduct. Ex: Manager of the Dartmouth Lab
• Job: A collection of general tasks bundled together for the purpose of recruitment, development, pay, etc. Ex: Senior Inspector
• Mapping: The determination of which positions (work) go with which jobs (generic SJD)

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Background: Timeline

• 2015 - Commitment to replace the Regulatory Science Standard and Role Descriptors
• 2018-2022 - Consultations/codevelopment of Job Descriptions & member support for Job Validation Reviews
• 2020 - Submission of Remapping Request
• 2022 - Request for an agreement on retroactivity
• 2022-06-30 - release of Classification Decisions

Background: Current Situation

• 27 jointly approved Standardised Job Descriptions (SSJD)
• 50%+ of Job Validation Reviews were reviewed by PIPSC and nearly all remapping JVRs
• Employer has agreed to implement the classification and SJD retroactively for current incumbents only
• Employer has proposed an opt-in process for former incumbents; moot due to no change in classification

Background: Initial Analysis

• All SJD came out at the same level
• For some jobs, this outcome illogical given significant changes to SJDs
• Rationales have not been provided to PIPSC
• Examples of misuse of the classification system
• PP Technical Leader vs Team Leader has identical point rating despite difference in HR function

Deadlines

• PIPSC & the Employer signed a Memorandum on deadlines for classification grievances
• Deadline for PIPSC to grieve classification is 65 days from date of notice (September 5th)
• Deadline to submit to PIPSC is August 28th (Sunday)
• Deadline to file independently is September 5th
• This does not apply to mapping/job description wording grievances (job content)

Misclassification of current job

• Classification exclusively refers to an incorrect valuing of the SJD as written. We are only disputing the rating of the SJD, not the SJD content or if you have the correct SJD (mapping)
• Employer should have issued a classification decision to you
• Undervalued Jobs (TBC):
• Senior Inspector
• Supervisor, Science Laboratory Standards Compliance
• Policy and Programs Team Leader*
• Supervisor Inspection & Advisory Services*
• Inspection Advisor*
• Excellence Systems Specialist*

*Further analysis required

Misclassification of current job: Action Plan

• Current incumbents have grievance rights
• CFIA does not consider acting incumbents to have the right to grieve their substantive.
• A webform will be made available on the PIPSC website to grieve
• PIPSC will only accept classification grievances against jobs identified as underclassified
• Exception process for other jobs outlined in webform

Misclassification of former job(s)

• CFIA has stated members only have grievance rights against their current role. PIPSC disagrees
• PIPSC intends to challenge the relevant CFIA policies. We believe you should be able to grieve the classification of any job you have held since 2015 for a significant time period (three + months)
• This includes:
• Acting Assignments, your substantive (if currently acting)
• Members no longer employed as SRs
• Retirees, members who work elsewhere, etc.

Misclassification of current job: Action Plan

• PIPSC will be submitting policy grievances
• A webform will be made available on the PIPSC website to grieve your former classification
• Everyone who held an underclassified job since 2015 for three or more months should submit (including retirees)
• We expect the employer to reject your grievances as not-receivable. We will challenge this in court
• PIPSC will only accept classification grievances against jobs identified as underclassified + exception process for other jobs outlined in webform

Legacy Grievances

• CFIA is responding to grievances filed against the 2015 SJDs by declaring them moot. We are not clear if this is a refusal or a response
• It is unclear if this is for classification or classification and content
• CFIA Classification Grievance Policy article 4.2(b) allows the

employer to remove grievances against SJDs that have been modified

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Legacy Grievances: Action Plan

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• PIPSC will challenge the employer policy
• You should only regrieve if you have a mapping issue or you are currently/formerly (since 2015) in a job we’ve identified as undervalued

Employer-initiated remapping

• The Employer has identified ~30 positions with incorrect mapping. They propose to address it on a go-forward case-by-case basis by:
• A new unique or regional generic SJD which will be classified to an unknown level/group (SR or other)
• An existing SJD which belongs to another occupational group
• Changes to the work assigned to the position to preserve the existing mapping
• PIPSC can only challenge a formal employer decision

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Employer-initiated remapping: Action Plan

• A webform will be made available on the PIPSC website to collect the required information
• PIPSC will attempt to negotiate the outcome you desire (tweaks to the SJD/work to preserve your classification, priority hiring, or wait-and-grieve)
• If the employer intends to unjustifiably change the classification/occupational group, we can grieve this once we have confirmation from the employer

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Member-initiated remapping

• We have received no response on our remapping requests, nor the special circumstances of Inspection Advisors in Quebec
• PIPSC has stated we consider the request the equivalent of the informal step of the grievance process
• We hope to have an employer response soon, but are planning for no response

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Member-initiated remapping: Action Plan

• A webform will be made available on the PIPSC website to assist you in filing a mapping grievance. This will include a spot for Inspection Advisors in Quebec (this is not purely a mapping issue)
• Grievance hearings will be scheduled at the earliest possible opportunity; however, please anticipate a several month delay
• Members will likely be asked to provide annotated SJD if they have not already done so
• Grievances should be retroactive to the logical effective date

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Concluding Remarks: Mobilisation

• Some classification and mapping decisions are egregious and irrational in our view

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• PIPSC is exploring alternatives to the grievance process:
• A formal disclosure before the Public Service Integrity Commissioner
• A formal complaint to the CFIA president
• An appeal/lobbying campaign to the Minister of Health
• An awareness campaign on how this may impact the Agency’s ability to recruit qualified members given the superior opportunities elsewhere (Health Canada, other)

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Concluding Remarks: Reminder

• Currently in a job we consider underclassified -> Webform to grieve
• Since 2015 in a job we consider underclassified -> Webform to grieve
• Employer indicated you have the wrong job -> Webform to start informal negotiations
• You think you have the wrong job -> Webform to formally grieve

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Detailed instructions to be circulated via email as soon as webforms are ready

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• Other questions -> Compensation@pipsc.ca *

* Kindly allow us an extended time to reply & check the S&A website first

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