Labour and Employment Law in the Federal Public Service describes the labour and employment law governing employees of Parliament, employees of government agencies, members of the RCMP, and most direct employees of the government (excluding members of the Canadian armed forces, judges, and employees of Crown corporations). Specifically, the book deals with the Public Service Labour Relations Act and the Public Service Employment Act. It also provides the leading cases and, where appropriate, a representative sample of decisions to explain or provide examples of particular points.

The legal regime of the federal public service has undergone significant change in the past three years, and no other book addresses these significant changes.

Part I of this book provides an overview of federal public service labour and employment law. Part II considers the normal labour law topics as they apply to direct employees of the government and employees of government agencies. Essentially, Part II of this book is about Part I of the Public Service Labour Relations Act. Part III concerns the terms and conditions of employment for both unionized and non-unionized employees—essentially, Part II of the Public Service Labour Relations Act. Part IV involves the legal regulation of the employment relationship in the federal public service—namely, the process for appointment to and within the federal public service. Part V of considers Crown servants—specifically RCMP members and parliamentary employees—who are not considered federal public servants for the purposes of the Public Service Labour Relations Act. Part VI considers the legal regulation of superannuation (pensions) for Crown servants and the role that courts play in the regulation of federal public service labour and employment law.

Christopher Rootham has a Bachelor of Law from Queen’s University and a Master of Labour Law from the London School of Economics. He practised law for over twenty years at the firm of Nelligan Law in Ottawa, Ontario. He also taught on a part-time basis at Queen’s University Faculty of Law in 2008 and at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law from 2008 to 2022. On April 3, 2023, he was appointed as a member of the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board. This book, of course, represents his personal views and does not represent the views of that Board.

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