Rogers said that about half of its 25,000 employees will be offered packages.Laura Proctor/The Globe and Mail
Rogers Communications Inc. RCI-B-T is offering voluntary departure packages to 50 per cent of its employees, excluding Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, as telecom industry revenue growth has slowed and companies look to shed costs.
On Monday, Rogers said that about half of its employees across numerous business divisions will be offered packages.
Rogers did not say whether it had a reduction target. Typically, only a minority of employees offered a voluntary buyout will accept it.
Rogers had 25,000 employees at the end of 2025. This includes about 3,000 MLSE employees, as Rogers is now the company’s majority owner, but these MLSE employees will not be offered buyouts.
“We are taking steps to adjust our cost structure to reflect the business realities of the current environment. As part of this, some teams have chosen to offer voluntary departure and retirement programs to give some employees the choice to decide whether they’d like to stay with the company or begin a new chapter,” said Rogers spokesperson Zac Carreiro in a statement.
Some teams within the company are eligible, though others are not, including on-air talent, Sportsnet employees at Rogers Sports and Media, Toronto Blue Jays and union employees.
Rogers plans to cut capital spending by up to $1.2-billion this year
Last week, the Toronto-based telecom, media and sports company said it planned to reduce its 2026 capital expenditures by up to $1.2-billion compared to last year – a reduction of 30 per cent – after years of heightened spending and in light of what executives described as a difficult regulatory environment.
Desjardins analyst Jérome Dubreuil said it’s “unfortunate to see the industry in conditions where such actions are warranted.
“But we view management’s commitment to adjust its cost base to the current challenging environment positively,” he said in a note to investors Monday afternoon.
Rogers, as well as its rivals, BCE Inc.’s Bell Canada and Telus Corp., have been cutting jobs and offering buyouts to hundreds of employees in recent years, as cellphone plan pricing has been declining and population growth has stalled.
All three companies also have substantial long-term debt on their books, that they have accrued in recent years building out infrastructure, making acquisitions and developing new business lines. Rogers had $34.7-billion in long-term debt as of March 31.
After its $20-billion takeover of Shaw in 2023, the company bought Bell’s stake of MLSE for $4.7-billion, re-signed its licensing deal with the National Hockey league for $11-billion, and plans to buy the remaining stake of MLSE later this year in a deal that analysts expect will cost upwards of $4-billion.
Rogers sells minority stake in wireless infrastructure for $7-billion
In order to pay down debt, Rogers sold a stake of its wireless infrastructure for $7-billion in 2025, and plans to sell a minority stake in its combined sports portfolio – including all of MLSE and its existing sports and media assets – to external investors.
Rogers has yet to reach the hiring levels in Western Canada that it promised the government as part of its acquisition of Shaw.
In 2023, Rogers committed to hiring 3,000 employees in Western Canada within five years, and to maintain those jobs for 10 years. As of March, the company had hired 2,600, according to a report published this month.
“As we continue to make investments to build our networks, we expect more people will be employed to support the construction and maintenance of Rogers networks,” the company said in the report.
The company did not immediately respond to a question about whether its ability to maintain the commitment would be affected by the voluntary buyouts or the plans to cut capital spending.
In 2025, Rogers laid off customer support staff in multiple provinces and told about 400 technicians and managers they had the option either to accept severance packages or sign employment contracts with telecom company Ericsson, which it said would then act as a contractor for Rogers.
Last year, it also ended its customer service contract with third-party firm Foundever, affecting hundreds of jobs.
Irene Galea
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