Nova Scotia Union Negotiating Working-From-Home In New Contract
HALIFAX — The Covid-19 pandemic forced employees and employers across Canada to do a working-from-home experiment for more than a year. The idea was nothing new; many workers have asked for this privilege over the years, as technology advanced, and remote working became possible.
But now that both employers and employees have shown office work can be accomplished from home, this privilege may soon turn into a right for many unionized workers.
In Nova Scotia, the NSGEU is negotiating a new contract for nearly 8000 civil servants. One of the main topics being discussed between the two parties is remote working.
“A lot of members have been asking for this ability for a long time,” said NSGEU vice president Sandra Mullen. “Even before the pandemic, there were members who asked would it not be possible to work from home. And I think we’ve heard that from across the country.”
According to Mullen, reduced commuting time and increased productivity are two of the big reasons civil servants enjoy working from home. NSGEU does not have numbers, however, on how many employees worked from home during the pandemic.
There are certain jobs that are impossible to do from home, such as retail work out of Service Nova Scotia. Mullen also believes that those who can work from home won’t be able to do so full-time.
“It doesn’t replace in-person (meetings),” said Mullen. “So, I think…there won’t be 100 per cent working from home.”
Mullen also added that it’s important that remote working be a voluntary program.
If the government and the union do agree on rules around remote learning, Mullen says it’s likely the government will have to invest in proper equipment. Over the course of the pandemic, it became clear not every employee had the right tools to work from home.
“A lot of people in their employment didn’t have a cellphone. So those things were slow in coming out. They were sent home very quickly,” says Mullen.
“Not everybody is well set up to be working from home. There were internet issues-things like that.”
Besides the obvious tools, like cellphones, computers, and internet, Mullen says it will be important that the government ensures people can work from home safely. This may include providing a proper office chair and other ergonomic equipment often found in office settings.
Even though there could be new expenses for the government, Mullen says there will be certain savings with remote working. She points to the likelihood of reduced sick days, and people using their time more efficiently.
“There could be costs associated with it. On the other side- the very positive side of working from home- has shown up already with reduced sick time. And they’re saving time in their day in some cases, with the reduced commute,” says Mullen.
The NSGEU also want to make sure that employees aren’t expected to work longer shifts just because they can complete their duties from home.
“We want to see provisions and we know that we’re going to be looking for what kind of safety net there is for these folks. If you have an 8 am-4 pm timeframe, you’re working that timeframe and you’re not expected to work until 7:30 at night,” said Mullen.
The provincial government and the union will continue negotiating a new contract throughout August. Mullen believes it is likely the two sides will agree on language surrounding remote working.
“We do believe at this point the employer is definitely receptive to developing language for the work from home program,” said Mullen.
“They can’t say that it can’t be done, because it was done.”
The Government of Nova Scotia, however, isn’t tipping their hand just yet. In an email to Huddle Today, a spokesperson said they won’t be commenting.
“Collective Bargaining with the NSGEU on a new Civil Service Master Agreement is currently in progress. We do not discuss details of negotiations publicly while this process is underway.”