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Return To Work

Background

In line with public health guidance for gradual resumption of business across Canada, National Defence has assessed its Business Resumption Plan to determine the required steps and conditions for resuming work. This page contains up-to-date information for All Defence Team members regarding resuming work, and will be regularly updated as new information and resources becomes available, so you are encouraged to check this page often.

Key Messages

Protocol and measures will be put in place to ensure that the workplace is equipped to properly support returning personnel and making sure the space is safe.
[Require specific details of how workplace is responding to:]
- open seating protocol;
- plexiglass at commissionaire stations;
- sanitizer availability and ordering;
- reducing chairs in boardrooms for meetings;
- kitchen protocols; and
- marking floor spaces, among others.
Staff returning to the workplace will not be automatically tested for COVID-19. However, any DT member who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms is encouraged to get tested, following the advice of their provincial and territorial health authorities
Should a staff member feel ill and be experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, they are asked to inform their supervisor, go/stay home, and contact local public health authorities. This will be supported by management across the DT.
Each supervisor, including myself, will be responsible for ensuring that staff are abiding by physical distancing requirements and PPE and PHM guidance within the workplace.
Upon your return, you will notice that all Defence Establishments have been - or are being - marked with one-way pathways and staircases, and elevators only to be used by individuals with limited mobility.
Hand sanitizer will be available at each entrance/exit and will be replenished when possible given the high demand for the product. More importantly, staff are encouraged to frequently wash their hands with soap and water for at least twenty seconds, as this is the most effective way to sanitize hands.
Direction on how cubicles can and should be occupied to maintain distancing has been received and you may notice some differences in how to access and use communal spaces. For example, you will see that washrooms, for the most part, will be single occupancy.
As a Defence Team member, you are encouraged to continue to talk to your supervisor if there is a periodic or ongoing requirement for you to work from home due to COVID-19 related reasons (i.e. child care, elder care, symptoms, etc.).

What has changed

Our workspaces and facilities have changed. You may have noticed some changes when you came in today such as directional arrows on the floor to ensure pedestrian traffic flows in one direction, one-way staircases, some building occupants wearing masks, limited occupancy on elevators, less seating in common eating areas, and some collaborative spaces marked as not available. All these changes are to promote physical distancing.

The following Public Health Measures (PHM) as well as the use of non-medical masks are integral to a safe return to the workplace.

Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds;
Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer;
Avoid touching eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands;
Avoid close contact with people who are sick;
Cough or sneeze into a tissue or sleeve and not in hands;
Respect physical distancing (2m/6’);

You may also see the following measures to promote physical distancing and keep you safe:

Certain doors into Secure Zones designated as In or Out and marked with signage.
During a fire alarm or evacuation you can use whatever door is closest and follow usual evacuation protocols. We will ensure that enough trained staff are available to help in an emergency situation. Given that some of your colleagues are working from home, you may be asked to volunteer to help in this regard. More news will follow on this topic.
Certain hallways may be one-directional or off limits and marked with red X’s to allow for more cubicles to be occupied and allow for 2M distance to others.
We have marked the workspace temporarily with directional arrows and signage to assist us.


Building Signage

Confined spaces such as printer rooms or washrooms may not be a one-way area. Entering and exiting these spaces will require communication and respect of personal space between colleagues. Please wait outside the room until it is available to use and communicate your movements to your colleagues who are using the space. We will place cleaning products in printer areas for disinfecting. Please follow the directions for sanitizing surfaces, especially electronic devices that may be more susceptible to damage.
Collaborative spaces will be limited and may be adjusted to allow for 2M distance.
Any visitor chairs in cubicles should be removed at this time. They can be labeled and stored to promote physical distancing.
Conference rooms will have less seating and some chairs will be removed to promote physical distancing. Rooms must remain with limited seating until we are informed otherwise. Self-regulation will be required and group meeting sizes will need to be minimized.
A temporary “no assigned seats” posture and/or a staggered seating arrangement for cubicle occupancy can allow for 2M physical distancing. We recognize that this can be disruptive and we appreciate your cooperation. If you have concerns about ergonomic considerations and arrangements, please speak to your supervisor.
As long as the work area and the assignment of seating ensures a 2M distance, the wearing of a mask at your cubicle while you are working is not necessary. The non-medical masks are provided to you in the event you cannot ensure a 2M distance from someone while working or walking around.
Every member of staff is being provided with non-medical masks for use when 2M distancing cannot be respected. Contact your manager or chain of command in order to obtain your non-medical masks. You are encouraged to wear these masks when appropriate. For details, visit the Government of Canada’s About non-medical masks and face coverings web page.

