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Public servant 'scared' to retire due to problems with Phoenix pay system
A federal worker fears retiring early due to a $10,500 debt from Phoenix pay errors, with 216,000 unresolved cases in the system as of late February, officials said.
- On March 22, 2026, Jennifer MacDougall, a federal public servant, says she was told she owes about $10,500 because of a Phoenix pay system error linked to a 2014–2018 reclassification, leaving her 'scared' to accept early retirement.
- The Phoenix pay system, rolled out in 2016, has caused ongoing errors and a backlog of 216,000 transactions, costing taxpayers about $5 billion.
- Fearing future collections, Jennifer MacDougall says she is contesting the decision and called the situation 'The whole thing is just so crazy,' as she fights the alleged debt, causing her and her husband anxiety.
- Officials add that they have created a specialized service within the pay centre for severance cases, which is trained but not yet deployed, and are exploring automation and AI efforts to handle volume, Alex Benay said.
- Looking to next year, the government reported a backlog of 216,000 transactions as of Feb. 25 and awarded a 10-year, $350.6 million contract to Dayforce, with implementation beginning in 2027.
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Winnipeg Free Press+23 Reposted by 23 other sources
Public servant 'scared' to retire due to problems with Phoenix pay system
Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
·Winnipeg, Canada
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Total News Sources35
Leaning Left24Leaning Right0Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution89% Left
Bias Distribution
- 89% of the sources lean Left
89% Left
L 89%
11%
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