Information for employees of Public Safety Canada: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
Teleworking Continues for Public Safety Employees
As provinces, territories and municipalities gradually ease restrictions, allowing businesses, services and public spaces to reopen, there is still much we all have to do to reduce transmission in our communities. We would like to remind you that most Public Safety employees will continue to telework for the foreseeable future. We continue to monitor the situation and will share further information as it becomes available.
If you have any questions, please raise them with your manager. For more detailed updates including blogs and internal emails, please log in to the corporate network and visit InfoCentral.
Stay Informed
For the most up-to-date information and guidance for all public servants related to COVID-19 please refer to Canada.ca/coronavirus-publicservice or call the COVID-19 information line at 1-833-784-4397.
For information related to Public Safety office buildings regarding potential closures or emergencies please call the Staff Information Line at 1-866-843-0004.
For the latest updates from the Government of Canada on the COVID-19 situation, including preventative measures, please visit Canada.ca/coronavirus.
Working Remotely
Public Safety Guidance on Teleworking during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Guidance is provided with respect to supporting and protecting our employees and managers to keep them safe, providing suitable equipment and tools to do the job, and ensuring clarity in terms of responsibilities while working outside the office location. A set of evergreen Questions and Answers has been prepared to accompany this guidance during the pandemic.
Using the Network
Please limit the use of our network and teleconferencing services for essential Public Safety work only.
To limit demand on our network, please:
- Use mobile devices whenever possible to send and receive emails
- Use Blackberry Messenger Enterprise (BBME) to securely communicate (up to Protected B) through instant messaging and calls
- Use personal devices for applications and services not approved for PS networks (unclassified only)
- Connect to VPN/SRA get what you need from the corporate network and disconnect
- Limit the use of video conferencing on the GC network when audio conferencing will suffice
- Localize any files before leaving the office
- Download documents outside normal business hours
Employee Illness
If you are showing symptoms of COVID-19, reduce your contact with others:
- isolate yourself at home for 14 days to avoid spreading it to others
- if you live with others, stay in a separate room or keep a 2-metre distance
- we encourage you to self-assess for symptoms of COVID-19 through Health Canada’s online self-assessment tool and follow the advice provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada.
- visit a health care professional or call your local public health authority
- call ahead to tell them your symptoms and follow their instructions
It is important to remember that if you develop a fever and respiratory symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath and/or difficulty breathing you should seek medical attention and report these symptoms to the occupational health and safety team and your manager.
Similarly, it is important that you advise the occupational health and safety team and your manager should you be tested for COVID-19.
Mental health and wellness
If you feel stressed or distressed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, don’t hesitate to contact the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at 1-800-268-7708 (1-800-567-5803 for hearing-impaired persons). If EAP services are impacted or if the situation is a mental health emergency, contact Crisis Services Canada at 1-833-456-4566 or 911.
Canada.ca/health offers mental health information, including resources on mental health and wellness during COVID-19.
Learning and Development
All of the Canada School of Public Service's online self-paced courses are available through GCcampus, including all online mandatory training and self-paced language maintenance tools. The registration for the in-person classroom courses continues to be suspended until further notice.
Note: GCcampus is accessible through public networks. Please avoid using the Government of Canada network or VPN access when logging in.
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