Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, all of us have had to adjust to extraordinary circumstances: staying at home, working from home or working in the office with very specific health and safety measures. Many have had to adjust rapidly and learn new ways of working or take on new functions at work. Some have also had to adapt to new personal situations such as caring for children at home and supporting their education, while also balancing work duties. All of these changes have altered our everyday routines and have likely caused a certain level of stress and anxiety.

Like other departments and agencies, the Canada Revenue Agency granted Leave with pay for other reasons (or 699*) to ensure that you were not negatively impacted by a situation beyond your control. However, in the months since the pandemic started, the situation has changed and more options are available for employees given that:

• the CRA has initiated its national business resumption plan;
• many provinces and territories are in the next phase of lifting restrictions;
• other work is being made available to those who cannot perform their regular duties;
• some will be returning to worksites or continuing to work from home, and;
• the school year is over.

We are seeing that more and more of you are able to work because you’ve received equipment, your workloads are coming back online or you are now are assigned to other business lines. There is now a corresponding gradual decrease in the use of 699* which we expect will continue. We are grateful for your continued commitment and flexibility.

We expect that the vast majority of you will now also be able to resume your usual pattern of leave. We know that unfortunately, your traditional summer plans may have been impacted this year. You may wonder if it’s worth taking summer holidays if your options are limited. Taking a break from work regularly is important. Shutting off your computer and your phone to fully enjoy the summer and the warm weather, to decompress and spend time with loved ones can be very beneficial for your well-being. You have earned your vacation and we strongly encourage you to take time off as you normally would. We would also like to remind you that, generally, you are expected to use vacation leave credits in the year that you earn them and we don’t expect this year to be an exception.

While we recognize that we are not quite ready to return to business as usual and that virtual and flexible work arrangements will continue for some time, the 699* leave, designed for unpredictable situations during which alternate arrangements are not possible, will be limited to exceptional circumstances. Remember that there is also other leave available as per your collective agreement. Please talk to your manager to determine the best plan for you and your family.

Managers, we appreciate your ongoing efforts to support your employees during these unprecedented times; we encourage you to make every effort to ensure your employees can be productive, by equipping them to work remotely or finding alternate workloads for them. We urge you to continue to be in regular contact with your team members, to be empathetic, and to recognize that this isn’t a one size fits all situation and that flexibility will be required in some cases.

As the restrictions continue to be lifted, let’s hope that life will slowly begin to return to a sense of normal again. We will monitor provincial and territorial plans for the fall re-opening of schools and daycares and will continue to hold regular discussions with bargaining agents regarding how these plans may impact parents across the Agency. We expect to provide new guidance regarding the use of ‘Other Paid Leave (699*)’ in advance of the start of the new school year, but at this juncture, we encourage you to take time for yourself and your family.

We wish you all a great summer.