Budget 2005-2006 - Priority Administration

On February 23, 2005, the Government tabled the 2005-2006 Federal Budget. The Budget, and the Expenditure Review it contains, sets out some big changes for the Public Service that will affect many departments and employees. While it will be some time before the full impact on the workforce is determined, the fact remains that some jobs will be affected. The Public Service Commission (PSC) will play a role in assisting the departments and public servants who are touched by this restructuring.

Employees whose jobs are relocated, eliminated or outsourced will become eligible for status as priority employees. A priority employee is one who is entitled, by the Public Service Employment Act and the Public Service Employment Regulations, to be appointed ahead of all others to any position in the Public Service for which they are deemed qualified. There are several types of priorities, including persons whose positions have been declared surplus or those who have been laid off by their department.

The PSC uses a national, interdepartmental and on-line inventory, called the Priority Administration System, to match priority persons with vacant positions. Departments register their priority persons in the inventory and must search the inventory prior to staffing any vacant positions in their organization. The System screens and refers to departments all priority persons potentially qualified for their position. Once a priority person is referred to them, departments must assess the candidate and, if found qualified, appoint them ahead of all others.

The PSC follows the progress of its priority referrals and monitors results. We also provide departments with information and training on priority administration.

Changes in the workplace are never easy. To make this transition as smooth as possible, the PSC will offer its expertise to employees displaced by the process. The PSC counsels priority persons on a number of topics, including: their entitlements, the PSC referral process, and, in the case of surplus or lay-off priority persons, the effect of the Work Force Adjustment Directive on priority entitlements.

We have sent a letter to Heads of Human Resources informing them of the PSC's role in priority administration and encouraging them to share this information with employees.