Santé Québec: 106 health employees “promoted” to management

The arrival of Santé Québec has increased the number of managers in the network, with more than one hundred professionals obtaining management positions upon their integration into the new state-owned company.

A total of 106 people received this promotion over the past year. In several cases, they received salaries equal to or slightly higher than their previous positions at the Ministry of Health.

They have joined the thousands of managers working in the network. Last year, our Bureau of Investigation revealed that the number of healthcare managers had jumped from 9,555 in 2019 to 13,050 for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

In the case of Santé Québec, it is explained that these appointments were made with very specific criteria. When it was created last December, the government corporation brought together the approximately 330,000 employees of the health network under one umbrella.

"The matching was made based on several criteria, including the responsibility of representing the employer, the strategic coordination role, the management of national files as well as strong decision-making capacity," explained spokesperson Marianne Paquette.

Complexity bonuses

The Quebec Government Professionals Union (SPGQ) maintains that it was also a way for them to keep the equivalent of their complexity bonuses.

In return, the professionals gave up their unionized jobs and the possibility of working overtime.

The large number of management positions in the new structure has made headlines in recent months. Last March, Santé Québec's President and CEO, Geneviève Biron, announced a 20% reduction in the number of these positions, notably eliminating the position of Frédéric Abergel, her right-hand man.

Employees leave

Additionally, a total of nine Santé Québec employees have returned to work in the public service in recent months. Two others are still waiting. This process was possible for the approximately 667 employees whose positions were transferred from the ministry to Santé Québec.

According to the SPGQ, the reasons for these returns to the public service can be diverse.

"But it seems clear to us that salary dissatisfaction contributed to these returns," says spokesperson Nathalie Côté.

The union states that the highest-paid employees were not entitled to all of the salary increases provided for in the collective agreement because they are considered to be outside the pay scale. Some of the sums are paid to them in lump sums.

"This situation, which could last for many years, has serious repercussions on their salary progression and the calculation of retirement pensions," said the union representative.

Employees who choose to return to the public service can only do so once during their career. A similar process was put in place when Revenu Québec was created.