October 18, 2012
New Public Service Alliance of Canada Co-director at the Joint Learning Program
The Joint Learning Program (JLP) is pleased to announce that Catherine Gilbert will be the new Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) Co-director starting November 5, 2012. She will replace Mark Pecek who left the JLP in July to take on new duties within the PSAC.
Anne Roy is back with the Joint Learning Program
We welcome Anne Roy back to the JLP in her position of Reception and Distribution Officer after completing an assignment within the Public Service Alliance of Canada. She can be reached at 613-560-2595 or by email at roya@psac-afpc.com.
Memorandum of Understanding with the Correctional Service of Canada Renewed
The Joint Learning Program (JLP) recently renewed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) and the Union of Solicitor General Employees.
The purpose of this agreement is to provide CSC staff with a positive, healthy and respectful workplace. In this regard, the parties agreed to continue to offer all CSC employees and managers the JLP workshop on Creating a Harassment-Free Worplace. The agreement covers the period of the 2012-2013 fiscal year.
Strategic partnerships allow a department to leverage JLP expertise and materials to provide important training to a large number of their employees. Strategic partnerships currently in effect address employment equity, the diverse workplace, union-management consultation, and the prevention and resolution of harassment. For more information, contact the JLP Regional Field Coordinators in your region.
British Columbia and Yukon Region Welcomes New Facilitators
Karla Backer and Jayne Billington, British Columbia and Yukon Regional Field Coordinators, welcome the following new facilitators: Sherri Abraham, Marlene Archer, Dharminder Badhesha, Bridget Belliveau, Mandy Bihari, Anna Correia, Soleil Dempsey, Shawn Ewing, Heather Hoover, Kirsten Jensen, Bev Martin, Cheryl McClelland, Jennifer McKenzie, Catherine McPhillips, Sunny Naidu, Kiren Saran, Dianne Stoesz and Deborah Wainwright. The Orientation Session was held from September 16th to the 20th, 2012, in Vancouver.
New Policy and Directive on Harassment Prevention and Resolution
The new Policy on Harassment Prevention and Resolution and the Directive on Harassment Complaint Process were approved by the Treasury Board and became effective, October 1, 2012. The documents can be found on the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat website under Policies.
The Joint Learning Program is currently reviewing the Creating a Harassment-Free Workplace workshop material in line with the new Policy and Directive.
Canada's Healthy Workplace Month
The Canada's Healthy Workplace Month (CHWM) is held from October 1 to 28. The goals are to:
- increase awareness of a comprehensive approach to workplace health in Canada that involves three elements of a healthy workplace:
- health and lifestyle practices
- workplace culture and a supportive environment
- physical environment and occupational health and safety
- provide healthy workplace tools, resources and best practice examples, throughwww.healthyworkplacemonth.ca, to help organizations create healthy workplaces with benefits for employees and themselves
- increase the number of healthy workplaces in Canada
CHWM was set in motion in 2001 with the introduction of Canada's Healthy Workplace Week. The web-based initiative increased awareness of the importance of workplace health for the short and long term success of organizations and for the well-being of their employees. The week was eventually extended to become Canada's Healthy Workplace Month. The extended program duration gave workplaces more time to plan, promote and execute programs and activities for their employees.
Today, CHWM is a year round program that encourages workplaces to promote healthy workplace practices throughout the year. Its website serves as a central hub where organizations of all sizes showcase their successes.
Excellence Canada (formerly the National Quality Institute), manages CHWM.
The Joint Learning Program can help create healthy Public Service workplaces. The objectives of the JLP are to improve labor relations and increase the understanding of the roles of the union and management in the workplace. The JLP achieves its objectives by providing workshops in areas of mutual interest for which the employer does not already have a legal obligation to provide training and where both union and management have specific roles and responsibilities
October is Women's History Month
October is Women's History Month in Canada, an opportunity for Canadians to educate themselves about women's valuable contributions to the country's history – and to the quality of our lives in the 21st century.
Please click on this link to know how to celebrate the Women's History Month.