Thousands of federal public servants approved for early retirement

A Government of Canada building is seen in this undated photo. (Getty Images)

Approximately 2,800 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 by 2029.

The government launched the Early Retirement Incentive program earlier this spring, inviting eligible public servants to apply to retire with an “immediate pension based on years of service, with no reduction for retiring early.”

Last December, approximately 68,000 public servants received notices informing them they could be eligible for early retirement.

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According to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s website, 6,797 public servants have applied for the Early Retirement Incentive as of May 26.

A government official tells CTV News Ottawa deputy heads have certified 2,779 early retirement packages so far.

Public servants have until July 24 to apply for the Early Retirement Incentive (ERI) program. Any public servant approved for the early retirement incentive package must retire by Jan. 20, 2027.

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.

Front-line officers and staff in operational roles at the Canada Border Services Agency, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Communications Security Establishment Canada are not eligible for the early retirement incentive.

Both the Public Service Alliance of Canada and the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada have filed a policy grievance over the early retirement incentive program. PIPSC said the program “violates consultation obligations and undermines collective agreement protections.”

A total of 24,393 public servants and 1,059 executives in the core public service have also received notices their jobs may be affected as part of the Comprehensive Expenditure Review. The government plans to cut 16,000 jobs through the review by 2029.

Early retirement eligibility

The federal government says to be eligible for early retirement, you must meet the following parameters on the day you leave the public service.

Group 1: Members who joined the public service pension plan on or before Dec. 31, 2012, and who:

• Are at least 50 years old
• Have at least two years of pensionable service
• Have at least 10 years of employment in the public service

Group 2: Members who joined the public service pension plan on or after Jan. 1, 2013, and who:

• Are at least 55 years old
• Have at least two years of pensionable service
• Have at least 10 years of employment in the public service

According to the government’s website, meeting the eligibility parameters for the Early Retirement Incentive “does not guarantee you will be approved.”

“Your Deputy Head (or equivalent) will review your application to confirm whether the following Treasury Board-approved criteria have been met — the organization needs to reduce its workforce, services to Canadians will be maintained, and current and future operational or business needs will continue to be met.”

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