Important Information on Wildfires, Floods & Natural Disasters

📆
13
Posted On: August 13, 2025

 

On behalf of: Employee Relations 

 

Where can I get information on what is happening in my area?

Please visit www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca for the most up-to-date information on wildfire activity in the province. Additional information can be found at:

Information for the public:

Information for staff:

EVACUATION CENTRES

Where are the reception/evacuation centers located across the province?

There are a number of evacuation and reception areas located throughout the province. For the latest information on evacuation center locations, please visit www.emergencyinfobc.gov.bc.ca.

COMMUNICATION WITH ISLAND HEALTH

Who do I contact in Island Health to let them know where I am if I have been  evacuated?

If your contact information has changed due to evacuation from your residence, please contact your manager to advise of your new contact information. If you require a change to the permanent address or contact information you have on file with Island Health, please change your current address on file, in the Profile tile on Employee SelfService: https://selfservice.viha.ca/SitePages/ProfilePage.aspx

Employees can also update their phone number(s) through Employee SelfService.

Note: If you are choosing to change your address and contact information only temporarily, you must remember to change it back in your Employee Self Service Profile when your address changes again.

At any time, you can review and/or update your current address on file, in the Profile tile on Employee SelfService: https://selfservice.viha.ca/SitePages/ProfilePage.aspx

For all general HR Inquiries, please contact the HR Access Helpline or your Manager. The HR Access Helpline can be reached:

I have been evacuated. What do I do now?

The first thing you need to do is follow the evacuation orders by registering at your evacuation center and with the Red Cross. Once you have attended to your emergent family/home needs, you will be expected to attend work at your regularly scheduled shift time.  If you are unable to report to work, call MARS (1-833-640-1250) and advise of the reason for your leave. You will be paid based on meeting your Collective Agreement requirements. If leave verification is required, it will be requested at a later date. 

If your worksite has been evacuated, you will be redeployed to work at a different location. Scheduling Services will contact all affected employees through an email broadcast notification.

A natural disaster has created a situation where I can't get to my normal place of work. What do I do?

Please contact your manager to discuss alternate work arrangements or possible transportation options in and out of the region. Employees should use MySchedule to book off their regular scheduled shift so it can be actioned by the scheduling team. If the employee is deployed to an alternate worksite, the manager will let Scheduling know where to move them to.​

PAY, COMPENSATION AND SCHEDULING

Will I get paid if I am unable to work due to a home evacuation order/alert?

If you are not able to work due to your home being under an evacuation order you may be able to access special leave or another available accrued bank in accordance with your collective agreement, for a period.

Employees will be expected to attend work for their scheduled shifts upon making the necessary arrangements to deal with the order. Any leave granted will be determined on a case-by-case basis by your Manager and HR. Payment or non-payment of these leaves will be determined after the fact, as to allow the employee the time off at the immediate time to deal with the emergent need.

Will I get paid if I am unable to work due to an evacuation order in my work facility?

All attempts will be made to reassign your schedule to work in other facilities, in the event your worksite has been closed due to an evacuation order. You will be expected to work in the reassignment.

 If we are unable to redeploy an employee to another location within Island Health or in another Health Authority, then we will pay the employee as per their original work schedule for the duration of the evacuation order.

 If the relocation of patients, clients and residents to other communities is required, Island Health will need its employees to continue to deliver care within the communities where these patients, clients and residents have been moved, and we greatly appreciate the many staff doing so.

 Is there someone I can contact in Island Health if I have a question?

If there are questions beyond what is provided in this Q & A, employees should contact their manager or the HR Access Helpline. Your manager should contact their HR Partner/Advisor for additional information.
 

Prior to the evacuation, I worked some shifts and had some on-call shifts I'm not sure got entered into the system to get paid. How do I ensure I get paid properly for these shifts if they don't show up on the next pay day?

If there was a missed shift, on-call, call-back, etc., that may not have been entered and paid; we will reconcile this for you at a later date. Please keep records of any time not paid to you and discuss with your manager when we begin to return to normal business operations.​
 

What if I am not able to return to work once the facility re-opens

Depending on your situation, you may have to apply for a leave of absence.

