Core Business Areas
This section of the Annual Service Plan Report relates directly to the Resource Summary which outlines expenditures by core business area.
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.
Employment Standards
Employment Standards activities aim to increase compliance with the Employment Standards Act. Specific initiatives such as targeted education and enforcement in sectors where vulnerable workers are concentrated, are being undertaken to enhance the prevention component of the Employment Standards Branch's (ESB) operations.
Industrial Relations
Labour oversees the fair administration of B.C.'s industrial relations to promote a healthy labour relations environment. The Labour Relations Board (LRB), an independent quasi-judicial tribunal, will continue to enhance procedures to handle disposition of complaints in an efficient and timely manner. The Employment Standards Tribunal (EST), also an independent quasi-judicial tribunal, with a mandate to conduct appeals of determinations, is also part of this core business area.
WorkSafeBC
Labour 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. WorkSafeBC (formerly known as the Workers' Compensation Board) is an independent agency that administers the Workers Compensation Act and its Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. Within the Ministry, the Workers' Advisers Office and the Employers' Advisers Office provide advisory services and support to the worker and employer communities. The Workers' Compensation Appeal Tribunal (WCAT), an independent agency of the Government of British Columbia, which is the final appeal body within the workers compensation system, is also part of this core business area.
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.
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 on-line. 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 (formerly Public Service Operations)
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 BC Buildings Corporation) will provide services 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) Secretariat. Programs and services focus on facilitating and leading a co-ordinated approach to service transformation across government.
Governance
Led by the Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO), this core business area is responsible for ensuring that government information is managed and used efficiently as an asset 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
This area provides corporate 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 and Corporate Planning and Performance. 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.
