TORONTO - A memo sent to Ontario public service employees says the government is offering buyout packages to thousands of workers in an effort to cut costs without resorting to layoffs.
The memo, obtained by The Canadian Press and other media outlets, says the offer is part of the Progressive Conservative government's plan to address its fiscal challenges.
The document notes a buyout package has been available to unionized employees since 2013 but is now temporarily expanding to include other, non-union employee groups such as Crown counsel. Another similar package is being created for management, the memo says.
Those seeking to apply must do so between Jan. 1 and Feb. 28, and successful applicants must leave the public service before the end of next year.
The government did not immediately reply to a request for comment but Premier Doug Ford has repeatedly vowed that not a single job would be lost through government cost-cutting.
The buyouts memo was written by the head of the public service, Steve Orsini, and also sent to Ford as well as his chief of staff, Dean French.
