The board of directors for CBC and Radio-Canada has approved bonuses for some staff, following a fiscal year that saw 141 employees let go, and another 205 vacant positions eliminated.
The decision was posted quietly on the public broadcaster’s website last month following a board of directors meeting.
A spokesman for CBC would not disclose how much money was doled out to the 1,194 eligible employees during the 2023-24 fiscal year, saying it’s internal information.
The public broadcaster has insisted that the money is performance pay and is part of some employees’ overall total compensation under existing contracts, to be paid out when certain company goals are met.
CEO Catherine Tait has faced questions at two parliamentary committee hearings this year on whether bonuses would roll out for the 2023-24 fiscal year, after the public broadcaster announced cuts in December due to a projected shortfall at the time.
The board says it is also reviewing its compensation regime for future years, acknowledging public concerns that bonuses shouldn’t be awarded during times of financial pressures and layoffs.
