May 19, 2005 – Declared surplus (guaranteed reasonable job offer)
November 14, 2005 – Indeterminate Position found within own department
April 16, 2007 – Declared surplus (no guaranteed job offer)
July 27, 2007 – Indeterminate position found within own department –
February 21, 2011 – Declared surplus – (guaranteed reasonable job offer)
March 8, 2012 – Still no indeterminate position (on assignment in underfill position within department)
If you think this is about more than one person, you couldn’t be more wrong. Let me introduce myself: my name is Connie Gress and I started working for the federal government — in particular, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada — in 1987.
In 1991, I became active within my Local and on the Regional Women’s Committees. In the early 90s, I also sat on a workforce adjustment committee for my department…. (Yes, job cuts in the federal government are nothing new.) And boy did I learn a lot! Who could have guessed that that information would come in handy for me later on?
In 2000, I advanced from a CR4 to a PM2 position and became a policy research officer in intergovernmental relations. I thought: “Wow! This is it. I am set now.”
I learned a lot and liked my job. Five years later, I was told that I was being declared surplus with a guaranteed job offer. Our unit was decimated: 15 positions became three. I was hardly alone.
For some time, I didn’t have a position. My union referred me to the workforce adjustment appendix of my collective agreement; my employer did the same. I felt alone. In the end, I decided that I needed to look after myself. I read a lot, asked a ton of questions and was a real pain to our human resources department. I was eventually placed on assignment in human resources (which was a hoot, given that I was also the local president at the time!).
After a few months, a position came open as a software trainer in a new unit. It was actually a good learning experience; it led me to completing a certificate in adult education and taking facilitation courses. Things were going great, but as the old adage goes: “if it seems too good to be true….”
The government just had to change! Just two years later, I was declared surplus for a second time. But this time, there was no guaranteed job offer. Once again, I felt like I needed to take hold of the situation. But, hey, I had experience dealing with this! My colleagues helped me find someone who wanted to alternate in our office; they were ready to retire and took the little extra package they gained as a surplus.
I once again had a job. Same department, different program; this time, I became a trust officer working with dependant adults. I really liked that job! As a public service employee, it’s rare that you get to see the results of your hard work. I was very lucky. But, you know what they say: if it seems too good to be true….
Less than four years later, I was given a surplus notice, again, due to restructuring. This one came with a guaranteed job offer. I was placed on assignment, once again, doing something I knew nothing about! I’ve been in that position now for a little more than year. There are some possibilities looming and I wholeheartedly believe that something will present itself – something that will challenge me and take me on to retirement.
This article isn’t meant to be a pity party. My message to you, if you find yourself declared surplus, is this: sometimes you have to take charge of the situation.
I have some advice for anyone in a surplus position:
- Don’t expect your department to be your ultimate source of assistance, no matter what they say. Read everything and ask questions. Remember: no question is a dumb question.
- Don’t expect your union to be your only source of assistance. They’re there to help you, but remember to be proactive. If you aren’t sure, ask questions.
- Talk to your colleagues. What do they know? Who do they know?
- Take time to make sure you are looking for work – and yes, you should be able to do it on government time. If your workload won’t allow you the time to do it, then negotiate time away to rewrite your resume, do job searches, etc.
- Don’t take it personally; chances are it’s not.
Lastly, don’t lose your self-esteem, your belief in your skills and, most importantly, your sense of humour; you’re going to need it.
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Connie Gress is a member of UNE Local 40064 in Saskatchewan and chair of the Regina Regional Women’s Committee. |