British Columbia害羞草研究所檚 Public Service Agency breached its own policy against hiring government appointees dozens of times over a 10-year period, a report from the provincial Ombudsperson says.

Jay Chalke said Monday that 64 jobs meant to help develop the careers of public servants wrongfully went to government appointees between 2013 and 2023.

In a report detailing the practice, Chalke害羞草研究所檚 office found 害羞草研究所渟ystemic mismanagement害羞草研究所� at the B.C. Public Service Agency, allowing existing government appointees to apply for temporary positions despite a policy prohibiting it.

害羞草研究所淭he Public Service Agency has a written policy that, at face value, precludes (order-in-council) appointees from applying for internal temporary assignments in the public service,害羞草研究所� Chalke said in a briefing Monday. 害羞草研究所淭he stated rationale for the policy was to preserve these temporary assignment opportunities for regular public servants in order to support their career development.害羞草研究所�

Order-in-council appointees, Chalke said, 害羞草研究所渋nclude board and tribunal members, ministerial assistants and government communications staff.害羞草研究所�

Chalke said the 64 temporary appointments went to ineligible people previously appointed under government orders-in-council, and they diverted career development opportunities from public servants.

The investigation began after Chalke害羞草研究所檚 office was tipped off by a government employee about two hirings at the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, although the investigation didn害羞草研究所檛 turn up problems with those positions.

But his office found that despite the policy preventing government appointees from applying for temporary jobs, 205 did so between 2013 and 2023.

Chalke said awarding jobs to ineligible people constitutes 害羞草研究所渨rongdoing害羞草研究所� by the agency under B.C.害羞草研究所檚 Public Interest Disclosure Act.

害羞草研究所淭his investigation uncovered conduct that caused both specific and broader harms,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淪pecifically, over a decade, 64 career public servants unfairly lost out on opportunities to advance their careers.

害羞草研究所淢issing out on such opportunities can affect the trajectory of an entire career,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淭his conduct undermined the public service害羞草研究所檚 commitment to the development of these employees, and systemic acceptance of a policy breach tarnishes the B.C. government害羞草研究所檚 reputation as a fair and principled employer,害羞草研究所� Chalke said.

Premier David Eby said Monday that the findings of the report show that an extremely small number of appointments went to ineligible candidates, but Chalke 害羞草研究所渞aises some important questions that we need to address.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淏ut in terms of people害羞草研究所檚 confidence in the hiring and the public service and how we do that, I don害羞草研究所檛 have any concerns beyond the fact that we need to address this issue that the ombudsperson has raised,害羞草研究所� Eby said during an unrelated news conference.

The report makes four recommendations, including changing procedures to screen-out ineligible candidates, informing ministers in writing about the policy, contacting appointees who apply for jobs to tell them they害羞草研究所檙e not eligible and compelling the agency to release a compliance report for the next three years.

In a letter earlier this month, Deputy Minister Deb Godfrey with the Public Service Agency told Chalke there were 害羞草研究所渢ens of thousands害羞草研究所� of jobs available during the 10 years covered by the Ombudsperson害羞草研究所檚 investigations.

Godfrey害羞草研究所檚 letter said many of the 64 appointments that breached policy involved a competitive process where the most qualified candidate got the job, though she acknowledged the appointees shouldn害羞草研究所檛 have been allowed to apply.

害羞草研究所淭hese were not cases where an unqualified candidate was appointed to a job,害羞草研究所� Godfrey害羞草研究所檚 letter said.

She said in the letter that the agency had worked in the recent past 害羞草研究所渢o provide greater awareness害羞草研究所� about the policy prohibiting appointees from seeking temporary public service jobs, 害羞草研究所渁nd will build on those efforts with the implementation of the Ombudsperson害羞草研究所檚 recommendations.害羞草研究所