Temporary appointment

Temporary appointments in the BC Public Service require deputy minister approval through the internal ministry approval process.

On this page

• Short-term staffing option
• What's new
• The temporary appointment process
• Temporary appointments shorter than seven months
• Temporary appointments longer than seven months
• Extending a temporary appointment

Short-term staffing option

A temporary appointment can be used to:

• Fill a vacant position temporarily
• Complete a project that has a set end date
• Cover seasonal or relief work
• Cover a new position that has been created in response to changing business requirements
• Provide an opportunity for staff to gain new skills and experience

Temporary appointments of less than seven months are to be based on the principle of merit but they're not subject to Section 8(1)(b) (Appointments on merit) of the Public Service Act. 

Use the full staffing process if the appointment might be extended beyond seven months.

If the vacant position is a regular position and is filled by an auxiliary employee, the appointment is considered to be a temporary auxiliary appointment.

If it's filled by a regular employee, it's considered a temporary regular appointment.

What's new

Effective May 15, 2024:

• TAs with no competitive process cannot be extended, except with deputy minister approval
• Employees in non-competed TAs that are longer than seven months who do not receive deputy minister approval for extension, must return to their base positions
• TAs less than seven months with no competitive process can be offered a maximum five percent salary increase for management band positions, except where the deputy minister has approved otherwise
• A supervisor-to-supervisor conversation must occur to agree on a reasonable start date for an employee accepting a TA

Temporary Appointment FAQs

The temporary appointment process

Create the appointment letter and forward copies by submitting an AskMyHR (IDIR restricted) service request using the categories Myself (or) My Team or Organization > Submit a Form or Document > Offer Letters. 

This will initiate temporary appointment pay. 

A temporary appointment agreement may also be initiated at the discretion of the supervisors.

Temporary appointments less than seven months

Temporary appointments less than seven months with no competitive process are subject to the following provisions:

1. A supervisor-to-supervisor conversation must occur before start dates are determined
2. TAs less than seven months with no competitive process cannot be extended, except where a deputy minister has approved otherwise 
3. TAs less than seven months with no competitive process can be offered a maximum five percent salary increase for management band positions, except where a deputy minister has approved otherwise

Temporary appointments longer than seven months

Temporary appointments longer than seven months, or promotional temporary appointments of less than seven months that are extended, must be awarded through a competitive hiring process.

An employee in a promotional temporary appointment cannot laterally transfer to a new position at the higher salary range of the promotional position.

Follow the instructions for how to post a job or follow the steps in the hiring process guidelines if you're managing the competition internally.

Extending a temporary appointment

If you're considering extending an employee's temporary appointment, submit a completed temporary appointment extension form (IDIR restricted). This will go directly to the HR and Payroll team.

To use this form:

• You must have the authority to make changes to the employee's record
• Fill out the mandatory fields
• Attach a completed TA Extension letter
• The rest of the fields are auto-populated based on the employee ID entered and the data in PeopleSoft
• If you have questions about a field, select 'form help'

Requirements for extensions vary by ministry. This form can only be accessed and completed by managers and supervisors.

If you're not a supervisor or manager, please submit an AskMyHR (IDIR restricted) service request using the categories A Hiring Manager > Hiring Process > Hiring Options & Programs.

The extension of a promotional temporary appointment of less than seven months requires a competitive hiring process.

Temporary appointment extension form process

1. Open the temporary appointment extension form (IDIR restricted)

2. Complete all of the required fields and attach the completed extension letter in order to submit the form

3. Once submitted, you'll be emailed a copy of the service request that confirms and summarizes your submission and provides a reference number so you can update the information if needed

If you receive an error message indicating that you're not authorized to access these forms, please contact your ministry security administrator (XLS, 96KB) to confirm your access.