October 22, 2021 - PHO Order on Mandatory Vaccination Status

On October 21, 2021, the Provincial Health Officer (PHO) issued the Hospital and Community (Health Care and Other Services) COVID-19 Vaccination Status Information and Preventive Measures Order (the Order), amending the October 14, 2021 Order.

The Order includes proof of vaccination status requirements and directs employees in both health care and at providers that contract for services with the health authorities to be vaccinated in order to continue active employment. According to information just received from the Provincial Health Office, this includes employees working in specific programs delivered by community social services employers where the programs are funded by the health authorities. A number of health authorities have directed some community social services employers to implement this Order in writing over the past several days. Please follow those directions.

Scope of the Order

The scope of the Order lists a number of health sector employers and their contractors and covers their employees wherever they are deployed, listing a number of “care locations.” CSSEA continues to make inquiries of the PHO Office, government, ministries, and legal counsel to get clarity on the scope of the Order. As a result, this CSSEA Info intends only to address at this time employees who work under service contracts with the health authorities as communications with the PHO Office indicate that this is the intended current scope for community social services employers. The Order may be extended by employers in their reasonable discretion to cover other employees of an employer funded by non-Ministry of Health/health authority sources if there is integration between health and non health-funded employees such that it is not operationally feasible from a health and safety perspective to restrict the application of the Order to the health funded programs only. We are advised by the PHO Office that the Order is not currently intended to cover other community social services employers, for example, Community Living employers that do not have service contracts with Health, although expansion is being considered.…

Read more

October 15, 2021 - Vaccination Policies - Update

As you may be aware, the Provincial Government issued a directive to its employees last week establishing a late November deadline for public service employees to be vaccinated ahead of an expected return to work later in the fall. Those working in core government or ministry roles will be asked to present proof of full vaccination using the BC Vaccine Card. As this mandate covers direct employees of government only, it does not apply to any employees working in the Community Social Services sector, despite employers having direct service contracts with the provincial government. According to the BC Public Service Agency (PSA), exemptions to the vaccination requirement are still under consideration, as are consequences for non-compliance with all its LR implications. Another communication is expected from the PSA by early November with more details. For more information from the PSA, please see this FAQ.

Over the past week, other employers across the province have considered their own positions on mandatory vaccination and some have also declared an intention to implement mandatory vaccination policies later this fall. CSSEA has been, and will continue to be, in discussion with member agencies, public health, relevant ministries, CLBC, other stakeholders and unions. In addition, we have retained legal counsel to consider these developments further and respond.

In the interim, there are concrete and timely steps that CSSEA members may choose to take, in light of the PHO’s broad position statement that has been issued for our diverse sector.…

Read more

Early Childhood Educator Wage Enhancements - Directions to Community Social Services Employers

Background

As part of the Provincial Government’s Early Care and Learning Recruitment and Retention Strategy, front-line Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) working in eligible licensed child care facilities receiving Child Care Operating Funding (CCOF) will be eligible to receive a $2 per hour increase to their ECE Wage Enhancement (ECE WE), bringing the total wage enhancement to up to $4 per hour. This increase follows the $1 per hour increase that was available as of September 1, 2018, and the additional $1 per hour increase that was effective April 1, 2020. Additional funding for Statutory Benefits^[1] has been, and will continue to be provided. The $2 per hour increase to the ECE WE will be effective in March 2022, with payments retroactive to hours worked from September 1, 2021.

Front-line ECEs (as defined in the Funding Guidelines, including those who are also owner/operators of a licensed child care facility, are eligible for the wage enhancement if they are directly employed by a licensed child care facility that:

• Receives Child Care Operating Funding (CCOF) and has opted in to the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative (CCFRI) if eligible to do so;
• Receives Child Care Operating Funding (CCOF) but is not eligible for CCFRI funding (i.e., preschools, school age facilities that do not have continuous kindergarten enrolments, and facilities that do not charge parent fees); or
• Has been approved as a Universal Child Care Prototype Site.…

Read more

2021 Annual Report Now Available

CSSEA’s 2021 Annual Report, containing excerpted highlights from our approved audited financial statements, is now available online.

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

Read more

Government Seeks Further Feedback on Permanent Paid Sick Leave

Further to government’s initial request for employers to complete a survey on permanent paid sick leave, which is set to launch in BC in January 2022, the province has now moved onto the second phase of its public consultation process. This phase involves an online “Options Paper,” which consists of paid sick leave options that were informed by employer and employee survey responses. Employers are invited to review and provide feedback on possible options for the new permanent sick and can do so until 4:00 pm on October 25. A link to the Options Paper can be found here.

Read more

Final Days to Register for AGM and Conference with Discounted Early Bird Rate

There are just three days remaining to take advantage of the early bird rate for CSSEA’s 2021 AGM and Conference, Resilience Builds Strength, which will take place virtually from October 19-21. The conference early bird rate of $79 is set to expire on September 24, after which date the regular registration fee will be $99. This year’s conference will cover a range of important topics, including a survey of this year’s top HRLR issues, social services mergers, building Indigenous relationships, and more. You can view the full Schedule of Events here and register for the event here.

