June 22, 1999

To:Administration Committee

From:Brenda Glover, Executive Director of Human Resources

Subject:Temporary Employees with Length of Service from 2 to 10 Plus Years

Purpose:

To report back on the issue raised by Councillor Howard Moscoe on the large number of temporary employees employed by the former Area Municipalities.

Recommendations:

That the following report be received for information.

Council Reference/Background/History:

Corporate Services Committee on March 25, 1999, had before it information submitted by Councillor Howard Moscoe respecting City of Toronto temporary employees. Corporate Services Committee referred the issue to the Executive Director of Human Resources to submit a report to Personnel Sub-Committee.

Comments and/or Discussion and/or Justification:

Information on the number of temporary employees with length of service from 2 to 10 plus years as of February 1999, is presented in Appendix I. This information raised questions as to the reasons the former Area Municipalities had temporary positions and employees, the reason for the large numbers with long service and plans to address the issue of employee status.

Requirement for Temporary Positions: Temporary positions have been created over the years to respond to operational short-term needs or fluctuating seasonal needs.

Requirement for Temporary Employees: Employees were hired on a temporary basis to fill temporary positions as described above or in some cases to fill vacant permanent positions. Situations that resulted in the latter included:

Temporary cover-off for a permanent employee on a leave of absence, maternity leave, lengthy illness etc.

Temporary cover-off for a vacant permanent position, which is to be deleted in an upcoming restructuring, or where there is questions as to whether there will be ongoing funding due to budget pressures.

In some municipalities there was an establishment/hiring freeze for permanent positions. In these cases, where an operational need arose, duties were performed by temporary employees.

Long Service Temporary Employees: In the majority of cases, temporary employees with service of 2 to 10 plus years have been on many different temporary assignments over this time period rather than one long-term temporary position.

Promotional clauses in collective agreements require first consideration of permanent employees when there is a vacancy. As a result, although employees who have entered the corporation on a temporary assignment apply to permanent vacancies, they are considered only if there is no successful candidate among the permanent employees. Additionally, if a temporary position is identified to have a long-term need and is converted to a permanent position, the same promotional clause applies, not guaranteeing that the temporary incumbent will be the successful candidate for the converted permanent position. In some cases employees preferred the flexibility of choosing between temporary assignments rather than a permanent position.

The combination of budget pressures, restructuring, establishment freezes and uncertainty leading up to amalgamation have contributed to the large number of temporary positions and employees.

Employment status issues will be dealt with as part of the collective bargaining process.

Contact Name:

Alison Anderson

Director, Employment Services

392-5028

Brenda Glover

Executive Director, Human Resources

AA/kb