The Saanich teacher’s Association believes that your mental and physical health, wellness, and safety should always be top priority. The STA and the BCTF offer many services which members can utilize to support their health and wellness. The STA and the BCTF have bargained hard for local and provincial language which serve to protect members’ rights around physical and mental safety at work.
Please see below for information about resources available to you, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Health and Safety Committee Chair or local president.
Your Benefits (Blue Cross):
All Saanich teachers are eligible for Blue Cross benefits. If you are a contract teacher, you and the employer automatically begin to pay for these benefits when you become contractually engaged – your portion of the fees are automatically deducted from your pay each month.
TTOCs are eligible, subject to plan limitations, to participate in the benefit plans in the Collective Agreement, provided that they pay the full cost of benefit premiums. TTOCs are paid an additional compensation of $11 over daily rate in lieu of benefits. If you are a TTOC and you wish to participate in the benefit plan, you need to contact the employer and let them know.
Your benefits include financial resources for many health related services, such as dental, physiotherapy, acupuncture, massage, counseling services, and more. Visit https://service.pac.bluecross.ca/member/login/ to log in and find out more about what your benefits cover. You will need your member login information. You can find that information by contacting the board office.
Counseling Services:
The Saanich School District will pay 100% of the cost of up to 12 counseling sessions per calendar year at Tina Leist and Associates. If you are eligible for this program, you or your dependents do not have to pay for your first 12 sessions per calendar year, per person. Saanich School District 63 employees, and their dependents who have met the eligibility criteria for benefit plan coverage are eligible for services under this program.
You can find out more through the link to the Employee Assistance Program Brochure, located on the right side of your Dashboard on ESS, under Payroll and Benefits Info.
BCTF Salary Indemnity Plan (SIP)
https://www.bctf.ca/topics/services-information/benefits/salary-indemnity-plan
The BCTF Salary Indemnity Plan is available to members who are disabled, by illness or injury, from performing their normal employment duties and have exhausted all of their sick leave. Please review the information on the website linked above. If you have further questions, please contact the BCTF office by email at benefits@bctf.ca or toll free: 1-800-663-9163, local 1921.
BCTF Health and Wellness Program
The BCTF Health and Wellness Program supports and empowers members recovering from illness or injury to regain an optimum state of wellness, health, and productivity by providing rehabilitation services and promoting self-care. It is funded by the membership of the BCTF.
The Health and Wellness Program puts teachers in contact with professional rehabilitation consultants located in communities throughout the province. In consultation with your healthcare provider, these consultants will coordinate services that help to improve the teacher’s health and functional abilities.
Apply as a Teacher: You can apply by calling 1-800-663-9163
Refer someone else: You can refer someone else using the referral form
Starling Minds Online Mental Health Therapy
Starling Minds is an online mental health and wellness toolkit, designed for teachers, that provides education and training to manage stress and prevent anxiety and depression. Click on the link to see how to access this resource.
WorkSafe BC
Click here for the link to an online Worker’s Report of Injury or Occupational Disease To Employer (Form 6A).