Presentation of information in this section has been changed/updated on February 23, 2006.

Ministry Overview and Core Business Areas

Two former ministries, combined under the Ministry of Labour and Citizens’ Services, have in common the focus of providing excellent service: Labour provides services to employees, employers, unions, and businesses in British Columbia to build a modern work environment; and Citizens’ Services plays a key role in improving how government services and information are delivered to meet the needs of citizens, business and the public sector. The approach used in developing the 2006/07–2008/09 Service Plan is to provide a ministry Overview of the Core Business Areas and Strategic Foundation, including the Vision, Mission and Values and the Resource Summary. The Strategic Context and Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Results are provided separately for the Labour component and Citizens’ Services component of the ministry.

The ministry’s net budget or voted appropriation is $205.765 million. Its gross expenditures are expected to be $414.872 million. Of its gross expenditures, $209.107 million is expected to be recovered from external sources.

Many of the ministry’s business areas receive a voted appropriation of only $1,000 — requiring them to operate in a disciplined, business-like manner. This "$1,000 vote structure" means that at the end of the fiscal year, expenditures must not exceed recoveries by more than $1,000.

Vision, Mission and Values

Vision

British Columbia will be a leader in Canada and recognized internationally for excellence in public service delivery.

Mission

The mission is two-fold:

• Labour will create an employment environment that meets the needs of workers, employers and unions and foster working relationships in safe and healthy workplaces.
• Citizens’ Services will transform public services to make them cost-effective, accessible and responsive to the needs of citizens and business.

Values

Integrity

• Individuals are treated with fairness, dignity and respect.
• We are open and honest.

Service Excellence

• We work to know our customers and treat them as partners.
• We are flexible, innovative and proactive.

Results-Oriented

• Performance is measured to ensure cost-effective business outcomes and value-added results.
• We make and keep our commitments — we get the job done.

Teamwork

• We collaborate to achieve corporate goals.
• Individuals and teams that achieve results and demonstrate creativity and calculated risk-taking are recognized.

Work Life Balance

• We support employees in balancing their personal and work commitments.

Core Business Areas

Labour

Labour’s focus is to foster positive working relationships in safe and healthy workplaces, and to support strong and vibrant provincial economic development and employment growth. Labour works with employers, organized labour and other key stakeholders to provide progressive policy directions to advance overall government priorities for promoting harmonious and productive labour relations and labour stability in the province. This productive dialogue between the ministry and its stakeholders in the labour relations community will continue. Labour also supports the Great Goal of creating more jobs per capita than anywhere else in Canada.

Labour’s core programs focus on the development, implementation and enforcement of employment standards, workplace safety and labour relations rules. Its budget or net voted appropriation for fiscal 2006/07 is $15.831 million. Gross expenditures are expected to be $45.610 million. Of its gross expenditures, $29.779 million is expected to be recovered.

Employment Standards

Employment Standards activities aim to increase compliance with the Employment Standards Act. Specific initiatives will be undertaken to enhance the prevention component of the Employment Standards Branch’s (ESB) operations.

Industrial Relations

The ministry oversees the fair administration of B.C.’s industrial relations to promote a healthy labour relations environment. The Labour Relations Board (LRB) will continue to enhance procedures to handle disposition of complaints in an efficient and timely manner. The Employment Standards Tribunal (EST), an independent agency of the Government of British Columbia with a mandate to conduct appeals of determinations, is also part of this core business area.

WorkSafeBC

The ministry is responsible for the Workers Compensation Act (WCA), which provides a framework for promoting safe and healthy workplaces and sets out the workers’ compensation system for British Columbia.

Citizens’ Services

Citizens’ Services plays a leading role in continuously improving the way government services and information are delivered to the public, other ministries and the broader public sector. Its budget or net voted appropriation for fiscal 2006/07 is $189.934 million. Gross expenditures are expected to be $369.262 million, $179.328 million of which is expected to be recovered from external sources.

Service Delivery to Citizens and Businesses

This core business area is led primarily by Service BC, the provincial government’s chief provider of front-line services to the public. When citizens, businesses or visitors are looking for information about services or programs offered by ministries, agencies, the private sector or other governments, they often begin by contacting Service BC. Customers can connect in person, by phone or online. By using one or a combination of these “channels”, they can access programs, services and information in ways that suit their personal and business needs.

Shared Services BC

This core business area is the internal shared service provider for government and other public sector customers. For a government to function it needs basic tools: facilities, furniture, computers, phones, printers, email, and paper — just to name a few. In addition, employees must be paid; invoices and purchase orders processed; mail processed and distributed; documents printed; and office products obtained and distributed. As of April 1, 2006 accommodation and real estate services (formerly provided by BC Buildings Corporation) will be provided through Shared Services BC. This organization ensures these shared services are delivered cost-effectively, efficiently and with a customer focus.

Service Transformation

This core business area is led primarily by Network BC, the Service Delivery Initiative Office (SDIO) and the Alternative Service Delivery (ASD) Project Secretariat. Programs and services focus on facilitating and leading a co-ordinated approach to service transformation across government.

Governance

This core business area, led by the Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO), is responsible for ensuring that government information is managed and used efficiently as a tool to enable better delivery of services to citizens, businesses and the public sector. It is responsible for ensuring the security of government’s information and applications and for the corporate privacy and information access functions of government, including the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the Personal Information Protection Act, the Document Disposal Act, and the Electronic Transactions Act.

Executive and Support Services
(Labour and Citizens’ Services)

This area provides overall advice, strategic direction, leadership and support to ministry programs. This includes legislative and policy support, planning and performance management and internal communications. This area consists of the Minister’s Office, Deputy and Associate Deputy’s Offices, Policy Development, Corporate Planning and Performance, and the Board Resourcing and Development Office. Support to the ministry in the areas of strategic human resources, information management and financial management is provided by the Corporate and Ministry Support Services Division, whose budget is reported by the Ministry of Finance.