Early Intervention Program: Q&A Update

Since announcing late last year that Satvinder Basran was appointed the Employers’ CSSEIP Coordinator, he has been engaged in outreach with members and gathered initial feedback on requirements for the successful functioning of the Program. The following Q&A addresses a number of key questions brought forward by the membership.

How can the CSSEIP Employer Coordinator help us?

Satvinder has responsibility over the proper functioning of all aspects of the Early Intervention Program. He is also available to support members directly with:
• Advice on the development, updating, and application of Disability Management & Return To Work Agency Policies and Procedures;
• Understanding EIP absence trends at your Agency;
• Assisting in communications with union representatives to support employees to engage in the EIP where they are not properly participating;
• Assisting in communications with the benefit provider to address issues arising in the intake, case management, and the return to work (RTW) processes;
• Assisting with developing a RTW plan for an employee – with or without accommodations;
• Advice on the transitioning of employees from the EIP to LTD Plan should a return to work not be available.

What outreach activities has the Coordinator been involved in?

Over the past four months, Satvinder has been meeting with a number of agencies who have experienced a variety of challenges with the EIP. These challenges include employees not participating in the program, communications concerns with the Disability Management Provider (DMP), and limitations or barriers experienced in the development of appropriate RTW plans.…

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Complimentary Access to Online Labour Relations Courses Now Available

CSSEA is thrilled to announce that, as a result of funding made possible through the Federation of Social Services of BC (the Federation), members can now enjoy one year of complimentary access to Labour Relations courses on the MyLeadershipHub online platform. MyLeadershipHub was first launched in December 2021 as a paid subscription service, offering online courses that are approximately one to three hours in duration and designed to be flexible and self-paced.

Free access includes the following seven modules:

1. Performance Management
2. Conducting Investigations
3. Progressive Discipline
4. Joint Labour Management Relations
5. Duty to Accommodate
6. Attendance Management
7. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion…

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New Rules for International Students Working Off Campus

Employers who have international student employees working off campus, at their agencies, are now required to restrict their working hours to 20 hours per week. This comes as the Canadian government recently announced changes to its international student program, which took effect on April 30, 2024.

The announcement reverses a pandemic era exception that allowed international students working off campus to increase their work hours to up to 40 hours per week. This was a substantial increase from the longstanding government stance pre-pandemic of having those hours capped at 20 for off-campus work so students could remain focused on their studies while also ensuring the program does not become a loophole for workers seeking regular full-time employment in Canada.

The only circumstance in which international students can increase their work hours, including working overtime, is during regularly scheduled breaks in school programming.…

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Agreement Reached on Incentive Benefit for Unionized Childhood Educators (ECEs)

The provincial government continues to apply its Early Care and Learning Recruitment and Retention Strategy, which has been providing ECE Wage Enhancements (WEs) for several years. In late 2023, it announced that the Wage Enhancement would increase up to an additional $2 per hour effective December 1, 2023, resulting in the accumulated total ECE-WEs being up to $6 per hour. However, the announcement excluded the most recent $2 per hour increase from being available to employees and employers in the public sector, including CSSEA member employers. Rather, it directed CSSEA to negotiate with the CSSBA to arrive at its own mutually agreeable arrangement for any improvements under the Parties’ MOA 25 (Non-Provincially Funded Childcare Positions). The government committed a defined amount of funding to support outcomes consistent with this MOA and the agreement reached by the Parties under it.

On May 7, 2024 the CSSBA and CSSEA reached agreement. Eligible employees will receive an incentive Benefit, calculated to be at least $1/hour, and potentially up to $7/hour based on an employee’s current wage rate. The benefit for eligible employees is calculated on each hour paid starting in the first pay period of May 2024, and paid out every other month as a lump sum, subject to all normal payroll deductions. For some employees, this will mean that they will receive a Benefit greater than if they were covered by the Strategy, and all employees, even those covered by the JJEP and CSSEA Wage Grids, will receive at least a $1 Benefit per paid hour.

The Benefit amounts are set out in the wage table of the Agreement, which can be found here. Please commence these calculations for your eligible employees starting in the first pay period in May 2024. The first Benefit payment is to be made in the last pay period of June 2024. The last payment of the Benefit will be made in the last pay period of April 2025, unless CSSEA and CSSBA negotiate an extension or other arrangement. If that occurs, we will notify you again at that time.…

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Board of Directors Names New Chief Executive Officer

Following an extensive search led by a sub-committee of CSSEA’s Board of Directors and subsequently endorsed by the entire Board, we are pleased to announce that Sandra Case has been appointed CSSEA’s new Chief Executive Officer. Sandra served 10 years as Director of Human Resources/Labour Relations at CSSEA prior to moving into senior appointments at Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and most recently, Michael Smith Health Research BC. 

