To:      All OPSEU Bargaining Unit Staff
From:  Joint Steering Committee (JSC)
Date:   December 15, 2016
Re:      Job Evaluation and Pay Equity process update:
           Collecting Job information

 
The Job Information Questionnaire (JIQ)
 
Accurate, complete and up-to-date information is a fundamental piece of job evaluation. Although the duties and responsibilities for your job are outlined in a job description, we cannot rely solely on this document for the purposes of job evaluation as it does not provide all of the information needed to evaluate and compare jobs. Therefore, the Joint Steering Committee (JSC) has developed a Job Information Questionnaire (JIQ) to collect detailed job data for job evaluation purposes. For example, we need specific examples of the judgement skills or the physical demands that are typical of the work you do in order to understand your job.
 
Who will complete the JIQ?
 
There are approximately 350 employees within the OPSEU bargaining unit at CMHA WW. Requiring every incumbent to submit a Job Information Questionnaire (JIQ) is not an efficient process, particularly since many employees are part of a multi-incumbent group; that is, they do the same job as one or more other employees. Therefore, the JSC looked at the logistics of administering the Questionnaire and managing the job information after it has been collected, and created the plan which is outlined in this memo. In total, we expect to collect job information for approximately 70 positions, spread throughout the various CMHA WW locations. Attached with this memo is a list of the jobs that the Joint Job Evaluation Committee (JJEC) will be evaluating. Please review the list to see where your position is incorporated. The following is an outline of the more specific process for the unique employee situations:
 
Group #1    Sole incumbent: If you are the only
​                   employee in the job, please attend one of
​                   the orientation sessions listed below and 
​                   complete the JIQ as per the instructions.
 
Group #2   Multi-incumbent (2-15 employees): If
​                  you are in a position that has between 2–15
​                  employees in the job, please be in touch
​                  with the other employee(s) in your job and
​                  together, decide how you will complete the
​                  questionnaire.  Also, please attend one of
​                  the orientation sessions listed below.
 
Group #3  Multi-incumbent (over 15 employees): If
​                you are in a position that has over 15
​                employees or is very geographically dispersed
​                within the job (i.e. Site Support Specialist,
​                Service Coordinator, Mental Health Clinician,
​                Support Coordinator or RN/Nurse Case
​                Manager/Nurse Clinician) you will be receiving
​                a separate communication to more fully
​                explain the process for the completion of the
​                questionnaire. Separate orientation sessions
​                other than the ones outlined below will be
​                scheduled for your groups by service, shift, or
​                site and will involve face to face meetings and
​                OTN/teleconferencing.
 
What is the role of the Team Lead/Manager in this process?
 
The Team Lead/Manager will assist with facilitating the logistics of filling out the questionnaire; this may include facilitating a date/time/location.
 
The Team Lead/Manager will review the completed JIQ, add comments, and sign the document. The Team Lead/Manager shall not delete/alter/change any employee comments.
 
When will the process begin?
 
Job Information Questionnaire (JIQ) orientation sessions for Group #1 and #2 will be held on the following dates, times, and locations throughout our CMHA WW geography:

• December 20th, 9am– 1pm
  234 St. Patrick St. E., Fergus (OTN Meeting Rm)
• December 21st, 1– 5pm
  1 Blue Springs Dr., Waterloo (Boardroom)
• December 22nd, 1:30 – 5pm
  80 Waterloo Ave., Guelph (G02/G04)

​If you are not able to attend one of the above noted sessions in person, arrangements will be made to have OTN made available so that you can attend and participate from your location. However, if you are not able to attend one of the above noted sessions or through OTN, the orientation presentation will be made available on the Orchard for your review.
 
At the sessions noted above, members of the JSC will present general information about the job evaluation process, guide employees through the JIQ, and answer questions regarding its completion. The sessions will be approximately four hours which is broken down into approximately one hour of orientation and the remaining time can be utilized as the time necessary for employees who are completing the questionnaire to do so then.
 
The following process will take place, based on the three employee groups outlined above:
 
Group #1: Sole incumbents

• Employees will complete the questionnaire either during the orientation session outlined above, or at another time convenient for them during working hours. The questionnaire takes approximately two hours to complete.  Please email the completed questionnaire to your Team Lead/Manager by:  January 4th
• Team Leads/Managers are asked to email reviewed
  and signed questionnaires to Jeffrey Breau and Ruth Linnen by:  January 9th

 
Group #2: Multi-incumbents group (2-15 employees)

• These groups will complete one questionnaire together either during the orientation session outlined above, or at another time convenient for them during working hours. The questionnaire takes approximately two hours to complete and additional paid work time will be provided to ensure all incumbents have an opportunity to review and provide written input to a completed questionnaire.  Please email the completed questionnaire to your Team Lead/Manager by:  January 11th
• Team Leads/Managers are asked to email reviewed and signed questionnaires to Jeffrey Breau and Ruth Linnen by:  January 16th

  
Group #3: Multi-incumbents group (over 15 employees)

• As outlined above, you will be receiving a separate communication over the next few days to more fully explain the process for the completion of the questionnaire.  Please email the completed questionnaire to your Team Lead/Manager by:  January 11th
• Team Leads/Managers are asked to email reviewed and signed questionnaires to Jeffrey Breau and Ruth Linnen by:  January 16th

Please note that if you are unable to attend the orientation session or meet with your incumbent group you will have the opportunity to review and provide written input to a completed questionnaire electronically (details to follow).
 
