Premier Pat Binns and Provincial Treasurer Pat Mella today announced a voluntary work adjustment program for members of the Provincial Civil Service.
The program will offer employees an early retirement program as well as a voluntary reduction in hours or leave without pay. The aim of the program is to address the fiscal realities by managing the size of the public service while, at the same time, offering options to employees who wish to retire early or to work fewer hours. The program will also offer opportunities for renewal of the provincial government workforce.
"The workforce adjustment program will accomplish a couple of things for government. It will help to effectively manage the size of the public service, while presenting opportunities to revitalize the public service and to bring new ideas to the table," said Premier Binns.
The Union of Public Sector Employees has been fully briefed on the program.
"The Union supports the idea that the size of the workforce be managed through attrition," said UPSE president Sandy MacKay. "This will accomplish that purpose in a manner that will offer employees real options and is also consistent with our collective agreement."
The voluntary workforce adjustment program affords employees several options for early retirement. The program also offers employees the opportunity to work fewer hours with no resulting loss in pension contributions for a maximum of two years. Employees may also take a two-year leave of absence, during which time many of their employment benefits will remain intact.
In concert with the voluntary workforce adjustment program, all departments of government will develop an enhanced human resources planning process. This exercise will give government a better sense of its human resource needs over the next several years.
"It is important for government to monitor its HR needs relative to programs and services so as to insure that this early retirement initiative will allow us to continue to offer quality services that best meet the needs of Islanders," said Provincial Treasurer Pat Mella.