Work Force Adjustment Appendix
Affected employees
You've received written notice from the Deputy Head that your services may no longer be required because of a work force adjustment situation . This means you are an affected employee.
Specific individuals, groups of workers or whole departments can receive these notices. It doesn't necessarily mean that your employment will end. This notice gives you a “heads up” that there might be changes for you down the road.
Although not obligated to do so, in most cases the employer will first ask those who wish to retire or otherwise leave the public service or if applicable move to a new organization.
If more than one worker is involved, the employer will begin a merit exercise. This means that everyone involved will be ranked in order of merit and those with the least assessed merit will be the first to be given surplus priority or to be laid off (see the Guarantee of a Reasonable Job Offer and No Guarantee of a Reasonable Job Offer fact sheets).
Management has broad discretion with respect to merit criteria. At its discretion it can place greater emphasis on certain merit criteria to achieve a “right fit” decision. It can rank assessment results. Alternatively it can use other methods as long as what they do is deemed to be fair and transparent. (Public Service Commission “Guidance Series on Retention and Layoff.”
The department is required to provide you with an individual counselor to help you assess your situation (1.1.35 - see Getting Help fact sheet). If you believe your position will probably disappear, you can take one of the following steps.
- Request retraining from your department to assist you in getting a deployment to existing or anticipated vacancies. The department is required to make every reasonable effort to provide retraining (4.1.1).
- Request the Deputy Head to give you surplus priority or access to the rights provided opting employees, if you can demonstrate your duties have already ceased to exist (1.1.9).
- Do nothing and wait to see what happens if the Deputy Head ultimately decides your services are no longer required.
Date Modified : 2011/08/10
