Broader Public Sector Perquisites Directive – issued August 2, 2011

The Management Board of Cabinet issued this directive under the authority of the Broader Public Sector Accountability Act, 2010 (Part IV.1: Perquisites), for the Province of Ontario, Canada.

Effective August 2, 2011, the Directive established rules on perquisites (perks) where funding is provided from the Ontario Government or from public bodies under the Public Service of Ontario Act, 2006.  The Directive sets out provisions for perquisites that are allowable and those that are not. A perquisite refers to a privilege that is provided to an individual or to a group of individuals, provides a personal benefit, and is not generally available to others.

This Directive applies to all hospital employees, Board members and appointed staff.  It includes requirements to:

• Establish rules regarding perquisites;
• Terms and limitations on those rules;
• An accountability framework to ensure appropriate governance; and
• Provisions to make summary information on allowable perquisites publicly available.

The Perquisites Directive can be accessed on the Ministry of Finance website.

Kingston General Hospital’s Workplace Conduct policy, section 5.2 under Legal Compliance, meets the requirements outlined in the new Directive. The Hospital’s attestation which identifies all allowable perquisites is as follows:

• Car allowance for the CEO and for some members of the Executive is a job requirement, due to: on call responsibilities, community and stakeholder engagement, off-site meetings and travel distances beyond the local area.