Bonuses for federal executives and upper management cost more than $190 million last year. The Treasury Board called it a credit to the “world class public service.”.“Canada has a world class public service with employees committed to providing the highest level of service to Canadians,” Treasury Board President Mona Fortier wrote in an Inquiry Of Ministry tabled in the Commons. “In fact Canada’s public service is regularly recognized globally for its quality and effectiveness.”.According to Blacklock's Reporter, bonuses called “performance pay” totaled $190,725,106 last year. A total of 16,069 executives and managers received bonuses. “Incentive plans that reward executives for the delivery of expected results are common among Canadian private and public sector organizations including within Canada’s federal public service,” wrote President Fortier..The Inquiry did not detail payments to individuals. However, in four federal agencies, every single executive received a bonus..The 100% group included managers at the Office of the Governor General’s Secretary, the Communications Security Establishment, Economic Development for Québec, Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario and Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre. Costs for the 100% totaled $5.5 million..At 23 other federal agencies 95% of executives or more qualified for a bonus. The 95% group included the departments of heritage, finance, fisheries, foreign affairs, Indigenous services, infrastructure, justice, public safety, public works and transport. “Executives in the core public administration are eligible for performance pay when they meet the commitments outlined in their annual performance agreements,” wrote President Fortier..The smallest bonus payout was a total $24,210 to managers at the Secretariat of the National Security and Intelligence Committee. The biggest payout was $17.9 million to a total 295 executives, the equivalent of 96% of upper management, at the Department of Justice..Access To Information records from Crown agencies have identified bonus payments as routine regardless of results. Executives at the Canadian Tourism Commission paid themselves bonuses equal to $32,652 each in 2020 though tourism was in lockdown and nine percent of Commission staff were laid off..The CBC last year paid 1,033 staff a total $15.4 million in bonuses at the same time the Crown broadcaster reported declining ad revenues and layoffs of 11 staff in its Radio Canada International division. “The Covid-19 pandemic and the challenges of covering it put immense pressure on CBC’s workforce, operations, finances and systems,” said an April 20, 2021 cabinet briefing note Funding Support For The CBC.
