Staff recruitment, retention remain paramount for Saskatchewan’s health-care industry
Global News
According to the SHA, from January to September of this year, 10.5 per cent more SHA staff members left the organization than over the same time frame a year before.
The aftermath of the fourth wave of COVID-19 remains evident within the Saskatchewan health-care system.
One of the most prominent struggles lies with the recruitment and retention of health-care professionals.
According to the Saskatchewan Health Authority, from January to September of this year, 10.5 per cent more SHA staff members left the organization than over the same time frame a year before.
CUPE local 5430 is the representative for CUPE health-care workers in the province.
Their president, Bashir Jalloh, explained the burnout and stress that his members are facing, saying, “the stress of working short-staffed is having such an impact that some members are thinking of early retirement or changing careers.”
According to Jalloh there are currently 1,400 government health-care job postings in Saskatchewan with only 180 of those being full-time, permanent positions.
For Jalloh that is a focal point of the issue.
“Most of the jobs being posted today are temporary jobs with most ending in March of 2022,” Jalloh said. “That is a problem; you can recruit but you cannot retain them. The moment they see a full-time job they will move to those positions.”