- Concentrate reductions in government agencies and ministry administration.
- Reduce government communications staffing by 20%.
- Establish fewer ministries.
- Merge BC Housing’s corporate functions into the responsible ministry.
- 2% annual negotiated compensation mandate for new collective agreements while the provincial deficit declines.
From the union's email today:
"BCGEU staff in the research department took the priorities identified by members and put together an election report card looking at the campaign promises and past records of the five major parties running in the 2026 B.C. provincial election."
I've been battling mental health issues my entire life but since the summer I've been battling depression, anxiety and overcoming trauma after years of being relatively healthy. I'm not sleeping well, my appetite is up and down. I'm experiencing vertigo, headaches and digestive issues. All of this has led to significant brain fog as well. I've been on short term leave for a little while now and I've been trying to push myself to get back but I'm realizing I need longer term leave.
If I go on a long term leave, what does this look like? Do I still get benefits? I need them to stick with my current counsellor (I know about EFAS, I've used it in the past and it has not been incredibly helpful so I need to stick with my current RCC).
Do I have to meet with an occupational H&S nurse at the PSA?
Can my team fill my position temporarily? (I only ask as I know the overwhelming amount of work there already is and I have a lot of guilt around taking leave).
How long did you go on leave for and how did this benefit you?
I appreciate the answers in advance. I know I can find these answers online but I don't have the brain capacity to do it at the moment so I'm hoping for answers and hearing other people's experiences.
This may come across as a bit of a rant, but I am so frustrated with my inability to progress within MCFD due to the current hiring directive.
I am currently a SPO-21 and already perform many Child Protection Worker responsibilities within my office, with the exception of conducting removals independently and writing Report to Courts. I hold a social science degree and have a strong background working with vulnerable families in social services. For several months now, I have been encouraged to apply for SPO-24 positions, and advancing into that role is something I am very interested in.
However, my experience with recent competitions has left me feeling discouraged. Over the past several months, it appears that the majority of SPO-24 postings in the Lower Mainland will have, at some point, been extended beyond their original closing dates. I have applied for four closed competitions where this is the case, and have been screened out despite having a strong work record and meeting the qualifications under the expanded credentials. In each case, the feedback I received was that only candidates with preferred credentials were screened into the competition. It feels really wrong that MCFD would rather drag the screening process out over 1-1.5 months to accumulate enough BSW/BCYC applicant just so they can screen out everyone else. Despite being recognized as qualified under the hiring framework, it feels as though applicants with expanded credentials are not being given meaningful consideration, if at all.
What I find particularly discouraging is the rule that even if I am screened into a competition and earn the top score following the interview stage, I WILL still be unsuccessful if another candidate with a preferred credential achieves a minimum passing score (see page 10 of the MCFD Screening Guide for CFCSA Delegated SPO24 to 30 Competitions).
I understand the rationale behind preferred credentials, but it's been stated again and again by the Representative for Children and Youth that MCFD's focus on degree type rather than knowledge and experience is harmful to retention and service quality. It's literally the number 1 recommendation in the No Time to Wait report.
I get that I can have a good chance if I move to a hard-to-recruit community, that's not an option for my life circumstances right now.
Some of the new hires(9's) in our department were brought in without a competition and are now being encouraged to apply externally for a subsequent posting.
I understand there may be circumstances where auxiliary employees can be hired without competition for up to six months. Does this practice apply across all classifications, or is it limited to certain positions? Who has the authority to approve these appointments?
Some of these hires also appear to have existing personal or family connections within the team. This raises questions about fairness, transparency, and equal access to opportunities.
Wouldn’t someone already working in the department have a significant advantage over external applicants competing for the subsequent posting?
Given how difficult it can be to get into the BC Public Service, I’d appreciate hearing from people familiar with the hiring policies. Is this a normal and legitimate practice, and what safeguards are in place to ensure fairness and prevent potential conflicts of interest?
Do excluded employees get the 5 paid sick days granted from the bc employment act? Or just STIIP pay?
What code is entered into time&leave?
Hi, has anyone been on LTD for 2 years and went back AFTER the 24 month cut off “change of definition”? I’m still confused even after my claim advisor explained it but apparently it’s not as straight forward or as easy as going back to my original job before that date apparently.