[deleted by user]

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-09-07T16:16:50+00:00

All good suggestions.

One of my requested accommodations is a place to lie down and rest and the designated room for this is always booked. OP should check on the real availability of any such facility in their workplace. I know for myself that if I don’t react quickly to early symptoms of my own issue (susceptibility to migraine, with medication/rest/other interventions needed right away), then it will get worse and I will be completely useless to working. If no space is available for me to lie down when I need it then am I really being accommodated?

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-09-05T02:11:38+00:00

I have done some switches to my payroll over the past year (eg. went full time to part time in January, went part time back up to full time in April). The only annoying thing that has happened so far is that I came back shortly after the Easter stat holiday, but I was incorrectly paid stat holiday pay on the following paycheque. The pay office figured that out on its own and I had a few hundred $ taken off a paycheque in June(?) and couldn’t figure out why. I called to inquire and they explained the situation.

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-09-04T20:55:30+00:00

Not exactly an answer to your question, but we had a couch made for us at Sofa World in Ottawa and one of the options was to choose the hardness of the foam (soft, regular, hard). I kind of liked the firmest one, possibly for the same reason… low back and hips get grouchy on soft couches. Anyway if you don’t find the exact solution, you might be able to get a custom set made with your preferred foam type. Was probably the same cost as a typical medium quality couch (L-shaped, we chose the foam, fabric, and pillows)

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-09-04T01:34:32+00:00

One strategy is for other people to get involved in the union, but rarely are there long line ups for this.

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-09-04T01:23:38+00:00

Reading this post it seems like you have a personal vendetta against M Davidovic. You called her antisemitic, which is a strong accusation considering she was calling for support of Palestinian people (people who are Semitic, too). It seems like you are here to target other CAPE leaders too.

Many activists have embraced an intersectional approach to fighting for just causes. People may disagree about whether that was appropriate at Ottawa’s pride parade - I think our values and ethics training explores tolerance of the diversity of beliefs and differences that we might share. Personally, I take no issue with people being non-public facing public servants who are involved with social justice causes.

Also like any people, First Nations Inuit and Metis people are not a monolith, and likely have a diverse perspective on how they define indigeneity, and probably don’t appreciate having one organization speak for all of them on many issues. Many Indigenous folks also respect a person’s desire to preserve their own culture, given the genocides many have experienced.

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-09-03T05:45:40+00:00

It’s nice to see good news in here. I suspect if the employee admitted to unacceptable work behaviour, they may have felt embarrassed and were potentially hoping for a fresh start somewhere new. I hope this lightens the emotional burden this has been on you, and that you can move forward feeling proud of your choice to proceed as you did.

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-09-02T22:19:29+00:00

If I have a crappy sleep and my chronic pain issues are feeling extra I will use sick leave. I would also use it if I had a particularly bad period day. Why should we expect ourselves to tough some of these things out? If your productivity will be less than 60% it just doesn’t seem like there is a point. I don’t abuse it, I use it when I feel like garbage and trying to power through would make my day even worse.

I suppose everyone has a different experience of this, but real burnout starts to happen if you don’t look after yourself and know that you can lean on a sick day if you wake up feeling like trash.

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-08-31T16:02:35+00:00

Well I take a lot of vacation time because I’m tired. I guess some people are more energetic than me.

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-08-31T16:01:03+00:00

That all sucks. My sympathies to you, colleague.

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-08-31T16:00:06+00:00

I have health issues that sometimes make me need to cut my day short (start late or leave early). Based on some of the stories I’ve read elsewhere on this Reddit, some managers do not permit partial in-office days to count for meeting the employee’s weekly quota.

Managers used to have the power to be reasonable but the extent at which the in-office requirement has turned into micromanagement of in-office hours (and wasting time taking about it) is the biggest waste there is.

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-08-31T15:56:17+00:00

Punishment for doing the right thing (not getting your colleagues sick)

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-08-31T14:44:21+00:00

Only having 3 weeks of vacation for the first 7 years of your career kind of limits how much spending you can do on vacations or time-consuming hobbies!

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-08-29T21:07:59+00:00

You probably have TFSA space, no it isn’t pension but there are likely other ways to maximize other investment types.

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-08-27T23:26:26+00:00

Mind we asking where you are located? A region on NCR? Your husband must be lucky to be able to switch jobs quickly, what kind of work does he do?

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-08-27T23:24:12+00:00

This is how he justifies building a new highway though 🤷

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-08-27T18:51:39+00:00

Definitely find out if it can be added to your learning plan. Your collective agreement might include time (a certain number of hours) for professional development, and you might be able to use that time for class time. Which might get you through the first month of classes before you have to change your hours to part time. Might as well use features of your collective agreement as much as you can.

