June 25, 1999

To:Administration Committee

From:Brenda Glover, Executive Director of Human Resources

Subject:Long Term Disability and Sick Day Usage 1997 - 1998

City Programs for Employees

Purpose:

To provide information on city programs available to assist employees dealing with the impact of changes resulting from amalgamation, including the impact of downsizing.

To provide information on long term disability and sick day usage for employees for 1997 and 1998, as potential indicators of the stressful effects of downsizing.

Funding Sources, Financial Implications

n/a

Recommendation(s):

It is recommended that this report be received for information.

Council Reference/Background/History:

During consideration of the budget recommendations for Human Resources Services, concerns were raised as to the effects of amalgamation and downsizing with respect to stress and health of city employees. The Executive Director was requested to provide information on city programs to assist employees who have difficulty dealing with the transition and the effects of downsizing, as well as to report on the number of employees in 1997 and 1998 who have taken long term disability and the number of sick days used for this same time period.

Comments:

Amalgamation has created a major change in the lives of those who work in the organization. Workload and downsizing are concerns for individuals. Many staff are anxious about their individual futures, about the future of services and programs and about their capacity to deliver the services expected with the reduced numbers of people and resources available to do the work.

Recognizing the possible effects of stress on health and wellness, sick day usage for employees across the corporation was compared for 1997 and 1998. Information available from former city payroll systems allows for the following estimates:

The number of active long term disability claims for the period of 1997 to present is:

The increase in sick day usage and LTD claims does not appear to be significant. Nevertheless, usage will continue to be closely monitored and programs that have been initiated for both individuals and groups to help deal with the impact of changes resulting from amalgamation and downsizing will be maintained and supported.

Below is an outline of the programs in place to help staff deal with the impact of changes resulting from amalgamation and downsizing.

Support for individuals coping with the change:

Employee Assistance Program

The EAP is a service which provides short term counselling for personal, health and workplace issues. Professional staff have a knowledge of community resources related to personal, family and mental health problems and can provide information to employees. The EAP also provides sessions on personal and mental health issues including stress management.

Career Development Services

Career development services provide counselling and job skills programs to staff who are applying for new city positions, having to make career choices and making career changes. The program has expanded to five locations throughout the city, in order to make the services as accessible to as many staff as possible. Computer programs at the career centres help staff develop job search skills, provide self-study opportunities, and offer interest and aptitude testing. The centres are staffed with qualified career counsellors.

Retraining Strategy

A major support initiative is the retraining strategy, which has been created for individuals and work groups who, because of amalgamation require skill or knowledge enhancement. Those who have the basic skill sets for the job will be given opportunities to upgrade their skill to the level required by the new city. This program is funded and will be available to staff in all departments and at all levels.

In addition to these programs, the city is in the process of developing and introducing a number of other policies and programs that support individuals in the organization through transition and change:

Competency Development Program

One way to ensure that employees have the skills needed to do their jobs is to identify the high-value competencies for the organization, to develop those competencies in the staff, and use them when hiring, assessing and rewarding staff. Management and exempt staff are now identifying the corporate and role specific competencies for the new city. The outcome of the competency program will be a skilled and knowledgeable staff who are confident in their ability to contribute to the city.

Performance Management

The first application of the competencies will be the new performance management process that will ensure that individual work is aligned with the organization's goals and objectives, that employees are clear about the expectations for performance, receive regular feedback, and are rewarded appropriately for their work.

Attendance Management

A policy that monitors attendance and provides intervention procedures to ensure the appropriate support and assistance for employees who experience difficulty in achieving regular attendance.

Change Leadership Program

The change leadership is another long term strategy for dealing with the different types and stages of change the organization is experiencing. This strategy is targeted to employees, leaders and teams. A variety of activities have been developed and implemented to help the new organization stabilize, build its new teams, design or redesign its processes and establish direction for the future.

Work Process

Throughout amalgamation, the demands of the work have remained. Work has not been eliminated; the expectations of service are still there. One way to support staff in handling the workload is through the use of business process redesign to streamline work and enable staff to become more efficient. The outcome will be more efficient process for carrying out the work and more manageable workload for staff.

Conclusion:

Sick day usage and LTD claims will continue to be closely monitored. Programs that have been initiated to help deal with the impact of change resulting from amalgamation and downsizing will be maintained and supported. Additional supports and programs under development as a longer-term strategy will maintain a high priority for 1999.

Contact Name:

Alison Anderson

Director, Employment Services

392-5028

Barbara Freedman

Director, Employee & Organization Effectiveness

392-5342

Brenda Glover

Executive Director, Human Resources