Yes, you should continue to complain…but as well as doing so (essentially) privately - ie straight to CRA and/or on a forum - do so publicly….send a complaint each time to your MP (doesn’t matter what party) and every once in a while, send to one of the investigative reporters doing regular stories on CRA in the media….with “data” (anonymized of course). Complain to your professional association if you have one, or to EFAC if you’re a member, etc.
The only way to get these people actually doing work productively is to show them as a bucket of incompence.
(FWIW, as a long-time Redditor, I often read the r/CanadaPublicServants forum, which is a litany of whining about WFA (Work Force Adjustment) and the various forms of “RTO” (Return to Office), notably called “Return to Work” by the soon-to-retire Bob WK Hamilton in this week’s Town Hall at CRA. I just search for CRA in the sub as it’s quite informative as to the background of what’s going on there. They hired too many people with too little training, too little suitability veting, and seem to have a crew more invested in trying to get free “leave” and “benefits” instead of actually working….just one person’s observations.)
I complained a while ago on a SC about the “unread” email issue, which I was assured would be fixed. It’s now gone from 1 then to 4 now. That’s an improvement. Time to file another one along with complaints to those who “supposedly” have “access” to the upper ranks.
(To be fair, I did have to call them to make a cash swap for a client…got an agent in under 2 minutes who proved to actually know what to do and did so, even though it was messy and complex.)
Reddit it worth nothing. It’s self-selected and anonymous, so you don’t know who’s posting and it cannot be said to represent the broader work force. Reaching any conclusions based on reddit posts is a fool’s errand.
I hope you understand that I am not saying to do nothing. I am not arguing that we shouldn’t file complaints. All I am saying is that we can overdo it. If one files complaints for every single little item when does it become a nuisance? CRA must also row with the oars they have been given.
@iain.fyffe I am not saying your answer is wrong, I am only suggesting that you are not very diplomatic. And a bit of diplomacy goes a long way towards good relationships.
As I have never been on Reddit, I will take your word for it.
Anything on the internet (especially in this day in age) theoretically could fall into the scope of being fictitious, inaccurate, and entail a self-select bias, sure. When it comes to legislative jargon thrown around on reddit, it’s not entirely true to say it’s all wrong.. but this is why we fact check. I’ve seen some very accurate information come out of reddit, especially from the mods over a r/cantax
To a point, I don’t disagree…BUT…the sheer unmitigated volume of complaints, whining and “I feel so uncomfortable having to work in an office because…” posts on Reddit show that there IS an issue…my guess is likely in the poor hiring done during the “panic”-demic when the Feds freaked out and hired all kinds of unsuitable employees. It is actually stunning to read.
The problem with CRA simply loading on more bodies (as they have now announced) for Tax Season is training. Nobody hired now will know diddly-squat by tax season, other than (maybe) how to answer the phone. The quality of response will be lower than from Charlie the $18million Chatbot that doesn’t work.
Bob Hamilton will retire in August….it’s possible that maybe..just maybe…a new Chairperson will be able to do something useful, because for sure in his tenancy, CRA has devolved.
The “100 day plan” (now over as of yestereday) is a PR exercise that so far has resulted in little. Yes, the phones are answered quicker, sometimes. I’m unconvinced that any material change has occurred.
