Some interesting items in our local paper (Ottawa Citizen). One dealt with a sharp increase in disability claims by federal government employees in 2010. Nearly half of the claims concerned mental health and anxiety issues. I've heard from a variety of sources that the public service is not a good place to work now, with the threat of job cuts hanging over people's heads. Even if your job is relatively secure, you're not sure you're going to be allowed to do it as it should be done. I know of one case in which a public servant's job is overseeing government expenditures in another part of the country. It would be logical, even necessary for him to go and see what his clients are doing on the ground. But, oh no, travel budgets been cut. Can't do that. In another case, a friend who is eligible for retirement has just not bothered going in to work. The atmosphere is just too bad. Who needs it?
Another item in the paper dealt with anger among postal employees who had arbitrarily been sent back to work by the government. They were on strike, but instead of at least giving things a chance to work themselves out, the government moved in and sent the strikers back to work. One reason given was that too many small businesses depended on being able to send invoices out and get checks back. Well, mmmhmmm, I guess that could be a reason, but the government should at least have given the collective bargaining process a chance to try to work things out instead of shutting it off. It recently did the same thing in the case of an Air Canada cabin crew strike. Nope! Can't wait for collective bargaining. Service is too vital! Yet another item dealt with ex senior Cabinet Minister Stockwell Day setting up a consulting firm in possible violation of the Federal Accountability Act which requires that public office holders to wait five years before participating in lobbying. Day says that his firm would be advisory. It would not lobby or connect clients to politicians or bureaucrats. Oh? Then what would it do? Altogether, it doesn't look like a good time to work for government or a Canadian crown corporation.. But there are other things going on that should make you happy. Hey, Will and Kate are coming! So elate and enjoy, and forget about the silly stuff that you normally have to worry about, like your job, you health or your pension. Ed
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