In
2013, the Government of Canada directed by the governing powers of the time,
went on a mission to reduce the budget. Since the largest single cost in
government service is wages, jobs were on the line. The program was called Work
Force Adjustment (WFA) and for some it was an opportunity to be paid to break
away from a job that they no longer loved, but for most it created fear and
anxiety. As an HR Specialist I was tasked with training managers and employees
about the rules and regulations but also working with employees who were in the
midst of this process.
I
didn’t need much training to do this because in 2006 I had been work force
adjusted from my position at National Defence Headquarters. Three days after I got my notice, my husband
was laid off from his job with a Bell Canada subsidiary. I know from personal
experience that with preparation and knowledge that being a priority can be an
opportunity if approached properly.
At the
time of my layoff, I didn’t work in civilian human resources (HR), but military
HR. I wasn’t especially knowledgeable or
trained in WFA, but I was observant. I am a big believer in trusting your gut
and paying attention to change. By the time my manager sat me (and my
colleague) down to tell us she was
effectively moving us to another sections, I had already read the National
Joint Council Directive on Work Force Adjustment. Instead of being grateful I
was being offered a job, I challenged what exactly she meant. Understanding the
language of work force adjustment allowed me to leverage what I knew.
My
colleague came out of the meeting shaking and in tears, until I sat her down
and explained how this was going to lead to our “escape”. She was skeptical of
what I was telling her, but since we were both analysts we pulled up the
directive and went over it. After an hour of reading, we called our HR Officer
and asked him to put our Workforce Adjustment “offer” on paper. He had no idea
what we were talking about, since HR hadn’t been consulted, and told us he
would call us back. In the mean time, we contacted our union and told them we
wanted the WFA and wanted them to prevent our manager from taking her offer off
the table. The offer was “If you don’t like it, we can fire you since we no
longer need your services.” He was a little surprised since most people want
the union to help them keep their job, not help them get out of the job!
As I
said I had done my homework and I knew that a WFA meant that I would become a
statutory priority within my department any where in Canada or around the world
and a regulatory priority for any other government department so long as I fit
the statement of merit. I was confident that within the year I would be able to
find a job. I also wanted to get out of Ottawa. Not being bilingual made my chances
of promotion narrow. At the time, I was living in the small town I was raised
in, and commuting almost two hours everyday. With a two and a four-year-old I
was barley seeing them.
When you
do the paperwork related to becoming a priority you get to select the area
where you want to work. Knowing this I picked areas where the cost of living
was low, French wasn’t required and I would have a small commute.
Within
three weeks of officially becoming a priority I was interviewing for a job in
my field, in a location that was ideal, and represented a promotion. I am happy
to say I got the job and have spent the last 10 years managing the operations
of a Learning & Career Centre for National Defence.
This
blog will provide you with stories of people who have gone through the priority
hiring process, who opted not to enact their priority status or who were
workforce adjusted. It will provide you with resources related to priority
hiring and workforce adjustment and frequently asked questions to help you
navigate your way through the process.