“I am thrilled to welcome Sandra back into community social services,” says Ryan Cucheron, CSSEA’s Board Chair. ”The Board was impressed with her legal acumen, existing knowledge of the sector and successful track record of working with multiple stakeholders in a variety of complex environments. We are optimistic Sandra’s skill set will allow her to lead the sector forward with professionalism and integrity.” 

Sandra brings to this role three decades of experience in leadership, HR/LR expertise, employer bargaining and strategic planning. “I have been fortunate to work in various areas of human resources and labour relations but there is nothing quite like returning to the sector that made an indelible decade-long mark on my career,” says Sandra. “I look forward to working closely with the Board, government, staff and other partners to strengthen sectoral relations and support our members to continue carrying out their critical work of providing care for British Columbia’s most vulnerable.”…

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Awards of Excellence Nomination Deadline Extended

CSSEA is extending the deadline for Community Social Services Awards of Excellence nominations by one week, until 5pm on April 12. We have noticed a decrease in submissions this year and hope the extension will encourage more Members and Associates to consider recognizing outstanding individuals working in the community social services sector. We welcome re-submissions for individuals who were nominated in previous years and not selected to receive an award.

For full details on nomination categories and criteria, please consult our Awards website. The online nomination form can be found here and this year’s winners will be celebrated at a special luncheon in Vancouver on October 10 as part of CSSEA’s 2024 AGM and Conference.

If you have any questions, please contact Doris Sun at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .…

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April 1, 2024 Indigenous Services Delegated Wage Grids Now Available

The parties have agreed on wage grids for delegated programs, effective April 1, 2024. The wage increases include a 2% General Wage Increase (GWI) and 1% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). In addition, the Growth Plan to the Social Program Officer (SPO) R24 Level has been amended per the Public Sector Job Evaluation Plan (PSJEP). If you have any questions, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .…

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Your Input is Needed in 2024 Compensation and Employee Turnover Report

The 2024 Compensation and Employee Turnover Report is now available to complete. Government discussion of the next mandate will begin in 2024 and this year’s data will form the basis of all costing and analysis for the community social services sector; therefore, it is very important that all members complete the report. The deadline for completion is June 30, 2024.

If you are using the payroll extract method, you can submit your payroll extract now.

Orientation sessions will be conducted throughout the province starting on April 3, 2024 to provide agencies with the necessary information, walkthrough and tips to efficiently complete the report. In addition, there will be a discussion on the April 1, 2024 Health Wage Comparability distribution. Register for one of the in-person or virtual sessions here.

CSSEA is ready to help you complete the report and answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to contact David Lin at 604.601.3132, toll-free at 1.800.377.3340 ext. 132, or via e-mail at:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; or Eric Peraro at 604.601.3104, toll-free at 1.800.377.3340 ext. 104, or via e-mail at:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

CSSEA appreciates the amount of work and time it takes to complete the report. We would like to thank you in advance for your cooperation in completing the report in a timely manner.…

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April 1, 2023 and April 1, 2024 Wage Grids and Health Sector Wage Comparability

Facilities Wage Comparability Review

The parties have agreed on the distribution of the Facilities Wage Comparability, effective April 1, 2023. The agreement provides for the following wage increases:

• JJEP (non-Paraprofessional) classifications in Grid Levels 1 to 9 will receive a $0.25 per hour wage increase, after both the April 1, 2023 General Wage Increase (GWI) and cost of living adjustment (COLA) have been applied.
• JJEP (non-Paraprofessional) classifications in Grid Level 10 will receive a $0.14 per hour wage increase, after both the April 1, 2023 GWI and COLA have been applied.

Nurses Collective Agreement

• Licensed Practical Nurse (13-P-LPN), LPN Supervisor (14-P-LPN), Nurse (16-P-RN), and Nurse Supervisor (17-P-RN) will receive the following wage adjustments, effective April 1, 2023:
• Licensed Practical Nurse (13-P-LPN): Step 4 rate will be increased by 9.61% to match the top rate of the April 1, 2023 Nurses Bargaining Association (NBA) wage schedule.
• LPN Supervisor (14-P-LPN):
• Step 4 rate will be increased by 8.91% to match the top rate of the April 1, 2023 NBA schedule.
• Step 1 rate will be increased by 0.85% to match the start rate of the April 1, 2023 NBA wage schedule.…

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Two Weeks Left to Submit Awards of Excellence Nominations

Members and Associates are reminded that Community Social Services Awards of Excellence nominations are due by 5pm on April 5 so now is the time to complete your submissions. The awards, sponsored by TELUS, are a wonderful way to acknowledge the exceptional individuals working at your agencies and in the community social services sector at large. We welcome re-submissions for individuals who were nominated in previous years and not selected to receive an award.

To learn more about the nomination process, please refer to this CSSEA Info. The online nomination form can be found here and this year’s winners will be celebrated at a luncheon in Vancouver on October 10 as part of CSSEA’s 2024 AGM and Conference.

If you have any questions, please contact Doris Sun at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .…

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