Policy Interpretation of the Human Resources Management Group Allocation Specific to the Personnel Administration (PE) Classification Standard
Date:
To: Heads of Human Resources
CC: Chiefs of Classification; Chiefs of Labour Relations; Chiefs of Staffing
There has been a significant increase in the number of requests for interpretation concerning the type of work that may be allocated to the Human Resources Management Group (HM) and assessed with the Personnel Administration (PE) Classification Standard.
The intent of this bulletin is to:
- clarify the HM group definition relevant to the PE Classification Standard (HM/PE) ; and
- provide a policy interpretation of the type of work that may be allocated to the HM/PE group.
Application
Classification advisors and managers with classification authority sub-delegated to them by their deputy head are expected to comply with the information and direction contained in this bulletin.
HM/PE group definition
The definition for the HM/PE group is in three parts:
- a general definition of work for the HM/PE group;
- a list of functions called inclusions, which apply to this group; and
- a list of functions called exclusions, which do not apply to this group and meet the definition of another group.
The HM/PE group comprises positions that are primarily involved in the provision of:
- strategic advice on human resources (HR) management; and
- the planning, development, delivery or management of HR services to the public service.
The primary purpose of the position must, at a minimum, meet the following requirements in order to be allocated to the HM/PE group.
- both of the aforementioned statements on the nature of work must be met;
- the strategic advice must be provided to management, and
- the work must not be listed in the exclusion statements.
Interpretation
For clarification purposes, HR services are defined as policies, programs or services in the HR planning, classification (including organizational design), training, staffing and labour relations disciplines.
Primary purpose of the position
There can be only one primary purpose or "raison d'être" for a position. Whenever a position delivers HR-related services in more than one work stream (for example, staffing and official languages), the primary purpose of the position must be determined before the work can be allocated to an occupational group.
1. Types of work that meet the HM/PE group definition
Positions whose primary purpose is HR planning, classification (including organizational design), staffing or labour relations meet the HM/PE group definition. However, positions providing administrative support to these HR disciplines do not meet the HM/PE group definition.
2. Types of work that do not meet the HM/PE group definition
Positions whose primary purpose is official languages, occupational health and safety, awards and recognition, employee assistance program, counselling, wellness, program support, HR information systems and compensation do not meet the HM/PE group definition and must be allocated to other groups. Additional information is provided in Appendix A.
3. Careful consideration is required before allocating the following types of work to an occupational group
Many positions require some degree of knowledge of staffing, labour relations, classification or HR planning, but such knowledge is not the primary purpose of these positions. These positions do not automatically meet the HM/PE group definition.
Careful consideration of the primary purpose of the following types of work is therefore required before determining whether they meet the HM/PE group definition.
- employment equity;
- disability management;
- return to work;
- change management, business integration, or transformation
- training;
- values and ethics;
- performance management;
- alternate dispute resolution or informal conflict management; and
- career development or talent management.
For these types of work, other occupational groups such as Education (ED), Psychology (PS), Administrative Services (AS), and Welfare Programs (WP) should be considered.
Enquiries
For questions about this bulletin, please contact your departmental corporate classification office. Corporate classification advisors may direct questions to Workforce Organization and Classification, Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer, at the following email address: Publicenquiries-demandesderenseignement@tbs-sct.gc.ca
Original signed by:
Carl Trottier
Acting Assistant Deputy Minister
Compensation and Labour Relations
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Appendix A: Interpretation of the HM Group Allocation Specific to the PE Classification Standard
1. The following types of work do not meet the HM/PE group definition
Awards and recognition
Positions whose primary purpose is planning, development of policy, or administration of an awards and recognition program do not meet the HM/PE group definition.
Awards and recognition is an administrative function that meets the Program and Administrative Services (PA) group definition.
Compensation
Positions whose primary purpose is research, analysis and provision of advice on employee compensation issues to managers, employees and their families or representatives do not meet the HM/PE group definition.
This work meets the exclusion statement 1 of the HM/PE group and inclusion statement 8 of the PA group definition.
Counselling – Wellness
Many HR-related positions may have a counselling component; however when the primary purpose of the position is related to employee health and welfare, the work does not meet the HM/PE group definition and should be allocated to other groups.
Further details are provided in the sections "Employee assistance program" and "Disability management – Return to work."
Employee assistance program
The scope of the work associated with employee assistance extends beyond HR programs or services. Typically, the primary purpose of the position is to provide counselling or referral services to employees.
The provision of counselling services requiring expertise such as nursing, social work or psychology does not meet the HM/PE group definition. The referral of employees to specialized counselling resources is an administrative service, which does not meet the HM/PE group definition.
