The B.C. Government recently announced that 'wage levelling,' which raised wages for workers in seniors' care and mental health facilities up to the provincial standard, would be made permanent. They also announced that the "Single Site Staffing Order" would be rescinded as of January 1, 2023.

This means that if you were assigned to a single site during the pandemic, you will now be able to return to your former position(s) and resume working at more than one long term care or assisted living worksite.

In addition, workers will now be able to seek employment at other worksites that they were previously restricted from seeking.

Employers must reach out formally to all employees impacted by the single site order to ask if they intend to return to the workplace. Employees must confirm by November 30, 2022 whether they wish to return. 

Although each worksite will have a labour adjustment plan agreed to by the parties, the general principles are clear.

• Casual and regular employees will return to their 'relative seniority order' based on when they left. This will be determined at the local level.
• New positions that were posted while the single site order was in effect will be reposted and returning employees will be able to apply for them.
• If you brought seniority from one worksite to another as part of the order, your seniority will return to the original worksite.
• Positions that exceeded 1.0 FTE will no longer continue and employees in these positions may see their hours reduced.

We understand that you likely have many more questions, and we hope to be able to answer them in follow up communications or at the local level after labour adjustment plans have been finalized.

UWU/MoveUP