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Ottawa, April 12, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Promoting the use of both official languages at work: A road map for managers

The Commissioner of Official Languages, Dr. Dyane Adam, published today the second in a series of studies on language of work in Federal institutions, entitled Making it Real: Promoting Respectful Co-existence of the Two Official Languages at Work. The study reveals that equality of the official languages at work has not yet been achieved for either the English-speaking or French-speaking minorities. There are, however, some possible common solutions that put particular emphasis on the key role of managers.

In this study, the Commissioner looked at the language of work in bilingual regions of Quebec where Anglophones—who are the majority nationally—constitute the official language minority community. She also examined the work environments at the head offices of eight Crown corporations, since Crown corporations as a whole constitute over one third of the organizations subject to the Official Languages Act.

This study confirms the results of previous studies on this topic published over the past few years, including OCOL’s first study on language of work, Walking the Talk: Language of Work in the Federal Public Service, published in March 2004. Public servants and federal employees who are part of the linguistic minority community must often adopt the language of the majority in order to advance within the Public Service. Despite the policies and directives set out in the Official Languages Act, equality of the two official languages at work has not yet been achieved and remains a work in progress on several fronts.

For example, in federal offices located in bilingual regions of Quebec, French predominates in the organizational culture, except in communications with the National Capital Region. “Even though Anglophones generally have superior knowledge of French, senior management must ensure that it fully respects their rights,” says Dr. Adam. “Furthermore, respect is not a question of numbers; it is a value that needs to be present in every workplace.”

With regard to Crown corporations, the study reveals that English continues to be the primary language of work, even though the majority of the respondents report to a bilingual supervisor. The Commissioner believes that it is important for senior management and supervisors at various levels to support bilingualism and give staff the go-ahead to use the official language of their choice.

The purpose of this study was to obtain greater insight into the factors that directly affect the use of both official languages in the workplace. “Our objective was to provide managers with possible solutions and tools to promote workplaces that respect the language rights of their employees,” says the Commissioner.

Deputy heads of departments and Crown corporations have a critical role to play. Concrete actions and role models, not words, are what shape the organizational culture. In order for a workplace to be truly conducive to the effective use of both official languages, senior management must make this a priority. Without this commitment, the spirit of the Official Languages Act often goes unheeded.

“The leadership of senior management plays a key role and contributes to a truly respectful co-existence of English and French within federal institutions. The Government must invest the appropriate resources to transform into reality the vision of a Canada that is proud of its linguistic duality,” concludes the Commissioner.

- 30 -

For more information:

Robin Cantin
Manager, Media Relations
Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
Telephone: 613-995-0374
Toll-free: 1-877-996-6368

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HIGHLIGHTS

METHODOLOGY

• This is the second in a series of studies planned by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages on the issues surrounding the use of both official languages in bilingual federal work environments. The first study was published in March 2004.
• This study consists of three parts: a survey of 2,900 federal public servants working in regions in Quebec designated bilingual¹ (not including the National Capital Region), a survey of 2,200 employees working at the head offices of eight Crown corporations, and nine focus groups bringing together public servants from Montréal and the National Capital Region (NCR).

FINDINGS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

• The Government of Canada’s bilingualism policy enjoys broad support from federal public servants (9 out of 10 respondents) and Crown corporation employees (4 out of 5 respondents).
• Anglophones in the NCR and Francophones in bilingual regions of Quebec have expressed willingness to make greater use of their second official language at work.
• There is also a large pool of bilingual employees, some of whom can understand or read their second language, while others speak it with ease.
• The greater the knowledge of the second language, the greater the chances that that language will be commonly used at work.
• The importance placed on bilingualism within an institution depends on its senior management, whose behaviour shapes the organizational culture. It is they who very often set the tone.
• Supervisors also play a critical role because they influence the organizational culture of their immediate work environment.
• There do exist work environments within the federal government where staff feel that their language rights are respected, thanks to the clear commitment of senior officials.
• There are still myths and misconceptions about language rights and obligations.
• In federal government departments located in bilingual regions of Quebec, the situation for Anglophones is very similar to that of Francophones in the NCR. Francophones, meanwhile, must often use English when communicating with headquarters in Ottawa.
• In Crown corporations, English predominates as the language of work.
• This report outlines possible solutions to encourage the creation of workplaces that respect the language rights of both Anglophone and Francophone employees.
• The Commissioner’s recommendations focus on the key elements requiring follow-up by the Government, if it hopes to speed up the rate of progress on this issue.

STATISTICS

• There are approximately 70,000 Public Service positions in the NCR, of which 64% are designated bilingual. In Quebec, there are over 20,000 positions, 60% of which are designated bilingual.
• There are over 460,000 employees working in organizations subject to the Official Languages Act, of whom 72% are Anglophones and 27%, Francophones.

Notes

¹ Montréal and certain parts of the Eastern Townships and the Gaspé.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS - Study on the Language of Work

ABOUT THE STUDY

1. Why did you commission this study when several have already been done?

• There are few government studies on language of work; there are only Attitudes Towards the Use of Both Official Languages Within the Public Service of Canada (2002) and the results of the 2002 Public Service Employee Survey. Both studies demonstrated the underutilization of French as a language of work. These studies focussed more on employee satisfaction with the official languages program; our study aims to go beyond measuring satisfaction and seeks to understand the circumstances surrounding the use of either language at work.
• The purpose of our study was to better understand the sociolinguistic environment and the intercultural dynamics that characterize a bilingual workplace and to recommend actions to the Government that would contribute to a truly respectful co-existence of English and French within federal institutions.

2. What methodology was used?

• This is the second in a series of studies on the dynamics surrounding language of work in the federal Public Service. The study is divided into three parts:
  • Survey in bilingual regions of Quebec
  • Survey of eight Crown corporations
  • Focus groups in the National Capital Region and in Montréal
• During the summer of 2004, more than 2,800 questionnaires were distributed to federal public servants working in a bilingual region of Quebec. The overall response rate was 44%.
• During the fall of 2004, 2,200 questionnaires were sent to employees working at the head offices of eight Crown corporations located in a designated bilingual region. The overall response rate was 46%.

3. What are your two other studies on language of work?

• The first study in the series, published in March 2004, focussed on organizations located in the National Capital Region that are subject to Treasury Board language policies. The National Capital Region contains the largest pool of bilingual positions.
• The third and final stage of our study on language of work will deal with federal public servants working in New Brunswick. This study is expected to take place in the spring of 2006.

DEVELOPMENTS IN LANGUAGE OF WORK

4. What progress has been made in language of work in recent years?

• Efforts made over the years have mostly consisted of establishing an infrastructure—the essential conditions for the use of both languages, such as policies and directives, language training, designation of bilingual positions, and translation of work tools.
• Our study reveals that workplaces where the linguistic rights of employees from both language groups are respected do exist within the federal government thanks to the commitment of senior officials. However, the progress varies from one bilingual region to another, from one institution to another, and even from one section to another within the same department. Very often success depends on the leadership of the managers.

5. Why should you study this issue when new policies for bilingualism in the public service have already been announced?

• Despite much progress over 15 years, studies and employee surveys show that our two official languages are not yet on an equal footing.
• We must reach sustainable solutions. To do this, we must first understand all the factors that determine language of work. The purpose of our study was to better understand the sociolinguistic environment and the intercultural dynamics that characterize a bilingual workplace.

6. Are all bilingual positions filled by bilingual incumbents?

• In the great majority of cases, they are.
• In the National Capital Region, 85% of those who hold bilingual positions meet the language requirements of their position, 6.5% are exempt from language requirements under the Public Service Official Languages Appointment Order, and 4.9% are still within the two-year grace period. (4% of records are incomplete.)
• 80% of supervisors meet the language requirements of their positions, 6% are exempt, and 10% are in the grace period.
• 84% of those who hold bilingual positions and are responsible for services to the public meet the language requirements, while 5.9% are exempt, and 5.8% are in the grace period.
• 85.1% of those who hold bilingual positions and are responsible for internal services meet the language requirements, while 7.2% are exempt, and 3.8% are in the grace period.
• However, although the incumbents may have obtained the language profile needed for their positions, some of them avoid speaking their second language. Achieving the language profile is the starting point, not the finish line.

COMPLAINTS MADE TO THE OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF OFFICIAL LANGUAGES

7. What type of complaints are made by Anglophones and Francophones?

• During 2002–2003 and 2003–2004, complaints from Anglophones on language of work related to:
  
  
  • Internal communications (31% or 11 complaints)
  • Supervision (23% or 8 complaints)
  • Central and personal services (14% or 5 complaints)
    
    
• During 2002–2003 and 2003–2004, complaints from Francophones on language of work related to:
  
  
  • Internal communications (35% or 74 complaints)
  • Training or development (17% or 36 complaints)
  • Central and personal services (13% or 28 complaints

TABLES – Study on the language of work

DISTRIBUTION OF ALL ORGANIZATIONS SUBJECT TO THE ACT
	2003	2004
Departments	39%	43%
Crown corporations and separate agencies	38%	36%
Privatized organizations	23%	21%

Departments: Organizations for which the Treasury Board is the employer. They are also subject to the Public Service Employment Act.
Crown corporations and separate agencies: Agencies subject to the Official Languages Act, but having their own human resources management policies. For example, Bank of Canada, Canada Post Corporation, VIA Rail Inc.
Privatized organizations: For example, Air Canada, House of Commons, NAV Canada, port authorities.

DISTRIBUTION OF EXECUTIVES BY FIRST OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
	Anglophones	Francophones
Bilingual regions	69%	31%
Unilingual regions	81%	19%

DISTRIBUTION OF ANGLOPHONE AND FRANCOPHONE PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES (CANADA)
Organization	Anglophones	Francophones	Unknown	Total
Public Service (March 2004)	68%	32%	0%	165,679
RCMP and institutions and organizations for which the Treasury Board is not the employer (Dec. 2003)	74%	24%	2%	295,632
All organizations subject to the Act (March 2004)	72%	27%	1%	461,311

Source : http://www.hrma-agrh.gc.ca/reports-rapports/arol-ralo_e.asp

DISTRIBUTION OF ANGLOPHONES AND FRANCOPHONES (CANADA)
Anglophones	Francophones
74.5%	24.1%

DISTRIBUTION OF ANGLOPHONE AND FRANCOPHONE PUBLIC SERVICE EMPLOYEES
Region	Organization	Anglophones	Francophones	Unknown	Total
Western provinces and Northern Canada	Public Service	98%	2%	n/a*	35,598
	RCMP and institutions and organizations for which the Treasury Board is not the employer	93%	4%	3%	90,194
Ontario (excluding NCR)	Public Service	95%	5%	n/a*	20,330
	RCMP and institutions and organizations for which the Treasury Board is not the employer	90%	7%	3%	78,315
National Capital Region (NCR)	Public Service	59%	41%	n/a*	70,078
	RCMP and institutions and organizations for which the Treasury Board is not the employer	67%	33%	0%	39,667
Quebec (excluding NCR)	Public Service	7%	93%	n/a*	20,284
	RCMP and institutions and organizations for which the Treasury Board is not the employer	17%	82%	1%	52, 911
New Brunswick	Public Service	60%	40%	n/a*	5,419
	RCMP and institutions and organizations for which the Treasury Board is not the employer	76%	24%	0%	9,735
Other Atlantic provinces	Public Service	95%	5%	n/a*	13,217
	RCMP and institutions and organizations for which the Treasury Board is not the employer	91%	8%	1%	23,756

Source : http://www.hrma-agrh.gc.ca/reports-rapports/arol-ralo_e.asp
* Data not available.
Data for the Public Service are as of March 31, 2004.
Data for the RCMP and institutions and organizations for which the Treasury Board is not the employer are as of December 31, 2003.

DESIGNATED BILINGUAL POSITIONS

Newfoundland and Labrador: 2.5% (of 3,020 positions) Prince Edward Island: 25.7% (of 1,724 positions) New Brunswick: 48.9% (of 5,419 positions) Nova Scotia: 10.0% (of 8,473 positions) Quebec: 59.7% (of 20,284 positions) Ontario: 10.2% (of 20,330 positions) National Capital Region: 63.9% (of 70,078 positions) Manitoba: 7.9% (of 6,410 positions) Saskatchewan: 3.7% (of 4,558 positions) Alberta: 4.2% (of 8,962 positions) British Columbia: 3.4% (of 14,696 positions) Yukon: 5.1% (of 257 positions) Northwest Territories: 5.1% (of 572 positions) Nunavut: 3.5% (of 143 positions)

Percentage of designated bilingual positions of the total: 39.2% (of 165,679 positions)

Source : PCIS on March 31, 2004

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS OF POSITIONS (CANADA)
	Bilingual1	English essential2	French essential3	English or French essential4	Incomplete records	Total
Public Service (2003)	38% 61,896	51% 83,380	5% 8,584	6% 8,766	0% 661	163,287
Public Service (2004)	39% 64,938	50% 83,354	5% 8,010	6% 9,009	0% 368	165,679

