FAQ: Implementation of the Profile-Based Classification System

There are three classifications for working professionals (health science professionals who aren’t in a supervisory or leadership position) in the new profile-based classification system. Read about them here.

Don't worry! Ask the employer how they've classified your job. If you're not sure who to ask, start with your supervisor or manager. 

If your supervisor/manager doesn't know, reach out to HR (you should be able to find an email address on your employer's intranet).

When the new profile-based classification system comes into effect, there are provisions that allow for your union to advocate to recognize new special procedures and techniques by adding them to the P2A Special Procedures profile. This is an exciting opportunity to recognize and compensate the specialized work of many members who have jobs that are currently matched with the P1 profile.

Special Procedures are defined as:

"A recognized level of expertise or competency in a specialized area of practice. This qualification is obtained through specialized education, training, and experience, which is over and above the full-scope working level and is required in order to carry out duties.”

If you think that your work meets the above definition and should be recognized as a new special procedure or technique, please send us an email at redesign [at] hsabc.org letting us know your area of practice and your specialized education, training, and experience. Your union has heard from many members about their specialized areas of practice, but we are always ready to hear from more.

Staff in the classifications department are working to review submissions and build a case that shows how each proposed special procedure or technique meets the definition above. Your union intends to give notice as soon as possible after the new profile-based classification system is implemented; this will start the process to determine the special procedures and techniques that will be added to the P2A profile.

We will notify affected members, by profession, as work is added to the P2A profile. Members who perform this work will be coded up or reclassified, as appropriate, based on whether the special procedure/technique is performed for the majority of their work time.

When a new special procedure or technique is added, retroactive pay will be effective from the date that the union gave notice that the procedure or technique should be recognized as part of the P2A profile.

Yes. Providing work direction to support staff is part of the P1 profile, just as it always has been part of the grade 1 and grade 2 level of work.

Work direction is different from supervision. To be considered a supervisor, you must be delegated responsibility and accountability for support staff as seen in the S1 –Supervisory/Leadership profile.

Your union advocated that the same salary structure should be applicable across all the P2B Advanced Working Professional “sub-profiles” and was not willing to agree that P2B(S) should attract lesser rates than other P2B jobs.

The dispute was determined in arbitration with the arbitrator’s ruling ordering the salary structures be as they are for the new system to be implemented this coming December.

Can this be changed? Yes: pay rates and any other provision of the collective agreement can potentially be changed when the parties meet to negotiate a new collective agreement. This will be happening soon as the term of the current contract concludes on March 31, 2025.

If you’d like to see the P2B(S) salary structure changed, here’s how you can get involved.

In the 2010 HSPBA collective agreement, it was agreed that the new classification system would combine the pre-existing Grade 1 and Grade 2 in to a new full-scope working level professional classification that is now called P1 Working Professional.

This works well for most professions, but it places both dispensing and clinical pharmacists in the same profile despite the fact that their work is, and has always been, very different. Your union is aware of this problem, and believes that a solution can be reached by using the new P2A special procedures/techniques profile. When the new system goes live later this year, HSA will seek to have the specialized work of clinical pharmacists added to the P2A profile.

Special Procedures/Techniques are defined as:
"A recognized level of expertise or competency in a specialized area of practice. This qualification is obtained through specialized education, training, and experience, which is over and above the full-scope working level and is required in order to carry out duties.”

Clinical pharmacists complete a hospital pharmacy residency that dispensary pharmacists do not. This certainly appears to meet the requirements of the definition.

Many of your colleagues have already contacted HSA to assist the union with this reclassification from P1 to P2A. This can and will be done after the new system comes in to effect in December. Click here to read more about the P2A process.

The supervisory/leadership classifications include four profiles, which are based upon the classification level of staff supervised:

• S1 (Supervisory/Leadership 1) – supervisor of non-health science professionals
• S2 (Supervisory/Leadership 2) – supervisor of P1 and/or P2A and/or S1 staff; may also supervise non-health science professional staff
• S3 (Supervisory/Leadership 3) – supervisor of S2 and/or P2B staff; may also supervise non-health science professional and/or P1 and/or P2A staff
• S4 (Supervisory/Leadership 4) – supervisor of S3 staff; may also supervise any other staff

The four profiles each have four pay levels, which are based upon the number of full-time equivalent staff (FTEs) supervised. The pay levels are:

• Up to 8 FTE
• More than 8 FTE and up to 16 FTE
• More than 16 FTE and up to 24 FTE
• More than 24 FTE

No, it does not. The >24 FTE pay level is the highest for all supervisory profiles.

