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Ottawa, March 29, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toward an equal partnership: Official Languages in the Federal Public Service

Highlights
Recommendations

The Commissioner of Official Languages, Dr. Dyane Adam, today released the findings of a new study entitled Walking the Talk: Language of Work in the Federal Public Service. The study shows that the two official languages are not heard as often or to the same degree in the federal work environment in the National Capital Region.

"Much progress has been made with regard to language of work over the past 15 years, but in practice there is still a gap between what employees have a right to expect and reality," the Commissioner said. "Anglophone and Francophone federal employees who have the right to work in their own language find that the work environment at present does not offer them equal opportunities to express themselves in the language of their choice."

Studies and surveys have already shown that French is underused as a language of work in the public service. Complaints addressed to the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages also reflect this reality. The purpose of this study was to go beyond this finding to better understand the sociolinguistic environment and the intercultural dynamics that characterize a bilingual workplace. Above all, the goal was to identify the factors that would encourage the full expression of both languages in the workplace.

The study confirms not only that the organizational culture of the public service is predominantly English but also that there is a persistent malaise among both linguistic groups. According to the study, Francophone employees feel that if they use their own language, their contribution may not be fully recognized by their supervisors, they may not be understood by their colleagues, and they run the risk of waiting longer than others for work tools or training and professional development of equivalent quality. As a result, resorting to English is sometimes the only choice for Francophones who want to advance within the federal public service.

For Anglophone public service employees in general, the study reveals that they would like to use French more often in their workplace but that the organizational culture does not encourage them to do so. It also emerges that many Anglophone supervisors have not received an adequate level of language training to allow them to supervise effectively. As a result, many hesitate to put their learning to use when they return from language training. This is particularly problematic as supervisors and upper managers set the trend. For example, nearly one quarter of Francophone respondents and about 10% of Anglophone respondents state that, in their work units, managers require that work be performed in one official language rather than the other.

In response to this situation, Dr. Adam issued a series of recommendations for the Clerk of the Privy Council, the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency and the School of the Public Service. Through these recommendations, the Commissioner proposes a framework to fully value and recognize official languages in the workplace. This framework is based on three interdependent strategic priorities: expressing clear and sustained leadership, developing personal capacity and strengthening institutional capacity.

In terms of leadership, the study only serves to confirm a key management principle: management shows the way. It is only by becoming models of bilingualism themselves that managers will be able to foster work environments in which both official languages have equal status.

"Managers must make their employees understand that they will be treated in the same way and that their contribution will be equally valued whether they speak English or French," the Commissioner pointed out. "It’s six of one and half a dozen of the other. Without clear messages of this kind from managers, respectful cohabitation of the two languages in the workplace will remain an ideal rather than a reality."

The Commissioner also recommends that the government further develop and support the linguistic skills of public service employees at all levels. She believes it essential to strengthen institutional capacity, as language training and tests should not be an end unto themselves. The next step is to encourage and support the daily use of both languages. Furthermore, to increase the accountability of upper management, the Commissioner believes that the actual use of both languages and the concrete measures that are put in place to encourage a bilingual work environment should be part of the criteria for evaluating senior managers' performance and for promoting them.

"In this study, our intention was to highlight ways of speeding up the cultural change we need to achieve the desired results," Dr. Adam indicated. "I expect the government to take all the necessary measures to create the support systems and the conditions needed to encourage the use of both languages within federal institutions."

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Information

HIGHLIGHTS

METHODOLOGY

  • This study is the first in a series of studies conducted by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages on the use of official languages in the federal public service.
  • The study looks at organizations in the National Capital Region that are subject to Treasury Board language policies. The National Capital Region contains the largest pool of bilingual positions.
  • During the summer of 2003, more than 2,000 questionnaires were distributed to public servants working in the National Capital Region. A total of 1,221 completed questionnaires were returned, for an overall response rate of 60.9%.

FINDINGS

  • In the National Capital Region, the organizational culture remains predominantly English, and English is still recognized as the language of professional advancement.
  • Even though public servants feel they can communicate in the official language of their choice, many hesitate to exercise this right.
  • The perception that senior managers are unilingual and the fact that many of them do not use French are major obstacles to the use of both official languages. Furthermore, Francophones show a tendency to favour the use of their supervisor's language to the detriment of their own first official language. A large number said they preferred to work in English so that their performance is more fully recognized and appreciated.
  • Francophones generally have a better knowledge of their second language compared to their Anglophone counterparts, and so tend more to use that language with their Anglophone colleagues. The habit of working in English becomes all the more evident when one observes that Francophones sometimes use English when speaking to each other.
  • Anglophones in general do not feel comfortable using French at work. They lack confidence in their ability to perform their work in French and they are used to functioning in English. As well, a supervisor's deficient French skills seem to encourage a subordinate to resort to English. On the other hand, Anglophones with superior second-language skills tend to address their Francophone colleagues and subordinates in French more often than those with weaker skills.
  • In the National Capital Region, Anglophone and Francophone respondents are both in favour of the increased use of French in their workplace.

STATISTICS

  • There are about 67,000 public service positions in the National Capital Region, of which 63% are designated bilingual. A third of all bilingual positions require the highest level of second-language knowledge, and two-thirds require an intermediate level.
  • Nearly 80% of supervisors meet the language requirements of their positions. More than 85% of those who hold bilingual positions, and who are responsible for providing internal services, meet the language requirements of their positions.
  • In the federal public service as a whole, 38% of positions are designated bilingual.

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMISSIONER OF OFFICIAL LANGUAGES

The Commissioner of Official Languages recommends:

  1. that deputy heads demonstrate by concrete measures their commitment to Canada’s linguistic duality by developing a management framework for official languages, which reflects strategic priorities and which includes indicators based on the actual use of both official languages.
  2. that deputy heads respect at all times the language rights of their employees in terms of work instruments, internal services and professional training.
  3. that the Clerk of the Privy Council require deputy heads to have the same level of bilingualism as that required for other EXs in the public service and implement a formal language evaluation system.
  4. that the Clerk of the Privy Council evaluate deputy heads on their ability to create a work environment that respects the linguistic rights of all employees and that this factor be a prerequisite in determining performance bonuses.
  5. that the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada conduct a rigorous review of all senior managers-including managers whose positions or functions are EX-equivalents-to ensure they meet the minimal bilingualism requirement CBC.
  6. that the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada eliminate, effective April 1, 2007, non-imperative staffing for all EX 01 level positions (including EX-equivalents) in designated bilingual regions or in unilingual regions, when the functions of the position involve supervision of employees in bilingual or either/or positions.
  7. that the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada 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.
  8. that the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada include official languages among the main questions examined in future surveys of federal public servants, and do a more detailed analysis of survey results so that federal institutions can assess themselves.
  9. that the Canada School of the Public Service offer mandatory training courses, starting in autumn 2004, for senior managers and supervisors to make them aware of the impact the unequal status of both official languages has in work environments and enable them to put in place the measures necessary to attain a work environment that respects employees’ linguistic rights.
  10. that the Canada School of the Public Service make available, as soon as possible, second-language training courses, focused on reading and oral comprehension skills, to promote receptive bilingualism for unilingual employees.