The study relates to a both pervasive and profound discomfort, a constant state of anxiety and fear of reprisals when employees make a suggestion, express an opinion, or ask for a break.

It also describes a working atmosphere hard to bear, constantly changingan organisation in a silo where communication is ineffective or absent.

Those words, taken from a report commissioned in 2017, didn’t please management CIUSSS of the Center-West-of-the-Island-of-Montreal.

Despite a promise from Human Resources to share the study’s findings with participating employees, the institution had never released the report before the court ordered it last April. The news site 24 hours has also addressed this topic in recent days.

The union confirms that the results of the study were presented orally to representatives of the Alliance of Specialists and Technicians in Health and Social Services (APTS). Without taking noteson the other hand, specifies Teresa Muccari, national representative of the Alliance.

At the Commission d’accès à l’information, employees had to wait a long time, followed by a phone call from the CIUSSS in court and a court order for the document to finally be released.

Given the results presented in the study, theAPTs regrets in a press release published in October that the administration has decided to shelve the report and not pursue the process any further. She considers that the findings made required swift action to remedy the situation.

During the hearing before the Commission d’accès à l’information, the CIUSSS argued that the reason the study was shelved at the time was that it was not of good quality and unfinished.

the CIUSSS claimed to have been disappointed with the consultant’s work. According to him, these included value judgements. The works were rejectedwe can read in the report.

However, the Commission d’accès à l’information considers that the document actually closed.

The changing versions of CIUSSS

Mark Wilkins, who conducted the study, said in a telephone interview that he remembered it well but not at all the questioning of his work. He copied text messages he received from contacts at CIUSSS on this subject commissioned by Radio-Canada.

One of the texts indicates that a manager liked it very much insight his recommendations. Another thanks him and believes that the responsible manager has a good feeling about the presentation of the results.

He still remembers this presentation very well. We could see on their faces that they were obviously very disappointed with what the employees thought about the company and what they experienced at workhe says.

the CIUSSS declined our interview requests. However, the communications department replied by email that the study was prepared five years ago, shortly after it was founded CIUSSS.

” At that time we had doubts about the quality of the study and its statistical significance. »

As a result, executives say they prefer it more comprehensive assessments, such as those by Accreditation Canadathat do not address the same problems.

In these studies (New window)is more about the safety and quality of care than the well-being of employees.

CIUSSS initiatives

The CUSSS claims to have since launched several initiatives to improve work climate, such as the Stigma Zero training program to alert employees and managers to signs of distress.

In addition, the facility states that it has made the work-life balance easier, particularly with flexible working hours.

Besides the CIUSSS has installed noise protection cabins with heated and massaging seats for the employees in some companies in the last few months.

A few days after Radio-Canada contacted the study leader CIUSSS amended version.

He supports now that it was never his intention to question or belittle Mr. Wilkins’ workbut that The sample was just too small.

A sample that CIUSSS had asked for it to be restricted for budgetary reasons, according to Mr Wilkins.

He himself acknowledges in the study that it is a qualitative report based on six groups of 11 to 16 people who met for 90 minutes and that it is not to be taken as a quantitative study of the entire facilities in can CIUSSS.

A call for more transparency

L’APTs denounces the reaction of the management of CIUSSS to the results of the report.

For the union, it gives responsibility back to workers and also confirms the numerous denunciations, complaints and calls for help addressed to the administration in recent years, all too often ignored or brushed aside.

” We believe that the omerta that is constantly raging in Quebec makes it possible to hide the true state of the network from the population. »

For Jonathan Harmon, that requires a culture change CIUSSS.

He says, with supporting evidence, that this is not an isolated case. For several years, requests for access to information have been almost systematically ignored or denied by the country’s administration CIUSSSwhich forces the multiplication of challenges and court cases.

By email that CIUSSS considers these refusals to be justified.