Bell Lays Off Nearly 700 Employees in Company-Wide Shakeup

Bell has confirmed it is cutting roughly 690 non-unionized management jobs across the company.

A BCE spokesperson said the reductions follow internal reviews tied to the company’s recently announced plan for the next three years.

“At the recent BCE Investor Day, we outlined a three-year strategic plan focused on delivering sustainable growth across all key business units,” said a spokesperson to iPhone in Canada on Thursday.

Bell says the cuts affect about 650 manager positions, representing under 2% of its workforce. According to the company, “As a result, we made the difficult but necessary decision to reduce the number of non-unionized management positions across the company to better align our team structure with our growth plan.”

“We know this is difficult for those who are impacted and we are supporting each person affected,” said Bell. The company noted it “continues to invest in strategic priorities that enhance the customer experience and grow the business.”

Bell Media is also eliminating jobs. “As part of Bell Media’s ongoing transformation to a digital media and content leader, we can confirm that approximately 40 positions, less than 1% of the Bell Media team, have been impacted, predominantly in corporate departments.”

“We thank all departing employees for their dedication and contributions,” said Bell, which pointed out no unionized roles are affected.

Last February, Bell offered severance packages for 1,200 union employees. Traditionally, the timing of job cuts were announced after the company’s annual Let’s Talk mental health initiative, but with today’s news, the trimming of these positions comes right before the beginning of December and the winter holidays.