Please note that you may find it helpful when completing the JIQ to review your job description. Job descriptions will be available on the Orchard for review. Some job descriptions may be in draft as the HR department has been working on updating and formatting all job descriptions, however, that will be noted as such.
 
What happens next?
 
Once all the job information has been collected, members of the JJEC will begin reviewing the data and evaluating the jobs within the OPSEU bargaining unit. The job evaluation process will establish the relative value of the female and male job classes and rates of pay will then be examined. In the end, CMHA WW will post a Pay Equity Plan, which will identify any monetary adjustments required in order to achieve pay equity.
 
We will advise members as we progress through the major project milestones. These updates will come in the form of memos and will be maintained on the Orchard and Workplace Bulletin Boards. Employees will be notified on updates as they are posted.

***URGENT NOTICE***
Due to inclement weather and the snow squall watch all of Waterloo and Wellington are under...

The demand set meeting set for tonight at 6:30pm is CANCELLED!

You will be notified when it is rescheduled.
 
PLEASE PASS ALONG THIS MESSAGE
TO ALL MEMBERS YOU SEE TODAY!
******************

The Region 2 Equity Conference is being held on Saturday, January 14, 2017 at the Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale Hotel.

If you are interested in attending this celebration of equity and diversity, with the opportunity to network with others who are committed to equity and diversity, please connect with Ruth or Eileen.

Note: Deadline to submit applications, purchase tickets and make hotel guest room reservations is December 20, 2016.

To: All OPSEU Bargaining Unit Staff
From: Joint Steering Committee (JSC)
Date: December 9, 2016
Re: Job Evaluation and Pay Equity Process

 
Under the Pay Equity Act of Ontario, CMHA WW and OPSEU are obligated to jointly develop and post a Pay Equity Plan for the members in the OPSEU bargaining unit.  Both OPSEU and CMHA WW are committed to the Pay Equity process.  This memo is to inform you of the pay equity process, progress made to date and next steps.
 
What is Pay Equity?
 
Pay Equity is equal pay for work of equal or comparable value.  The Pay Equity Act was introduced by the provincial government to narrow the wage gap that may exist between jobs traditionally held by women and jobs traditionally held by men.
 
The law requires that the value of jobs usually done by women be compared to the value of jobs usually done by men.  Female jobs that are found to be of equal or comparable value to male jobs must be paid at least the same.
 
Achieving pay equity is accomplished through a negotiated process between the employer and the bargaining agent.  The content of jobs is compared, not the performance of the people doing the jobs.  Jobs with similar duties and responsibilities, similar qualifications and recruiting practices, and the same compensation are grouped into job classes.  These job classes are then identified as either female-dominated or male-dominated depending on the number of female and male employees in the jobs.  Historical incumbency and gender stereotypes are also considered, or the job may be classified as “gender neutral”.  Female job classes are then compared to male job classes based on the levels of skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions involved in performing the work.  If a female job class is found to be of equal or comparable value to its male job class comparator, then the female job must be paid at least the same as the male job class comparator, per the Pay Equity Act
 
An employee’s pay cannot be lowered to achieve pay equity.  All employees working in female job classes will receive pay equity adjustments if their job is found to be lower paid than the male comparator.  The Pay Equity Act does not affect the compensation of male and gender neutral job classes.
 
Pay Equity Plan
 
Briefly, the Pay Equity Plan is a document that summarizes:

• The gender neutral comparison system (GNCS) that is used to evaluate and compare jobs;
• The female-dominated jobs and their male comparators; and
• The results of the job analysis, including any financial adjustments that may be required to align the wages of female-dominated jobs to the wages of their respective male comparator.

A Joint Steering Committee has been established between OPSEU and CMHA WW to guide the process of job evaluation and pay equity compliance.
 
In addition, a Joint Job Evaluation Committee (JJEC) has been formed whose responsibility will be the evaluation of the job classes.  Members from OPSEU and CMHA WW are outlined below:

​What progress has been made?
 
The Joint Steering Committee  has agreed on a Terms of Reference (TOR) and the Gender Neutral Comparison System (GNCS).
 
What are the next steps?
 
The Joint Steering Committee is in the process of finalizing the Job Information Questionnaire (JIQ), which is used in the job analysis and also the job classes and gender incumbency.
 
We will advise members as we progress through the major project milestones.  These updates will come in the form of memos and will be maintained on the CMHA WW Intranet on the Orchard and Workplace Bulletin Boards.  Employees will be notified on updates as they are posted.