Sask. NDP wants all non-essential Crown employees working from home

Saskatchewan's Opposition NDP says it's disappointing that the province isn't leading by example by allowing all non-essential Crown employees to work from home.

Numerous Crown corporations still have people coming into work. Some, like SGI and SaskTel, still have employees interacting with members of the public.

On Friday, Opposition NDP leader Ryan Meili held a virtual news conference, calling on government to do more in response to COVID-19. He said the government should be offering clear guidance to all of it's Crown employees and that any non-essential workers should be at home.

"More and more bodies are sending every non-essential worker home and that has to happen with the Crowns," he said.

"It's actually disappointing that it's some of these agencies that have the direct connection to government that have been slower to have clarity, because those are the groups that should be role modelling."

On Friday, employees with several Crown corporations had staff on site, including the Workers Compensation Board (WCB), SaskTel, SGI and Innovation Place.

SGI said in a statement Friday that the safety of its employees, its customers and the general public is its first priority, with "limiting disruption for customers" being the second priority.

"We continue to assess and prioritize the needs of employees​ ​and customers," the statement said.

"SGI is ​in the process of determining options for reducing foot traffic or closing customer-facing services and only accepting business online​, over the phone or by appointment."

SGI noted it's making case-by-case decisions for employees when it comes to working from home. The Crown corporation also said it has reinforced with its employees they have the right to refuse service to any customers they deem unsafe.

As part of the province's decleration of a state of emergency, all Saskatchewan ministries, agencies and Crown corporations will implement a phased-in work-from-home policy that comes into effect on March 23 for non-essential employees. This means any employees able to work from home should do so immediately.

Questions around staff still working at Innovation Place were not answered by deadline.

Some staff at the WCB were given a $10 gift certificate by executive and senior leadership as a gesture of appreciation for working with them "through this fluid and fast-moving situation."

One Crown employee, who isn't being named because they're not authorized to speak to the media, called the gesture "ridiculous," saying they feel the employer doesn't care about its staff.

"Ten bucks isn't worth not doing more to flatten the curve," they said.

Bob Bymoen, president of the Saskatchewan Government and General Employees Union, which represents WCB workers, said he was told by the employer the gift card was offered as a gesture of thanks.

Bymoen said he's been told by WCB that it's doing everything it can to keep workers safe.

"This whole thing is moving really fast and I've got to trust that the Workers Compensation Board is moving as quickly as it can to accommodate workers working from home," he said.

He said that in many cases, these employees are working with confidential and personal information, so it's important those working from home are doing so in a secure fashion.

CBC Saskatoon requested an interview with an official from the WCB, but a statement was provided instead. It said that since Sunday there has been "extremely limited and controlled access" at WCB locations, but offices officially closed to the public Friday.

"Staff have been instructed to serve our vulnerable customers by phone and by email and avoid in-person contact," said the statement. "Public messages to our customers have instructed them to contact us by email and phone and not to come to our offices."

WCB said it already has some staff working from home and the rest are "preparing to work from home." The statement also said WCB staff have been "wonderful." 

Charles Smith, an associate professor of Political Studies at the University of Saskatchewan's St. Thomas More College who focuses on labour politics, said the public sector should be sending out consistent messaging for non-essential employees across the board.

"The inconsistency and the scrambling raised a lot of red flags for employees and that could lead to employees being unnecessarily put at risk," he said.

"That's something that needs to be addressed right up the hierarchy, right up to the premier's office."

Saskatchewan remains under a state of emergency, with 26 cases of COVID-19 as of Friday.