Reports & Task Forces
Feports and task force findings on issues related to spousal employment in the foreign service
SEC Reports
(PDF) for reports of the Spousal Employment Committee (SEC)
Terms of Reference
Click here for the mandate of the Spousal Employment Committee
Spousal Employment
In March of this year, the co-chairs of the Spousal Employment Committee and the President of FSCA met with officials on Parliament Hill and around Ottawa to gauge the interest in and feasibility of change in the policies supporting spouses of rotational employees. As you may be aware, there have been recent public articles in the media (such as Liberal MP Bryon Wilfert's Canada's Deadbeat Diplomats, Senator Sharon Carstairs's questions to the government, and the CanWest article about trailing spouses). These articles have highlighted some of the the unique pressures faced by spouses when they decide to enter the life of the foreign services. The meetings have been a combination of fact-finding and advocacy to build on the momentum for change. The two key issues the SEC is targeting are Employment Insurance benefits for spouses and pension benefits.
If you would like more information regarding these meetings, have some comments to add, or would like to help, please contact our office manager Jassodra Rampersad.