The Union of Taxation Employees (UTE) said workers at their call centres need more staffing to meet the growing need for taxpayer support. The yearly report released by the Taxpayers’ Ombusdperson further backs the workers’ claim.
Contact centre agents in Canada’s tax agency, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), are facing an increasing amount of calls that are more complex, the report shows. As such, agents are spending more time on the phone which is creating a backlog in complaint and service cases.
Marc Brière, National President of UTE, attributed longer wait times to issues with staffing. In an open letter sent on September 19, Brière said the CRA did not renew over 2,000 contracts for agents working in Contact Centres.
“The situation faced by our members is distressing,” Brière said. “Employees working in Contact Centres are exhausted, and the Agency’s refusal to fill more permanent positions in this type of work, as well as the stressful and highly supervised work environment compared to other positions within the CRA, place them in precarious employment situations.”
Workloads have become significant, according to the Taxpayers’ Ombudsperson. The report shows CRA workers are facing workloads comparable to the peak of the pandemic in the 2021-2022 fiscal year. This time was the busiest time in the office’s history.
“I can confirm to you today that the situation is still very difficult in the Canada Revenue Agency’s Contact Centres, and that there is still a severe shortage of agents in order to be
able to meet the demand and offer the best possible service and respond to calls in a timely manner,” Brière wrote in a letter to the ombudsperson.
The CRA is also falling short of their target to follow up with complainants in a timely manner. In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, only 30 per cent of complainants received a response within five business days. In 2022-2023, those who received a response in five days sat at 60 per cent. The CRA’s target is for 95 per cent of complainants to get responded before those five business days are up.
“This can frustrate complainants since they are not receiving a timely response, unless they are in a compelling situation,” the office of the ombudsperson wrote. “This frustration from complainants also leads to increased calls, as they are unsure of the status of their file at our Office, which adds to the time we have to spend on each case.”
The staffing issues at the CRA are not only causing hardship for its workers, but for any Canadian who depends on the grants provided by the office. The report shared the story of Anslie Stufford, a single mother who receives the Canada Child Benefit. Stufford was only receiving part of her benefit which had caused her financial hardship. Her tax preparer accidentally indicated she was in a relationship. Despite having corrected this information with the CRA, Stufford was still not receiving her full benefit and could not afford basic necessities.
Some progress has been made in the last few months to improve staffing. The CRA is in the midst of its public consultation process to improve services. They wrote on their website that they are committed to providing high-quality service.
“We know there are challenges that need to be addressed to better serve Canadians and we are implementing a number of initiatives to improve their experience. Feedback from those who interact directly with the Canada Revenue Agency will help us explore all the options to ensure nothing is overlooked in providing quality service,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of National Revenue.
Brière also noted that the CRA has hired and re-hired approximately 300 staff members after the ombudsperson requested the office make changes to improve service by extending hours.
“This is good news,” Brière said. “However, it is far from sufficient to remedy the long delays that taxpayers face when they call the Agency.”
“Our members have demonstrated in the past that they can rise to the occasion,” he added. “It is high time that the Canada Revenue Agency gives them the capability to do so, permanently.”
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