The officers were dismissed for cheating the PCU

Forty-four employees of Service Canada, the agency responsible for distributing CERB, were fired for taking advantage of the federal government’s emergency benefits.

• Read more: Conservatives cry foul over these abuses

Below is an internal reference received by our Bureau of Investigation Access to Information Act, It says the employees were fired for violating integrity principles in the department’s code of conduct.

“All employees who have submitted fraudulent claims to CERB [Prestation canadienne d’urgence] The Government of Canada must repay the full amount disbursed and face consequences, including termination of employment with ESDC. [Emploi et Développement social Canada] “, can you read.

It also indicated that 44 employees had been retrenched.

ESDC, which oversees Service Canada, acknowledges that dozens of employees have been let go after receiving the CERB.

“The 44 employees whose trust status was revoked were all employees who took advantage of CERB benefits,” said ESDC Media Relations Maja Stefanowska.

A waste of money

Service Canada was responsible for managing the CERB program during the first months of the pandemic in 2020.

“It causes dissonance in the system. It means we no longer trust or we feel that companies are wasting our money,” says Michel Seguin, a professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal and an expert in ethics and governance.

“It lacks credibility, says Co-op President Guy Bernier. It is very important that all employees are honest. And integrity is consistent with what the organization advocates. »

For example, the researcher points out that the government asks citizens to be transparent about taxation or their tax returns.

“This is a fatal mistake. The government cannot have employees who do not respect the principles of integrity it demands of its citizens,” explained Mr. Seguin.

Proactive measures

In an email exchange, Ms. Stefanowska responded that the ministry “maintains strict security procedures, including taking precautions against risks that ministry employees may pose.”

In the spring of 2020 the government introduced the CERB program to help Canadians who have lost their jobs or had their hours reduced.

– With Philippe Langlois

Serb is…

• $79.3 billion Expenses
• 8,830,000 Service providers
• $7940 Quebecers were paid on average

► Our investigative bureau uncovered the activity of PCU fraudsters in October 2020 who used their personal data to impersonate many victims.