This week, the CHU de Québec–Université Laval has been having serious problems issuing the right pay to employees. The paycheques received on March 17 by office staff, technicians and administration professionals are riddled with errors relating to the attendance premium or “escalator premium.” In several cases, the premium was not paid when it should have been and vice-versa.
According to CUPE 1108, which represents over 2000 Category 3 employees this major foul-up has undermined the objective of this premium.
“Many employees have made changes to their personal plans and their family life to comply with the attendance requirement. And now, they’re not receiving what they had been promised and don’t know when they will. Instead of motivating staff, it demotivates them and erodes their trust. It can even go so far as causing resignations. Our employer must take the situation seriously and take quick corrective action,” said Isabelle Laperrière, president of CUPE 1108.
“The unionized members in the pay department have told us just how short-staffed this team is. The turnover is too high, and these employees work too many hours. This has given rise to a vicious circle of staff shortages and extreme confusion with respect to instructions and management. All of this illustrates just how important it is to tackle the attraction/retention problem, which is particularly severe in the Quebec City region. One mustn’t lose sight of the fact that when issues relating to administration and office work go awry, the repercussions extend to all activities of the CHU de Québec–Université Laval,” concluded Isabelle Laperrière.