1. Responsibilities
1.1 Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) provides clothing advisory services to departments and agencies, through the Clothing Advisory Service.
1.2 These services are listed in Appendix A.
1.3 It is the responsibility of each department:
- to ensure that appropriate consultation takes place including the participation of the workplace safety and health committee or representatives;
- to identify the situations where the provision of clothing is necessary;
- to determine that the type of clothing provided is adequate and suitable; and to develop and to maintain up-to-date clothing standards and scales of issue.
1.4 Departments are required to incorporate controls to ensure that practices are consistent with the policy directives. The internal controls shall include the maintenance of a record containing the following information:
- the number of employees provided with clothing;
- the composition of standard clothing issues;
- the value of clothing issued (in total and by unit);
- the average cost per employee provided with clothing;
- the value of clothing allowances (in total and individually);
- copies of relevant departmental bulletins or directives.
1.5 Corporate and personal identification items such as shoulder flashes, shall be consistent with the requirements of the Federal Identity Program (Chapter 2, Communications Volume, Treasury Board Manual) and the Official Languages Policy (Official Languages Volume, Treasury Board Manual).
2. Union management consultation
2.1 Departments shall consult with employee representatives at the local, regional or national level, as appropriate, regarding the application of this directive, and prior to any planned changes in existing practices.
2.2 Departments and agencies should be aware of the consultation provisions of the relevant collective agreements when applying this directive.
2.3 When clothing serves for both identification and personal protection, departments shall ensure that workplace safety and health committees or safety and health representatives, if any, assist in the determination of personal protective equipment and clothing requirements. (see Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing Directive).
3. Consultation with the Clothing Advisory Service
3.1 Departments shall consult with the Clothing Advisory Service:
- before introducing new items of clothing or replacing existing issues;
- to ensure that the quality and quantity of clothing to be provided to employees performing similar functions in similar working environments are reasonably consistent from department to department;
- to ensure fabrics selected for protection meet good industrial safety practices, and fabrics selected for uniforms meet the PWGSC criteria;
- not later than two years prior to introduction of new uniforms;
- when clothing purchases are expected to exceed $10,000.
3.2 A department that finds the PWGSC recommendations unacceptable shall submit the dispute to the President of the Treasury Board, as provided for in the authorities section.
4. Inquiries
4.1 All inquiries regarding this directive should be routed through departmental headquarters.
4.2 For interpretation of specific policy statements contained in this directive, designated members of the departmental headquarters should contact the:
Safety, Health and Employee Benefits and Services Group Labour Relations and Human Resources Management Division Human Resources Policy Branch Treasury Board Secretariat
5. Credit revenue
5.1 Unless authority to credit revenue to the vote has been obtained by either vote-netting authority or a revolving fund authority, departments and agencies must credit the proceeds of sales to non-tax revenue.
5.2 Where there is a charge to employees, the GST and PST must be collected and remitted in accordance with the applicable federal and provincial laws.
6. References
6.1 Directives referred to in this directive may be found in either the Treasury Board Manual, Personnel Management volumes, or the National Joint Council Agreements, Volumes 1 and 2.