CFSU(E) - Regional Civilian Personnel Office (Europe) - Manager's Information
Quimperléstr. 100 Selfkant-Kaserne, 52511 Geilenkirchen, Germany

Introduction

As a manager of locally engaged employees in Europe, there are many human resources items that you should be aware of.  In this section we highlight the areas that you should pay close attention to. 

• Introduction
• HR Policy and Procedures
• Staffing
• Classification
• New Employee Orientation
• Attendance and Leave Administration
• Performance Evaluation
• Accident in the Workplace
• Awards and Recognition
• Learning and Training Opportunities 

If you have any questions or comments on this section please do not hesitate to contact us.

HR Policy and Procedures

The HR policies and procedures for LEEs are found in these main documents and websites:

• Locally Engaged Employee's Directives (LEED's) 
• Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service
• Collective Tariff Agreement II
• Collective Tariff Agreement (TV AL II) 

These documents include the employment conditions and benefits of civilian employees.

Top of the Page

Staffing

General 

Staffing in Europe is a mixture of Canadian, Department of National Defense, Treasury Board, Collective Tariff Agreement II (CTA), local employment laws and Foreign Affairs & International Trade (DFAIT) regulations, policies and procedures. It is not always straight forward.  

We can employ two types of employees:

• Dependants of CF/Civilian Component members (LEE), and
• Local nationals (CTA).  

Dependants follow the LEED and local nationals follow local labor laws and either the CTA II or LEED depending on the country of employment. 

Our approach to staffing in Europe is to ensure that each process is run in a fair and transparent manner as well as providing all applicants with an equal chance to apply for any position they wish. The hiring process begins with developing the job requirements and ends when a job offer is made. 

Individual managers are responsible for making the final decision on their best fit candidate. However, our office ensures that all successful candidates have met the essential qualifications for the position.

Planning 

The following are the steps to staffing a position in Europe. RCPO (E) Staffing Checklist has been designed to assist managers and supervisors through the hiring process from determining the initial staffing need to appointment of your new employee. 

1) Determine the staffing need

2) Contact the RCPO @ +49 (0)2451 717219

3) Fill in the Staffing Request Form and send it to RCPO 

4) Develop, review and update the:

• Work description
• Statement of Merit Criteria - SoMC (the criteria that you will assess candidates on)
• Poster to advertise your position on the web site

5) Advertise the position - usually two weeks

6) Develop assessment tools - such as:

• interview questions
• practical tests
• reference checks

7) Assess candidates

8) Choose your “best fit” & offer employment to successful candidate.

9) Contact all candidates to let them know if they were successful or not

10) Offer informal discussion for all unsuccessful candidates

11) Create a pool of qualified candidates.

Assessment 

There are many different ways to assess candidates. This is the most important part of the staffing process and key to getting the right fit employee. The objective is to ensure that the persons selected are qualified to perform the functions of the job and that they will meet the organization’s needs, which are identified during the HR planning process. 

Assessment involves screening candidates based on information provided on their résumés and applications, as well as using various methods, tools and strategies to determine whether candidates possess the skills, abilities and qualifications required as indicated on the SoMC. Typical assessment tools are interviews, practical tests and reference checks. 

Remember:

• There must be a clear link between qualifications and assessment tools and methods;
• All essential qualifications for a position must be assessed, but the merit criteria can be applied in any order;
• A person can be eliminated from further consideration as soon as it is evident that he/she does not possess the qualifications or meets the criteria required for the position (s);
• The use of more than one assessment method or source of information usually improves the quality of the assessment;
• Assessment boards should be representative and competent to assess candidates technically and in the official language of their choice;
• Different persons can be responsible for the assessment in an appointment process as long as the assessments are conducted in the same manner and the information collected by those persons can be integrated to determine the merit of all the persons being assessed in a fair manner.

Top of the Page

 Classification

Each civilian position in Europe is assigned a position number.  Before you staff a position you will require a work description that has been classified. 

The work description will describe the work that is required of that position. 

For more information on classification policy and procedures link.*

Top of the Page

New Employee Orientation

Effectively orienting new employees to the unit and to their positions is critical to establishing successful, productive working relationships. The employee's first interactions with you should create a positive impression of your department and the unit.

During your orientation discussion with the new employee, you want to take the opportunity to stress "how we do things around here." This is the best time for you to create the attitude you want your workers to have in performing their jobs. Remember that you can set the tone for the remainder of their employment with you. Make it positive and stress the things which are truly important within your unit. And, give the employee opportunity to ask questions along the way.

The time you spend planning for the new person's first days and weeks on the job will greatly increase the chance for a successful start.

