FRANCAIS

August 07, 2002

Provincial employees now have the option of taking up to 15 days off without pay as part of a new voluntary reduced work week program, Greg Selinger, minister responsible for the Civil Service Commission, announced today.

The voluntary reduced work week program is a pilot project that will allow employees to take up to 15 days off without pay within the current 2002-03 fiscal year which ends March 31, 2003.

"The government has decided to offer a voluntary reduced work week program to provincial employees," said Selinger, who noted that no employee will be required to take time off under the program.

"Many provincial employees have said they would like the option of taking additional time off, without pay, to attend to family and other matters," Selinger added. "We felt that a voluntary, pilot project provided the best means to gauge employee interest in this type of program, while also evaluating the program’s effect on expenditure management."

Under the voluntary reduced work week program, departments will consider leave requests made by employees in the context of operational requirements and staffing levels--the same criteria used in granting vacation requests. Pay deductions for approved leaves will be spread out over 11 pay periods, from Nov. 1, 2002, to March 21, 2003, to minimize the financial impact on individual employees.

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