More than 8,000 federal public servants have been approved for an early retirement package as part of the federal government’s plan to trim the size of the public service. Federal employees eligible for early retirement had until July 24 to apply for the Early Retirement Incentive program, which allowed employees to apply to retire with an “immediate pension based on years of service, with no reduction for retiring early.” The federal government received 10,006 applications for the Early Retirement Incentive program by the July 24 period. The government also received paper copies of the early retirement applications that will need to be processed. The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat says as of Aug. 11, 8,161 applications have been “confirmed to meet the criteria” and approved for early retirement. Federal employees approved for the early retirement package must retire by Jan. 20, 2027. A total of 42 applications have been denied by the federal government so far. Front-line officers and staff in operational roles at the Canada Border Services Agency and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were not eligible to apply for the Early Retirement Incentive program. Public service employees with the RCMP were eligible to apply for the early retirement incentive. A spokesperson for Treasury Board president Shafqat Ali said the Early Retirement Incentive Program offers “voluntary and structured options that allow employees to retire early with clarity and predictability.” “Canada’s government is managing workforce reductions with fairness and compassion, and in line with Canada’s obligations as an employer,” Mohammad Kamal, the director of communications for Ali, told CTV News Ottawa on July 29. “As proposed in Budget 2025, workforce reductions will be managed, to the greatest extent possible, through attrition and voluntary departures.” The Canada Strong Budget 2025, released in November, outlined a plan to cut the size of the federal public service by 28,000 positions by 2029, including 12,000 employees and 350 executive positions cut through attrition and early retirement packages.
