B.C. public service morale plummets 13 points in two years during hiring freeze, survey finds
A government survey shows 58% of employees now describe morale as positive, down from 71% in 2024. The province has lifted restrictions on promotions but continues its hiring freeze.
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Morale in the B.C. public service has plummeted as the government pursues a hiring freeze and budget cuts, with a new survey showing employee satisfaction declining across every measure.
Of the 21,342 employees surveyed between March 3 and March 24, 2026, only 58 per cent said they would describe their work unit's morale as positive or high. That marks a 13-point drop from 2024, when 71 per cent reported high morale among immediate colleagues. Only 53 per cent said essential information flows effectively from executives to staff, down seven points from 2024.
Shannon Salter, the head of the public service and deputy minister to Premier David Eby, acknowledged the concerns in a note to employees Thursday alongside the survey results. "It's clear some of the trends since the last full survey in 2024 align with the pressures you have been feeling," she said.
The B.C. government imposed a hiring freeze in February 2025 and later banned promotions and salary bumps—restrictions that have since been partially lifted. The province continues efforts to reduce the public service by the equivalent of 2,500 full-time positions over three years.
Salter announced an immediate change to the "lateral-first" hiring approach, which had required employees to apply internally before external recruitment. She said staffing has stabilized enough to lift this restriction.
Paul Finch, head of the BCGEU representing roughly 36,000 unionized public servants, said the survey demonstrates workers are doing more with less. He credited Salter with being responsive and noted she removed the non-lateral hiring restrictions after the workplace environment survey results.
A unionized employee, speaking on condition of anonymity, said management understands the morale issues but questioned whether the government truly wants to address unhappiness given its goal of reducing overall headcount. "There has just been a lot of stuff that I think has chipped away at morale overall," the employee said, citing the hiring freeze, lateral-only processes, and an eight-week strike by the BCGEU.
How many of the 2,500 full-time positions the province plans to eliminate are expected to be cut through attrition versus layoffs?
What specific provisions around remote work and retroactive pay in the new BCGEU collective agreement is the government struggling to implement?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
How much did B.C. public service morale decline between 2024 and 2026?
Morale in the B.C. public service dropped 13 points, with 58% of employees surveyed between March 3 and March 24, 2026 describing their work unit's morale as positive or high, down from 71% in 2024.
When did the B.C. government impose a hiring freeze?
The B.C. government imposed a hiring freeze in February 2025 and continues efforts to reduce the public service by the equivalent of 2,500 full-time positions over three years.
What change did Shannon Salter announce to the hiring approach?
Shannon Salter, head of the B.C. public service, announced an immediate lift to the 'lateral-first' hiring restriction, which had required employees to apply internally before external recruitment could proceed.
