CBC Awards $18.4M in Bonuses Following Significant Job Cuts
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) awarded $18.4 million in bonuses this year, despite cutting hundreds of jobs at the public broadcaster. Documents obtained through access-to-information laws reveal that CBC/Radio-Canada paid bonuses to 1,194 employees for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
Of that amount, more than $3.3 million was allocated to 45 executives, with each executive receiving an average bonus of over $73,000—exceeding the median family income after taxes in 2022, according to Statistics Canada.
Additionally, $10.4 million was distributed among 631 managers, while over $4.6 million was paid to 518 other employees.
The Conservative Party criticized the bonuses as “beyond insulting and frankly sickening,” highlighting that they were awarded at a time when many Canadians are struggling with poverty and homelessness.
This year’s bonus total marks an increase from the $14.9 million paid to 1,143 employees in the 2022-23 fiscal year. Although the CBC board approved this year’s bonuses in June, the amount had been withheld from public disclosure until now.
Members of Parliament had been pressing for this information since last December, when CBC announced job cuts as part of efforts to balance its budget. In total, 141 employees were laid off, and 205 vacant positions were eliminated at CBC/Radio-Canada.
The public broadcaster stated that these bonuses are performance-related and form part of the total compensation package for certain employees, in accordance with contractual agreements that promise payouts when specific company goals are achieved.
A CBC spokesperson stated on Monday that government departments, Crown corporations, and most private companies use performance pay, also known as ‘at-risk pay,’ as part of the compensation for non-union employees to encourage the achievement of specific targets.
“While the term ’bonuses’ has been used to describe performance pay, it is in fact a contractual obligation owing to eligible employees,” said spokesman Leon Mar.
