Island Health Employee Reviews
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Fast paced, lovely teams but criminally understaffed
Occupational health and safety (Current Employee) - Vancouver Island, BC - 13 May 2022
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The most useful review selected by IndeedGreat teams and people but each position is given too much work to complete in a day because every department is criminally understaffed. The teams are always wonderful and supportive but it is stressful to always be behind. Also I do not think the benefits provide enough coverage for mental health services.
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Work Load EXCESSIVE - stay away if you value your health!!
Administrative Assistant (Former Employee) - Victoria, BC - 14 May 2022
The pay is deplorable for administrative positions. The work load is EXCESSIVE and work-life-balance does not exist. The corporate culture is also very toxic. Be forewarned you will make more money in the hospitality industry than you will in an Island Health administrative position. The administrative position's classification that supports a Director is embarrassingly under funded. Why are there so many excessive layers of bureaucratic management at Island Health? After paying all of the MANAGERS/DIRECTORS/EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS there is no money left in the budget to pay the front line workers like an administrative assistants a decent living wage....Why are Island Health administrative assistants not worthy of a decent salary?
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Insights into Island Health
What people like
- Supportive environment
- Feeling of personal appreciation
- Clear sense of purpose
Areas for improvement
- Trust in colleagues
- Sense of belonging
- Inclusive work environment
Poor pay, brutal hours, indifferent managers, lack of sufficient training
Administrative Assistant (Former Employee) - Victoria, BC - 9 May 2022
Clerical jobs are criminally underpaid particularly the jobs in the facilities. Shift work is brutal with little to no opportunity to work regular hours, even with longevity and accumulated seniority. Leadership style is antiquated, and mostly punitive. There is little opportunity for advancement. One of the worst issues is administrative clerical staff are given very little training. Managers are stingy about training and coworkers resent training and often treat new employees antagonistically. This is partly attributed to the fact that long term employees are not compensated for the extra responsibility involved in orienting people. Employees get no wage increases with longevity and senior employees are shafted as they are saddled with additional responsibilities but maintain the same wage. The wages in the urgent clinics, barely over $20, the same wage I made starting with ISland HEalth in 1995! The low pay is horrendous and the hours are awful. You can make more money in the service industry with less complexity and take less abuse from the public. Managers do little to nothing to shield workers from patient abuse. Health care workers are subjected to a tremendous amount of bad treatment from the general public with no support system to combat the difficulties. I would say that, with the low pay, that does not even come close to meeting cost of living requirements, the brutal shift work, indifferent old school managers, and the stress and hardship dealing with an angry public make health care, at least in a support role, untenable. Island Health needs to change their leadership -
Pros
pension, benefits
Cons
shift work, low pay, indifferent managers, punitive leadership style, low morale, lack of training
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Hard job, made harder by toxic people
Health Care Assistant (Former Employee) - Victoria, BC - 31 March 2022
If you can't speak tagalog you will be the butt of every joke, (resident or co worker.) It is better to try a few sites, units, speak to management, quit if it's toxic, workers are expendable.
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Great place for a career
Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (Current Employee) - Nanaimo - 29 March 2022
NRGH is full of employees who enjoy their job and are patient first oriented. The upper management have paths for future career steps and create an overall good morale
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Supportive co-workers
Community Health Worker (Current Employee) - Parksville, BC - 1 March 2022
working for island health is really a blessing. co workers are supportive. Hoping they have just programs for staff to enchance improve career like HCA upgrading to LPN or RN. sometimes you feel stuck on your job and no oppurtunity for advancement.
Pros
unionized
Cons
working in health care is really stressfull so you need to be prepared
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Emphasis on unsustainable production numbers. The harder you work, the harder they work you.
Laundry (Current Employee) - Victoria General Hospital - 10 January 2022
General laundry at Victoria General Hospital. Often a sweatshop atmosphere on "soiled" side (you work on a conveyor belt sorting laundry amid feces, soiled adult diapers, moldy laundry, and garbage) as fast as you can, often resulting in injuries to hands, shoulders. Constant pressure to go faster. Many exhausted and disillusioned employees.
Pros
Lots of overtime
Cons
Lots of overtime
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Management sucks
Cowichan District Hospital, Medical Imaging Reception and Booking Clerk (Former Employee) - Duncan, BC - 9 January 2022
I loved my job, but the constant unnecessary criticism and zero support from mgmt made it unbearable. Definitely overworked, underpaid and unsupported. I would NOT recommend working at Island Health Medical Imaging as mgmt is the same people island wide. Apply elsewhere.
Pros
Coworkers were AMAZING people, that’s the only pro.
Cons
No support, constant criticism, lack of action by mgmt treated like it was a dictatorship, They’re losing so many people due to this poor mgmt team at Medical Imaging.
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Busy! Can be stressful
Registered Psychiatric Nurse (Former Employee) - Port Alberni, BC - 11 December 2021
Very busy, can be stressful when it’s short staffed. Lots of hours come up and overtime too. Most Managers are very supportive. Learn a lot on the job.
Pros
A lot of hours
Cons
Stressful
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Patriarchal, unsupportive, top heavy with management
RN Staff Nurse (Current Employee) - Campbell River, BC - 7 November 2021
Island Health lack the insight into how their staff function to give good care to their patients. Old fashioned methods of managing, poor leadership, terrible communication and very limited support for staff. Do not listen to staff and do not offer annual review support to help with career development. Very Patriarchal top down approach which is way behind other health providers in Canada and Europe. Driven by numbers and not by caring. Unwilling to evolve into something more modern and affective.
