The latest quarterly question asked local governments about their approach To flexible work arrangements and incentives or perks for attraction and Retention of staff. More than half of all BC local governments responded to the survey. The responses reveal the latest information, as well as long-term trends for attracting and retaining staff in local government employment.

Adoption of flexible schedule availability

Many local governments have embraced flexible schedule availability. Seventy five percent of respondents reported some form of flexible schedule availability, whether that was a four-day week or “flex days” for eligible staff members. A breakdown of the responses to flexible schedule availability is presented in Figure 1. 

Figure 1: Type of schedule availability as a percentage of total responses

Attraction and Retention of Staff

The Quarterly Question also asked about incentives or perks offered by local governments for attraction and retention of staff:

• 52 percent reported offering a housing incentive and/or relocation cost reimbursement.
• 10 percent reported offering some form of short-term accommodation for new staff.
• 68 percent offer a remote or hybrid work environment for eligible staff. A breakdown of the amount of remote work permitted by local government is presented in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Percentage of remote work available to eligible local government employees

Looking Ahead

As local governments face retention and recruitment challenges, flexibility and employee perks will continue to be areas of focus for local governments. A supportive and attractive work environment benefits both employees and the communities they serve. Detailed results for this survey can be obtained by emailing surveys@civicinfo.bc.ca 

The Next Quarterly Question Will be on Water Meters

Please use this link to be a contributor. This short survey should only take 3-5 minutes to complete. If you would like to contribute topics for upcoming questions, please contact office@gfoabc.ca or call (250) 382-6871.

Visit past survey results.