Occupational health and safety
Positions whose primary purpose is occupational health and safety do not meet the HM/PE group definition.
These positions are included in the general exclusion statement for the HM group and meet the definition of the PA group. This group allocation has been confirmed in numerous classification grievances.
Official languages
Positions whose primary purpose is planning, development or administration of an official languages policy or program; language training or administration of testing; or the provision of advice on the application of the official languages policy to the public service or to the Canadian public do not meet the HM/PE group definition.
These positions meet the inclusion statement of the PA group definition.
Program support – HR information systems
Positions whose primary purpose is providing administration or coordination services in support of, for example, staffing, labour relations, disability management (DMI), Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) or official languages; or inputting data into HR systems or preparing reports do not meet the HM/PE group definition.
Depending on the functions assigned, these positions usually meet the PA group definition.
2. Careful consideration is required before allocating the following types of work to an occupational group.
Alternate dispute resolution or informal conflict management
Not all alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is HR-related. Some organizations use ADR in other programs (for example, land claims, employment insurance, contracting disputes or Canada Pension Plan). In these cases, the work does not meet the HM/PE group definition and a different occupational group should be allocated.
When the primary purpose of ADR is providing specialized services, including investigation or dispute resolution processes (informal conflict management system (ICM)) for the application of HR policies and programs, labour relations grievances, staffing complaints, classification grievances or other HR related complaints, the work meets the inclusion statements of the HM/PE group definition.
Change management, business integration and transformation
The scope of the work associated with change management, business integration and transformation often extends beyond HR programs and services. It may include the design of new processes or the transformation of a variety of systems, including information, informatics, and financial or human resources.
Positions whose primary purpose is providing strategic or policy advice in the capacity of subject-matter expert in an HR discipline for the development, design, implementation or transformation of HR-related processes meet the HM/PE group definition.
Positions whose primary purpose is providing strategic advice and assistance related to improved structures and the use of resources through the analysis and study of the organization and operations of the public service meet inclusion statement 2 of the HM/Organization & Methods group definition.
Positions whose primary purpose is providing strategic or subject-matter expertise in a discipline other than HR for the development, design, implementation or transformation of any processes and systems do not meet the HM/PE group definition.
Disability management – Return to work
The scope of the work associated with disability management often extends beyond HR programs and services. Disability management may include the development, implementation and delivery of the departmental return to work (RTW), employee workplace accommodation (EWA) policies and programs and the coordination of a range of RTW and EWA cases resulting from work-related or non-work-related injury, disability or illness.
When the primary purpose of the position is providing interpretation, application of collective agreements, termination provisions or providing strategic advice to management, the work, which is typically considered labour relations, meets the HM/PE group definition.
When the primary purpose of the position is the provision of advice about, or the administration of, leave, insurance or benefits; or the provision of services related to employee health and welfare, the work does not meet the HM/PE group definition and should be allocated to other groups.
Employment equity
Positions whose primary purpose is providing HR planning, staffing or strategic advice to management on the development and implementation of employee equity related policies or programs or providing HR strategies to ensure that the make-up of the workforce responds to legislated requirements meet the HM/PE group definition.
Positions whose primary purpose is, for example, providing coordination activities or developing and supporting an employment equity community secretariat, network or community activities do not meet the HM/PE group definition and should be allocated to other groups.
Training, career development and talent management
Positions whose primary purpose is providing strategic HR advice to management concerning the planning of, for example, the skills or competencies required by the workforce to support the organization in meeting its mandate meet the HM/PE group definition.
Positions whose primary purpose is developing training programs and curriculum or providing subject-matter expert training for the HR disciplines meet the HM/PE group definition.
Positions whose primary purpose is providing administration services and gathering data for career development, talent management, counselling or assessment programs do not meet the HM/PE group definition and should be allocated to other groups.
Positions whose primary purpose is providing individual counselling or career development services to employees do not meet the HM/PE group definition and should be allocated to other groups.
Values and ethics / Code of conduct
The scope of the work associated with values and ethics or a code of conduct extends beyond HR programs or services.
Work involving values and ethics or a code of conduct usually includes, for example, provision and direction for the management of trusts, other financial interests, award of contracts, or political activities.
When the primary purpose of the position is, for example, providing strategic or specialized advice to management on the development, application or non-compliance of a code, the work does not meet the HM/PE group definition.
When the primary purpose of the position is conducting disciplinary investigations related to HR policy and programs (including codes), or resolving disputes related to HR policy and programs (including codes), the work, which is typically labour relations, meets the HM/PE group definition.
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