What if I am required or requested to work overtime?

If you are covered by a collective agreement, you will be compensated in accordance with your collective agreement for hours over your regularly scheduled hours of work on a scheduled day of rest. 

Can my manager mandate me to report to work on days off during this emergency?

Yes, you may be required to work overtime or additional hours to respond to this emergency. Emergencies are a unique situation and require extraordinary efforts to ensure our patients and clients receive proper care.

Employees are responsible for submitting their additional hours through Employee SelfService, the online Overtime Form if it has not been added by the scheduling team.

Can my manager make me stay after my shift?

You may be required to work overtime to respond to this emergency.

Can I bank my overtime?

If you are a unionized employee, you may bank your overtime in accordance with your collective agreement.

I was pre-scheduled for overtime and this shift was cancelled. Will I get compensated for overtime?

You will not be paid for a cancelled overtime shift if it was cancelled due to an evacuation or emergent situation.

I had to go home mid shift due to evacuation. How will my time be coded?

You may be eligible for Special Leave or another type of leave dependent on your situation or collective agreement. Employees must report this time through MySchedule.

I had to be evacuated from an affected area due to a natural disaster and have lots of additional expenses I have to pay for and wasn't expecting. Can I get paid out for some of my banked time such as vacation and overtime?

We are not able to pay out your accrued vacation; however, you are able to access your banked overtime. Please request the payout process via the normal process.

I had vacation time booked in the next couple of weeks and have been evacuated from my home. Will I be required to still take this vacation time or can I reschedule?

Prescheduled vacations will not be cancelled, unless in an emergent situation your attendance is required at the worksite. These situations will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Managers/operational leaders will be provided with additional information from Human Resources on how to assess these situations.

REDEPLOYMENT 

(Redeployment may be to another Island Health facility or to another Employer site (e.g., Vancouver Coastal)

I am able and willing to work elsewhere in the Health Authority while I'm evacuated. Who should I contact and how will this impact my pay?

All attempts will be made to redeploy you to work in other facilities in the event your worksite has been closed due to an evacuation order. You will be expected to work in the assignment.

You will be assigned and redeployed based on the information on your file. If you are able and willing to be redeployed right now, please contact HR Access with your name; current position and department; skills and training; home work site; distance you're willing to be deployed; contact information; and dates of availability.

Any hours you work for Island Health will be considered in relation to what you were scheduled for. For instance, if you are part-time 0.9 FTE and have worked your FTE and you are able and willing to work 2 extra shifts in another facility, you will still be paid for your hours in accordance with the collective agreement or Terms & Conditions of Employment for Excluded Employees.

How will redeployment decisions be made and how will I be contacted?

You will be contacted by your manager, if you are able to be redeployed from your regular schedule or deployed on your days off.

If I am redeployed to help during the disaster response, how will my pay be handled?

You will be paid for any shifts you work in accordance with collective agreements or Terms & Conditions of Employment for Excluded Employees as applicable.

If I am reassigned to another site, how will I be compensated for travel and accommodation expenses?

You will be reimbursed for applicable accommodation, mileage, parking expenses and travel time pursuant to your applicable collective agreement or Terms & Conditions of Employment for Excluded Employees. Travel between sites during the workday shall be considered work time and you will be paid for all time and mileage for such travel. Employee Reimbursement Form will be used for reimbursements.

If you are required to report for work at a different site for your first report of the day, you may be eligible for travel time or mileage pursuant to your applicable collective agreement, depending on the distance between your usual home site and the site to which you are redeployed.​

If you are called back to duty pursuant to your applicable collective agreement, you may be eligible for travel expenses for your usual commute. Please save your receipts and submit via the employee reimbursement process. Employee Reimbursement Forms can be found on the intranet.

What if I am unable to report for redeployment as requested or required?

If you are unable to respond to a request to work because of an evacuation, road closure or other personal circumstances, please explain the reasons for your inability to respond to your manager/operational leader prior to submitting an absence request.

