Social Connect via: I’ve always been bad at introductions and this blog post will not be any different. The idea for this post has been floating in my head for several months but I’ve only realized the inspiration for it recently. I’ve always said that this blog will be on subjects as they come toRead… Read more »
A recent report by the CBC has pegged the cost of federal public service absenteeism at $1B per year. According to the CBC story, the average public servant is taking 18 days a year in sick leave, double what their private sector counterpart does in that same year. While the story does discuss fairly obviousRead… Read more »
Bring your own device (BYOD) policies are corporate policies that dictate the rules around the use of employees personal tablets, smartphones, laptops and other devices for work purposes. Often, a BYOD policy is brought to help manage IT costs or are developed out of a recognition that employees will be using personal assets for businessRead… Read more »
Shrinking budgets especially in the IT world are putting pressure on public organizations to do the same work (if not more work) on aging technology and infrastructure. The government is not the standard setter when it comes to advancing to the latest and greatest technology. The perfect example: I’m using a Pentium 4 single processorRead… Read more »
As the Canadian Public Service navigates through the recent job cuts as part of the 2012 budget, I’ve written about different skills that will help any public servant through cutbacks including survival tips for those who survive the job losses and a call to truly think if the public service is the right career forRead… Read more »
It’s that time of year once again. For public servants in Canada, we are (or have) embarked on a journey to evaluate ourselves against performance indicators and set our learning targets for the upcoming fiscal year. The two documents encompassing this effort are the Performance Discussion Process (PDP) and the Personal Learning Plan (PLP). I’veRead… Read more »
The connected bureaucrat faces many challenges and pitfalls in a world where what you say on Twitter, Facebook or just about any social network becomes part of the public record. As more and more public servants begin to use social networking, it is important to begin defining boundaries and addressing the life of the bureaucratRead… Read more »
This is a very special post as I’m reaching out to the Govloop community to talk about a special project I am currently working on. My department, Health Canada, is holding a webinar to showcase Innovative Public Health Projects in First Nations Communities. The first webinar takes place on Wednesday, May 23rd from 1:30 –Read… Read more »
What a rough past month it has been for public servants from across Canada. All told, around 12,000 notices have gone out to public servants represented by the Public Service Commission. Personally, I am unaffected by the recent job cuts. During these tough times, it is hard to not feel survivor’s guilt as the processRead… Read more »
Social Connect via: Do we have to resign ourselves to the 9-5 grind within our cubicle walls? Do we have to accept that “business as usual” is the norm and without great organizational leadership that can’t be changed? Do we have to accept that with little to no authority we can’t change anything about theRead… Read more »