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Front-line health, social services workers eligible for pandemic payments

More than 250,000 of B.C.’s front-line workers will be eligible to receive temporary pandemic pay.

This lump-sum payment supports workers in health, social services and corrections who provide a range of in-person, clinical and supportive services to vulnerable populations where physical distancing is difficult or impossible.

To be eligible, employees must have worked straight-time hours anytime during the 16-week period starting March 15, 2020. It does not apply to excluded management staff, fee-for-service providers or employees on leave.

The following list includes examples of eligible workplaces, with more information available here: www.gov.bc.ca/pandemicpay

Health services

Eligible workplaces include:

  • hospitals;
  • long-term care and assisted-living facilities;
  • provincial mental health facilities;
  • provincially funded home and community care services;
  • public health units;
  • primary care clinics;
  • diagnostic facilities;
  • community clinics; and
  • diagnostic and treatment centres.

Social services

Eligible workplaces include:

  • community living: residential services and intervenor residential sites;
  • Indigenous services: delegated Aboriginal agencies, friendship centres providing critical services, and healing and wellness facilities and shelters;
  • harm reduction: shelters for survivors of gender-based violence and human trafficking, directly operated residential facilities, adult-justice residential facilities, safe injection sites, emergency outreach harm reduction workers, emergency shelters, supportive housing facilities, respite and drop-in centres, temporary shelter facilities, and hotels and motels used for self-isolation or shelter overflow;
  • youth services: high-risk youth services, youth justice residential facilities, licensed children’s residential sites; and
  • immigrant services: high-risk support services for immigrants and refugees, high-risk immigrant youth services and settlement services.

Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction (SDPR) - eligible workplaces include:

  • SDPR income assistance and disability assistance offices;
  • SDPR/Service BC integrated offices; and
  • SDPR contact centre offices.

Ministry of Child and Family Developmenteligible workplace includes:

  • Service Delivery Division

Service BCeligible workplaces include:

  • Service BC offices

BC Housing – eligible workplaces include:

  • BC Housing main location and other offices

Community Living BC – eligible workplaces include:

  • head office and other local offices; and
  • Provincial Assessment Centre.

Corrections 

Eligible workplaces include:

  • adult correctional facilities and youth justice facilities;
  • community corrections offices; and
  • Sheriff Services Division.