(Ottawa) The board of directors of CBC and Radio-Canada has approved bonuses for some employees despite a fiscal year in which 141 employees were laid off and 205 vacant positions were eliminated.
The decision was quietly published on the public broadcaster’s website last month, following a board meeting.
A CBC spokesperson would not disclose how much money will be distributed to the 1,194 eligible employees in the 2023-24 fiscal year, saying that is internal information.
The public broadcaster insisted that the money constitutes performance-related pay and is part of some employees’ overall total compensation under existing contracts, which is to be paid when certain company targets are met.
President and CEO Catherine Tait was questioned at two parliamentary committee hearings this year about whether the bonuses would be returned for the 2023-24 fiscal year, after the public broadcaster announced cuts in December due to a deficit already projected at the time.
The board says it is also reviewing its compensation package for the coming years, acknowledging public concerns that bonuses should not be awarded at a time of financial pressures and layoffs.