anyone here working in the health sector?
 

i work for one of the health agencies that runs some of the hospitals in the GVRD in a support/non-medical capacity, and we just got an internal memo saying massive funding cutbacks has resulted in plans to consolidate us with others under the fraser health authority. as a result, many departments are now on the front line being reviewed for the chopping block, and my department is one of many that is on the list.

top brass got the news last friday, and the rest of us peons got the office memo yesterday afternoon. one of my managers gave notice and another is slowly starting to pack up his office stuff thinking he's next. with the little info they are giving out, i could be collecting EI by end of this september :(

i was just wondering if anyone else here may also be in the same position as i am, but working in one of the other agencies? what have you been told or have heard?

not in the field but i hope everything turns out the best for ya

I work with FHA as well and our department is also noticing some cutbacks. Luckily nobody is going to get fired... Yet anyway.

So far it has only been the "extra" shifts that have been cut. And we're just expieriencing a hiring freeze... But nothing as bad as your situation fortunately

blame gordon campbell

from what little the memo said, i'm supposed to be either consolidated or taken over by FHA. in fact, FHA is listed as being the lead for almost everything, which means FHA staff gets priority and if my position overlaps someone in FHA, i'm the one who get sacked... so yeah i'm pretty sure you're in better shape than i am.

before this, we didn't have a hiring freeze, and we were unable to fill some positions because we couldn't match the pay levels in the private sector for the same type of work, and/or the job demands too much because it also covers many other responsibilities from other past positions that had been eliminated.

it's awful here today at work. i'm sitting here but i can barely do anything because the atmosphere is so grim, and i'm not alone. i don't even want to go to the cafeteria or public/staff areas because everything i overhear isn't good news :cry:

olympics :)

well i got the bad news today... as of next april my department is getting phased out, if not sooner, and i'll be collecting EI. crap. i've been laid off twice before at other jobs in the private sector but i was really hoping that being a gov't job, this one that i'm in now would have been a keeper. oh well.

i guess i better start working on my decade-old resume :( ... anyone have recommendations on good literature or online for help in resume writing?

apply to Healthcare benefit trust . they are hiring, work with different health autho. hbt.bc.ca
though i don't know if they will fit your skillset.. regardless. hope things turn out ok for u

sorry to hear bro
im having tough time finding a job

I am sorry for you, yet this is good news for tax payers.

Government tends to have a lot of overlap/overhead and its about time its reduced, especially management/administration. Centralize and consolidate.

I know all government cannot be painted with the same brush, yet coming from Ottawa I found most government employees under-worked. They could easily take on much more responsibility and require less staff - then they'd be able to match the higher private sector salaries.

What kind of work do you do? looking for?

i'm in project planning and development.

i guess things are different in ontario because i'm making less than what the private sector does. i know this because i was in the private sector before coming here (i was laid off back then also for the same reason... poor economy).

in my area of work, we are overworked because we are understaffed from past cutbacks, and there are many unfilled positions because we haven't been able to hire new staff to work for the lower pay or people keep leaving for the same reason. unfortunate because of this downsizing we ended up being much smaller than the other groups, which meant we were the first tagged as expendable :(

apparently PHC and FHA are going to merge. from what we've been told so far the merger should only impact high level management as they try to cut down redundant jobs. so technically speaking, front line workers should be OK but there is of course no guarantee.

it makes more sense to lay-off a few execs/managers who make $60,000-$120,000 per year than to cut the people who do all the "hard labour". so far in my department, a new job that was to be posted is no longer available. basically we have to absorb more workload.

Hey thumper, if you are an union (which I am certain you are in), you can try bumping into other positions.

Vancouver Coastal Health is suppose to merge with Providence, Fraser Health, and Provincial Health Services Authority (PSHA).

Best of luck to you. I hope if you are unable to bump, you would at least get an handsome severance package.

I'm sorry for your loss :( I'm also in the field, and our paramedical sector is being discussed as of a few weeks ago. Every authority is on a hiring freeze and cutbacks are underway :(

My mom works for FHA and she heard a bunch of stuff as well. She was hoping they'd phase out her job and give her severence since she is planning on retiring next year anyway.

there are no more execs/managers to cut. we were already understaffed as it is.

"merge" dosen't seem to apply to me w/regards to fraser health. their equivalent department is so huge compared to us we are small fish. i've already been told that that there will be no duplicate positions, and since FHA has the lead, i'm out of luck :(

i'm not sure i can bump. my position is not common within my health authority and i'm not sure if i can jump to another authority.

bumping is an option, but it may not work in my favor. one of the secretaries that was very popular in an adjoining department was bumped by someone else, causing her to lose her job, and we because of that we had a lot of hate for the new person that she eventually left on her own. i don't think i want to be in that same position, job or no job :o

good luck...