STAFF REPORT
March 7, 2000
To: Community Services Committee
From: Barry H. Gutteridge, Commissioner, Works and Emergency Services
Alan F. Speed Fire Chief
Subject:Toronto Fire Services - Attendance Management
Purpose:
This report provides Council with information on issues related to attendance statistics in the Toronto Fire Services.
Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
There are no financial implications with this report .
Recommendations::
It is recommended that this report be received for information purposes.
Background:
The Budget Advisory Committee at its meeting of February 24, 2000, requested information on the following:
- A viable strategy to reduce absenteeism;
- Review staff records and provide a breakdown of sickness to establish a common average with regard to time off due to
sickness.
- Accurate statistics for January, February and March 2000, and further requested to send notification to the Fire Service
employees notifying them of the attendance assessment being carried out;
- That the inclusion of an attendance record clerk be given high priority; and
- The impact of reducing the recommended operating budget by up to 5%.
Comments:
(i) Viable Strategy to reduce absenteeism.
The Toronto Fire Services (TFS) has both an immediate action plan and a long-term strategy for attendance management.
Immediate Action Plan:
The goal of the immediate action plan is to achieve a measurable reduction in non-culpable absenteeism within the next 6
months. In lieu of a single attendance management policy, six disparate attendance management policies and current
practices encumber the Toronto Fire Services.
A corporate attendance management policy is still in a draft stage, and while we are attempting to mirror it as much as
possible, there is a need for immediate action. Accordingly, we will be proceeding with a TFS policy in lieu of a finalized
corporate standard. Discussions on this matter have taken place with both corporate management staff and Local 3888
representatives.
To apply a consistent approach to the attendance management policy, including its application and employee interviews,
support and training from Human Resources will be required prior to beginning the Step 1 interviews for all TFS staff.
Interviews will begin across all four of our Command areas within the next 30 days with 768 firefighters who had 10 or
more sick days in 1999. Success of the program will be assessed through an evaluation of statistical analysis of sick leave
before and after interviews to determine the achievement of this initiative.
Individual attendance records for 1999 will be provided to employees in Step 1 interviews. A checklist will be used to
ensure consistency in this non-culpable interview. The purpose of the interview will be to:
- Identify concerns with attendance
- Explain the impact of absences on the work operation
- Identify expectations for satisfactory improvement
- Provide an opportunity to discuss reasons for absenteeism
- Identify resources for assistance (i.e. employee health, employee assistance and rehabilitation)
- Identify specific course of action and future monitoring or meetings
Following this interview, a form letter will be sent to the employee confirming the meeting and all of the items discussed.
The previously referred to draft from the corporate attendance management policy states, "Employees whose attendance
pattern shows that in any six-month period that their total absences were greater than the standard for the
division/affiliation, will have their attendance reviewed." The Toronto Fire Services will once again review sick leave
statistics at the end of the first six months of 2000 and conduct interviews with employees who exceed the Toronto Fire
Services average.
A review process will be in place to analyze and modify the attendance management program as required. Senior Officers
will analyze statistics for all areas of absence. They will also be looking for ways to improve or refine this program. This
review will include consultation with corporate and Local 3888 involvement.
Long-Term Action Plan:
The long-term Strategic Action Plan for Attendance Management is designed to include or consider the following
components:
(1) Yearly letters to all employees acknowledging attendance for that year:
- A "Thank you" letter for perfect attendance based on sick leave from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2000; or
- A letter indicating the employee's actual sick leave for the year and commending them for the judicious use of
sick leave for that year which is at, or lower than the Division average; or
- An information letter indicating the employees actual sick leave utilized during the year noting that it exceeds the
Division average.
(2) Acknowledgement process for long-term exceptional attendance:
Along with the above-noted letters, employees who consistently meet exceptional attendance standards deserve progressive
degrees of recognition commensurate with the length of exceptional attendance. This principal is not uncommon in many
other types of business.
(3) Explore the implementation of a Firefighter Wellness Program:
Council members have directed the Toronto Fire Services to consider the positive benefits of implementing a firefighter
wellness program. Funds have been requested in the 2000 budget submission for this purpose. We are hopeful that the
Toronto Professional Fire Fighters' Association will support such an initiative. In addition, we intend to pursue a joint
evaluation of the IAFC/IAFF Wellness Program.