Supervisors Orientation package:

• Guide  - Employee Orientation
• Checklist - Employee Orientation

Top of the Page

Attendance and Leave Administration

Locally Engaged Employees (LEE’S) are paid once per calendar month. 

Part time and casual employees are required to indicate all hours worked on their Attendance Register. Hours of arrival and departure for each day worked in the month must be indicated.  This form requires signatures by the employee and supervisor. 

Attendance Registers need to be submitted to RCPO the 2^nd work day of the following month. 

Full time or regular employees are required to indicate all days absent on their Attendance and Overtime Register (i.e. Public Holidays, Annual Leave etc.). The completed form needs to be signed by the employee and his/her supervisor. If the employee has been in attendance for the complete month, a signed blank form must be submitted. 

Attendance and Overtime Registers need to be submitted by the 1^st Friday of the following month. 

Leave applications and absence reports should accompany the timesheets when submitted, as they are reconciled against the timesheets. Please ensure they are authorized and signed by the appropriate level/supervisor. 

Leave Applications for LEE and CTA are required for any type of absence from work, not including statutory holidays and must include the authorizing signatures as well as correlate with the attendance register submitted for that month.

• Leave Application

Late timesheets or missing leave passes could result in non payment until they are submitted.

Managing leave is one important part of your role as manager.  The following guide has been developed to assist you in this task. 

• Leave Guide for Managers

Top of the Page

Performance Evaluation 

Civilian Performance Review Report (CPRR's) are completed on an annual basis and due in to RCPO(E) by 31 May of each year.

Goals of Civilian Performance Review

• Give employees feedback on performance
• Identify employee training needs
• Provide the opportunity for organizational diagnosis and development
• Facilitate communication between employee and administration
• To improve performance through counseling, coaching and development

Managers should provide their employees with feedback on an ongoing basis.  Learning plans and work plan templates are available to use with your civilian employees.

• Template for Learning Plan
• Template for Work Plan 

Top of the Page

Accident, Injury or Illness in the Workplace

Policy – When Notice is required

Locally engaged employees (including STEP students) who suffer an occupational illness or personal injury resulting from an accident during the course of their employment are covered for workers’ compensation by the Government Employees’ Compensation Act (GECA).

It is the obligation of the employee to declare all accidents or hazardous situations to the employer.

On the day of the accident, the employer must:

• provide and pay for immediate transportation to a hospital, health professional office/clinic or the worker’s home (if necessary); and
• pay for full wages and benefits for the day or shift on which the injury occurred.

All accidents, injuries or disabling diseases must be reported immediately to the RCPO (E) office at +49-2451-717195 (or ext. 166,159 or 219) regardless of their nature or seriousness to ensure:

• recording of the minor accident/incident requiring First-Aid;
• completion of a Form 7 by manager/supervisor if the employee is referred to a physician;
• initiation of a Form 6 by employee;
• completion of a DND 663;
• completion of a First-Aid Treatment Register;and
• forwarding the documents to appropriate departments and offices.

As outlined on the WSIB website under the following link: Employers' Initial Accident-Reporting Obligations management must report a work related accident/illness to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) if they learn that a worker required health care and/or:

• is absent from regular work;
• earns less than regular pay for regular work (e.g., only working partial hours);
• requires modified work at regular pay for more than seven calendar days;
• if dentures, glasses and/or artificial appliances (e.g., prosthetic arm) were damaged while being worn in a work related accident.

Health care includes:

• services provided at hospitals and health facilities; and
• services that can only be provided by one of the following health care professionals: chiropractor, physician, physiotherapist, registered nurse (extended class), or dentist.

The law requires you to complete a Form 7 within 3 calendar days after learning of your reporting obligation as a result of a work related injury/illness.

The completed Form 7 has to be received by WSIB within 7 business days after you learn of your reporting obligation.

You must provide a copy to the worker (including all attachments) and keep a copy for your records before sending to RCPO (E) for submsission to WSIB.

Management and employees share responsibility for ensuring that any claim for workers’ compensation is completed quickly and efficiently.

Each claim for workers’ compensation is highly personal and should be dealt with promptly, with every consideration for the person involved. Each claim should be handled with attention to detail and be as accurate as possible. Accident reports, forms and other supporting documentation should be carefully completed and submitted to RCPO promptly.

The Form 7 Reference Guide for Employers will give you more information on filling out this form.

Consequences of not meeting your WSIB reporting obligations

The WSIB will charge a penalty of $250 for each of the following:

• late submission of this report;
• incomplete information;
• failing to provide a copy of the completed Form 7 to the worker; and
• reporting on a version of this form that the WSIB has not approved.

