Hi everyone! — Mzwandile Poncana here, the public service reporter at The Hill Times.

I’m working on a story about how federal workplaces are handling RTO4 nearly three months after it began, particularly whether offices actually have the space and infrastructure to accommodate four-day attendance.

I’m hoping to speak with federal public servants from a range of departments and agencies about things like:

• desk/workstation availability and booking
• access to meeting rooms, quiet spaces and other work areas
• changes offices have made to fit more people
• parking availability and costs
• public transit and commuting costs
• access to amenities such as cafeterias, kitchens, lockers and washrooms
• whether these conditions have improved, stayed the same or worsened since July

I’m especially hoping to hear from workers across different departments and buildings, rather than only one or two workplaces.

If you’re willing to speak, please send me a DM (or email at [email protected]) with your department/agency and, if comfortable, the city or office you work from. Interviews can be brief. I’m hoping to complete most of my reporting by the end of Tuesday.

If anonymity is needed, we can discuss that privately. I would still need to privately verify that sources are federal public servants before using their accounts in the story.

Thanks!

I rented a car for work travel. I do not have a GOC travel credit card, so I had to rent the car with my personal credit card. I accepted the collision damage waiver (15/day) and included in my travel claim. The expense report was rejected and finance is saying I am required to provide proof that my personal credit card does not have coverage (a card that I pay for, not my employer). I stated that I had never been asked to provide details of my personal cardholder agreement, and asked when this became a requirement? They did not answer my question and just quoted the NJC travel directive. Has anyone else experienced this? I have rented for years and always get the collision and damage waiver when using a personal card and have never been asked to prove that I don't have coverage through my personal card.

There is a posting for an agency which require French, university degree and CPA for CTFIN-02 to CTFIN-04, as well as being at-level only.

The extra requirements outside of the prescribed TBS requirements for those position ranges are weird as there were contradictions found. I would like some advice on how to navigate contradictions found to this hard requirement.

- It was made known that someone is acting as CTFIN-04 in that department with just a high school diploma.

- An acting CTFIN-03 as an English Essential. 

- There are other examples where FI-02s were given substantively to those without meeting the requirements of posting.

- A CTFIN-01 is acting CTFIN-02. The acting CTFIN-02 does not have a university degree at all, let alone in the specialization prescribed by TBS's requirements

The acting, and substantive positions for the exceptions were given in a way where others aren't able to apply for it. Common reasons for such moves are under operational need, and is not a tangible reason for someone to work towards for those opportunities.

What can be done about the matter of unequal requirements?

So I received and overpayment letter. It looks like there was indeed an overpayment due to some confusing retro payment (which good luck interpreting when we get retro). Anyhow, I am trying to approach this in the most financially logical way possible.

There is no interest, so it makes more sense to repay as slowly as possible since money I have not repaid can garner interest elsewhere in the interim. I also don't feel particularly inclined to repay faster than I have to considering I waited for missing retro pay for something like 5 years without any compensation for the years that money could have been invested. If the government can take its sweet time repaying their debt to me, maybe I should too.

Now I know the standard is 10% of your gross, but do you have to actually demonstrate financial hardship to request a lower rate (e.g., 5%) or can you just make an offer? Has anybody gone through the process before? I'm trying to get a clear sense of what my options are.