Rogers Layoffs: What Employees Should Know Before Accepting a Voluntary Buyout or Severance Package
Rogers Communications is reportedly offering voluntary departure packages to about half of its 25,000 employees, according to Reuters, citing a Globe and Mail report. Rogers reportedly said employees across numerous business divisions will be offered packages, but did not disclose a reduction target. Reuters also reported that some groups, including union employees, some on-air talent, and Sportsnet employees at Rogers Sports and Media, are not eligible for the program.
That distinction matters.
A voluntary buyout is not exactly the same thing as an involuntary layoff or termination. With a voluntary buyout, the employee is usually being invited to resign or agree to end employment in exchange for a package. But employees should not assume “voluntary” means “risk-free.”
Before signing anything, Rogers employees should understand what they are giving up, whether the package is fair, and whether the offer affects rights under the Canada Labour Code, common law, a collective agreement, bonus plan, pension plan, or employment contract.
Vanguard Law reviews severance packages, employment contracts, and workplace exit agreements for employees across Ontario.
Why Is Rogers Offering Buyouts?
According to Reuters, Rogers said it is taking steps to adjust its cost structure to reflect current business realities. Reuters also reported that Rogers had earlier forecast 2026 capital expenditures about 30% below 2025 levels amid a tough pricing environment.
Rogers’ own Q1 2026 results reported that capital expenditures decreased 17% year-over-year in the first quarter, from $978 million to $808 million, while capital intensity decreased from 19.7% to 14.7%. Rogers also disclosed that restructuring, acquisition and other costs included severance and other departure-related costs associated with targeted restructuring of its employee base.
For employees, the business reason is less important than the legal question:
Is the package fair, and what rights are being released if you accept it?
Are Rogers Employees Provincially or Federally Regulated?
Many Rogers employees may be federally regulated, because the Government of Canada lists telecommunications, telephone, Internet, cable systems, radio broadcasting, and television broadcasting among federally regulated private-sector workplaces under the Canada Labour Code.
This matters because federally regulated employees are generally governed by the Canada Labour Code, not Ontario’s Employment Standards Act, for minimum employment standards.
However, the answer can still depend on the specific Rogers entity, role, work location, business line, union status, and employment terms. Rogers is a large communications, media, sports, and entertainment company. Some employees may be covered by a collective agreement. Others may be non-union employees with individual employment contracts.
Before accepting a Rogers buyout or severance package, employees should confirm which legal framework applies.
What Is a Voluntary Buyout?
A voluntary buyout is usually an offer where the employer says:
“You may choose to leave employment now in exchange for a departure package.”
The package may include:
Lump-sum severance
Salary continuance
Benefits continuation
Pension or RRSP treatment
Bonus or commission treatment
Stock option, RSU, or equity treatment
Career transition services
A release of claims
Confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses
A deadline to accept
The most important part is often the release. If you sign, you may be giving up the right to claim more later.
Should Rogers Employees Accept the First Offer?
Not without reviewing it.
A first offer may not reflect the employee’s full legal entitlements. That is especially true for long-service employees, older employees, managers, specialists, sales employees, technical employees, employees with bonuses or commissions, and employees with equity compensation.
The Government of Canada advises employees to read severance agreements carefully before signing and to speak with a lawyer if they have questions or concerns. It also notes that severance may be called a severance package, severance agreement, or retiring allowance.
Vanguard Law’s severance package review service helps employees understand whether an offer is fair before they sign.
What Are Federally Regulated Employees Owed on Termination?
For federally regulated employees, minimum termination and severance rules are found under the Canada Labour Code.
For individual terminations, the federal government explains that employers must provide at least two weeks’ written notice, or pay in lieu, and for employees with at least three years of service, notice increases by one week per completed year of employment, up to a maximum of eight weeks. Employers must also provide a statement of benefits setting out wages, vacation pay, severance pay, and other benefits and pay arising from employment.
The Canada Labour Code also requires severance pay for employees with at least 12 consecutive months of continuous employment. The minimum severance amount is the greater of two days’ wages for each full year of service or five days’ wages.
Those are minimum standards. A non-union employee may also have additional rights under common law unless an enforceable employment contract limits those rights.
