The federal government is planning to let public servants in certain frontline safety and security roles — including firefighters, paramedics, prison guards and border services officers — retire earlier without pension reductions, a nod to the demanding nature of their work
Under proposed amendments to the Public Service Superannuation Act and related regulations, eligible federal and territorial employees would be able to leave after 25 years of service without facing a cut in their pensions, the government said Wednesday. The changes were announced by Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Transport, following the commitments outlined in the Federal Economic Update.
Who is covered?
The expanded measures would apply to:
- Firefighters (federal and territorial governments)
- Paramedics (territorial governments)
- Correctional service employees (territorial governments)
- Border services officers (federal government)
- Parliamentary protection officers (federal government)
- Search and rescue technicians (federal government)
Employees who move among different frontline roles would be able to transfer their eligible years of service, and those who later shift to non-frontline positions could still qualify if they complete a minimum of 10 years of frontline service and pay an additional contribution.
Rules similar to those at RCMP, Canadian Armed Forces
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat said the move reflects similar provisions already available to frontline employees of Correctional Service Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The government said it recognizes the service of workers who manage critical safety and security responsibilities and wants to ensure they can retire on fair terms.
“Public servants in critical frontline roles work hard every day to keep Canadians safe, while performing challenging and demanding roles,” said Anand. “With early retirement measures, our government is making sure their service is recognized by allowing them to retire after 25 years without any pension reductions.”
More information
The public service pension plan, established through the Public Service Superannuation Act (PSSA), provides employees of the federal public service and more than 60 other participating organizations, including the 3 territorial governments, with an income payable upon retirement. Benefits are generally based on an employee’s salary, pensionable service, and age.
For most plan members, an unreduced pension continues to require a minimum age of 60 or 65 (depending on when they joined) or a lower age with 30 years of pensionable service.
