New digs, new dress codes, new breaks, new staff
Maria Canton
Northern News Services
Iqaluit (Oct 30/00) - At the Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. the byword is new.
The birthright corporation that oversees implementation of the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement is moving its Iqaluit head office into about 14,000 square feet of new office digs, and hiring staff for 12 new positions.
It has a new theme - "New ideas, New initiatives" and is reaching for a new look with "health breaks" and a dress code that replaces T-shirts, tennies and jeans with loafers and pleated trousers.
"The new dress code is a new, informal agreement between the staff in our office, it wasn't passed by the board or anything like that," said newly hired employee Paul Irngaut, who is President Paul Quassa's executive liaison\public affairs advisor.
"As for the health breaks it's just a different term that we are using. If someone wants to go for a walk or have pop, water or coffee, that's their privilege."
The NTI adopted the new theme for its annual general meeting to reflect the organization's movement forward.
The corporation is reviewing programs and establishing new ones to meet responsibilities set out in the claim for wildlife, mineral exploration, beneficiary enrolment and Inuit employment in government.
When NTI employees gather for the annual meeting in Arviat in mid-November it should be easy to see who works in head office.
The emphasis on new has not reached regional offices in Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay, where there is no dress code or new offices.
"Let's put it this way, people can't wear caribou skins to work because they're too hot, but anything else is fine," laughs Solomon Awa, the executive assistant for second vice-president Raymond Ningeocheak in Rankin Inlet.
"Jeans are fine if people want to wear them."
As for "health breaks," which appeared on the agenda at a recent board of directors meeting in Repulse Bay, Awa said they are exactly the same as the morning and afternoon coffee breaks always were. "People do the same thing -- talk, drink coffee and have a little snack."
The Kivalliq office is, however, hiring new staff, including filling a new Enrolment Manager position.
At the Kitikmeot office in Cambridge Bay, the first vice-president says the state of affairs at the office is exactly the same.
"As has always been our practice, our dress code is casual," said James Eetoolook.
"And for the health breaks, they aren't any different than before, it's just a coffee break.
"I don't know why they changed the name, I don't drink or smoke and I just call it a break, not a health break."
But aesthetics are just part of it, over the next 18 months NTI plans to announce new programs and enhancements to old ones.
