But B.C. will pay up to 200 staff to volunteer and experience will improve skills: Minister
Unlike the British Columbia government, Ottawa won't give federal civil servants paid-time off to volunteer at next year's Winter Olympics.
Federal civil servants can take up to three months annual paid leave to take part as athletes or officials in internationally recognized sports events, but the federal government has never given staff paid time off to volunteer at Olympic Games and won't change its policy for the 2010 Winter Games, wrote Treasury Board secretary Wayne Wouters in a memorandum to board president Vic Toews, which was obtained by the Globe and Mail under Access to Information.
Paying federal government employees to volunteer would discriminate against other areas of the country where there are no Olympics and would be unfair to taxpayers, wrote Wouters.
Last year, British Columbia announced it will allow up to 200 provincial civil servants to volunteer during the Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler without loss of pay – one-half to be covered through paid vacation, one-half through paid leave.
The government offered a similar package to staff who volunteered at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria and the North American Indigenous Games in Cowichan on Vancouver Island.
Provincial government employees will return to work after the 17-day Olympics with more and improved skills, such as a better understanding of how to run a large event, said Advanced Education Minister Murray Coell.
The Vancouver Olympic Committee needs about 25,000 volunteers to help run the Games from Feb. 12 to Feb. 28 next year. So far more than 60,000 people have applied and the selection process will begin next month.
