Resources and Support for Staff

Group photo of Destination Imagination appraisers

We’re glad you’re here. Every member of the Western Québec team has an important role in the quality education we provide together.

Here on this page, you will find important documents, forms as well as general information regarding your employment at Western Québec. Most of the content on here comes directly from the HR department and your unions.

On this page:

See also:

School Board Calendars 2024-2025

For specific school and centre calendars please visit this page.

Calendar for holidays, monthly themes, observances, council meetings and the board election:

A wall calendar for 2024-2025

Click here for a printable PDF version of the 2024-2025 wall calendar

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Calendar of religious observances, click to enlarge:

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The Gazette (Staff Newsletter)

The Gazette, our school board’s official staff newsletter, is dedicated to celebrating staff achievements while ensuring they stay up-to-date on news across the board.

Latest Edition
November Newsletter2024_EN_FINAL.pdfDownload
Previous editions

This month’s Time Capsule answer: Lisa Falasconi, Superintendent of Human Resources

Employee and Family Assistance Program

The Employee and Family Assistance Program is a confidential, professional counselling program in collaboration with Telus Health (formerly LifeWorks) for employees, commissioners and members of their immediate family.

Even though we are most often able to deal with the problems that are causing us stress, sometimes the personal problems we face get a little more complicated. In some cases, these problems can compromise our ability to function properly at home or at work.

To deal with these types of situations, the Employee and Family Assistance Program offers a free confidential and professional consultation service by licensed therapists who have a great deal of clinical experience in supporting others.

This program also includes:

DID YOU KNOW?

You and each member of your family have access to 6 hours of services with the Employee and Family Assistance Program!

Getting started with the Telus Health platform:

  1. Download the Telus Health One app (iPhone or Android) or visit one.telushealth.com
  2. Watch your email inbox for an invitation to join the platform

Contact the Employee Assistance Program (Telus Health) any time, 24/7, for support, at 1-833-711-2327.

Additional resources and information on the program:

Dispute Prevention and Resolution

Our Dispute Prevention and Resolution (DPR) Plan helps coworkers find a win-win solution through effective communication, so that disputes do not escalate into conflict.

An illustration shows 2 superheroes with the words "Don't be a brute; resolve that dispute"

The objective of Dispute Prevention and Resolution is to safeguard the well-being of employees and provide channels to express concerns/issues towards effective solutions without escalation.

In other words, DPR helps coworkers to find a win-win solution through effective communication so that disputes do not escalate into conflict.

Learn more on DPR

Purpose of the DPR plan:

  • Prevent the escalation of problems and disputes between employees
  • Diminish conflicts at the workplace
  • Use organizational resources to guide disputes toward constructive resolution
  • Provide a conflict resolution process that is fair and consistent to express concerns or issues and to find effective solutions
  • Provide WQSB employees with organizational justice and fair outcomes.

Why use the term dispute?

  • Disputes are not conflicts, but they can be the beginning of one.
  • Dispute is a disagreement of differing perspectives, opinions, and/or interests.
  • Conflict is a dispute that has escalated to a point where there is strong opposition or serious disagreement, that leads people to oppose and experience a state of tension or strife.
A poem on DPR?

With a colleague you feel tension
‘cause you heard your name’s been mentioned

You give them space, there’s no retrace
Now you look away when passing in the staircase

First you wrote the email, then hit backspace
You feel like texting, but in uppercase

No big deal, ‘cause it won’t affect your pension
Yet now at work, pain has got your full attention

Looks like this dispute needs some intervention
Let’s resolve it with some clear communication

Try DPR, a face to face
A one to one in a neutral space

Doesn’t everyone deserve a healthy workplace?

Information for Teaching Staff

Union – You are represented by the WQTA:

Western Quebec Teachers’ Association
183 chemin Freeman (unit 102), Gatineau, QC J8Z 2A7
P: 819-777-1475 / F: 819-777-0016
wqta-aeoq@videotron.ca

PIC – Your union’s Professional Improvement Committee allows you to apply for funding to participate in a course, workshop or other activity, which you feel will be a benefit to you in the performance of your duties at the Board.

Collective Insurance – Contact Industrial Alliance (you are part of group 97000-886) at 1 877 422-6487 or visit IA’s website.

