Government Workforce Cuts: Legal Before Budget Approval, Says Former Executive
A former senior public service executive has clarified that the federal government's current workforce adjustment process is both legally permissible and necessary, even though the official budget containing these cuts has not yet received parliamentary approval.
The explanation comes in response to questions from public servants who have received workforce adjustment letters and are experiencing significant stress and uncertainty about their employment futures.
Legal Authority for Early Implementation
Scott Taymun, a former federal executive with over three decades of experience across seven departments, explains that while parliamentary approval is required for the government's overall spending plan and Early Retirement Incentive program, the workforce adjustment notification process itself does not require prior legislative authorization.
"The government and specifically the Treasury Board, as the employer of the federal public service, have the authority to initiate workforce adjustment," Taymun states. "They also have an obligation to do so under the National Joint Council Workforce Adjustment Directive."
This directive, co-developed by federal collective bargaining agents and public service officials, applies to most federal public servants facing potential cuts and requires deputy heads to notify impacted employees in writing when their services are no longer required beyond a specified date.
Addressing Employee Concerns and Stress
The workforce adjustment process has created considerable anxiety among public servants, with many questioning why they must endure this stressful experience when the government anticipates that most cuts will come through voluntary departures and early retirement incentives.
Taymun acknowledges the significant stress this creates for affected families, noting the potential impact on household finances, mortgage or rent payments, food costs, and childcare expenses. He describes "upset" as an understatement for what many public servants are experiencing.
Regarding the timing question, Taymun explains that neither the government nor deputy heads can know with certainty how many public servants will leave voluntarily through the Early Retirement Incentive or other options. The process of incentivizing voluntary departures would likely be less effective without employees understanding the full scope of potential workforce reductions.
The Process and Its Implications
Deputy heads face dual obligations: implementing measures to achieve the government's objective to downsize or "right-size" the public service, while simultaneously respecting the Workforce Adjustment Directive as part of that process.
Taymun notes several short-term consequences of the workforce adjustment process:
- Morale will take a significant hit across affected departments
- Productivity will be set back during the transition period
- Work environments in impacted areas will become destabilized
- Employees will struggle to maintain focus on work tasks
Practical Advice for Affected Public Servants
For those wishing to remain with the federal public service, Taymun offers specific guidance:
- Utilize the workforce adjustment process fully
- Leverage personal and professional networks
- Explore alternation opportunities and priority referrals
- Use the available time strategically to find a "soft landing"
He emphasizes that the government has aligned its downsizing targets with natural attrition over a three-year timeline, which provides valuable flexibility for both leadership and employees to manage transitions and minimize involuntary job losses.
"The greater the number of public servants who opt for the Early Retirement Incentive," Taymun notes, "the fewer early-career and mid-career public servants will lose their jobs involuntarily."
As thousands of public servants make individual decisions about whether to leave voluntarily or find ways to stay, the workforce adjustment process continues to unfold across most federal departments, creating both legal certainty and personal uncertainty for those affected.