Could Rogers Employees Have Common Law Severance Rights?
Yes, many non-union employees may have common law rights beyond statutory minimums.
Common law reasonable notice depends on factors such as:
Length of service
Age
Position
Compensation
Availability of comparable employment
Recruitment history
Specialization
The job market
Whether the employee has an enforceable termination clause
A long-service Rogers employee may be offered a package based on company policy, a voluntary program formula, or statutory minimums. That does not necessarily mean it is the full amount the employee could claim.
Vanguard Law’s wrongful dismissal page explains how employees may be entitled to more than minimum statutory amounts where common law reasonable notice applies.
What About Group Termination Rules?
If an employer terminates 50 or more federally regulated employees at a single industrial establishment on the same date or within a four-week period, group termination rules may apply. The federal government explains that group termination generally requires at least 16 weeks’ notice to the Labour Program’s Head of Compliance and Enforcement and additional notice-related obligations.
The Canada Labour Code itself states that an employer terminating 50 or more employees within a period not exceeding four weeks at a particular industrial establishment must give notice to the Head at least 16 weeks before the first termination date, in addition to individual notice obligations.
However, a voluntary departure program may be structured differently from an involuntary group termination. Employees should not assume group termination rules apply automatically. The legal analysis may depend on whether employees are truly resigning voluntarily, whether the program later becomes involuntary, how many employees are affected, and where they work.
What If You Are Unionized?
Unionized employees usually have different rights than non-union employees.
If you are unionized, your rights may come from:
The collective agreement
Seniority rules
Layoff and recall provisions
Grievance procedures
Union representation
Statutory minimum standards
Any negotiated buyout program
Reuters reported that union employees were among the groups not eligible for the current voluntary departure packages, based on the Globe and Mail report.
If you are unionized and affected by restructuring, speak with your union representative immediately. Individual employment lawyers may be limited in what they can do if your dispute must proceed through the collective agreement grievance process.
What Should Rogers Employees Look For in a Buyout Package?
Before signing a voluntary departure package, review the offer for:
1. Total Compensation
Does the offer include base salary only, or does it also address bonus, commissions, pension, RRSP matching, stock options, RSUs, benefits, car allowance, vacation pay, and other compensation?
2. Benefits Continuation
Does health, dental, life insurance, disability coverage, and other benefits continue? For how long? Are any benefits excluded?
3. Bonus and Incentive Pay
Does the agreement cut off bonus or commission rights? Does it require you to be “actively employed” on the payout date? Does it address performance period compensation already earned?
4. Equity Compensation
If you hold stock options, RSUs, PSUs, DSUs, or other equity, confirm what happens on the departure date. Equity plans often contain strict termination language.
5. Pension and Retirement
A voluntary retirement package may affect pension timing, bridging benefits, early retirement penalties, or future contributions.
6. Release Language
The release may waive employment, human rights, benefits, bonus, pension, equity, and common law claims. Do not sign unless you understand what you are giving up.
7. Non-Disparagement and Confidentiality
These clauses may limit what you can say about the company, the offer, the restructuring, or your departure.
8. Re-Employment Restrictions
Some packages restrict whether you can work for Rogers, affiliates, vendors, contractors, or competitors after departure.
9. Employment Insurance
Some payments may affect Employment Insurance timing. The Government of Canada notes that employees should consider how severance is paid and how the agreement is structured.
10. Deadline to Accept
Do not assume the deadline is immovable. It is often reasonable to ask for more time to obtain legal advice.
Is a Voluntary Buyout Better Than Waiting for a Layoff?
Maybe, but not always.
A voluntary buyout may offer certainty, control, and a clean exit. It may also be attractive if you were already considering retirement, a career change, or another job.
But there are risks.
If the buyout is lower than what you would be owed in an involuntary termination, accepting early may leave money on the table. If you resign voluntarily under the agreement, it may affect your ability to claim additional severance, challenge the termination, or access certain statutory remedies.
Employees should compare:
The voluntary package
Their minimum statutory entitlements
Their potential common law entitlement
Their contract language
The likelihood of later involuntary termination
Their job prospects
Pension and benefit consequences
Tax timing
EI consequences
Personal financial needs
Can Rogers Employees File an Unjust Dismissal Complaint?
