More than 900 AHS management positions are on the 'Sunshine List': government watchdog

Health Minister Tyler Shandro and AHS CEO Verna Yiu, above, announced on Oct. 13 Alberta Health Services would continue with a cost-savings plan that would see between 9,700 and 11,000 employees laid off.

Calgary — Information from the Canadian Taxpayer Federation (CTF) shows that more than 900 management positions within Alberta Health Services (AHS) are on the "Sunshine List".

The group released the data about the number of AHS executives who earned more than $132,924 in 2019. According to policy, all staff earning above that amount must have their salaries posted for public knowledge.

Given the sheer number of executives on the list, the CTF says some cost cutting must be done.

"With more than 900 AHS management bureaucrats on the sunshine list, Health Minister Tyler Shandro is right to look for savings at the top of the pyramid," said CTF Alberta director Franco Terrazano in a release.

The list compiled by the CTF includes AHS president and CEO Verna Yiu, 11 vice-presidents, 571 directors, 204 managers and many other leadership-type positions.

It says the average compensation of all 920 positions on the list is $193,404. Public information shows Yiu earned $677,785 in total compensation in 2019.

The CTF released the figures a day after the Alberta government announced it was cutting the pay of its staffers by seven per cent and three days after Health Minister Tyler Shandro announced that the government would cut the equivalent of 9,700 full-time positions.

At least 100 of those jobs are expected to be managers.

"It can't just be struggling taxpayers doing all the heavy lifting," said Terrazzano. "Albertans outside of government have been suffering through pay cuts and job losses over the last five years.

"Now, taxpayers need Alberta bureaucrats to help share the economic burden and take a cut."

AHS SAYS IT HAS 'LEAN MANAGEMENT'

AHS, in a statement to CTV News Friday, said it has a smaller percentage of managers than other Canadian organizations it compares itself to.

"Managers make up just 3.2 per cent of our employees and, on average, supervise 32 employees," it wrote. "This includes front-line managers such as unit managers in our hospitals, clinic managers and clinical support managers. That is significantly lower than the majority of organizations in Canada."

AHS says the Conference Board of Canada reported an average of nine employees per one manager for public agencies in 2019.

As for the positions highlighted by the CTF, the agency says the list includes a number of crucial front-line positions, including Alberta's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw.

"(Hinshaw) plays a crucial role in keeping Albertans safe as part of our COVID-19 response," it said. "Over the past decade, we have reduced the number of senior leadership positions by nearly half."