Temporary appointment

Last updated: January 6, 2022

Temporary appointments in the BC Public Service require deputy minister approval through the internal ministry approval process.

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On this page

• Short-term staffing option
• The temporary appointment process
• Temporary appointments longer than 7 months
• Extending a temporary appointment
• Resources
• Contact us

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Short-term staffing option

A temporary appointment can be used to:

• Fill a vacant position temporarily
• Complete a project that has a set end date
• Cover seasonal or relief work
• Cover a new position that has been created in response to changing business requirements
• Provide an opportunity for staff to gain new skills and experience

Temporary appointments of less than 7 months are to be based on the principle of merit but they're not subject to Section 8(1)(b) (Appointments on merit) of the Public Service Act. 

Use the full staffing process if the appointment might be extended beyond 7 months.

If the vacant position is a regular position and is filled by an auxiliary employee, the appointment is considered to be a temporary auxiliary appointment.

If it's filled by a regular employee, it's considered a temporary regular appointment.

The temporary appointment process

Create the appointment letter and forward copies by submitting an AskMyHR (IDIR restricted) service request using the categories Myself (or) My Team or Organization > Submit a Form or Document > Offer Letters. 

This will initiate temporary appointment pay. 

A temporary appointment agreement may also be initiated at the discretion of the supervisors.

Temporary appointments longer than 7 months

Temporary appointments longer than 7 months, or promotional temporary appointments of less than 7 months that are extended, must be awarded through a competitive hiring process.

An employee in a promotional temporary appointment cannot laterally transfer to a new position at the higher salary range of the promotional position.

Follow the instructions for how to post a job or follow the steps in the hiring process guidelines if you're managing the competition internally.

Extending a temporary appointment

If you're considering extending a short-term temporary appointment beyond 7 months, please submit an AskMyHR (IDIR restricted) service request using the categories A Hiring Manager > Hiring Process > Hiring Options & Programs.

If you're extending an employee's temporary appointment, submit a completed temporary appointment extension form (IDIR restricted). This will go directly to the HR and Payroll team.

To use this form:

• You must have the authority to make changes to the employee's record
• Fill out the mandatory fields
• The rest of the fields are auto-populated based on the employee ID entered and the data in CHIPS
• If you have questions about a field, select 'form help'

Requirements for extensions vary by ministry. This form can only be accessed and completed by managers and supervisors.

The extension of a promotional temporary appointment of less than 7 months requires a competitive hiring process.

Temporary appointment extension form process

1. Open the temporary appointment extension form (IDIR restricted)

2. Complete all of the required fields in order to submit the form

3. Once submitted, you'll be emailed a copy of the service request that confirms and summarizes your submission and provides a reference number so you can update the information if needed

If you receive an error message indicating that you're not authorized to access these forms, please contact your ministry security administrator (XLS, 96KB) to confirm your access.

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