Some federally regulated non-union employees may have access to the unjust dismissal regime under the Canada Labour Code.
The federal government explains that Part III of the Code prohibits unjust dismissal of employees who have completed at least 12 months of continuous employment and are not covered by a collective agreement. Federally regulated employers found to have unjustly dismissed employees may be ordered to reinstate or compensate them.
The Canada Industrial Relations Board also states that Part III of the Canada Labour Code provides recourse for federally regulated employees to claim wages and other amounts owed and to seek compensation for unjust dismissals.
This may matter if a voluntary departure program becomes an involuntary dismissal, or if an employee is pressured to resign. Do not sign a release before understanding whether unjust dismissal rights may apply.
What If Rogers Pressures You to Decide Quickly?
Do not panic-sign.
A careful response may be:
“Thank you for providing the voluntary departure package. I would like time to review the terms carefully and obtain advice before making a decision. Please confirm whether the deadline can be extended and whether the package is negotiable.”
You should also request copies of:
Your employment contract
Any termination clause
Bonus or commission plans
Equity plan documents
Pension documents
Benefits booklets
The full buyout agreement
Any release
Any retirement program terms
Any internal FAQ or policy document
Can You Negotiate a Rogers Buyout Package?
Potentially, yes.
Depending on your role and circumstances, you may be able to negotiate:
More weeks or months of pay
A lump sum instead of salary continuance
Longer benefits continuation
Bonus or commission payout
Better equity treatment
Pension bridging or retirement language
Outplacement services
A neutral reference
Non-disparagement protection both ways
Reduced clawback language
More favourable tax allocation
Extended acceptance deadline
The strongest negotiation position usually comes from knowing your legal baseline before you respond.
Red Flags in a Rogers Severance or Buyout Offer
Get legal advice before signing if the offer:
Calls the departure a resignation
Includes a broad release
Excludes bonus, commission, or equity compensation
Cuts off benefits too early
Has a clawback provision
Requires confidentiality about the package
Includes non-disparagement language
Contains a non-compete or broad non-solicitation clause
Requires repayment of training, relocation, or incentive money
Gives you very little time to decide
Offers only statutory minimums
Does not explain pension or retirement consequences
Does not address Employment Insurance implications
Vanguard Law’s article on clawback provisions in severance packages may be useful if the package includes salary continuance that stops or reduces if you find new work.
Speak With an Employment Lawyer Before Signing a Rogers Buyout or Severance Offer
If you work at Rogers and have received a voluntary departure package, retirement offer, severance package, or termination letter, do not assume the offer is final or fair.
At Vanguard Law, we help employees review severance packages, voluntary buyouts, employment contracts, bonus and equity language, termination clauses, and release documents.
Before signing away your rights, get advice.
Contact Vanguard Law today for a severance package or voluntary buyout review.
FAQ Section
Is Rogers laying off employees in 2026?
Reuters reported on April 27, 2026, that Rogers is offering voluntary departure packages to about half of its 25,000 employees, citing the Globe and Mail. Rogers reportedly did not disclose a reduction target.
Is a voluntary buyout the same as severance?
Not exactly. A voluntary buyout is usually an offer to leave employment by agreement in exchange for a package. Severance is compensation connected to job loss. A buyout may include severance-like payments, but it may also require the employee to resign and release claims.
Should I accept a Rogers voluntary departure package?
Not before reviewing it carefully. The offer may affect severance, bonus, commission, equity, pension, benefits, Employment Insurance, and future legal claims.
Are Rogers employees federally regulated?
Many Rogers employees may be federally regulated because telecommunications, cable systems, radio broadcasting, and television broadcasting are listed as federally regulated industries under the Canada Labour Code. The specific answer can depend on the role, entity, union status, and work arrangement.
What severance are federally regulated employees owed?
Federally regulated employees may be entitled to minimum notice or pay in lieu, a statement of benefits, and severance pay if they have at least 12 months of continuous employment. These are minimum standards and may not be the full amount owed.
Can I negotiate a Rogers buyout package?
Possibly. Employees may be able to negotiate pay, benefits, bonus, commissions, equity, pension treatment, release language, reference language, and the deadline to accept.