If you have concerns about your job description, please review Article 33 of the HSPBA collective agreement or speak to your steward, as you have the right to offer your input regarding your job description.

It is the larger of:

• The approved staff compliment; or
• The total number of staff hours in a 3-month period, divided by 489.375 (i.e. 3 times 163.125 hours) to give the average number of FTE 

In most cases you will be able to use the first option, and simply add up the FTEs of the staff you supervise. If there are unfilled vacancies in your work area, those FTEs are counted as part of the staff compliment.

However if your workplace has many casuals and/or supernumerary employees, you may need to use the second option.

The number of FTEs should be counted quarterly, on March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31. Resulting changes in salary structures are effective the following day (i.e. April 1, July 1, etc.).

Some jobs in the P2A, P2B and S1 – S4 profiles will have a new wage rate that is lower than members’ current wage rates.

Members in these jobs at the time of implementation on December 6, 2024 will be “green circled”, which means that they will continue being paid at their current rate, and receive all future general wage increases, for as long as they remain in the same position, i.e. they do not move to the new lower pay rate of their job.

“Same position” means the exact position that these members are at the time of implementation – green-circled members cannot post into any other regular full-time or part-time position, no matter how similar, without losing their green circle.

Green circled members will not receive pay increment step increases (e.g. moving from the 2^nd year to 3^rd year, or moving from the 6^th year to the 25^th year).

Affected members will receive written notification of green circling from the employer prior to implementation.

You will be green circled if your wage rate is, on December 6, 2024, higher than the new wage rate for your job.

Prior to the implementation date, your employer must provide you with written notification that includes the following information:

• Your name
• Your primary worksite
• Your job title and JD reference number (if there is one)
• Your job's classification under the "old" classification system
• Your job's profile match under the "new" classification system
• Your wage rate on December 6, 2024 (your green-circled rate)

You retain your green-circled status in your permanent position. 

Should the Employer’s tell you that you would lose green-circled status, please contact HSA immediately for assistance.

If your green-circled rate becomes less than the increment step rate that you would be on in the new classification system’s salary structure, then HSA’s view is that you should no longer be green-circled but instead move onto the wage schedule for your job.

No, all green circling is effective December 6, 2024.

You will be green-circled in your temporary position, and continue to receive the higher rate until the temporary position concludes.

If you relieve or post into a higher-classified temporary position after December 6, 2024, you will receive the posted rate for the job and not a green-circled rate.

Health Science Professionals will be able to file classification grievances to correct their profile under the new profile-based system once it is implemented on December 6, 2024. You will need to work with your steward to start the grievance process.

This link will take you to a listing of reference documents for the new profile-based classification system, including all the profiles. In advance of contacting your HSA steward to file grievance on or after December 6th, you will want to consider the information contained in the profiles and identify specific details of the duties and responsibilities and qualifications requirements of your job that make it a match for the profile sought.   

While you may likely have skills and abilities above and beyond the job’s requirements, please remember that it is the job and not the employee that is being classified, i.e. it is the above aspects of the job (the assigned duties, responsibilities and qualifications/requirements) that will determine the profile match. 

Yes. The employer has agreed to pay all retro pay related to the implementation of the profile-based classification system by February 28, 2025.

Employers should award P1 positions by seniority, provided the member is qualified for the job.

For positions above P1 (P2A, P2B, and S1 through S4) the selection process should not change, i.e. if candidates are relatively equal in performance, capability and qualifications, then seniority is the tiebreaker.

If you’ve discovered a part of the new classification system that you’d like to change or improve, please check your email inbox. You may already have been invited – or you soon will be invited – to a chapter meeting to discuss what changes you’d like to see to any part of the collective agreement, including the classification system.

Intimidated by the concept of collective bargaining? Please don’t be. Check out this explainer, think about what changes you’d like to see, and show up at your chapter meeting – that’s all it takes to start making change. 

Employers had the option of implementing the new system early on either November 8 or November 22 if they were ready. 

These are the dates that the system will be implemented:

• November 8: Island Health, Northern Health
• November 22: Fraser Health, Interior Health
• December 6: All other employers