Rural Capacity Investment Fund


Covenant Health Employees,please visit the
Covenant Health HSAA RCIF Website

The funding is only for the bargaining unit members for HSAA employed by AHS in “difficult-to-recruit positions” in the North, Central and South Zones.
(Please refer to the Letter of Understanding #42 for further information on the RCIF)
In 2022, Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) implemented the Rural Capacity Investment Fund (RCIF) Committee. RCIF’s mandate is to allocate $11.4 million by March 30, 2024.
The fund intends to support retention and recruitment initiatives to grow capacity and HSAA staff in the “difficult-to-recruit” sites in the North, Central, and South zones.
Funding is targeted towards zones and sites within the North, Central and South zones.
Applicants must show that they are in a difficult-to-recruit area.
“Difficult-to-recruit to” may be determined by indicators such as:
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high vacancy rates
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vacancies that remain unfilled for longer than 90 days
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or high turnover

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5.7 million is available for AHS HSAA bargaining unit candidates in the North, Central or South Zones and must be spent by March 30, 2024.
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There are three recruitment incentive choices managers may offer and are available until March 1, 2024, or until the funds are spent (whichever comes first)
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This is for permanent full-time and permanent part-time equivalent positions.
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If an open position qualifies, managers may advertise in the job posting. Once there is a suitable candidate, managers can apply on behalf of the employee. (see application link below)
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Applications are made once a successful candidate has been hired.
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Successful applicants must sign a Return-For-Service Agreement (RFS)
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Funding is not retroactive.
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This is a lump sum payment that is processed through payroll and is subject to applicable taxes and other required deductions
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Applications opened on April 17, 2023 and are ongoing until the money if fully spent.
Recruitment Incentive
UPDATE: As of August 2023
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129 applications have been approved
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$2.8 million has been allocated to approved applicants
Recruitment Incentive Choices
Eligibility
A position automatically qualifies for the recruitment incentive if the department has:
a position vacant > 90 days
OR
the occupational (job function description) vacancy in the department is => 20%
A Vacancy Dashboard has been created to help employees and managers determine eligibility.
All applications will be assessed and the vacancy rates will be verified by the RCIF committee to ensure eligibility.
Employees must be registered in Tableau to access the vacancy dashboard. Log into Insite and type in Tableau to register. You will then be able to access the vacancy dashboard.
Search Tips for the Vacancy Dashboard
Use these search criteria (in this order)
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job function
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location
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department
For further clarity, ask your Manager
If you are not able to see filters, please clear the cache.
Application
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Managers must complete the above application on behalf of the employee
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This is for permanent full-time equivalent positions and permanent and permanent part-time equivalent positions only.
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Open to both internal and external candidates
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Eligible candidates must be in one of the North, Central or South Zones
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Applications are made once a successful candidate has been hired.
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Successful applicants must sign a Return-For-Service Agreement
UPDATE - AUGUST 2023
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The RCIF committee received 2513 applications during the period of April 17 - May 31, 2023
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The committee used seniority to prioritize the applications. The HSAA Union criteria for seniority from June 2023 was used to avoid subjective decision-making and remain consistent with the collective bargaining agreement and Union principles
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With the limited funds and the number of applications, the RCIF Committee could not fund every application
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20% of the applicants made the seniority cut-off (December 2006)
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Working from top seniority down, the applicant's vacancy data was validated, and if it was correct, it was approved
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Approvals will begin the week of August 21, 2023 and continue into the fall
BACKGROUND
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5.7 million is available for AHS HSAA bargaining unit employees in the North, Central or South Zones and must be spent by March 30, 2024.
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This is for permanent full-time equivalent employees and permanent part-time equivalent employees only.
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Approved applicants must sign a Return-For-Service Agreement
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To determine vacancy rates, applicants may access the vacancy dashboard
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Applications will be prioritized based on HSAA seniority
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This is a lump sum payment that is processed through payroll and is subject to applicable taxes and other required deductions
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The following retention incentive amounts are available until March 1, 2024, or the funds are spent (whichever comes first)
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As of May 31, 2023 Applications are closed
Retention Incentive
Retention Incentive Choices
Eligibility
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Current employees in the HSAA bargaining unit may apply by completing the application form
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All applications will be assessed, and the vacancy rates will be verified by the RCIF committee to ensure eligibility.
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Applicants must
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Be permanent full-time equivalent employees or permanent part-time equivalent employees only.
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Be located in the North, Central or South Zones of Alberta
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Be Rural/Remote or Urban (Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray)
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Are not currently receiving another incentive with an active Return-For-Service
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Indicate HSAA Seniority Date (applicants will be prioritized based on seniority)
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Work in a department where the
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Occupational Vacancy by Department =>20%
OR
The impact of the employee leaving would make
the Occupational Vacancy by Department =>20%
Application Validation
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
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The Application Period was open from April 17, 2023-May 31, 2023
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The committee is validating all application data submitted. This includes:
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seniority date
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that the employee is an HSAA bargaining unit member and employed with AHS
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the occupational vacancy rate by department
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the impact on vacancy if the employee leaves the position
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Once data is validated, all applicants will receive communication if they are approved or not
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If approved, the manager and employee will receive all documentation