Training

The Department of National Defence (DND) has designed training on COVID-19 which is mandatory for all staff and was created by Canadian Forces Health Services Group. The course title is: COVID-19 Awareness / Sensibilisation à COVID-19 MITE 122255. It is available on the DLN:
- DWAN/DVPNI: http://dln-rad.mil.ca
- Home Internet: https://dln-rad.forces.gc.ca/login

Source - https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/campaigns/covid-19/resuming-work/return-to-the-workplace-orientation-template.html

Business Resumption Narrative

The DT continues to tailor its evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) response in close consultation and coordination with other Government of Canada (GC) departments and agencies, while simultaneously preparing for subsequent phases of the pandemic.
DND/CAF as well as many of our other GC counterparts have continued working through the initial phase of this crisis – and in some cases harder, and in a focused way in responding to COVID-19 pandemic.
During the initial response of COVID-19, various activities had to be temporarily suspended/deferred as they were no longer safe nor practical to do so under the circumstances or that the resources allocated to those activities were urgently needed elsewhere as part of the COVID-19 pandemic response.
As we transition into the next phase of the crisis, the DT is preparing for the near-term resumption of a number of designated business activities across DND/CAF that were previously suspended/deferred. Specifically, a number of important activities related to training, recruitment and critical institutional support will resume on a limited basis when it has been deemed safe and appropriate to do so.
Resumption of these activities is in response to the priorities set by the GC in response to the crisis while supporting ongoing recovery efforts and continuing to deliver on the DND mandate and related commitments as outlined in Strong, Secure, Engaged - Canada’s Defence Policy.
These activities will be conducted within the context of a persistent COVID-19+ environment for the foreseeable future as a treatment or a vaccine does not yet exist and our understanding of this disease and its strategic implications are still evolving.

HR-Civ

For all your HR-related questions, please contact HR Connect HR at 1-833-RHR-MDND (1-833-747-6363).
Other important sources of information are the HR GO RH App. Please download the app from android and apple.
Staying connected is important. Speak to supervisor if you have concerns or questions about returning to the workplace.
Flexible work agreement can be made available to you and your supervisor if required to determine the best options for you.
Have a discussion about desired business outcomes and how these can be achieved.
Code 699 is being used out of compassion for those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or have a presumed case of COVid-19 (so they don’t deplete their sick leave banks) or who need to care for children, parents or other members of the vulnerable population or those who are ready and available to work but their duties are non-critical and don’t lend themselves well to remote work or who are experiencing child care challenges.

Checklist

The following checklist should be referred to by personnel returning to the workplace. These are key considerations for DT members given that new physical measures and guidance will be put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace. It is important that individuals understand the new measures being implemented, and that they are provided with adequate PPE to safely perform their work.

Have a conversation with your Supervisor and flag any concerns about returning to the workplace;
Discuss requirements for properly onboarding (e.g. mandatory training/courses);

Complete Mandatory course for all personnel the COVID-19 Awareness (See Annex F).
Confirm with your Supervisor that PHM and PPE requirements will be fulfilled upon return;
Consult the Frequently Asked Questions, reach out to your Supervisor, and/or submit questions/concerns through the “Ask Me Anything-COVID-19” submission page.

Sources for Page

COVID-19 Business Resumption Toolkit - https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/campaigns/covid-19/resuming-work/covid-19-business-resumption-communications-toolkit.html

Return to the Workplace Orientation Package - https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/campaigns/covid-19/resuming-work/return-to-the-workplace-orientation-template.html

Links

Toolkit

Posters for Download

Orientation Package - To Support the Easing of Restrictions at Federal Worksites

TROUSSE D’ORIENTATION Pour soutenir l’assouplissement des restrictions dans les lieux de travail fédéraux

Frequently Asked Questions

Defence Team members are encouraged to refer to this page regularly for updated questions and answers regarding the Business Resumption Process (BRP) and the measures being taken around COVID-19 in the workplace.

DND - https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/campaigns/covid-19/resuming-work/frequently-asked-questions.html

ADM(Mat) DWAN - https://collaboration-materiel.forces.mil.ca/sites/DCOS/COVID19/admmatcovid19/Lists/AdmMAT%20COVID19%20QA%20Portal/Return%20To%20Work.aspx

ADM Mat Return To Work

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