WQSB HR Contacts 2024-2025 – For any HR-related inquiries or assistance, find the right contact HERE.

Information for Support Staff

PIC – Your union’s Professional Improvement Committee allows you to apply for funding to participate in a course, workshop or other activity, which you feel will be a benefit to you in the performance of your duties at the Board.

Collective Insurance – Contact Industrial Alliance (you are part of group 28812) at 1-833-730-1431 or visit IA’s website.

WQSB HR Contacts 2024-2025 – For any HR-related inquiries or assistance, find the right contact HERE.

Information for Professionals

Union – You are represented by the Professionals of Western Québec, a member of SPPOQA, associated with the CSQ:

Professionals of Western Québec
professionalswqsb@gmail.com

PIC – Your union’s Professional Improvement Committee allows you to apply for funding to participate in a course, workshop or other activity, which you feel will be a benefit to you in the performance of your duties at the Board. For more information, peruse the emails sent to you at the beginning of the school year, or email the person responsible.

Collective Insurance – Contact SSQ Financial Group (you are part of group J9999) at 1 888-651-8181 or visit SSQ’s website.

WQSB HR Contacts 2024-2025 – For any HR-related inquiries or assistance, find the right contact HERE.

Information for Management Staff

Collective Insurance – Contact SSQ Financial Group (you are part of group Y1870) at 1 800 400-0023 or visit SSQ’s website.

WQSB HR Contacts 2024-2025 – For any HR-related inquiries or assistance, find the right contact HERE.

Procedure to Facilitate the Disclosure of Wrongdoings

Provincial Law 87 is an Act designed to facilitate the disclosure of wrongdoings in public organizations. The disclosure of wrongdoings is a fundamental component in ensuring integrity in the public administration. Recognizing that people working within an organization or who work with such people are often best placed to become “whistleblowers”, Western Québec’s By-Law 37 is intended to provide information on the mechanism for facilitating the disclosure of wrongdoings within our school board which complies with the Act to facilitate the disclosure of wrongdoings relating to public bodies (LQ 2016, c 3), hereinafter the “Act”.

The Act, as well as our By-Law 37, provides for the implementation of a parallel disclosure system within public bodies allowing staff the option of reporting wrongdoings either internally or to the Quebec Ombudsman through a secure online form. In all cases, these provide protection against reprisals for disclosers by staff who cooperate in reviews and investigations.

Essentially, at any time, school board staff may disclose information to the Officer responsible, indicating that a wrongdoing has been committed or is about to be committed in relation to the school board.

This month’s Time Capsule answer: Lisa Falasconi, Superintendent of Human Resources

Employee and Family Assistance Program

The Employee and Family Assistance Program is a confidential, professional counselling program in collaboration with Telus Health (formerly LifeWorks) for employees, commissioners and members of their immediate family.

Even though we are most often able to deal with the problems that are causing us stress, sometimes the personal problems we face get a little more complicated. In some cases, these problems can compromise our ability to function properly at home or at work.

To deal with these types of situations, the Employee and Family Assistance Program offers a free confidential and professional consultation service by licensed therapists who have a great deal of clinical experience in supporting others.

This program also includes:

DID YOU KNOW?

You and each member of your family have access to 6 hours of services with the Employee and Family Assistance Program!

Getting started with the Telus Health platform:

  1. Download the Telus Health One app (iPhone or Android) or visit one.telushealth.com
  2. Watch your email inbox for an invitation to join the platform

Contact the Employee Assistance Program (Telus Health) any time, 24/7, for support, at 1-833-711-2327.

Additional resources and information on the program:

Dispute Prevention and Resolution

Our Dispute Prevention and Resolution (DPR) Plan helps coworkers find a win-win solution through effective communication, so that disputes do not escalate into conflict.

An illustration shows 2 superheroes with the words "Don't be a brute; resolve that dispute"

The objective of Dispute Prevention and Resolution is to safeguard the well-being of employees and provide channels to express concerns/issues towards effective solutions without escalation.

In other words, DPR helps coworkers to find a win-win solution through effective communication so that disputes do not escalate into conflict.

