This edition of the perspectives is to provide you with information and facts about the University’s Attendance Management Program. The University has details of the program, which includes a brochure, on the York University website:
www.yorku.ca/hr/documents/AMP_Brochure.pdf
The University claims that the program “is designed to promote an environment of mutual respect and provide guidelines for a consistent and fair process while respecting the provisions of collective agreements.” However, this program also compares the rate of absenteeism between employees and compares this rate to department, faculty and University wide rates.
I fail to understand how comparing an individual’s absenteeism due to illness to another employee’s as a mechanism will foster “an environment of mutual respect.” I understand that the University, like all employers, would like to see the rate of absenteeism in the workplace reduced or rather, to phrase it in a positive way, to increase the attendance in the workplace. However, the way in which York University is trying to achieve this objective is a violation of the YusApuY Collective Agreement, and so we have grieved this program.
We will advise you of this grievance as it proceeds through the grievance process. I also believe that this Program is contradictory to the employer’s other primary program right now, “Creating a Better Workplace.” If the employer is really interested in convincing our community that they want to improve the morale across York University and engage and transform our community to be more productive and efficient and an overall more positive workplace, then this Attendance Management Program needs to be rescinded.
[blockquote align=”left”]In the interim, if you are being asked to attend meetings with management with respect to an Attendance Program – please contact the York University Staff Association.
[/blockquote]If York University is truly interested in employees achieving a greater attendance rate in the workplace, the best way to accomplish this would be by motivating employees to come to work, not hammering them over the head when they feel that they are not well enough to attend.The other piece to this that I find so ironic that the University issued statements in 2009 through 2010 regarding the potential H1N1 pandemic flu. At this time the employer issued many statements and put up posters all across the campus, but specifically in all public washrooms (there are still some posters up in washrooms across this University) that said the following:
“If you have symptoms of respiratory illness or are not feeling well, you should stay at home.” However, now we see with this Program, that the employer is attempting to discipline employees who follow this sage advice.
As I indicated at our 2011 Ratification meeting – I believe that we need to encourage colleagues to take care of themselves and their families. I think that we need to value our health and that of our colleagues.
We need to celebrate when a co-worker stays home to take care of themselves and/or a dependent as that means that they are focusing on health and a healthy workplace. I also believe that York University should find ways to motivate employees to be present at work by fostering a
workplace that is actually respectful, positive and contributes to an overall healthy environment.
I believe that this is possible and YusApuY has taken steps towards contributing to this goal with the creation of the fitness initiative that we offer at lunch hours and the newly created workshops (that I will advise the community about in the coming weeks) called Work/Life Balance. It is through these kinds of efforts that we can once again have a motivated workforce that feels appreciated and valued – which in my opinion is more than a workplace – it is a worthplace.
In the interim, if you are being asked to attend meetings with management with respect to an Attendance Program – please contact the York University Staff Association.
We are truly here to help you and support you. After all, we can work towards a better York, a better workplace – that has policies and procedures that make sense and improve our working lives — one that really does lead to a worthplace.
In Solidarity,
Joanie Cameron Pritchett
President, York University Staff Association