VOLUNTEERING AND PROVIDING ASSISTANCE DURING THE RELIEF EFFORTS

​I don't reside in an affected area and haven't been impacted by an evacuation/site closure. I would like to volunteer to assist. Who should I contact if I want to help?

Thank you for your kind offer of assistance. If you are able and willing to be redeployed right now, here are the steps:

1.     Speak with your leader to ensure your work area can accommodate your absence

2.     Call or email the HR Access Helpline: 1-888-296-3963 or hraccess@islandhealth.ca to declare your interest

Please provide the following when you call or email:

  • Last Name
  • First Name
  • Employee Number
  • Phone Number
  • Email Address
  • Current Manager name
  • Confirm Manager has approved (Y/N)
  • Position Qualified for
  • Clinical Area(s) of Expertise
  • Days of Availability
  • Shift Availability

Is there going to be a way for Island Health employees to provide assistance and support to other Island Health staff who are impacted by a natural disaster?

We appreciate your willingness to help the Island Health employees impacted by natural disasters. Our main priority right now is working to get the appropriate level of health care to our patients/clients/residents, including mental health supports, home care supports, emergency management services and pharmacy services.  General support and assistance can be provided by contacting the Canadian Red Cross and other relief organizations seeking donations, supplies and accommodations.

I am a reservist with the military and have been called upon to assist with the natural disaster efforts in affected communities. Who should I ask about approval to take a leave from my position and how will I be compensated?

We understand that this is a critical time for British Columbia and your reservist duties are very important during a natural disaster and evacuation efforts. Please contact your manager to request a leave from your position as you normally would and provide as much information as possible related to the commencement and duration of the leave and any other important details. We encourage managers to support the leave recognizing this is a crucial time for British Columbians. This will be coded as a leave without pay from Island Health during the time you are away.

I'm an employee of Island Health and also volunteer with an external organization. I've been called upon to assist with the response efforts in affected communities. Who should I ask about approval to take a leave from my position and how will I be compensated?

We understand that this is a critical time for British Columbia and your volunteer duties are very important during a natural disaster and evacuation efforts. Please contact your manager to request a leave from your position as you normally would and provide as much information as possible related to the commencement and duration of the leave and any other important details to consider your request. We encourage Managers/operational leaders to support the leave recognizing this is a crucial time for British Columbians subject to operational requirements. This will be coded as a leave without pay during the time you are away.

I do not reside in an affected area but I have friends and family who had to be evacuated and are going through a lot right now. I need to take time off to support them as they need my help and I am very worried about them. Can I request time off to be with them?

The situation regarding a natural disaster and evacuation will evolve and our top priority will be to ensure our patients, clients, and staff are safe. We understand your need to be with your family and friends and assist them in their time of need. Please contact your manager to request time off as you would normally. We have recommended that managers give as much consideration as they can to approve these requests subject to operational requirements. Employees can request time off using vacation time, special/personal leave, overtime banks, etc., as may be appropriate and available.

COSTS, EXPENSES AND RELATED QUESTIONS

I evacuated from an affected area and have chosen to stay at a hotel. Will I be reimbursed for my expenses?

Island Health will not be reimbursing costs associated with temporary lodging during an evacuation. Employees are encouraged to contact their personal insurance companies or any Government Emergency Funding sources to inquire about eligibility for expense reimbursement.

The Canadian Red Cross may provide support for those affected by a natural disaster and provide relief for those impacted. Please visit the Canadian Red Cross – Current Emergency Responses.

SUPPORT FOR EMPLOYEES​​

What resources are available to me and my family during a natural disaster?

The following are some supports available to you and your families at this difficult time:

​​​​​
OTHER SUPPORT RESOURCES
  • ​Island Health's Guide to Employee Health & Wellness contains all the contact information for health and wellness services available to employees.
  • Here to Help is a mental health support agency provided by the Provincial Health Services Authority
  • Kelty Mental Health Resource Centre is a provincial resource centre that provides mental health information, resources, and peer support to children, youth, and their families.
  • Canadian Red Cross: all affected evacuees are requested to register with the Red Cross at www.redcross.ca​ or 1-800-863-6582