Cynthia Morton, Deputy Minister of the Ontario Ministry of Labour, speaks with editorial board member Vic Pakalnis.
The Occupational Health and Safety Act is 30 years old. Why has it been so successful?
When I joined the Ministry in the mid-80s the legislation was still considered new. There was still a challenge to figure out how to effectively implement it through all of the different sectors of the economy. There was some debate between the business and labour communities with government on the scope and the role of the inspector in the workplace. Notwithstanding that, there was agreement on the need for this kind of comprehensive legislation. It was a legislative scheme that resonated well with promoting workplace responsibilities, and that’s why I think it has retained its power today. As the parties themselves saw the results in terms of the reduction of the workplace injuries, as they saw the professionalism and expertise of the inspectorate who were responsible for overseeing the implementation and monitoring compliance, the credibility of the legislative scheme enhanced everyone’s commitment to make it work.
It’s part of an overall scheme around the reduction of workplace injuries and fatalities for the benefit not only of workers but also the liabilities of employers for their worker’s compensation lost time claims and their productivity losses. I think everyone saw it as in their best interest and the results over 30 years have reinforced the power and strength of the legislative tool and the professionalism of the inspector.
Could some of these factors be applied to improving the health of citizens generally?
Yes, completely. I’ve been a deputy of a number of different ministries where these principles apply. The cost of preventing a problem or critical event, whether it’s an illness, an injury, an environmental disaster, or a youth committing a crime is always less than the cost of dealing with the aftermath of that problem. Prevention and early intervention through education, awareness and shared accountability always saves money in the end. It’s a long-term commitment. You have to invest in prevention almost at the same time that you invest in the on-going management of a government agenda. It requires a lot of foresight because you’re investing today for the next generation’s benefit. When times are tough financially, prevention is a more difficult conversation to have but it’s really crucial. We have very compelling evidence in the reduction of illness and injury in the workplace that we should use across communities to talk about heightening wellness rather than managing the cost of being sick in the health care system.
What do you see as the challenges for the upcoming generation of public servants in the next decade and what skills should they be developing?
It’s an exciting challenge for the employer as well as for public servants to see what the future of the Ontario Public Service will be and to determine the right skill sets for the public service. I think that the core set of skills that will make a public servant successful in the future will be similar to those we value today. You need to bring your enthusiasm, a willingness to try new things, tempered with a reasonable amount of caution and oversight. You need to be very welcoming of teamwork and partnerships; you must not see yourself as isolated from others either by profession or description of a job or even a ministry’s mandate. Silos are a thing of the past and those who find themselves stuck in silos will be redundant because government can’t afford to run its business that way any longer. The business community and the public don’t want to wade through a morass of government agencies to find the right place and the right person to talk to. They want a simple one-window approach into government and we need to have public servants who understand that, who are adaptable and flexible. The core set of skills that makes a successful public servant today will continue into the future, even if the nature of the work changes.
With the retirement tsunami coming, are we attracting enough bright people to the public service or do we have to do more?
I think the biggest challenge before the public service is recruiting the best and the brightest. Once they join us, they stay for a long time. There’s such a wide array of opportunities that most employers can’t compete with the type of careers and experience we have to offer. You can be a public servant for 30 or 40 years and every five years have a fundamental shift in what you do. There is a need to show the best and the brightest that we are an employer of choice. The fact that the OPS is recognized as one of Canada’s best employers is wonderful news for us and we need to champion that when we go into recruitment mode. We also need to focus a lot on diversity in our recruitment. We need to be more successful recruiting people from ethnic communities, aboriginal communities and new immigrants. We know we need to make our recruitment strategies relevant and engaging in ways that are culturally appropriate, and government has set this as one of its goals.
What advice would you give to young professionals in how they might structure their careers?
Well, I’ve been a deputy of numerous ministries; I’ve worked in three different public services. I think people who are looking for careers in public service fall into two categories. One type comes in because of a desire to do a certain kind of work either because of their professional training or their interest and passion, whether it’s environmental work, public health, corrections, health and safety. To that stream of people, my best advice would be to keep their credentials and their expertise current. Make sure that you have a rigorous learning plan, both in terms of professional skills but also in how to do your job as a public servant. If you wish to be a manager, learn what it is to be a manager in the 21st century. Keep abreast of the skill sets of your colleagues in the private sector as well. Remain diligent about keeping abreast in your area of expertise.
The other stream is more the stream I followed. I was trained to be a lawyer but I really do enjoy the variety of a more generalist approach. I’ve always seen myself as a public servant with a generic set of skills that could be transported from one portfolio to another with, of course, some learning attached as I entered a new portfolio. Part of the skill set, then, is to understand what it is you need to learn as you enter a new portfolio. If you want that varied career, you need to get this adaptability, flexibility engrained in how you do your work so that people see that you’re able to move from one portfolio to another with a pretty grounded sense of how to ask the right strategic questions, how to ensure due diligence is done and not be afraid to ask questions of peers, mentors or managers. Show people that you’re interested and eager. Seek out opportunities to learn new skills and to meet new people. Be bold and be courageous but be diligent and hold on tight to your integrity. Sometimes that can be difficult, but it’s essential.
What about luck?
I think luck comes to those who have equipped themselves well with skills so that when the right opportunity comes up and somebody asks the question, “who’s the best person for that job,” your name comes to mind because you’ve demonstrated either that you’ve got what it takes