Learn more on DPR

Purpose of the DPR plan:

  • Prevent the escalation of problems and disputes between employees
  • Diminish conflicts at the workplace
  • Use organizational resources to guide disputes toward constructive resolution
  • Provide a conflict resolution process that is fair and consistent to express concerns or issues and to find effective solutions
  • Provide WQSB employees with organizational justice and fair outcomes.

Why use the term dispute?

  • Disputes are not conflicts, but they can be the beginning of one.
  • Dispute is a disagreement of differing perspectives, opinions, and/or interests.
  • Conflict is a dispute that has escalated to a point where there is strong opposition or serious disagreement, that leads people to oppose and experience a state of tension or strife.
A poem on DPR?

With a colleague you feel tension
‘cause you heard your name’s been mentioned

You give them space, there’s no retrace
Now you look away when passing in the staircase

First you wrote the email, then hit backspace
You feel like texting, but in uppercase

No big deal, ‘cause it won’t affect your pension
Yet now at work, pain has got your full attention

Looks like this dispute needs some intervention
Let’s resolve it with some clear communication

Try DPR, a face to face
A one to one in a neutral space

Doesn’t everyone deserve a healthy workplace?

Information for Teaching Staff

Union – You are represented by the WQTA:

Western Quebec Teachers’ Association
183 chemin Freeman (unit 102), Gatineau, QC J8Z 2A7
P: 819-777-1475 / F: 819-777-0016
wqta-aeoq@videotron.ca

PIC – Your union’s Professional Improvement Committee allows you to apply for funding to participate in a course, workshop or other activity, which you feel will be a benefit to you in the performance of your duties at the Board.

Collective Insurance – Contact Industrial Alliance (you are part of group 97000-886) at 1 877 422-6487 or visit IA’s website.

WQSB HR Contacts 2024-2025 – For any HR-related inquiries or assistance, find the right contact HERE.

Information for Support Staff

PIC – Your union’s Professional Improvement Committee allows you to apply for funding to participate in a course, workshop or other activity, which you feel will be a benefit to you in the performance of your duties at the Board.

Collective Insurance – Contact Industrial Alliance (you are part of group 28812) at 1-833-730-1431 or visit IA’s website.

WQSB HR Contacts 2024-2025 – For any HR-related inquiries or assistance, find the right contact HERE.

Information for Professionals

Union – You are represented by the Professionals of Western Québec, a member of SPPOQA, associated with the CSQ:

Professionals of Western Québec
professionalswqsb@gmail.com

PIC – Your union’s Professional Improvement Committee allows you to apply for funding to participate in a course, workshop or other activity, which you feel will be a benefit to you in the performance of your duties at the Board. For more information, peruse the emails sent to you at the beginning of the school year, or email the person responsible.

Collective Insurance – Contact SSQ Financial Group (you are part of group J9999) at 1 888-651-8181 or visit SSQ’s website.

WQSB HR Contacts 2024-2025 – For any HR-related inquiries or assistance, find the right contact HERE.

Information for Management Staff

Collective Insurance – Contact SSQ Financial Group (you are part of group Y1870) at 1 800 400-0023 or visit SSQ’s website.

WQSB HR Contacts 2024-2025 – For any HR-related inquiries or assistance, find the right contact HERE.

Procedure to Facilitate the Disclosure of Wrongdoings

Provincial Law 87 is an Act designed to facilitate the disclosure of wrongdoings in public organizations. The disclosure of wrongdoings is a fundamental component in ensuring integrity in the public administration. Recognizing that people working within an organization or who work with such people are often best placed to become “whistleblowers”, Western Québec’s By-Law 37 is intended to provide information on the mechanism for facilitating the disclosure of wrongdoings within our school board which complies with the Act to facilitate the disclosure of wrongdoings relating to public bodies (LQ 2016, c 3), hereinafter the “Act”.

The Act, as well as our By-Law 37, provides for the implementation of a parallel disclosure system within public bodies allowing staff the option of reporting wrongdoings either internally or to the Quebec Ombudsman through a secure online form. In all cases, these provide protection against reprisals for disclosers by staff who cooperate in reviews and investigations.

Essentially, at any time, school board staff may disclose information to the Officer responsible, indicating that a wrongdoing has been committed or is about to be committed in relation to the school board.