Many lessons from ‘Phoenix suicide’
Almost two years ago, a 52-year-old public servant named Linda Deschâtelets, suffering from ongoing back pain, battling substance abuse and facing potential financial ruin and the loss of her house, hanged herself. There were no signs of forced entry or other violence in her Val-des-Monts home, so coroner Pascale Boulay ruled the death a suicide.
But Boulay also did something unusual: she reviewed Deschâtelets’ work situation at Canada Revenue Agency; her pay history; her mortgage obligations and her debt. Boulay concluded that, had the agency been more flexible, Deschâtelets might still be alive. There are lessons here for the next president of the Treasury Board, which deals with the public service.
Deschâtelets, for example, was approved for special ergonomic equipment at work, but by the time of her death months later, it had not arrived. The rigid rules of the Phoenix pay system also kicked in and pay started to be withheld. Despite her anxious inquiries, and her explanations that her mortgage was in jeopardy, it took direct intervention from her manager to get someone to finally explain she had run out of banked sick days and the system was automatically docking her for time missed.
Boulay concluded the woman’s deepening financial crisis was linked to both the Phoenix pay system and to a lack of empathy within the agency. Couldn’t ways have been found to alleviate her immediate financial distress? Couldn’t the department have advanced her some sick days? Wasn’t it obvious that a worker’s financial insecurity might cause psychological distress? In her recommendations, Boulay suggested that the voluntary National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace be mandatory in the federal public service. She also recommended serious “reflection” on how pay and human resources questions are handled in the bureaucracy.
Given the broad distress we know the collapsing Phoenix system has caused, it’s not hard to envisage many other public servants reeling under financial stress as Deschâtelets did.
And it’s odd that the Mental Health Commission’s psychological standard isn’t a stronger part of federal workplace culture.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will soon name his cabinet, and the Treasury Board president will be awash in Phoenix problems and systemic morale issues. We’d suggest appointing that minister from among his competent local MPs. Incumbent national capital Liberals have heard for four years about the effects of Phoenix on their constituents, and about the broad challenges of the bureaucracy. Put one in charge, and start by handing that person the coroner’s report on Linda Deschâtelets.