Some new nurses on P.E.I. are frustrated after it turned out the jobs they accepted didn’t qualify them for hefty signing bonuses in exchange for committing to two years.
The 2023 agreement offers a $5,000 signing bonus, with an additional $8,000 for nurses in rural and high-need facilities.
However, according to the fine print of that document, it’s only for full-time employees. The nurses’ union said that wasn’t made clear to them in the hiring process and led to some accepting only part-time jobs while still expecting the money.
“What we found out when we were trying to finalize the details of the updated version of the Return-in-Service agreements, was that there had been people who were placed in part-time, and even casual positions, and still qualified, or were still told that they would be entitled to the incentive,” said Barbara Brookins, PEI Nurses’ Union president.
P.E.I. Health Minister Mark McLane said the government has been made aware of the problem and they’re working to fix it. He wouldn’t, however, confirm if recruiters had offered the incentive without explaining the conditions.
“It’s unfortunate that this happened, and, I guess, lesson learned going forward, when we do any type of incentive program we’ll ensure that, operationally, it flows smoothly,” said McLane.
The union said the nurses who were hired this year are being asked to pick up another part time role to make the equivalent of a full time job, with some having the option to extend their term of service to be equal to two years of full time work.
Of over 50 nurses hired in 2023, roughly 20 were impacted, with ten still waiting for the bonus.
The minster said officials intend to keep working with the affected nurses to ensure they get a fair deal.
