Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive: Information, Questions and Answers

This incentive is administered by the Ministry of Health. Any questions that relate to the incentive must be directed to the Ministry of Health via the HHR@health.gov.sk.ca email.

An individual who is fully licensed in their profession prior to obtaining employment must begin employment in a permanent, full-time (PFT) position (1.0 FTE) to be eligible for this incentive. An individual who is hired into a casual/term/part-time position prior to obtaining/working in a PFT position would be considered ineligible for the incentive.

Please reach out to the Ministry of Health prior to any leaves of absence or applying to and/or accepting other positions to ensure you are aware of potential implications to funding and/or timelines:

• Leaves that are protected under the Employment Act are permitted; however, it does result in an extension to the return in service end date.
• Any other leaves are considered discretionary and would require prior communication to the Ministry of Health, as they may place the recipient into default/breach of their Agreement.

Frequently Asked Questions

I was approved to receive the incentive and work in one of the listed eligible communities. Can I move to complete my Return in Service Commitment (RIS) in another eligible community?  
NO. The Rural and Remote Recruitment Incentive (RRRI) was created to assist in stabilizing health services in communities with service disruptions and staffing challenges. Therefore, recipients are required to fulfil their entire RIS in the same position, unit and/or facility, and community to which they were initially approved.

I have completed one-year RIS, can I withdraw from my RIS commitment?
NO. The RIS agreement requires the completion of a full three years of service. Any lesser amount of time worked would require repayment of all installments received plus interest.

Can an applicant who is approved for the RRRI hold their “line” and work in a different position elsewhere?
NO. For purposes of this incentive, the individual must work in the position/line to which they were approved. There is no movement permitted to be eligible, or continue to be eligible for the incentive.

Are current Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA)/affiliate employees who are willing to go to one of the designated locations in the same classification eligible for the RRRI?
NO. Anyone who is currently employed by the SHA/affiliate that moves to a new position of the same classification is not eligible as they are an existing employee.

Is a former SHA/affiliate employee whose employment was terminated with the SHA/affiliate prior to September 7, 2022, and looking to return to the workforce for the incentive, eligible?
YES – IF employment with the SHA/affiliate was terminated prior to September 7, 2022, they could be eligible if they meet all other eligibility requirements.

Are students who worked for the SHA/affiliate as summer students and completed their education program after September 7, 2022, eligible?
YES. A new graduate who graduated within the last six months, in one of the eligible classifications working with a grad licence, will have up to four months to write their exam and become fully licensed and obtain the eligible full-time position. This is done consecutively.

If an individual is fully licensed in their profession prior to obtaining employment, can they work in a temporary/casual/permanent part-time position and have four (4) months grace to find permanent full-time employment?
NO. If they are fully licensed before obtaining employment, there is no four-month grace period. They must begin their employment with the SHA/affiliate in a PFT 1.0 position.

NOTE: an individual that is hired into a position other than PFT for orientation, or while they await the start date of their full-time position, would be disqualified from eligibility.

Can SHA/affiliate employees that have upgraded their education after September 7, 2022, to a new, eligible classification apply for the incentive?
YES – IF their classification has changed to another eligible classification, they may be eligible.

Exception: if a Continuing Care Aide (CCA) is hired as a CCA and goes to school while employed to get their CCA education, they are not eligible as their classification does not change upon completion of their schooling.

What if a person is working in one of the nine high-need classifications and in a listed community, but at less than full-time hours – are they eligible?
NO. They must begin their employment with the SHA/affiliate in a permanent full-time (1.0 FTE) position and work that position.

Is the Incentive taxable?
YES. The Incentive is taxable income. The Ministry of Health (MoH) does not deduct the taxes.

What happens if a person who is approved for the incentive, does not stay in the location/department in which they were approved?
If an RRRI recipient leaves the position at any time prior to the three-year RIS commitment required (as indicated in their Agreement), they will owe all funding paid to date with interest and any future payments would cease.