Company says changes 'fuelled by rapid transformation in our industry and the growing customer demand for self‑serve solutions'
Telus Corp. is offering voluntary separation packages to hundreds more employees across Canada as part of an ongoing restructuring linked to increased use of digital and self‑serve customer service options.
The United Steelworkers (USW) says more than 500 of its members are among nearly 700 workers who have been offered buyouts nationally within Telus Business Solutions operations in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.
Employees have until Jan. 21 to decide whether to accept the packages, with departures scheduled to begin in mid‑February, according to a statement from USW Local 1944.
Those affected include staff across the Telus Business Solutions organisation, including call centres, wireless and wireline operations, network assurance teams and National Business Delivery technicians. The union notes there may be redeployment opportunities for some employees, depending on how many accept the packages.
‘Generous voluntary financial packages’
TELUS spokeswoman Sacha Gudmundsson said the offers are part of the same voluntary separation program the company implemented in 2025, which she described as being “fuelled by rapid transformation in our industry and the growing customer demand for self‑serve solutions," according to CP.
Gudmundsson said TELUS is offering “generous voluntary financial packages that exceed the requirements of the Canada Labour Code and give team members the option to retire or pursue a career outside of our organization.”
Gudmundsson told CP it is “standard operating practice” for TELUS to offer voluntary departure packages to a broad group of employees across the regions where it operates “in an effort to be fair and equitable to those in the impacted work areas.” TELUS also said it anticipates “a very small number of the team members being canvassed” will accept the latest offer and that the company reserves the right to limit the number of departures.
Previous VSP rounds
The union says the latest offers follow multiple previous rounds of voluntary separation programs (VSPs) over recent years, many of which were rejected by the same employees now being canvassed again. It adds that approximately 80 members of SAMT and 80 members of SQET‑5044, two Telus unions in Quebec, have also been offered VSPs in this round.
Last year, TELUS offered buyout packages in two waves, covering 545 employees across several departments in the first round and another 560 workers shortly afterwards, according to CP. At that time, the USW accused the company of reducing service levels and outsourcing work overseas.
In 2024, TELUS told around 150 call centre employees based in Ontario they had to relocate within a few months, apply for another role or agree to be laid off, with the company again citing the need to “evolve our customer service” by expanding digital and self‑serve options, USW previously said.
USW has criticised the federal government over the workforce reduction at Telus.
“The Federal Government continues to talk about stagnating Canadian productivity, yet they have regulatory oversight over telecoms like Telus that are cutting quality of service to the bone for businesses in this country,” the union says.
“That means longer wait times on the phone, speaking to more agents until they get someone who has the skill to solve their problem, delays in booking a technician, and being told by their provider to try using self‑help first.”
