Bell’s parent company BCE has fired a group of employees caught faking their office attendance records in what the company is calling a “swipe and go” scheme.
The details are pretty brazen. Workers would badge into the office and walk straight back out, logging their presence without actually showing up for work. One employee reportedly swiped in just before midnight and again shortly after, making it look like they had put in two full days at the office. Another came in exclusively to use the gym before heading home (sometimes you just can’t skip leg day).
BCE caught on during an internal review. Bell spokesperson Luc Levasseur confirmed to the Globe and Mail the employees were confronted with clear evidence and that most admitted they had done it deliberately. No unionized staff were involved, and the company was careful to note these terminations are separate from any broader layoffs.
Bell currently requires most corporate employees to be in the office three days a week. The firings land at a time when Canadian employers and the federal government are both pushing harder for a real return to the office.
There’s a reason why companies want employees to come back to the office. You actually know who’s there to do some work. The practice of “coffee badging” is showing up to work for coffee, then leaving to go work from home, is seemingly a major trend now according to employment law firm Tumarkin Samfiru LLP.
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