‘Serious human consequences’: CRA to slash hundreds of jobs in May

What’s going on at the CRA?

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) isn’t planning to renew the contracts of more than 1,000 employees on May 16.

“These cuts have serious human and social consequences. Behind each contract that is not renewed is a person, a family, a life situation that is turned upside down,” Marc Brière, the national president of the Union of Taxation Employees, said in a news release.

“It’s not just positions that are being eliminated. It is means of subsistence that are being crushed. These are communities that are being weakened.”

2025 has already seen substantial job cuts at the CRA. Approximately 450 positions were axed at the end of March.

SEE ALSO
• Canada Revenue Agency trims workforce to cap off 2024
• General Motors cutting shift at Oshawa plant, affecting hundreds of jobs
• ‘Real doom and gloom’: Thunder Bay’s Alstom plant prepares to shed 200+ jobs
• Trump Tariffs Canada: Layoffs, Severance, and Employee Rights

Major employers slashing staff

The CRA isn’t the only major employer scaling back its staffing levels this year.

Other big names, including Intel, Infosys, Google, Microsoft, S&S Activewear, Siemens, HPE, Wayfair, MLSE, Disney, Autodesk, JPMorgan, Vale, Canada Post, Workday, ADM, Amazon, and Shopify, have also pulled out the axe.

SEE ALSO
• Estée Lauder reportedly cut all Canadian staff in Hudson’s Bay stores
• Canada’s immigration department slashing workforce by 25%
• Where are layoffs happening in Canada?

While it remains unclear if the move will affect both unionized and non-unionized workers at the CRA, it’s crucial for non-unionized individuals to understand their rights when they’re fired or let go.

Your rights

Non-unionized CRA employees are entitled to full severance pay when they lose their jobs due to downsizing, corporate restructuring, or the closure of the business.

This applies to individuals working full-time, part-time, or hourly in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia.

In some cases, this can also apply to independent contractors.

Key severance facts:

• Compensation: Severance packages, which can be as much as 24 months’ pay, may include salary, bonuses, commissions, and other forms of compensation.
• Deadlines: You generally have up to two years from the date of your termination to review and negotiate severance offers.
• Action steps: Consult an employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP to ensure your severance package is fair and aligns with Canadian employment laws.

WATCH: Employment lawyer Lior Samfiru explains severance rights if you’ve been downsized on an episode of the Employment Law Show.

Before you sign a severance package

Use our firm’s free Severance Pay Calculator to confirm that the offer you received from your employer is fair.

This interactive tool has helped millions of Canadians determine their severance entitlements.

In the event that your employer’s offer falls short of what our calculator says you’re owed, it’s very likely you’ve been wrongfully dismissed and should contact an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.

If you’ve already accepted a severance offer, don’t panic. Connect with a member of our team as soon as possible.

LEARN MORE
• Severance pay for federally regulated employees
• Rights to severance for provincially regulated staff
• Are severance packages different during mass layoffs?
• Severance entitlements in a recession

Lost your job? Contact us

If you’ve been fired or let go for any reason, contact the experienced employment law team at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.

Our lawyers in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C. have successfully represented tens of thousands of non-unionized individuals.

In addition to severance package negotiations, we can assist you on a broad range of employment matters, including:

If you’re a non-unionized employee who needs help with a workplace issue, contact us or call 1-855-821-5900 to get the advice you need and the compensation you deserve.

Disclaimer: The materials above are provided as general information about the rights of non-unionized employees in Canada. It is not specific to any one company and SHOULD NOT be read as suggesting any improper conduct on the part of any specific employer, or a relationship between Samfiru Tumarkin LLP and a specific employer.