Telus offering severance, retirement packages to customer support workers

Telus has offered voluntary severance packages and retirement buyouts to nearly 2,000 unionized customer support employees in Canada, according to media reports.

What’s happening: The telecommunications giant offered the packages to customer support staff for wireless and residential services.

• Employees who accept the voluntary severance offer will receive a lump-sum payment of one month of severance for every year of service, up to 18 months.
• If a Telus worker takes early retirement, they will receive one month’s pay for every year worked, up to a maximum of 12 months.
• Telus workers who accept the severance offer early will receive additional “enhancements,” including $1,000 per year of service up to a maximum of $20,000 and a $500 bonus.
• The deadline for Telus’ severance offer is June 9, with departures set for Summer 2023 and as late as October.
• Employees who don’t take the buyout could be redeployed to another area of the company, which may result in schedule changes.
• The offer has not been made to Chinese-language workers, bilingual or French agents, or tech support employees.

What Telus is saying: Spokesperson Richard Gilhooley indicated that the 2,000 customer service positions are being replaced by new technology.

• “We’ve made significant investments in customer service technology and self-serve capabilities to provide our customers with more service options,” he said via email.
• “We recently offered a voluntary program to some team members. We anticipate a small proportion of [employees] to choose this voluntary offer.”

Union response: Donna Hokiro, president of the United Steelworkers Local 1944, which represents 6,400 Telus employees, said that 1,992 of their members were handed the buyout offer.

• Hokiro said the loss of these union jobs will “harm communities.”
• “The assertion that Telus abruptly no longer requires the labour of up to 2,000 members seems implausible. It becomes increasingly apparent that this avaricious decision by Telus executives prioritizes their own compensation.”

While Telus is targeting unionized workers with voluntary severance packages and retirement buyouts, it’s important for non-unionized employees in Canada to understand their rights in this situation.

Should I accept a voluntary severance package?

Non-unionized employees in Canada shouldn’t accept a voluntary severance package before speaking with an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.

In some cases, individuals could be owed far more compensation if they are fired by the company, or let go involuntarily.

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Lost Your Job? Get Help Now

📞 Contact Samfiru Tumarkin LLP: 1-855-821-5900 or request a consultation online.

Our experienced employment lawyers in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia (BC) have helped tens of thousands of non-unionized individuals resolve their workplace issues, including wrongful dismissals.

If you’ve lost your job at Telus for any reason, don’t panic. We can review your situation, assess your legal options, and help you secure the compensation you’re legally entitled to.