What is the difference between the Public Service Secretariat and Public Service Commission?
The Public Service Secretariat is the employer department of government. It is the part of the organization that researches and establishes HR Strategies, sets policies and procedures for compensation and benefits, sets employer policies, negotiates with unions on behalf of Government, and other functions as outlined in the “About Us” section. The Public Service Commission is an arms-length organization that exists to protect our commitment to a politically neutral, professional and permanent public service. It does this by ensuring that merit principle guides the appointment and promotion to permanent positions within the public service. The Commission also carries out other functions which are best managed at arms-length from the employer – programs such as the Employee Assistance Program, the Respectful Workplace Program and Appeals and Investigations. For more information on their mandate, please visit the Public Service Commission website.
