Federal Department Criticized for Lack of Transparency on Layoffs

The Privy Council Office (PCO), the department that serves Canada’s Prime Minister, has faced significant criticism for not disclosing the number of employees notified about potential layoffs. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the largest public-sector union in the country, labeled the department’s silence as “hypocritical.” This comes amidst broader federal efforts to reduce the public service workforce by approximately 40,000 positions by the year 2028-2029.

In early December, PCO was the first federal department to alert its employees about impending job cuts related to the government’s austerity measures. Workers received “workforce adjustment” letters indicating they were at risk of losing their positions. Despite this, PCO has not provided any figures regarding how many of its 1,208 employees were affected by these notifications.

Union Response to Lack of Information

“As the workforce adjustment process is underway, and out of respect for affected employees, we will not comment further at this time,” said PCO spokesperson Pierre Cuguen in response to inquiries about the layoff numbers. He emphasized that efforts will be made to minimize layoffs through voluntary measures, including early retirement.

Sharon DeSousa, President of PSAC, expressed her discontent with PCO’s lack of transparency. She stated, “It’s concerning and frankly hypocritical that the Privy Council Office refuses to be transparent about the cuts to its own workforce.” DeSousa highlighted that PCO has played a critical role in developing the austerity policies responsible for the current workforce reductions, and stressed the importance of sharing the effects of these decisions with both employees and the public.

In light of the PCO’s silence, some public servants have turned to online platforms to gather information. An anonymous individual recently created a shared document allowing workers to report details on layoffs from various departments. This initiative aims to track the impact of the ongoing workforce adjustments, with reports suggesting that around 230 employees from PCO received layoff notifications, representing nearly 20 percent of the department’s workforce.

Broader Implications of the Layoffs

Unions, including the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE), are preparing for the potential consequences of these job cuts on public services. Annie Yeo, CAPE’s Vice-President, raised concerns about the lack of clarity regarding which programs and services will be affected. “What’s not clear, and what CAPE would like transparency on, is what programs and services will be affected by all these cuts across all these departments for ordinary Canadians,” Yeo stated.

As part of its budgetary measures, the Canadian government has initiated a series of layoffs following the release of the 2025 Budget on November 4. According to reports, Natural Resources Canada has already sent notifications to 700 employees as part of its plan to cut over 400 jobs by 2029. The government’s strategy includes offering early retirement to nearly 68,000 public servants and implementing significant spending cuts across most federal departments.

This situation is unfolding as Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government embarks on one of the most substantial reforms of the public service in decades, aiming to streamline operations and reduce a workforce that has grown from 257,000 to 358,000 federal public servants within the last decade.

The government has indicated that reductions will be achieved through attrition, voluntary departures, early retirements, and layoffs, with a focus on a 15 percent reduction in spending for most federal organizations, excluding public safety and national defence.

As the workforce adjustment process continues, the lack of transparency from the PCO raises pressing questions about accountability and the overall impact on public services in Canada.