SUMMARY RECORD
NATIONAL RETURN TO WORK COMMITTEE

Held in the D Safe G Conference Room
3rd Floor, Lorne Building
Ottawa, Ontario
Friday, 5 December 2003

Present

Introduction

1. The co-chairs welcomed the delegates to the meeting.

Previous Summary Record

2. The Summary Record of the meeting of 29 May 03 was accepted as written and will be entered in the National RtW Web Page of the D Safe G site at http://vcds.mil.ca/dsafeg/pubs/rtwcomm/intro_e.asp.

Status of Local Issues

3. ECS/Group representatives reported on the status of local RtW issues that had been reported at the last meeting. It was reported that the situations at 17 Wing Winnipeg and at CFB Esquimalt had been satisfactorily resolved, but that those at 3 Wing Bagotville and at CFB Gagetown remained outstanding. Those Committee members involved with the two outstanding units were requested to remain apprised of the situations and to assist as necessary in their resolution.

Action: Messrs Wilson, Walsh & Champoux

4. Notwithstanding that all of these issues were potentially resolvable at the local level, the Committee agreed that it was of value to bring such matters to the attention of the Committee in the event that some assistance could be brought to bear and as a means of learning from other's experiences.

5. A lengthy discussion ensued on the lack of reporting of some RtW cases and the potential that such an omission could have upon the "spirit" of the program as a facilitation tool for return to work as opposed to a means whereby workers could be coerced back to work against their will. These concerns were particularly focussed on cases of stress or other emotional illnesses that were becoming more prevalent, but which did not enjoy the same level of understanding as physical injuries.

6. The Committee agreed that this concern would be addressed in two ways:

a. An amendment to the RtW Manual that would require a copy of all Temporary Modified Work Agreements to be sent to the local RtW Advisor; and,
b. Dissemination of a CANFORGEN underlining the fact that the RtW Program is not limited to physical injuries, but also includes stress and emotional disorders.

Action: Ms. MacGregor

8. Mr. Wilson raised the possibility of establishing an RtW hot line for employees requiring urgent RtW information. D Safe G undertook to look into the possibility, reminding the Committee however, that it potentially carried a resource bill far beyond that currently available to D Safe G.

Action: Ms. MacGregor

Treasury Board Annual Report

9. Mr. Braham advised the Committee of a message from the Treasury Board to Deputy Head's that required the production of an annual report on the state of Departmental Return to Work Programs. These reports will be based on the calendar year and will be required in Treasury Board by March 31 each year. He noted that he would be preparing a comprehensive report on the DND RtW Program with a completion date of 27 Feb 04 planned to allow for appropriate staffing for DM signature. In the meantime, he advised Committee members that he would be seeking their inputs and concurrence during the development phase. The intention would be that subsequent reports could simply be updates.

Action: Mr. Braham

RtW Training Status

10. Ms. MacGregor reported that there are now three basic national RtW training/awareness packages:

a. Return to Work Awareness (Supervisors) - 1 day
b. Return to Work Awareness (Employees) - ½ day
c. Return to Work Committee Course - 3 days

11. Seven of the Supervisor courses have been completed so far this FY with seven more formally scheduled, and several others informally scheduled within the NCR.

12. The Committee agreed that delivery of RtW awareness courses should, to the extent possible be of a joint employer/union nature and that D Safe G should endeavour to ensure such an arrangement for all courses.

Action: Ms. MacGregor

13. It was noted that 15 was the minimum for the Committee courses, and that greater numbers were desirable from an economic standpoint.

Program Status

14. Ms. MacGregor tabled a copy of the latest Program status as provided by units across the country. A copy of the tabled report is attached. Mr. Denault noted that the report for FMF Cape Scott did not accurately represent the existing condition. In the wake of the ensuing discussion on the status of the RtW Program in Halifax, it was agreed that Ms. McElveny would look into the matter and provide the Committee with a more accurate summary of the situation and, as necessary, initiate steps to ensure that a complete and active Program was established in the region as soon as possible.

Action: Ms. McElveny

15. The Command/Group representatives undertook to verify the status of programs within their purview and to provide Ms. MacGregor with a complete list of existing RtW Committees including member names and affiliations. This information will then be posted on the D Safe G RtW Web Page.

Action: Command/Group Reps

Entitlements of Returning Workers

16. Ms. Barkley and Mr. Stewart tabled a paper that outlined the regulatory entitlements of indeterminate employees returning to work after an absence due to injury or illness. A copy of their paper is attached. It was acknowledged that Human Resources Officers have the responsibility to provide advice to management on the application of these entitlements. However, it was agreed that in order to increase the awareness of the relevant information surrounding these cases, it should be included into existing RtW awareness and training packages, and inserted in an appropriate manner into the RtW Manual.

Action: Ms. MacGregor

Tour du Table

17. Mr. Taylor reported that this would be his last meeting since he had been selected to represent the Bargaining Agents in a new capacity within the Treasury Board. The Committee congratulated Bob on his appointment and thanked him sincerely for his devoted efforts, not just on the RtW Committee, but to DND OHS in general.

18. Mr Wilson noted that the new OFA form being designed for the CF RtW Program was classified at the Protected B level to better recognise the confidentiality associated with emotional illnesses. The Committee agreed that the civilian OFA should be amended to cater for such an eventuality.

Action: Ms. MacGregor

19. Mr. Wilson questioned whether or not it was still necessary to meet twice a year. The Committee was of the opinion that since the frequency of meetings had only recently been cut from 4 to 2, it was somewhat premature to consider further reductions at this juncture. The lively discussion and full agenda at this meeting suggested that the present frequency was appropriate. That being said, it was agreed that if the agendae for future meetings did not justify getting together, the Chairs should cancel the meeting.

Action: Co-Chairs

20. In response to the observation by Mr Wilson that the D Safe G Annual Report was based on the FY, it was agreed to adjust the requirement for the annual RtW report from CY to FY. Secretarial Note: Due to the requirement to provide an annual report to TB based on the CY (see para 9 above), this decision is rescinded. The Annual RtW Report will remain based on the CY, and will be reported as such in the D Safe G Annual Report.

Action: Command/Group Reps

21. Mr. Day suggested that the possibility of devolving WCB costs to a lower level in the Chain of Command be discussed at the next meeting. D Safe G noted that this topic would be raised in the forthcoming annual report to Treasury Board on the DND RtW Program and would, therefore, be timely.

Action: Co-Chairs

22. Mr. Champoux noted that he and Mr.Gill had made a joint presentation on the DND RtW Program at the recent TB OHS Conference and that it been well received.

Date of Next Meeting

23. It was tentatively agreed to meet on Friday, 28 May 2004.

Action: Co-Chairs

Adjournment

24. The Co-Chairs adjourned the meeting at 1100.