Warden calls for HR data to be released by MRC staff
Warden calls for HR data to be released by MRC staff
Following the MRC Pontiac council of mayors meeting on October 19, Warden Jane Toller was asked about the release of human resources data requested by CHIP 101.9 back in August, a request that was denied by MRC Director General Bernard Roy. The request was for a compilation of HR data going back five years on the amount of sick days and extended leave that staff had taken, as well as the overall number of staff at the MRC.
Following the previous meeting in September, Toller was asked about the release of the data and was on the defensive, questioning why CHIP was seeking the data in the first place. When told that the reason for the request was besides the point, she questioned whether the reporter was “angry” and said that she wouldn’t respond to questions if that was the case. (Full audio of the conversation is available at the bottom of the article)
When asked on October 19, Toller seemed surprised that the data hadn’t been released, and agreed that it was public information. MRC communications advisor Colleen Jones, who was on speaker-phone for the meeting, said that she believed the data had been compiled, but hadn’t been released.
As of the publication date of this article (October 21) the MRC hasn’t released the information.
HR issues have loomed large at the MRC in recent years, as the office has had three economic development directors resign in the past four years, in addition to turnover in the assessment department. At a special meeting in July, the council of mayors signed off on an investment of approximately $20,000 in the field of human resources training, but deemed any further details confidential.
Back in 2021, the previous council passed an in-camera HR resolution where the warden was excluded from the discussion due to a declared conflict of interest. At the time, several mayors decried the lack of transparency around the issue.
The audio of the discussion of the HR data from the media scrum on September 20 is available below:
