Pension, Vacation & Healthcare
While pay in the public service is certainly a major positive factor for most Canadian workers, it is only one aspect when considering an employment prospect. In addition to the base salary, all positions are supported by a comprehensive and competitive public service benefits package. Again, benefits are dependent upon the position, but in general these include (and are not necessarily limited to):
Healthcare Plans, including prescription drug coverage, vision, para-medical and hospital care for employees and their families
Dental Plans
Disability Insurance
Public Service Pension Plan, typically based on the 6 consecutive highest-paid years.
Vacation and Leave Packages and clauses
Death Benefits
General Vacation and Leave Benefits:
– 2 weeks after 1 year of employment, 3 weeks after 6 years.
– Vacation entitlement is 4% of earnings for 2 weeks and 6% for 3 weeks.
– 11 paid statutory holidays per year
– 15 paid sick days per year (based on 1.25 allowed sick days per month.)
– Paid leave to attend to family-related responsibilities
Other types of leave such as Education, Marriage, Bereavement, Self-funded leave, Parental leave, Preschool Childcare leave, Personal leave, and Long Term Care of Parents leave.
Continued Learning and Opportunities for Advancement
The Canadian government has a clear stake in maintaining a skilled and vibrant workforce and in the preparation and of that force. It also maintains a commitment to strengthening the labour pool through education, professional development and advancement of knowledge and skills. The government does this not only to ensure that its supporting network of employees is competitive and productive but also because it recognizes that opportunities for learning and advancement are key to work satisfaction.
In its efforts to continually enhance and develop its employees, public service Canada offers a variety of programs including ongoing professional training and personal development opportunities. These programs help create a satisfying career for you, enhancing your career field potential and also ensuring strong, qualified candidates are available to fill senior positions. Examples of some of these programs include:
– Courses in technology
– Communication and interpersonal skills
– Management courses including Career Assignment, Management Trainee programs, Executive Development and Pre- – qualification for advanced executive positions
– On-the-job training and mentoring programs
– Programs in cultural sensitivity
– Opportunities to obtain or complete a degree in a related major (sometimes paid for by the government)
Government Employment Equity
The Government of Canada stands to serve and represent all of its peoples. This includes offering equal employment opportunities and striving to build a public work force that reflects the population. As part of this effort, the government actively recruits members of designated minority and under-represented groups to fill public positions.
Four groups are actively designated for recruitment:
Aboriginal Peoples: First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples.
Visible minorities: Recognized and defined as a person of a non-Caucasian race or colour (regardless of birth-place) from one of these designated groups: Arab, Black, Chinese, East-Indian, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Latin American, North African, Southeast Asian, West Asian (non-Caucasian) people and persons of mixed heritage (ie, having one parent in one of the aforementioned groups.)
People with Disabilities: Individuals with recurring or long-term impairments including physical, mental, psychiatric, sensory or learning impairment.
Women: Women are included on this list because although their status in government jobs continues to improve, there are many remaining areas where women are under-represented in the cross-section of the workforce population.
The government works to be an inclusive employer as it works to recruit under-represented and minority workers. In this effort, it makes necessary reasonable accommodations and ensures fair hiring practices for all applicants while encouraging designated minority groups to apply for employment with the federal government and public service.
Commitment to the Workforce
In addition to being committed to building a representative and equitable workforce, Canada also maintains a strong commitment to being a responsible employer and providing a works environment that are safe and healthy. To this end, the government always meets or exceeds the norms for work conditions that other work sectors adhere to. This commitment also includes providing accommodations and special technical aids on behalf of people with disabilities.
Job Security and Flexibility
With 214 federal organizations in over 1,000 locations, plus the ability to move between job positions and locations, there is considerable flexibility and job security and when you work for the Canadian government. The public service goes to great lengths to maintain its workforce by offering flexibility in location and, when appropriate, work arrangements, such as flex-hours, compressed work weeks and work-from-home opportunities. It also offers employment mobility to those relocating for personal reasons or in the interest of career advancement—including public service workers whose spouses are relocating.
Inter-organizational moves, movement between public organizations and regional relocations are a great advantage of employment and also a method of ensuring job security that is unparalleled in most private-sector organizations. These factors, combined with the necessity of the government and its various organizations, results in a level of job permanence available from very few non-governmental employers.
Intangible Benefits
The Canadian Government offers several peripheral benefits that result simply from the nature of the job. Public service offers the pride and personal satisfaction of working for a model organization—one that is a leader in many respects. Additionally, you can enjoy the comfort and pride of knowing that not only are you personally benefiting from your employment, but all of those who rely upon your position and service are, too. When you work for public service organizations you are helping to serve your friends, neighbours, fellow citizens and are part of a large team dedicated to maintaining and improving Canada, as well.
Few other employers in Canada can offer such a long and comprehensive list of advantages to working for them. To be sure, the personal and peripheral benefits of working for the government often far exceed those of any other job opportunity that may be available to you, making job-seeking with the public service one of the best decisions you can make. As you can see, job opportunities with the Canadian government have the potential for substantial lateral and upward mobility–and once you’re on board, there is a genuine opportunity for you to create a meaningful, life-long career in public service.
If you are just starting out on your career path, for secondary and post-secondary students, the Government of Canada offers paid student jobs (FSWEP) for those looking for valuable career-related work experience.