The manager/supervisor is required to take every reasonable effort possible to obtain the information requested on the Form 7 and complete and submit it to RCPO within the allotted time period. If that's not possible, submit the Form 7 along with an explanation of what is missing and what is being done to obtain it.

First Aid Reporting

All injuries to employees, however minor, should be recorded on a First-Aid Treatment Register.

As a result of a workplace accident an employee may need to claim for benefits in the future, and the relevant checks will be made to confirm that the injury occurred at work.

First-Aid includes, but is not limited to:

• cleaning or treating minor burns, cuts, scrapes, or scratches;
• applying bandages and/or dressings;
• applying a cold compress, cold pack, or ice bag;
• aplying a splint; or
• changing a bandage or dressing after a follow-up observation visit.

It is not necessary to complete a DND 663 or a Form 7 for "first-aid only" injuries; however the law requires that you must keep a record of all first-aid details for a period of two (2) years in accordance with subsection (2) of section 16.13 of the Canadian Occupational Health and Safety Regulations.

The specific obligations that apply to your business are described in detail in the brochure, WSIB, First Aid Requirements (Regulation 1101) (250.2kb, PDF).

DND 663 - Hazardous Occurrence Investigation Report

In case of a serious workplace accident, injury or illness managers must complete a DND 663in accordance with the DND Safety Policy.

It is important to have all supporting documentation such as notes, diagrams, pictures, etc. placed on file with the completed DND 663 form. Forward the completed document to  RCPO (E) who will then forward it to the Unit GSO.

This is for statistical purposes for DND reporting only - it is not tied in with the process of the submission of a claim for compensation.

All hazardous incidents that do not involve injury to a DND employee but could have (i.e. near misses) must be reported, investigated and recorded and a DND 663 produced.

It is the responsibility of the manager/supervisor to complete the DND 663 within 14 days of the reported incident, injury or illness. In the event that the supervisor is unsure or unaware of the proper procedure for completing the form, he/she must consult his/her Unit General Safety Officer (GSO) for correct completion.

• Instructions for completing a DND 663

References:

General Safety Program: DOAD 2007-01

A DND/CF Guide to HRMS Hazardous Occurrence Reporting

Obligation to complete a DND 663 (in case of an incident or accident, all events shall be report for preventive measures and corrections): A-GG-040-001/AG-001, General Safety Program, Volume 1, Policy and Program, Chapter 4, Section 3

CTA II Employee Information

In the case of an accident at work, CTA employees must fill out an accident report UNFALLANZEIGE immidiately. This ensures extended sick leave entitlements and/or potential coverage in case of long-term implications.

The required document can be downloaded from the insurance company's website: http://www.uk-bund.de/?bereich=HOM&sizeadd=0&images=1

Top of the Page

Awards and Recognition

There is a Department and CFSU (E) awards and recognition program that our civilian employees can participate in.

The Awards and Recognition program serves to highlight the excellence that exists in all areas and job functions across the Detachments and Units. Employee recognition can be given in many ways - through saying thank you, giving praise, providing opportunity, or showing respect.

Being recognized for achievements, knowing that one's contributions matter to the organization, and the opportunity for growth and professional development have a considerable impact on employee satisfaction and commitment. 

Link to CFSU(E) A&R policy – presently under review* 

Top of the Page

Learning and Training Opportunities

Our civilians are entitled to training like any other departmental employee. There are several types of training that is available to them.  

Training that helps each employee grow their skills and knowledge to better perform their current job is appreciated as a benefit. Training also increases employee loyalty, and thus retention, and helps you attract the best possible employees.

As a reminder all costs for training come from the manager’s budget.  There is no centralized training budget.

Link to Campus direct/CSPS on line learning

French or language training

There are two workshops offered by the RCPO (E) as follows:

Procedures For Staffing Locally Engaged Employee Positions In Europe - 1 day 

This workshop is offered in the spring, in the Geilenkirchen area, prior to the major staffing season.  It can be given, upon request, at any time, with any number of participants.

The workshop provides an overview of the methods for determining qualifications and developing assessment methods for selecting employees as well as providing some information about the specific procedures used for Locally Engaged Employees. 

Workshop For Supervisors Of Locally Engaged Employees - 1/2 day

This workshop is offered in the fall, in the Geilenkirchen area, once the new supervisors are in place.  It can be given, upon request, at any time, with any number of participants.

The workshop provides supervisors who are new to supervision or new to supervising Locally Engaged Employees with information about their status, brief descriptions of the staffing and classification systems and the terms and conditions of their employment which include details about interpretations of benefits, grievances, discipline procedures, harassment, training and assessing performance. 

Top of Page