2010 Vancouver Olympic Games

On March 12, 2008

To: Heads of Human Resources
Directors/Chiefs of Labour Relations
Chiefs of Compensation

On February 12, 2008, the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) launched a request for volunteers for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Employees of the core public administration will likely demonstrate an interest in participating as volunteers for this event. Given the special leave package announced by the government of British Columbia, they may expect that they will receive the same benefits as their provincial counterparts.

The current Treasury Board Leave With Pay Policy stipulates that an employee may be granted leave with pay for the purpose of training or for participating in international sporting events in an amount not exceeding three calendar months per year if the leave is taken in one period, or 66 working days per year if the leave is taken in broken periods. Such leave (which includes any unused vacation leave to which the employee is entitled) is to be granted only to an employee on whose behalf a national sport-governing body has made a recommendation for participation in the event. The recommendation must be validated by the appropriate governmental sport organization, i.e. Sport Canada. Training and/or participation by an employee includes involvement as an athlete, an official referee, a judge, a coach or other official.

This Policy does not apply to employees who wish to participate as volunteers. Most collective agreements provide for one volunteer day per fiscal year. Above and beyond that, employees must take their annual leave, compensatory leave, or personal leave day to volunteer.

The approval of any leave remains at the discretion of managers who are obliged to ensure that operational needs are met and services to Canadians are not impacted. Employees who wishes to participate to the Vancouver Olympic Games as volunteers can inform their managers of their intention but the leave can only be approved and granted in the fiscal year in which it is earned, i.e. 2009-10.

We would like to remind you that, as most collective agreements provide for volunteer leave, this type of leave is not to be granted under the “Leave with or without pay for other reasons” article of an employee’s relevant collective agreement.

Departmental Compensation and Labour Relations Managers should direct any questions that they may have to the appropriate corporate official who, if need be, can contact the appropriate officers at the Treasury Board Secretariat.

Hélène Laurendeau
Assistant Secretary
Labour Relations and Compensation Operations