BCE, a major Canadian corporation that owns Bell, has dismissed several employees for breaching workplace attendance and remote work policies. However, allegations have surfaced claiming that the terminations were unjust and aimed at avoiding severance payments. Bell’s chief human resources officer, Nikki Moffat, mentioned in an internal email that the terminated employees were misrepresenting their presence at work, but the fired workers have refuted these claims on social media and in discussions with CBC News.
According to Bell, some employees were found to be swiping in at work and quickly leaving thereafter. Contrary to this, individuals contacted by CBC News and lawyer Jean-Alexandre De Bousquet, representing over 30 dismissed Bell workers, assert that many of those terminated had never worked in the office, even before the pandemic. De Bousquet mentioned that he has been in contact with more than 30 terminated Bell employees and suspects there may be hundreds affected, a number disputed by Bell.
The company stated that only a small number of employees were fired and refuted the claim of mass terminations. Bell highlighted that corporate office staff were required to be in the office a minimum of two days a week since 2022, increasing to three days weekly in 2023. However, De Bousquet and his clients contest this, arguing that many employees never agreed to such changes and were given conflicting messages by their managers.
De Bousquet revealed that several of his clients were terminated without prior warnings or suspensions. He believes that Bell dismissed them for economic reasons, using alleged misconduct as a pretext to avoid paying severance. In response, Bell emphasized that the terminations were based on clear violations of the company’s code of conduct, following thorough investigations.
Despite Bell’s denial of economic motivations for the terminations, these actions came after the company cut hundreds of management and news division jobs in late 2025 to reduce debt and drive growth. Recent financial results have been mixed for Bell, with a drop in profits at parent company BCE, although operating revenue increased by four percent in the first quarter of the year, driven partly by growth in AI services revenue while traditional services saw declines.
The enforcement of attendance policies by Bell coincides with the return of white-collar workers to offices across Canada post-pandemic. Various public service sectors in different provinces have also transitioned back to in-office work arrangements, signaling a broader shift towards on-site work post-pandemic. Employment lawyer Sundeep Gokhale emphasized that employers generally have the authority to determine employees’ work locations, subject to contractual agreements or accommodations. Gokhale noted that firing employees for just cause, without severance, is a high threshold to meet, usually reserved for severe offenses like theft or fraud.
