Bell is kicking off the holidays by laying off nearly 700 employees, split across the Bell and Bell Media workforces.
We first learned about the layoffs from posts on social media from several employees who are currently in the process of being laid off.
Bell Q4 layoff discussion thread
byu/ziplock-bag inbell
MobileSyrup reached out to Bell to confirm the legitimacy of the posts. A Bell spokesperson has confirmed that about 650 manager positions, along with about 40 positions at Bell Media were impacted. The spokesperson confirmed that no unionized positions were affected.
Here is a statement from Bell:
“Bell: At the recent BCE Investor Day, we outlined a three-year strategic plan focused on delivering sustainable growth across all key business units.
“To advance this plan, we regularly assess and make changes to our team structure. As a result, we made the difficult but necessary decision to reduce the number of non-unionized management positions across the company to better align our team structure with our growth plan. The reduction represents under 2% of Bell’s total workforce, affecting approximately 650 manager positions. We know this is difficult for those who are impacted and we are supporting each person affected.
Bell continues to invest in strategic priorities that enhance the customer experience and grow the business.
“Bell Media: As part of Bell Media’s ongoing transformation to a digital media and content leader, we can confirm that approximately 40 positions, less than 1% of the Bell Media team, have been impacted, predominantly in corporate departments. We thank all departing employees for their dedication and contributions.”
Bell has been under scrutiny since it laid off many employees in 2024. In February 2024, Bell cut 4,800 jobs under a restructuring plan. Earlier this year, Bell offered a voluntary separation to 1,200 union workers.
However, managerial layoffs aren’t necessarily uncommon at Bell. In fact, Bell employees have been known to avoid the managerial track so they can stay unionized and circumvent being laid off. Unfortunately, Bell’s pre-holiday layoffs happened last year as well.