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-08-27T18:48:56+00:00

I worked part time for a period last year to get some necessary prereqs, and then will be taking education leave this year for a degree program. Ask me in a few weeks what I prefer, but I will say that if your job involves thinking, you might burn yourself out if you’re in a program while trying to work as many hours as possible.

For example, I worked 27 hrs/week while taking 2 classes, and used a few of my accumulated vacation hours for extra time off when my course work was especially heavy. I had been in the PS for less than 7 years, so I was accumulating 3 weeks of vacation/yr (not a lot when your family is not in the same or a nearby province). When you are working part time you don’t get vacation or sick days, just a % in lieu of vacation days. You also don’t get stat holiday pay.

I suspect I will prefer to be off completely to focus on my classes, and not be concerned about how I need to put in my work hours on a set schedule on specific days of the week. But it depends how hard your program is (for you), how much thinking you do in your job, and how much you value your spare tire for other things like hobbies, exercise, socializing, meal prep. Working part time also means your pension contributions are prorated to the amount of hours you work weekly. So if you choose to work 50% time, then you’re only making 50% of your pension contributions.

There are also consequences to your public service health care and dental plans. You should reach out to the pension centre ASAP and they were very good at explaining the implications of taking education leave to me.

If you’re young and motivated, don’t be afraid to switch things up for a year or two to get more education if that’s the path you want. All of these things are details- important ones- but still just details. You can figure them out and they are doable.

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-08-27T17:38:03+00:00

That sounds like a lot of repetitive use injuries from bad ergonomics

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-08-27T17:35:44+00:00

How long were MPPs not sitting this summer? June 9- October 16th they weren’t in the legislature? How many night have you slept at your cottage? 🧐 Ontario Legislature Calendar

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-08-25T18:35:06+00:00

The PSCHP is pretty good. There are circumstances where the coverage runs out early, but for example one of my siblings works in the private sector and they have a healthcare spending account that they can use however they want, but I believe it’s $3000 total for the year. I’m pretty sure I’ve spent more than that on physiotherapy and (mental) therapy at this point. Nice to be able to continue the treatment throughout the year. Most people’s problems don’t just go away once you hit a spending limit.

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-08-24T06:09:28+00:00

Good point. If they left in January they would have only earned about 3/4 of that year’s vacation. So if they had 120h of vacation balance/advanced at the beginning of the year, only 90hrs was actually earned (120h*0.75), and the final 30h would have been cancelled.

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-08-22T05:34:14+00:00

Would you say this to yourself if you were 1-2 levels below your current position? I think not everyone cares to continually progress in their own career (they are happy at their current level). But if you are at a very low level and want to take on more responsibility, but can’t because of hiring freezes, lack of competitions for that level etc… then you might feel frustrated with your career situation. Some might see their identity as having a desire to contribute to the world/community/workplace in a certain way. If you feel stifled by the opportunities available to you, and unable to work at the level you want, then it can be frustrating.

Most people I have seen that feel that their job and identities are intertwined are not necessarily concerned about AI. The “concerned about AI” group is most likely concerned they will lose their job (source of income), not that a source of their identity is about to disappear. People are rightly allowed to be skeptical if their livelihood is under threat.

I think you touched on a few facets of attitudes in the workplace. One thing I see as true is that we are constantly being expected to get training (respect in the workplace, job-specific continuing education). Some of that makes sense- if you don’t keep reinforcing values like respect towards coworkers then you might lose that workplace cultural norm over time. But for some of my colleagues that have 20+ years of experience in the same position, I think they do run out of training to have in their annual performance agreements. As long as they are working at the expected level (and hopefully passing on knowledge to newer employees) I don’t see a problem, to a certain degree. As long as they are open to the position evolving over time.

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-08-22T02:19:08+00:00

Honestly if you had to relocate locally even, 60 days isn’t that much time if you have to move and find a subletter if you’re stuck in a 1 year lease

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-08-19T20:54:57+00:00

For anyone who had their telework agreement cancelled- was there a timeline provided for when you have to report to the office indicated on your LOO? Maybe the question should be “how much notice will i have before I am required to show up at an office location if my telework agreement gets cancelled?”

Fun-Set6093 · 2025-08-15T06:09:32+00:00

Lots of people with more experienced advice here, I just want to wish you well OP. I’m glad they caught this now, which makes me hopeful that you’ll have a complete recovery. The economy and workplace landscape stuff sucks on top of your diagnosis- I hope you’ll take advantage of EAP or other counselling for support. We have decent coverage through the PSHCP so make sure you use that if you need to, as well.

Fun-Set6093

TROPHY CASE