Review of staffing decisions
Last updated on January 18, 2024Once BC Public Service employee applicants learn their application was unsuccessful, they have 5 calendar days to request feedback from the individual responsible for the appointment.
Employee applicants not satisfied with the feedback should review How to Request a Review of a Staffing Decision (PDF, 357KB).
'Employee' means a person appointed under the Public Service Act, other than a person appointed through Order-in-Council.
You must be a current employee or an employee on layoff, provided your seniority has not been lost, at the time you are requesting feedback
- Regular appointments and temporary appointments for more than 7 months are eligible for a review of staffing decisions
- Auxiliary appointments, lateral transfers, direct appointments, and temporary appointments under 7 months are not eligible for a review of staffing decisions
Request for feedback
To start the review process, employee applicants must first request feedback from the individual responsible for the appointment within 5 calendar days after receiving notice of the staffing decision.
Day one is the day after applicants receive the notification about the decision.
If the fifth calendar day falls on a weekend or a statutory holiday, the next business day is considered the fifth day.
Request for an inquiry
Employee applicants not satisfied with the feedback may request an internal inquiry by the deputy minister within 5 calendar days of receiving their feedback.
The review of the staffing decisions process ends here for appointments to an excluded position.
Request for a review
Employee applicants not satisfied with the result of an internal inquiry for bargaining unit positions may make a written request for a review by the merit commissioner within 5 days of receiving the results of the inquiry.
Learn more about the steps in the review of staffing decisions process: Review of Staffing Decisions Flowchart (PDF, 346KB).