¹ Position in which all, or part, of the duties must be performed in both English and French.
² Position in which all duties must be performed in English.
³ Position in which all duties must be performed in French.
⁴ Position in which all duties may be performed in either English or French.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS OF POSITIONS (BY REGION)
	Year	Bilingual	Unilingual	Incomplete records	Total
Western provinces and Northern Canada	2003	4% 1,573	96% 34,014	0% 25	35,612
	2004	5% 1,605	95% 33, 984	0% 9	35,598
Ontario (excluding NCR)	2003	10% 1,998	90% 18,346	0% 22	20,366
	2004	10% 2,097	90% 18,244	0% 7	20,330
National Capital Region (NCR)	2003	63% 42,281	36% 24,272	1% 455	67,008
	2004	64% 44,798	36% 25,031	0% 249	70,078
Quebec (excluding NCR)	2003	58% 11,805	42% 8,499	0% 19	20 323
	2004	60% 12,119	40% 8,106	0% 59	20,284
New Brunswick	2003	48% 2,612	51% 2,752	1% 53	5 417
	2004	49% 2,649	51% 2,746	0% 24	5,419
Other Atlantic provinces	2003	10% 1,368	89% 11,879	1% 87	13,334
	2004	10 % 1,368	90 % 11,829	0% 20	13,217
Outside Canada (linguistic capacity)	2003	77% 945	23% 282	0% 0	1,227
	2004	80% 603	20% 150	0% 0	753

 

BILINGUAL POSITIONS IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE Linguistic status of incumbents
Year	Meet	Do not meet		Incomplete records	Total
		Exempted	Must meet
2002	84 % 50,180	8% 4,847	3% 1,490	5% 3,273	59,790
2003	84 % 52,360	8% 4,741	4% 2,274	4% 2,521	61,896
2004	85 % 55,349	8% 5,393	4% 2,317	3% 1,879	64,938

 

DESIGNATED BILINGUAL REGIONS FOR LANGUAGE OF WORK PURPOSES

National Capital Region The province of New Brunswick The bilingual region of Montreal (the counties of Deux-Montagnes, Île-de-Montréal and Île-Jésus, La Prairie and Vaudreuil) The bilingual regions of “other parts of Quebec” (the counties of Bonaventure, Gaspé-Est, Brome, Compton, Huntingdon, Missisquoi, Richmond, Sherbrooke, Stanstead, Argenteuil and Pontiac—not including areas in the National Capital Region) The bilingual region of Eastern Ontario (the counties of Glengarry, Prescott, Russell and Stormont) The bilingual region of Northern Ontario (the counties of Algoma, Cochrane, Nipissing, Sudbury and Timiskaming)

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Commissioner urges the Clerk of the Privy Council to follow up on her recommendation:

1. to require deputy ministers, associate deputy ministers and their equivalents in Crown corporations and other agencies subject to the Official Languages Act, to have superior second language knowledge.

The Commissioner urges the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada to follow up on her recommendation:

2. to raise to at least CBC, by April 1, 2007, the linguistic profile for all supervisory positions in bilingual regions, when the incumbent is required to supervise employees in bilingual or either/or positions.

The Commissioner recommends to heads of Crown corporations and other separate agencies:

3. to require those with supervisory functions in both official languages in bilingual regions to have superior skills in their second official language.

The Commissioner urges the Clerk of the Privy Council to follow up on her recommendation:

4. to establish, as part of the Performance Management Program for deputy ministers, associate deputy ministers, chief executive officers of Crown corporations and heads of other agencies subject to the Official Languages Act, easily measured performance indicators, based on actual use of both official languages and concrete actions taken with a view to creating a work environment that is respectful of the language rights of employees, and to make these a prerequisite for determining performance bonuses.

The Commissioner urges the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada:

5. to undertake an awareness and education program for employees working in bilingual regions to eliminate misunderstandings and misconceptions about the rights and obligations of public servants regarding the Official Languages Act.

The Commissioner reiterates her recommendation to the Canada School of Public Service:

6. to offer mandatory training courses for managers and supervisors to make them aware of the impact the unequal status of the two official languages has in the work environment and enable them to put in place the necessary measures to attain a work environment that respects employees’ language rights.

The Commissioner recommends to heads of Crown corporations and other separate agencies:

7. to offer mandatory training courses for managers and supervisors to make them aware of the impact the unequal status of the two official languages has in bilingual work environments and enable them to put in place the necessary measures to attain a work environment that respects employees’ language rights.

The Commissioner recommends to the Treasury Board:

8. to ensure, as soon as possible, that the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada and the Canada School of Public Service have the necessary funds to carry out an awareness and education program across government on the rights and obligations of federal employees and institutions subject to the Act.