u/Curious_Mud9428

I've seen a lot of chatter on here lately about folks feeling "safe" from layoffs as unionized permanent employees. I want to offer some perspective - Not to alarm anyone, but I do think it's important to be informed, and have the opportunity to plan, if needed.

I posted this in another comment yesterday, but will also paste it here. BCGEU has clearly stated about MOU 1 that:

“The memorandum offers critical job protection for regular employees throughout the term of the collective agreement, with the exception of substantial workforce reductions.”

MOU 1 is not absolute layoff protection. It's more accurate to think of it as a process and a set of obligations. It has mechanisms like reassignment, placement into vacancies, and other workforce adjustment processes.

HOWEVER, if a role is eliminated and there's no suitable placement available, the existence of job security language does not magically create a position that does not exist.

We're seeing this with our federal gov friends:

1. An employee is first told their position is affected. This means their role may disappear, the org is restructuring, or decisions are still being made.
2. Some get a Guaranteed Reasonable Job Offer (GRJO). That means they're displaced, but the employer expects to place them in another suitable permanent role.
3. Some become “opting” employees. This is when a permanent employee whose position has been declared surplus does not have a guarantee of a job offer. They have a 120 day window to choose 1 of 3 career transition options: Departure package, education allowance, or swap with another employee who wants to leave (provided there is someone).
4. Some become "surplus" employees. This is where if no suitable placement happens within the entitlement period, layoff happens. This is common given the gov is reducing services/programs/FTEs.

At a high-level, we can expect to see a similar process happen within the BC Public Service.

TLDR: If your job is eliminated, and no suitable placement exists (which is plausible if the broader objective is workforce reduction), layoffs are a possible outcome. The employer can say they tried to find you something, but that job just doesn't exist.

Mr. Lube on Wale Road just handed me a recommended oil change sticker for 3 months from now, even though my owner’s manual says every 6.

Is this the norm with quick oil change places?

Any recommendations for places that won’t try to take advantage of women?

This is a follow-up to a previous post I made about negotiating rent. I got a bunch of messages asking how it was done, so I wanted to share some of the tips that worked for me.

This process took a LOT of research and time. If you need a place immediately, this probably won't work for you. You need to be picky, well-informed, and willing to walk away.

1. Research vacancy rates.

Do a bunch of Googling on the rental you're interested in. Look at the property's website, along with property search portals to gauge how many units are currently sitting empty.

For example, this building has 61 units, and there are 8 units available. That's a 13% vacancy rate. This is not a brand new building that's just getting started with filling units.

That tells me a few things:

• The building is actively losing rental income on those empty units.
• Management may be more motivated to negotiate rather than let units sit longer. Some rental income is better than none.

I'd say anything above a 5% vacancy rate for a building will likely give you more leverage.

2. Check how long the listing has been sitting.

Again, do your research. If a listing has been sitting for weeks or months with no takers, the owner/manager may be more willing to bring the price down.

For example, this place has been sitting since Feb 21st. A fresh listing gives landlords confidence they can wait - a stale listing often changes the conversation. Use that to your advantage.

3. Use existing promotions as leverage.

If they’re already offering incentives (which many are) like free parking, 1/2 months free, move-in bonuses, discounted deposits, etc - that tells you they're already trying to sweeten the deal. Get the existing incentives they're offering in writing and negotiate further.

4. Don't start the conversation/relationship by asking for a discount.

If your first message is basically “Will you lower the rent?”, you haven’t given them any reason to say yes. Go view the property, submit your application if interested, show them you're organized and serious, demonstrate that you're a quality tenant.

By that point, they’ve already invested time in you, and you’re no longer just some random inquiry. That changes the dynamic., and they're way more willing to work with you.

5. Be strategic in how you communicate.

On the note of attitude, go in with being friendly, reasonable, and flexible. But also be prepared to walk away.

e.g. "I really like the unit, but I’m seeing comparable options at a lower price point [links of examples with similar square footage/neighbourhood/amenities]. Is there any flexibility so we can make this work?"

e.g. "My budget for the rent, parking, and storage is $X. If there's room to work toward that, I'd be happy to [next step].

--

Overall the process for me to find a new place took me about a month (maybe 15 hours a week?). It was honestly kind of exhausting, and yes, it’s frustrating that renters have to do this much work just to avoid being overcharged under the label of “market rent.” But it ended up being worth it for me. I found a place I genuinely love, and got $420 in savings (rent + parking total) to spend on other stuff per month.

I hope this helps some rental hunters out there!

Just got a listed $2650 2-bedroom rental (+$90 parking) down to $2320, with free parking, with a property management company.

Don’t believe the listed price and let them rip you off with additional fees. We’re in a tenants market - Lots of rentals are just sitting empty right now. Make sure you bargain!

I’m not a handy person, and would like to have a custom catio built.

I see a company called “Catscape” in Brentwood Bay, and although I see a lot of their work on Facebook, the company doesn’t have any reviews.

Anybody know anything about them? Or have another option?

As per email.

Re CSBC, given that org restructuring is expected for the foreseeable future, I’m curious if people are feeling like strategy and policy are more or less stable than being on a delivery team nowadays? Specifically in the context of potential workforce impacts.

I used to be very motivated and took a lot of pride in doing well as a public servant. Over the past year though, with everything that’s happened, including the strike, the hiring freeze, how my org handled things, and seeing excludeds be promoted in CSBC over the last couple months, my motivation has significantly dropped.

I’m finding it hard to pretend and connect with the usual “we care about this deliverable!” messaging. I still do what’s expected of me, but I’m certainly no longer invested in it or driven. I’ve found myself rethinking how much energy I put into trying to move things quickly or go above and beyond for my leadership.

Part of this is me trying to make sense of my own shift in mindset, but I’m also curious if others have been feeling similarly after everything that’s gone down in BCPS over the last while?

The cost of living keeps climbing, and despite making what I believed to be a dream salary 10 years ago, it’s hard to get ahead. Housing is a big part of it, and it makes everything else that much harder to pay for. If housing is cheaper, at least I wouldn’t feel as financially squeezed.

I’m at a point where I want breathing room. Not anything extreme, just enough to save consistently, plan for kids, and not feel like things are on hold. Staying in Vic feels like I’m treading water in my early 30s. Nothings improving and it’s been like that since Covid. Times atickin’.

For anyone who’s working remotely now, what are your thoughts on moving? Have you moved from a mid to large city? Do you worry about being called back in? Are you going with the flow? Not risking it? Would like to hear from other public servants on what they think about this, and if they’ve made the move.

I work in IT, if that makes any difference.