Paméla Marchand says federal pension rules leave some disabled workers worse off than provincial counterparts and wants immediate, penalty-free pensions for occupational disabilities.
The Story
Paméla Marchand, a former corrections officer with Correctional Service Canada, says federal pension rules should be changed to better protect workers who must retire early because of an occupational injury or illness.
Marchand worked as a corrections officer for 15 years before medically retiring at age 39, after a psychological injury forced her to leave her job. She said the harm was linked to harassment by colleagues, and that leaving the job early prevented her from reaching 25 years of service, the point at which front-line workers can retire without penalty.
Marchand’s petition focuses on what she described as pension inequities that can occur when a career ends prematurely due to a work-related disability. She said she lost salary increases and career progression, and that she also missed out on the pension benefits she would have built through a longer career.
In her petition, Marchand argues that a person who becomes disabled because of their work should not face an additional, permanent loss of pension rights they would otherwise have continued to accumulate. She also pointed to differences between federal and provincial systems, saying two correctional officers with an occupational injury could receive different pension protections depending on whether one works for the provincial government and the other for the federal government.
Marchand is calling for any recognized occupational disability to entitle an employee to an immediate pension without penalties, along with continued contributions. The petition also asks for employer contributions to continue during a severe and prolonged disability.
The former public servant also said she wants Ottawa to examine how federal pension rules interact with workers’ compensation systems and establish clearer protection for federal workers whose careers end early due to occupational disability.
The petition has gathered more than 1,140 signatures and is scheduled to be presented in the House of Commons on Oct. 7 by NDP MP Don Davies. Davies said in an email that sponsoring petitions is one way MPs facilitate citizen feedback to Parliament and does not necessarily mean they endorse the petition’s contents.
Marchand’s effort comes as her case highlights how early retirement can affect long-term benefits for people who cannot continue working because of workplace injuries or illnesses, particularly for those whose employment is federally regulated.
← More stories