(4) We will ensure that the new computer-aided dispatch/records management system (RMS) automatically triggers
attendance anomalies. This type of electronic monitoring will provide an efficient and effective method for alerting
supervisory staff to patterned behaviours and a historical view of each employee's attendance. It is anticipated that the new
RMS will be operational late in 2001.
(5)Until a new collective agreement is negotiated, the Toronto Fire Services must continue administering the current
differences that exist in the scheduling of vacations and lieu days within the six collective agreements. In some former
jurisdictions, all scheduled time off is guaranteed, can be picked in advance, and is not subject to cancellation. In other
areas, scheduled time allowed off can be cancelled and the number of persons allowed off fluctuates based on staffing
availability. The practical effect of this cancellation of lieu time and unequal treatment mandated by the existing six
collective agreements impacts on morale as well as creating a large pool of unfunded liability. It is anticipated that the new
collective agreement will address these differences and allow for consistent application of time off policies.
Existing attendance management programs and/or policies have been applied within the scope of the current collective
agreements and past practices. Attendance interviews have been conducted in all commands on an ongoing basis during the
last twenty-four months. While it must be stressed that the principles of attendance management are based on non-culpable
absenteeism, situations may occur which point to absences which are subject to disciplinary action and are therefore not
subject to the attendance management program.
To date, suspensions without pay have been handed out in cases of culpable absenteeism. Additionally, some employees
are required to produce a doctor's note for every single absence.
Employees in several of our Commands have chosen the option of retiring or applying for long-term disability benefits
following meetings to review and discuss their lack of regular attendance in the positions for which they were hired. This
group of employees typically has an inordinately high number of sick time utilization which has a significant incremental
effect on the attendance statistical data produced by the Toronto Fire Services.
During 1999, 116 employees had long term disabilities or long term illnesses in excess of 30 days. Employee long term
illness during that year totalled 1,140 days. Elimination of these days would result in the Suppression Division's 1999 sick
days being reduced from 24,943 to 23,803, or an average from 9.3% to 8.84% per employee.
During 1999, there were 1,926 of the 2,694 employees assigned to the operations division below the division average of
9.3 shifts of sick leave.
(ii) Review Staff Records and Provide a Breakdown of Sickness, Operations Division
Committee requested the Fire Service to report on a statistical breakdown of sickness. The attached table (Appendix "A-1")
indicates a breakdown of sick days for 1999. The table reflects 0 days; 1 to 4 days; 5 to 9 days; 10 to 13 days; 14 to 30
days, and over 31 days, categories.
The attached tables (Appendix "A-2" and "A-3") indicate the Operations Division 1999 sick leave days, as well as January
and February statistics for 2000.
(iii) Sick Leave Statistics January & February, 1999/2000
The Budget Advisory Committee requested sick leave statistics for January, February and March of 2000. As this report
was prepared in early March, that month's statistics are not yet available.
The attached table (Appendix "A-4") indicates the comparison between January/February 1999 and January/February 2000.
The chart attached (Appendix "A-5") indicates the comparison statistics from the City of Toronto and other Fire
Departments across Ontario.
Notification to the Fire Services Employees
The attached memorandum (Appendix "B") is from the Fire Chief to the employees of the Fire Services. This
memorandum outlines the Fire Chief's expectations for regular attendance of all employees and indicates the action the
Fire Service is taking with employees who have in excess of 9 shifts of sick time during 1999.
(iv) Attendance Record Clerk
The Fire Services has temporarily assigned a staff member to carry out the duties pending recruitment. Attached (Appendix
"C") is the Job Call and Job Description that has been issued to fill the 'Attendance Management Program Coordinator'
position on a permanent basis. The Fire Services will absorb the salary from within the budget.
(v) The impact of reducing the Fire Service Budget by up to 5%
2000 Operating Plan and Budget - Toronto Fire Services
Service Delivery Adjustment Options
Summary
(in $000's)
The recent KPMG study made the assumption that sufficient Fire Services' personnel will be available to staff the
proposed allocations of stations and apparatus.
We believe the removal of staff and vehicles from service will have a detrimental impact on the delivery of emergency fire
services. For these reasons, the further reduction of the Fire Services' budget by up to 5% is not recommended.
Fire Services personnel are concerned with any excessive use of employee sick time, and accordingly have taken steps to
monitor absences and bring any culpable use of sick leave under control. A new attendance monitoring program has been
announced by the Fire Chief, and is in immediate effect. Employees who have been found to have culpable absenteeism,
have and will continue to be disciplined.