Pros
Pay and benefits are good
Cons
Not supportive of staff, not caring enough towards patients
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Jobs at Island Health
Strongly unionized. Emoloyee with years of union membership have a unfair advantage over people with less years but far more deserving.
FSS/DT (Former Employee) - Nanaimo , Vancouver Island - 4 November 2021
The department I worked for recruits as far as Ontario but hardly helps financially to help relocate. They only offer 1/5th of the limit which isnt even close to what you are going to need.They objection was evidently palpable when I asked if they could do better even for a bit. Only interested in filling their manpower without genuine concern about your welfare.
Pros
See the west
Cons
Everything
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Good team work
RCA (Former Employee) - Victoria, BC - 4 November 2021
Taking care of people, has made me a better person and love a good team working environment.i know there is alot of gossip and to many workers that are there strictly for the paycheck and benefits.more supervision is needeed
Pros
Great benefits and decent pay
Cons
Gossip
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Best work place in BC
SELECTED EMPLOYMENT - Health Unit Aide (Former Employee) - Victoria, BC - 19 October 2021
Island health was very good to me when I was seeking employment. They were fair yet expect a lot. I was very fortunate to have worked for them for 27 years.
Pros
No free lunch
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project resources could not report the 'real' news to project exective
Project Analyst, IHealth Project Delivery Office (Former Employee) - Victoria, BC - 18 October 2021
Bully management and lots of promotions considering the project did not meet even one of its deliverable dates. Island Health resources did not work well with vendor, mainly because upper management didn't. It did not make for a very productive, healthy environment. No onboarding for new project staff, it was left to each individual to figure out what the project was about. Poor planning, poor management and poor reporting.
Pros
Project worker bees were knowledgeable and helpful when they were allowed to be.
Cons
I have already listed them - I hope management has changed
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Management was not good at all
Safety Advisor (Former Employee) - Vancouver Island, BC - 13 October 2021
The pay was very average and the manager played favorites often while depending on the ones that weren't to do the majority of the work in the department all while using all personal development monies for his travel to Vancouver
Pros
Great experience
Cons
management
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Careful - go in with eyes open. Toxic organization.
Clinical Pharmacist (Former Employee) - Nanaimo, BC - 6 October 2021
Absentee management, clueless administration, and a heartbreaking/life-sucking workplace culture on the front-lines. This organization preaches patient care and then refuses to ever provide the resources to meet a bare minimum (while also flushing money away in other areas). The culture in this organization is purely us vs administration and that responsibility lies solely on admin. They don't hire the best and don't promote the right people. All the incentives are lined up poorly.
Pros
Competitive wages
Cons
Just about everything. See above.
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Love what you do
Senior Cook (Former Employee) - Vancouver Island, BC - 9 September 2021
Could be fulfilling if you absolutely love what you do for a living. Everything else becomes irrelevant. You will be dealing with people and their egos for the most part.
Pros
Extended health Benefits, life long friendships
Cons
Na
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Fast paced fun coworkers
Mental health support worker in the community (Former Employee) - Nanaimo, BC - 15 August 2021
Great work...great employees..not much room for growth and advancement but you learn a lot from the staff who have been there for so long.they have great programs and tons of support
Pros
Great learning experience, pay and Benefits. You can take time off
Cons
Not much room for growth and advancements
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Bullying culture cultivated by managers and nepotism
Care aide / Clerk (Current Employee) - British Columbia - 29 July 2021
I have been employed since 2004 I have recently gravitated to admin work due to the heavy physical workload for front line worker and being short staffed. The office culture is toxic with bullying and targeting ongoing daily basis! This culture is cultivated and exasperated by poor managers! Hardest part of the job is getting and receiving any help even when reported over and over again and in turn being told you are the problem with intense finger pointing and blame! Loads of employees being hired by managers that are family=nepotism.
Pros
None
Cons
Egregious toxic workplace!
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tons of opportunity
Clinical Cooridinator (Current Employee) - Victoria, BC - 21 July 2021
great place great staff Saanich Peninsula hospital is lovely, friendly and supportive. great opportunity to get specialty training and education. supportive of LPN training in OR and other areas. very welcoming to all staff
Pros
great people and work environment
Cons
small site
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Work life balance compromized by tech. Good team
CHW (Current Employee) - British Columbia - 28 April 2021
Community contract still allows for "windows"(ie: 7 hours paid in a 9 hour work schedule)which impacts moral and work life balance. Responsiblity level much more than Facility work, ie medication administration. Management at our office very good but physical disconnect effects care. As in all care settings there can be unhealthy competition. The hardest part of any health care setting is death. But timing of visits and travel always a challenge. My coworkers, nurses and managers are the best. And knowing that our clients are living, and dying in their own homes.
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Ask a question about working or interviewing at Island Health. Our community is ready to answer.Ask a QuestionOverall rating
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Ratings by category
3.4 out of 5 stars for Work/Life Balance
3.5 out of 5 stars for Salary/Benefits
3.2 out of 5 stars for Job security/advancement
3.0 out of 5 stars for Management
3.0 out of 5 stars for Culture
Questions about Island Health
- What would you suggest Island Health management do to prevent others from leaving?5 people answered
- What are the working hours at Island Health?5 people answered
- What is the company culture at Vancouver Island Health Authority?5 people answered
- How is feedback from management delivered at Island Health?4 people answered
- How long does it take to get hired from start to finish at Island Health? What are the steps along t…4 people answered
- What is the vacation policy like at Island Health? How many vacation days do you get per year?3 people answered
- What is the work environment and culture like at Island Health?3 people answered
- What is the culture of the workplace?3 people answered
- Is Island Health hiring new workers during the COVID-19 outbreak?2 people answered
- On average, how many hours do you work a day at Island Health?2 people answered
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