Advocacy Corner
APSA advocates answer your questions about the AD 10 policies that govern your employment. From parental leave to working overtime to discipline meetings, we answer your workplace questions. Asking questions can be scary. That’s why all questions are submitted anonymously.
Ask an anonymous question with Survey Monkey. This question will be answered in a monthly advocacy corner news article. For an immediate answer, please contact APSA.
Advocacy Panelists
Laya Behbahani
Advocacy Committee Chair
Jerome Francis
Advocacy Committee Member
Arlette Stewart
Advocacy Committee Member and current board member
Andrew Boden
APSA Executive Director
Steve Frost
Advocacy Committee Member
Michelle Tri
Advocacy Committee Member
Tracey Ferris
Member Service Coordinator
Mike Peragine
Advocacy Committee Member and former board member
Angela Vass
Senior Labour Relations Officer
APSA Representation
My supervisor requested that I attend a meeting with HR regarding my performance. She said that I could bring along my APSA representative. Is it okay to bring along my friend, Dave? Dave is a member of APSA, and I've worked with him for years.
Typically such meetings are also known as an investigation meeting. Either your supervisor, a Human Resources advisor or a Labour Relations advisor will ask you a series of questions regarding issues of concern, which you’re required to answer. There may also be more than one meeting as the issues involved may be very complex. Regardless, the outcome of your meeting could be disciplinary.
It’s very important to have representation that is both skilled and informed in labour relations issues and experienced at investigation meetings. While I am sure that you’re friend, Dave is a great guy, he likely isn’t familiar with APSA advocacy work and couldn’t adequately represent you. An advocate with APSA would coach you prior to the meeting on how to comport yourself, support you through the process and ensure that your rights are defended throughout the investigation. Just as you would no more have Dave represent you in a legal matter, it’s best to have a trained APSA advocate on your side in your workplace investigation.
Should the meeting go poorly for you (you receive an unpaid suspension, for example) and you wished to grieve the outcome, not having skilled APSA representation at the meeting could make your challenge of the discipline imposed more difficult. You and Dave may not have thought to take notes during the meeting, which both record the questions and your responses. Without these, a challenge to the outcomes of the investigation is far less likely to succeed. You may also say things that could be deleterious to your SFU career. A skilled APSA advocate ensures that these items and others are addressed in your favour.
I have an investigation meeting by HR, and I'm feeling pretty nervous about it. Should I call APSA?
Although there is nothing in the policies that obligate the University to have an APSA representative present, you can ask for representation. APSA believes it’s in your best interest to ask for an APSA representative and have them present at your investigation.
Even though APSA is not a trade union, governed by the Labour Relations Code, it is considered a “near” trade union. So APSA has a duty of fair representation to its members, though one rooted in common law. This means that APSA must act in good faith when representing an employee in an investigation or grievance.
During the investigation meeting, you are likely to be nervous, vulnerable and unfamiliar with this process. An APSA advocate can ensure you receive due process as they are there to defend and represent your interests. APSA advocates are trained on how to proceed in any grievance or investigation meetin