Alberta Health Services is requiring certain employees to take two days off without pay before the end of March due to ongoing financial constraints, as revealed in a memo obtained by CBC News. The memo, issued by Erin O’Neill, AHS’s senior vice president of finance and shared services, specified that non-unionized exempt employees (referred to as NUEEs) will be affected, except for those in specific salary categories.
The memo emphasized that this decision, though considered after exploring various alternatives, is essential to fulfill financial obligations amidst budgetary challenges. A spokesperson from AHS acknowledged that this “one-time measure” impacts some non-unionized staff members but did not disclose the exact number of employees required to take 15.5 hours of unpaid leave.
The spokesperson highlighted AHS’s ongoing efforts to identify efficiencies and cost savings without compromising patient care, reassuring that frontline staff and healthcare services will not be affected by this measure. Certain positions have been exempt to shield employees earning below a designated threshold from the impact.
Despite not disclosing the specific details of the affected positions or the expected savings, AHS remains committed to mitigating the impact on its workforce through measures such as vacancy and vacation management. Dr. Braden Manns, a health economics professor at the University of Calgary, noted that AHS has faced financial constraints due to restrictions on running deficits and the mismatch between budget growth and population increase.
Before the restructuring of Alberta’s healthcare system, NUEEs constituted about 10% of AHS’s workforce, estimated at around 11,000 employees. Dr. Manns projected that the enforced time off could result in savings ranging from $8 million to $15 million for AHS. Despite acknowledging the relatively modest impact of this measure, he highlighted potential frustrations among affected staff, particularly in light of significant government expenditures on other initiatives.
As the Alberta government proceeds with healthcare system restructuring, Acute Care Alberta clarified that employees who have transitioned to the province’s new health agencies are not affected by these directives. Dr. Manns suggested that the actual number of impacted individuals might be lower due to the ongoing dismantling of AHS. Affected staff will have a say in scheduling their unpaid leave days, according to AHS.
Overall, while the cost savings from these measures may not be substantial in the broader context, they serve as a reflection of the managerial value within the system, as noted by Dr. Manns.
