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Days after announcing a major policy change requiring all public servants to be in their offices three days a week starting in September, Treasury Board Secretary Catherine Blewett is leaving her position.
Blewett has been working remotely and is going on leave for health reasons.
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“Having spent many years working in public service, I came to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat with optimism,” Blewett said in an email to this newspaper. “The opportunity to help shape how programs and services are delivered to citizens was a dream job.
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“Unfortunately, life had other plans for me and I had to leave my position much sooner than I expected. As I take the time to focus on my health, I am encouraged to know that the public service is full of strong leaders and committed employees across the country who work hard to serve citizens every day.”
Dominique Blanchard has taken over as acting secretary. The prime minister will announce later who will take over the role permanently.
A departmental official with the Treasury Board Secretariat confirmed that Blewett has been working remotely due to his health.
“When he could, he was here (in Ottawa),” the official said, noting that Blewett has been working from his home in Halifax since around Easter. “His doctors basically said he can’t travel and now. He has reached the point where he has to take a leave of absence.”
This newspaper does not mention the source because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the subject.
The official said Blewett was in full compliance with instructions on prescribed workplace presence, which allows for “certain exemptions in exceptional cases, especially for medical reasons.”
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The official said that the exemptions are available to all public servants.
Blewett and her counterpart, Treasury Board of Canada Human Resources Director Jacqueline Bogden, said in a message to deputy ministers on May 1 that public servants would need to be on site at least three days a week. the week before September 9, 2024. .
Noting that independent agencies were “strongly encouraged” to implement a similar plan, the message said executives would be required to be on site for a minimum of four days a week.
The official noted that this was the result of consensus among deputy ministers, not just Blewett.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced in late January that Blewett would take over as Treasury Board secretary effective Feb. 6, 2024. She was previously chair of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
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