Survey finds border agents among least satisfied public servants in Canada

A survey of public servants' job satisfaction suggests employees working with Canada Border Services and Canadian Security Intelligence Services are some of the least satisfied.

Employees at the Canada Border Services Agency and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service are the least likely to recommend their office as a great place to work, a survey of federal public servants suggests.

The 2024 Public Service Employee Survey asked federal government employees a range of questions about their satisfaction with their workplace, including about their leadership, well-being and compensation.

One question asked public servants if they would recommend their department or agency as a “great place to work.”Overall, 67 per cent of public servants gave positive answers to that question.

CBSA and Indian Oil and Gas Canada tied for worst place, with 46 per cent of respondents from those organizations indicating that they were great places to work.

Forty-eight per cent of people at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and 49 per cent of people at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada said they’d recommend their workplace as a great place to work.

Jacqueline Roby, a spokesperson for the CBSA said there are many factors that impact an employee’s work experience. She said the agency works to create a safe workplace, cares about employees’ well-being and affirms their “right to work in an environment that is free from all forms of harassment.”

The survey suggests that CBSA employees feel worse than the overall public service in several areas, including work-life balance, getting a sense of satisfaction from their work and receiving recognition for their efforts.

Mark Weber, national president of the Customs and Immigration Union, said in an interview with The Canadian Press that he’s “not shocked” by the results and that the agency is usually “dead last” or among the bottom three.