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Recruitment Incentive 

REGULAR POSITIONS 

What is this funding?

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This Recruitment Incentive provides a financial incentives for HSAA-represented employees who accept a regular (permanent) position at a difficult-to-recruit worksite in Alberta's North, Central and South zones. Applications are submitted by the hiring manager on behalf of the employee.

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Difficult-to-recruit rural sites in the North, Central, and South zones are being prioritized. Rural sites in the Edmonton and Calgary zones may be considered at a later date. Please continue to visit the website for updates.

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Zone boundaries are those in effect at the time the Letter of Understanding was signed. 

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The fund and eligibility criteria are subject to change. Please continue to visit the website for the most current information.

Regular (Permanent) Recruitment Incentive - Downloadable PDF

Applications now open!

Applications are open on a rolling basis through March 2028, or while funds remain available. 

​Full-time (0.8–1.0 FTE)  a Return for Service (RFS) Agreement is required

  • $25,000 for a 2-years RFS

  • $41,500 for a 3-year RFS

  • $60,000 for a 4-year RFS

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Part-time (0.4–0.79 FTE) a Return for Service Agreement (RFS) is required

  • $20,000 for a  2-years RFS

  • $33,200 for a 3-year RFS

  • $48,000 for a 4-year RFS

Part-time employees (0.4–0.79 FTE) are eligible at 80% of full-time amounts.

 

Lump sum payments are processed through payroll and are subject to applicable deductions including federal and provincial income tax, Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions, and Employment Insurance (EI) premiums. Recipients are encouraged to consult a tax professional regarding the implications for their personal tax situation.

Return For Service Agreement (RFS)

  • All Return for Service Agreements must begin no later than March 1, 2028

  • The amount and length of the RFS term must be indicated at the time of application

  • The RFS begins on the employee's start date in the new position

  • 50% is paid at the start of the Return for Service agreement; 50% is paid after one year of service Payments are taxable

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RCIF initiatives are designed to work within the collective agreement. If anything in an RCIF initiative appears to conflict with the collective agreement, the collective agreement applies.

Eligible Positions

A position is eligible if:

  • It is a regular full-time (0.8–1.0 FTE) or regular part-time (0.4–0.79 FTE)  position, AND

  • It is at a difficult-to-recruit worksite in the North, Central, or South zone, AND

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It meets at least one of the following:

  • The position has been posted for 8 or more days without eligible candidates, OR

  • The occupational vacancy rate at the site-specific level is 10% or greater

Who is Eligible?

  • Employees with a regular position (full-time or part-time) must be relocating from a previous worksite at least 50 km away

  • No minimum distance requirement applies to temporary employees, casual employees, or external hires

  • Funding through the RCIF is non-retroactive. To be eligible, applicants must be new hires with a start date of May 1, 2026 or later. This includes new graduates who signed employment agreements prior to May 1, 2026, provided their start date falls on or after that date.

  • At this time the committee is prioritizing worksites in the North, Central and South Zones.  Difficult-to-recruit rural sites in the Edmonton and Calgary Zones may be considered at a later date

Leave of Absence (LOA)

Employees represented by HSAA on an approved leave of absence remain eligible to apply for RCIF funding.

  • Applications must meet the eligibility criteria for the relevant funding stream

  • Funding will be released upon the employee's return to their eligible position, or as approved by the RCIF committee

  • The RFS begins the day the employee returns to work

  • LOA absences of 30 or more calendar days will extend the RFS end date by the corresponding number of calendar days

What do you need to apply?

  • Applications must be submitted by a manager — employees cannot apply directly

  • Contact information for both manager and employee

  • Employee job title, employee number, and the employee's union

  • Employment type (regular full-time, regular part-timer, temporary, casual, external 

  • Disclosure if the employee is on a Leave of Absence

  • Functional cost centre 

  • The funding amount being requested and length of RFS

  • The worksite health zone (sites in the North, Central, and South zones)

  • Agreement by both employee and manager to sign a Return for Service Agreement​

How to apply

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Applications are submitted through the Good Grants portal. To get started, click the link below. You will be asked to register with the email address you want to use for your application. A verification code will be sent to that email to complete your registration.

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