senior policy analyst

director

policy analyst

child protection specialist

executive assistant

Government of British Columbia

The Director of IT hired me as a DBA, but the Dept manager demanded I develop a computer app. software. So I did, but the Dept Mgr then said I should also work for his private consulting company during regular work time for govt. I refused and he continued to withhold DBA job role. So I completed my project then found another job in BC Govt with Internet Services. 

All the contractors partied hardy with the two Govt BCIS managers - a former waitress and mail-sorting manager. My two co-workers previously sorted mail for a living, and they were now all in charge of the provinces internet services which was entirely on a 1990's desktop computer in the corner - without any backup.

The contractors used by BCIS failed to document their obscure, buggy code ensuring their job security. Some of the "warm body" contractors being paid $150-200/hour were former building construction contractors and secretaries that were learning to program on the job. BC Govt announced mass layoffs of 10,000 workers - when I questioned why the expensive contractors were not being laid off my job became redundant later that week.  I overheard one manager remark (not knowing I was waiting outside the door)  that I was not an islander and they would get rid of me. Also because I did not party hardy with them & their contractor buddies and I did not smoke dope as they commented enjoying on weekends.

They also commented on their Senior Manager being a lesbian and got her fired too because they did not like her or her kind.

Instead of taking another job per union rules, I said somebody in BC Govt has a family & mortgage, so I would move back to Alberta.         I was PROMISED by the BC Govt HR that I would be first contacted if ANY IT jobs came up - which never happened and all my BC Govt IT job applications were rejected.  I also continued to be shafted out of other job applications by less than courteous replies by former supervisors.

Working with the government of BC had its challenges.  Although as an employee, one is not always in favour of the road the MPs and Directors took.  I learned to do my job and keep my personal opinions on political matters to myself.  

My co-workers were dedicated and hard working people.  It was a joy to work with them as we all had our different outlooks but came together when it came to getting a job done.

Management suffers from tunnel vision.  They are not open to different ideas and how to go about doing a job.  They dance to the tune of parliament and will not sway.

Working within the government an employee can move about to different locations and a variety of positions.  I started working with the Liquor Distribution Centre and then moved to Riverview Hospital and finally ending my career in government with the Ministry of Environment.

So much room for growth. Pension package is incredible. On-going professional development opportunities. Good union agreement. Pay is above average, regular step increase raise every year as per collective agreement. Additional pay raises 1-2 times per year as per year to account for market inflation. (as per collective agreement). many employee perks (personal travel hotel discounts, cell phone plan discounts, gym memberships etc etc etc)

With a good local manager or team lead, a team can excel. Without it, the team fails. This is in all different departments no matter where you go. Sometimes you must move yourself around to find the best team that fits your needs as there IS office drama all over. Especially for MCFD. I stayed in protection for 1 year before moving on into other ministries that were less burnt out.

Running cash throughout the day and dealing with customer needs.  Stocking shelves, pulling warehouse products, deliveries and filling licencee orders.  I've learnt to juggle a variety of duties which makes the job interesting and challenging (I like a challenge.)  At the end of the day I'm usually proud of myself and accomplishments.  Most customers co-workers are wonderful,understanding and friendly.  They are like family.  There are a few disgruntled customers who never seem happy and will take it out on the retail staff.  You need to just not take it personally.  Management staff comes and goes on a yearly basis for whatever reason and we have a Head Office which deals with that.

As a Data Science/ Science Policy fellow at the Data Science and Analytics Branch of Chief Information Officer (OCIO), I helped build relationships between academic researchers and policy-makers in support of evidence-informed decision making. Throughout the fellowship, I applied my research, data science, and scientific knowledge towards enabling government policy-making. My project revolved around generating insights from administrative data to inform policies that address complex social and economic issues. I further received training in public policy through participation in Canadian Science Policy Conference in Ottawa and Policy/Data Science Community of Practice in Victoria. See less

Staff are injured frequently due to type of clients. Kids are great, doing their best, but are very difficult and dangerous at times. I wouldn't say I feel supported at all by management. Front line staff and supervisors are great, but once you get to Team Leads, and Directors it's an absolute nightmare. There is a lot of demand to take Overtime and a lot of guilt if you don't.  

They've recently reduced the qualifications necessary for their hiring process, so recent staff hires have been very poor, not qualified or prepared/able to do the necessary work. 

A typical day at work meant dealing with sometimes very difficult and emotional clients trying to cope with mental, emotional and addiction issues while working through the court process.  During the time of my employment, we were critically understaffed creating a very dismal workplace environment with poor staff morale.  The hardest part of the job was experiencing some people at their very worst.  The most enjoyable part of the job was experiencing some people at their very best, but the job itself was extremely interesting and being so busy that time flew by and you never had time to "watch the clock".

As a solo campground host it's a long steady day every day. Always something going on so never much downtime. I loved the experience to enhance my people and problem solving skills but it totally burnt me out as worked so many hours to keep a safe and well run campground. Pay is silly minimal. These roles are best suited for couples so responsibilities can be shared and more off duty time can be had. I would imagine some campgrounds are less busy without day use areas maybe would be a different experience. 

I’ll start by saying I loved my job and had no intention of leaving, but the current circumstances changed that and I was forced out. The way in which I was forced out has left me in utter disbelief. Never before in my working life have I been treated in a more dehumanized way by people I once called friends. There was blatant disregard for basic procedural steps involving HR and the union. 

Even if circumstances change and I could have my job back, I wouldn’t go back. 

If you work for the BC Government always remember this: at any time you’ll be quickly forgotten and easily replaced.

Very enjoyable group to work with. All had very good dispositions and a sense of humor.
The group was technically astute and as soon as I proved myself to them I was accepted without reservation.
Sharing information was done with mutual respect.
The hardest part of the job was defending the required rigor for the delivery of database solutions to management teams with tight time constraints.
The most enjoyable part of the two year assignment was the on time delivery of the project.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Senior policy analyst 3 salaries reported	$83,667 per year
Director 7 salaries reported	$103,429 per year
Policy analyst 3 salaries reported	$76,000 per year
Child protection specialist 6 salaries reported	$67,587 per year
Executive assistant 4 salaries reported	$60,327 per year

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