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2010 May 04 (Tue)

Health Services Executive Bonuses

Kevin questions the Minister of Health and Wellness on the bonus system at Alberta Health Services.

 

848 Alberta Hansard Tuesday April 20, 2010

Dr. Taft: Mr. Speaker, I’ve just obtained new information with regard to the bonus system at Alberta Health Services. It turns out that 500 Alberta Health Services managers are eligible for what they euphemistically call pay at risk. To the Minister of Health and Wellness: how many millions of dollars are Alberta taxpayers at risk for if all 500 bonuses are paid?

Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, that’s a very torqued and distorted question. The fact is that under the new system we have standardized contracts, and in actual fact the people at that higher income level don’t even get the full range of pay that they’re eligible for unless they perform the specific benchmarks and meet the measurements that have been set for them.

Dr. Taft: Well, given that most people understand that as doing your job. Given that pay at risk translates into automatic bonuses unless you mess up, and given how many mess-ups there have been in Alberta Health Services, can the minister tell Albertans if any managers at all have not received their bonus for the past fiscal year?

Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I do not manage those managers, but what we’ll find out from Alberta Health Services, who does manage them, is an answer to that question.

Dr. Taft: Well, given the minister manages all kinds of other decisions of Alberta Health Services, will the minister confirm that the new standardized severance package for Alberta Health Services managers who lose their jobs is 12 months’ pay plus a 15 per cent bonus?

Mr. Zwozdesky: Mr. Speaker, I don’t know about the bonus part offhand. I’ll have to look into that. But I can tell you that the amount of severance has been brought down significantly from what it once used to be. It is in fact capped at the max of 12 months, and people find that to be very competitive with other multibillion-dollar organizations across this country. It’s what’s necessary in the industry to attract and retain the very best people to manage this multibillion-dollar situation in Alberta.

 

 

Date: Tue May 4 10:00:39 MDT 2010 Author: Rebecca IP: 68.149.137.22