CBA: Recruitment and Retention Incentives Extended to March 31

Programs slated to expire this month extended — again — thanks to union advocacy

Despite the BC government’s moves to dramatically restrain spending on programs including health care, incentives for recruitment and retention of CBA employees will be extended to March 31, 2026, while your union continues to advocate for more supports to reduce shortages and workload.
 
The Ministry of Health has enhanced the eligibility criteria for the incentives; if your application is denied, please contact the HSA office to learn more.
 
The Provincial Rural Retention Initiative (PRRI), which initially ran April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, has now been extended until March 31, 2026. The program provides CBA employees with quarterly retention payments where they are most critically needed to address long-standing shortages. PRRI, which was originally piloted in 18 communities, was expanded last year to cover 56 additional rural communities across BC. HSA’s advocacy ensured two further communities (Trail and Oliver) were also included for a total of 76 communities across the province.  The program provides recruitment incentives of up to $8000 per year or $2000 per quarter for CBA employees working in regular positions – new and current – for work done in these communities between April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2026. 

For a full list of the communities covered by PRRI, click here. By providing this incentive, the program aims to encourage new and current CBA employees to move to rural communities.
 
The Rural and Remote Recruitment Initiative (RRRI) provides a recruitment incentive payment of up to $30,000 to new CBA employees starting careers in professions facing severe shortage. Due to higher vacancy rates and more complex challenges, eligible vacancies identified in rural and remote communities in Northern Health are eligible for $30,000 incentive payments (prorated based on FTE of the eligible vacancy). CBA employees who are recruited into eligible vacancies identified outside of Northern Health are eligible for up to $20,000 incentive payments (prorated based on FTE of the eligible vacancy). The CBA employee must remain employed in the regular, priority occupation position in that community for a period of 24 months, failing which the employer will recover the incentive payment made on a pro-rata basis. Note that members already working in these areas, or currently working in remote communities and moving to another remote community, are not eligible. Eligible professions are listed below.  Communities covered by the incentive, which aligns with incentives offered to doctors and nurses, can be found here.
 
The urban and metro Recruitment Incentive for Difficult to Fill Vacancies provides new CBA employees with a recruitment incentive of up to $15,000 with a 24-month work commitment. The program aims to draw professionals from out of province and/or country, out of private agency work, offers an opportunity to recruit existing casuals into regular positions, and bring retired professionals back into the system. Eligible professions are listed below.

The following professions may be eligible for PRRI and RRRI incentives:

• Community Health Workers
• Medical Laboratory Assistants
• Pharmacy Assistants
• Rehabilitation Assistants
• Detox Worker 1
• Detox Worker 2
• Residence Coordinator
• Support Worker 1
• Support Worker 2
• Program Coordinator