Sherbrooke cuts 119 more jobs
In a meeting held Tuesday night, the members of Sherbrooke’s City Council adopted a new workforce plan following the announcement of the extension of the nonessential business closure period until May 4, as decreed by the provincial government. As of April 14, 57 per cent of the city’s 2,136 employees were deemed to be working in essential activities either at home or at their workplace, but six per cent, or 119 employees, were deemed “no longer required.”
These temporary layoffs come in addition to 275 already announced in an initial plan that was valid until April 13. The new plan aims to determine the personnel requirements for the City of Sherbrooke until May 4 and takes into account the protection of the health of its workers as well as of the population who use municipal services. Following the government’s objectives and directives, the City of Sherbrooke has already established a list of priority activities which constantly follows the changes decreed by Quebec.
In addition to the layoffs and essential tasks, 139 employees are at work on tasks that are not currently essential, but which are considered important to the eventual restart of activity in the city. Another 88 represent an available workforce for the gradual resumption of activities ( such as construction, eco-centers, maintenance of the cycling network, etc.). Of these, 82 are full-time employees. A further 140 are on medical leave or other time-off not related to COVID-19, and the remaining 160 are seasonal and student workers who were maid off last fall but who remain a part of the city’s statistics for this year.