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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.

For further questions or information about the VRI program, contact your ministry HR team.  Please do not submit a service request to AskMyHR.

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.

Eligibility

Eligible excluded and executive employees will be invited to participate by their ministry. The VRI program will 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, you must:

  • Be a regular BC Public Service employee in a ministry/organization that has decided to offer the program to your position/work unit
  • Be eligible to retire by the date established by your ministry
  • Meet the eligibility criteria for a particular incentive (e.g. ERI or RI) and
  • Have your application approved by your 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 your work unit/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 your ministry’s workforce needs, you can expect an email from your deputy minister confirming this option.

VRI program 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 being offered once by a participating ministry. If you miss your application window, you 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 your ministry.

Get support with deciding to retire

If you are unsure about retiring, you can: