research assistant

project manager

project coordinator

postdoctoral fellow

economist

BC Cancer Agency

A typical day at work involves angry, overwhelmed, burnt-out staff being passive agressive and steadily cliquey. I was fumbled around to numerous (5+) employees for training within a short period of time, with no set course of what the actually training was. Consistently was under fire for doing things I was taught by one person, just to be told by another that it was incorrect, thus confusing new staff and being unable to have a concise grasp of what I was truly to be learning. Management was a considerable mess, they had far too many roles due to being understaffed, and never took their time to actually listen to the feedback and adressed what I was giving them in regards to the issues and confusion I faced. I was extremely passionate about our patients, and their level of care. I sadly had to witness a considerable amount of disrespect and rudeness towards patients from other staff members, including awful gossip behind their backs. An unhealthy workplace culture to boot, although there were many lovely people that supported me from other areas of the agency. I was frequently asked to perform duties outside of my scope, and was shunned for saying no. All in all, I felt drained, demeaned, belittled and depressed working at BC Cancer Kelowna. I am unable to give a recommendation for anyone to work there.

My typical day involves working at two sites hence a fair amount of time is taken up travelling between the two sites. While here, I have learnt a significant number of new techniques and procedures especially related to working with experimental animals. My co-workers occupy a broad spectrum of age and training ranging from post-doctoral fellows to undergraduate students. This spectrum typically allows for a healthy exchange of ideas and discussions that take you to the basics and allow you to approach things from different perspectives. My thoughts on the management personnel are neutral since things that one would expect in a research laboratory are in present, maintained and typically in place. Compared to other institutes I have worked at, I have noticed that the ratio of administrative personnel to non-administrative researchers is higher than usual. What I most enjoy about this position is the intellectual challenge of carrying out experiments and collaborating with my fellow co-workers. What I find most difficult is to be able to manage work and life.

Worked at BC Cancer for many years and during that time I lead a team to great successes and accomplishments which benefited patient experience and care. Instead of walking away with the vast experience and skill, I thought it would be mutually beneficial to continue on as a casual. I was met with a level of disrespect from management that was shocking and disappointing. I had often wondered why most retired employees never returned but I learned the sad answer. They toss us out like pieces of garbage and stomp on our hearts. My generous donation to the foundation is in jeopardy… 

I cannot speak for other centers other than BC Cancer Surrey, the center itself is good to patients, however, management has no priorities when it comes to the well being of their staff. There is no room to advance unless you are favored. There is no communication or transparency when it comes to bridging the gap between upper management and staff, and there is no room to further education or take on new opportunities. The center is top heavy. Very disappointing to see such a great organization heading in this direction. The patients are what make the place great, and the staff show great teamwork in the face of lacking leadership.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Part of a dedicated multidisciplinary team 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Lack of performance feedback created assumptions in my mind that may have contributed to poor confidence on the job and unnecessary insecurity, as it turned out.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Tight ship, with alot of vitally important policies and procedures.  Highly trained personnel. A culture of excellence in patient care.

Bc cancer seems like a great place to work unless you have young children that is. They offer no advancement and are not accommodating to women with young children. It doesn’t matter how hard you work they will always find someone to replace you. Bosses can say what they want to you and do not give you a chance to report it before complaining about you and calling an hr meeting. This has been a toxic work environment for the last 5 years and they do not offer remote work opportunities especially when the job can be done remotely. 

I have been a Admin Clerk for 7 years and I am currently working at the BC Cancer agency. Management lacks appreciation of staff and clinical applications are old and slow. Patient waiting lists are 2-3 years and this is unfair in our department and unfair to patient care. I have voice my opinion various times yet nothing matters. Looking for a postion in a field where my hard work gets appreciated and my voice gets recognized and patients are treated fairly.

Overall rating - Excellent

Job Work/Life Balance - very good

Salary/Benefits - good

Job Security/Advancement- good opportunity for advancement& job security

Management - very good

Job Culture - Enjoyed working with my co worked and work was really great

It was a pleasure to go to work each day with a fantastic group of people who truly cared about their work and their patients and the patient's families. A truly great group of health care workers working daily in a area steeped in a heavy emotional area of medicine.

I've been at this job for over a year and they do not care about you!
Sorry to say, but they treat people who have been there over a year as nobody and do not see myself moving up at all in this company. 
Management does not exist in this company, they do not care about you or priority you! There is NO SENIORITY. 

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Research assistant 6 salaries reported	$52,114 per year
Project manager 1 salary reported	$110,626 per year
Project coordinator 3 salaries reported	$65,667 per year
Postdoctoral fellow 3 salaries reported	$53,500 per year
Economist 3 salaries reported	$69,710 per year

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