Workers at the federal government’s immigration call center are struggling with heavy workloads while dealing with “harsh and unfair” evaluations from their superiors, according to an external audit.
The Charron Human Resources audit, released Friday, said employees at Montreal’s Immigration Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) call center reported little time between calls, insufficient training, limited career development and a “rigorous” evaluation process. which makes them feel “anxious and scared”.
Turnover at the center was found to be as high as 30 percent, with 11 percent of employees on unpaid leave.
IRCC hired the company in March to conduct the workplace audit. It is the department’s only call center and immigration-related calls from across Canada and the world.
Former employees, who previously spoke to CBC News on condition of anonymity, describe an office with overworked staff, constantly monitored by management – where the pressure to make as many calls as possible affects everything, even bathroom breaks.
The audit follows a damning report released last year in which IRCC officials complained that their racial counterparts faced repeated use of offensive terms by supervisors and other staff and had limited opportunities for advancement.
A concerned union
The union, which represents employees at IRCC, Service Canada, Employment and Social Development Canada and the Immigration and Refugee Board, says it is concerned about the audit’s findings.
But the Canadian Employment and Immigration Union (CEIU) also said the audit did little to address previous reports of racism and discrimination.
“The CEIU has reason to believe that concerns related to racism and discrimination in the workplace are not properly addressed in the report and that further steps should be taken to obtain a clear and fair portrait of the situation,” it said in a statement the union.
The only mention of racism and discrimination in the audit is a recommendation to provide unconscious bias training.
CBC News reached out to Charron for comment but did not hear back at the time of publication.
Other recommendations include implementing technologies and strategies to facilitate the work process, providing leadership training to managers with an emphasis on employee well-being and appreciation, and creating a staff development plan.
A statement from IRCC praised the “courage” of officials involved in the audit, but did not specify whether it would implement the recommendations.
“The department agrees with the recommendations and is committed to providing a safe, diverse, fair and anti-racist workplace,” the statement said.
The union says it was not consulted by Charron about the recommendations.
Add Comment