Special Note about CSSEA’s 2021 AGM

We encourage all voting members to attend CSSEA’s Annual General Meeting, taking place October 19 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. Registration is required for voting purposes but the AGM alone is free. Please note that if you register for the AGM General Session on October 19, you will also automatically be registered for your respective Divisional Session, taking place prior to the General Session. Participation links to all meetings will be e-mailed to participants one day prior and dates for Divisional Sessions are as follows:

Indigenous Services – October 5, 1:00 to 2:00 pm
General Services – October 12, 10:00am to 12:00 pm
Community Living Services – October 12, 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm…

Read more

PHO Responds to Questions From Social Services on Mandatory Vaccines

The Office of the Provincial Health Officer has responded to questions posed at a recent social services roundtable meeting on mandatory vaccinations for those working in the sector. At this time, the PHO will not be mandating vaccinations for social services.

The communique also provides information on the government’s recently-implemented vaccine card, which will now be required to enter some events, services and businesses. You can access the full communication here.

If you have any questions, please contact your HRLR Consultant/Advocate.

Read more

Announcing 2021 Community Social Services Awards of Excellence Recipients

CSSEA is excited to announce this year’s Community Social Services Awards of Excellence recipients, after a one year pause. The awards, now in their sixth year, honour the work of individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the social services sector. On behalf of a member panel who reviewed and shortlisted all nominations, as well as an external judging panel who evaluated and ultimately narrowed shortlisted nominations to a single winner in each category, we congratulate the following recipients:

Rising Star: Alexandra Bissley

Quality Assurance and Communications Manager, Inclusion Powell River Society, Community Living Services

Occasionally, someone comes to an organization and makes such a lasting impression that an employer will bend over backwards to retain them. Such was the case with Alexandra, who was initially hired at Inclusion Powell River Society on a temporary job creation project. Alexandra immediately impressed her peers and supervisors with her inquisitiveness, passion and drive, leading to her permanent hire as their Quality Assurance and Communications Manager. Alexandra dove right in to her new role, taking on responsibilities that would be overwhelming for most. She led the CARF Accreditation Process, which required her to become expertly knowledgeable on 2,000 standards. Alexandra has also been instrumental in coordinating the agency’s soon-to-open Affordable Housing Project, which involves extensive liaising with community members, senior management and partners like BC Housing. Through her graceful tackling of these large-scale projects, Alexandra has shown her ability to work with others and manage complex work. Much of what Alexandra does is behind-the-scenes, and in fact, shines a spotlight on the work done by the agency as a whole. This was all the more reason she has proven to be deserving of special recognition of her own.

Hero: Florence Kao

Program Coordinator, Self Employment and Entrepreneur Program, DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society, General Services

Having left her role as Senior Human Resources Manager at a global private sector company in Taiwan to immigrate to Canada, Florence found herself in an unfamiliar city starting from scratch. Her sheer determination, professional skills and desire to assist individuals in similar circumstances would eventually lead to DIVERSEcity, where she started as a Labour Market Settlement Worker and assisted immigrants and refugees in providing resources, orientation and guidance. It was at DIVERSEcity that Florence would find her perfect fit, as she would eventually lead the agency’s Immigrant Entrepreneur Program and leverage her business acumen to help newcomers find their professional niches and launch small businesses. Part teacher and part mentor, Florence helps individuals of the program develop business plans, find partnerships and gain confidence to succeed in their entrepreneurial endeavours. She is described by colleagues as a powerhouse who is always evolving her approach to program delivery but also, a confidante and friend whose sole focus is to help individuals turn their dreams into reality.…

Read more

FAQs - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

On August 4, 2021 we issued a CSSEA Info addressing the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, to be commemorated on September 30.

As mentioned, the BC government recognizes the importance of honouring a day for Truth and Reconciliation. The government advised all provincial public sector employers that they should recognize September 30 as a holiday on an interim basis while the province begins to engage with Indigenous partners and the business and labour communities to determine the most appropriate way to commemorate this day going forward. Since the issuance of the CSSEA Info, members have posed a number of questions to CSSEA staff, and this bulletin is intended to share the answers more broadly.

Must an employer close all its programs to commemorate this day?

Where employers are able, the government has advised that the Day should be recognized, including by closing their programs on September 30 as an interim measure this year.…

Read more

Negotiation of Local Issues Agreements Under MOA #1

Under MOA#1 (Local Issues) of the Collective Agreements, an Employer wishing to renegotiate any part of its current local issues agreement must serve written notice to its union(s) by September 30, 2021.

If you are generally satisfied with the terms of your current local issues agreement, there is no requirement for you to serve notice to renegotiate. If you are not sure whether it would be beneficial to renegotiate its terms, please discuss this with your HRLR Advocate/Consultant.

If you do provide notice, CSSEA should be copied. If you do not serve notice, the union may still wish to re-open the local agreement and negotiate changes.…

Read more