ICBC – 2019 Vacation Scheduling – Expanded Pilot Project

In 2017, MoveUP and ICBC agreed to pilot a different vacation scheduling system, one whereby each person would receive a phone call at a specific time to choose their vacation bid. The first group to try this system was the Customer Contact Reps at DLCCCV in Victoria. The feed back from both the members and the mangers was that this was great system to ensure transparency of the process. Each person knew exactly what vacation was available and could book their vacation without the fear of ‘bidding blind’.

Although, we had wanted to expand this system to all employees who have their vacation scheduled by Workforce, ICBC would not agree to such a leap. They did however agree that for the 2019 vacation bid the positions named above would be included in this far superior system of vacation scheduling system.

Here is what you can expect:

Before the Bid Commences

• You will be contacted by Workforce to ensure your contact information is correct and up to date. This is very important so that you do not miss your chance to bid for vacation. Please do not ignore the email when it arrives.
• You will be provided with a specific date and time (usually a 15 minute window) that you can expect to be called to bid your vacation. The call will be made by a Job Steward who has been assigned to work on this project. If you miss your call, you can call Workforce during your time slot to be sure you get to bid. If you miss your time, you will be slotted in at the time you call Workforce but you will not be able to override a vacation bid already assigned, even if it was awarded to a junior employee. For this reason, it is very important that you do not miss your bid.
• You will have an opportunity to provide a proxy name should you be away at the time of your bid or off sick, so we encourage you to be sure to provide that information and advise your proxy of the dates you would like for vacation. We strongly encourage everyone to have a proxy lined up, just in case something happens to you.

Once the Bid Process Commences

• If you work in a call centre position whereby you are on the phone queue, you will be taken off the phones in advance of your allotted time slot. This is so you are ready and don’t miss your call. Once you are done placing your bid, you will be expected to return to the call queue.
• You will be able to follow along and keep track of the days as they get assigned to people senior to you. This will be available on Workforce Online (WFO).
• The intent is to call people at their work station first, however to ensure we can get to everyone and keep the system moving, calls may have to go to your home number. This is exactly why your contact information needs to be up to date.  The hours of calling will be from 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday to Friday.
• You will be expected to be ready for the call with the dates you would like to have for vacation. Remember, you won’t have time to call family or friends once your time slot comes up. You will need to be ready to give the job steward on the phone your bid, so please prepare ahead of time.
• You will receive an email confirmation of your vacation bid.
• You will be asked if you plan to bid in the subsequent round of vacation bidding. If you want to do another bid, you will be advised by email of your date and time for the next round. If you decided not to bid again for the next round, you won’t be assigned a bidding date and time. You can change your mind about this down the road. However, be aware that you will be slotted in at the end of the bid round since the time you would have had, will have been given to another member junior to you.
• You will be able to opt back into the bidding process should you so choose, even on round 3 or 4 or so on, however, you will need to advise Workforce so they can add you back in.
• Employees who are on Long Term Disability (LTD) leave during the vacation scheduling process and who do not have an established return to work date will, upon their return to work, be entitled to select vacation based on whatever vacation periods would have been available to them had they participated in the vacation bid.
• Employees on an Acting Assignment during a portion of the 2019 vacation year will be given the choice to bid on vacation in either their acting position or their regularly owned position in each round of Selection. Employees can only make selections for the position chosen by them in each Round and cannot change their choice once the applicable Round Deadline has passed.

More details on how this process will work, will come from Workforce. I encourage you to read the material carefully and contact either Kari-Lynn Bruce or Raj Dial, the two job stewards who will be helping with this bid, for clarification.

In solidarity,

Annette Toth
Vice-President

Kevin Smyth
Senior Union Representative

File Number: 18-ICBC-BLTN-ART15-2019 Vacation Scheduling – Expanded Pilot Project-October 10

Union Label: AT/KS/ae:usw2009

Reply to: aearwaker@moveuptogether.ca