In an email to employees last week, CAO Ann Mitchell says there are no plans to lay off 20 per cent of the workforce.

By Eli J. Ridder

Medicine Hat CAO tries to reassure city staff amid job cut rumours

Sep 9, 2024 | 10:31 AM

Medicine Hat’s chief administrator Ann Mitchell felt it was important to inform city staff that plans to create a “workforce strategy” had begun after rumours spread online about a 20 per cent reduction to the number of employees.

“As information like this can create significant distress for employees, I want to address it as quickly and effectively as possible,” Mitchell wrote in a Sept. 3 email, according to various copies viewed by CHAT News and confirmed by the city.

“I want to assure you that there is no plan at this time to lay off 20% of the organization. What is underway is an effort to develop a workforce strategic plan.”

She said the city will work with a third-party to evaluate the organization to sort out what the optimal staffing level would be to balance maintaining services while staying fiscally responsible.

The workforce strategy will be a “multi-year effort” and such a plan will take attrition, retirements, critical roles and vacant positions into consideration — as opposed to simply firing employees.

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“Reviewing our staff complement is something that is not taken lightly or entered into quickly, and any initiatives that result in changes for staff should always be handled with a well-planned and thoughtful communication and change management approach,” Mitchell wrote.

“The message circulating online today hastened the need to share information prior to the completion of a more comprehensive plan, and for this I am regretful,” she added in the email that was sent last Tuesday.

Coun. Shila Sharps had a meeting with two Medicine Hat residents earlier this year regarding sanctions placed on council by the mayor, she said.

The residents requested they record the interaction and Sharps agreed. An audio recording of the clip made its way to social media, the councillor said.

Sharps said it’s a stance she’s long stood behind.

“I’ve always said we have to cut expenses,” she told CHAT News.

“If we don’t cut expenses, we keep raising taxes and I don’t think it’s fair for the city taxpayers to keep paying a higher tax rate because we haven’t looked at what expenses could be cut.”

Staffing levels of full-time City of Medicine Hat employees have remained largely the same since 2019.

In 2019 and 2020, there were 1087 total permanent positions. In 2021, it dropped to 1,024 before rising to 1,050 in 2022 and 1,082 in 2023, according to the 2023 financial report.

It was not immediately clear when the workforce plan would be brought before council.