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Voluntary Retirement Incentive (VRI) program

Publication date: February 17, 2026

To support the responsible management of workforce reductions in the BC Public Service and minimize impacts on employees and organizational culture, a Voluntary Retirement Incentive (VRI) program may be offered within ministries where it aligns with their workforce needs. Participation in the program will be determined by the ministry's deputy minister in consultation with the BC Public Service Agency. If a ministry chooses to participate, eligible employees who may be interested will be invited to apply.

Retirement incentive options

The VRI program includes two options for employer-paid retirement incentives:

  • Early Retirement Incentive (ERI): The ERI is available to regular BC Public Service employees who are age 55 or over, eligible for a reduced pension, and have a combined age and years of contributory service equal to or greater than 80. With ERI, these employees can retire early without a reduction in their pension.
  • Retirement Incentive (RI): The RI is available to regular BC Public Service employees who are 55 years of age and over and are eligible for an unreduced pension. With RI, these employees will receive a one-time lump sum payment equal to 6 months of their base salary.

Employees can use pre-retirement leave (including leave banks and retirement allowance) to take them into the month of their 55th birthday, or to their earliest unreduced retirement date.

Eligibility

Eligible employees will be invited to participate by their ministry. The VRI program may be offered only once to each eligible employee within a participating ministry. Participation is voluntary; however, ministry approval is required, and applying does not guarantee acceptance.

To be eligible to participate in the VRI program, an employee must:

  • Be a regular BC Public Service employee in a ministry/organization that has decided to offer the program to their position/work unit
  • Be eligible to retire by the date established by their ministry
  • Meet the eligibility criteria for a particular incentive (e.g. ERI or RI) and
  • Have their application approved by their ministry

Who is not eligible:

  • Auxiliary employees are not eligible for the VRI program
  • Employees who have already begun pre-retirement leave
  • Employees whose ministry has not decided to participate in the program OR the ministry has chosen to participate but has decided not to offer the incentive to that employee's work unit or position

Ministry participation

Ministry deputy ministers will work with the PSA to determine if the VRI program is a suitable option for their workforce needs. The ministry must balance the potential benefits of implementing a voluntary retirement incentive program with its costs and the possible loss of critical skills and knowledge.

If the VRI program is determined to be an option for a ministry’s workforce needs, employees who are eligible and are invited to participate can expect an email from their deputy minister confirming this option. 

VRI application window

Eligible employees will be emailed an invitation to participate in the VRI program. The application window will be noted in the invitation.

The VRI program will only be offered to eligible employees once per fiscal year by a participating ministry. If an employee misses their application window, they will not be given another opportunity to participate in the program, even if the program is being offered in other ministries or in other employee groups within the employee's ministry.

Get support with deciding to retire

If you are unsure about retiring, you can: