August 25, 2025
RED FM News Desk
Toronto, ON – A new federal survey suggests employees at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) are among the least satisfied public servants in the country.
The 2024 Public Service Employee Survey, which polled more than 186,000 federal employees across 93 departments and agencies, found that just 46 per cent of CBSA workers and those at Indian Oil and Gas Canada would recommend their workplace as a “great place to work.” CSIS ranked only slightly higher at 48 per cent. By comparison, 67 per cent of public servants overall gave positive responses to the same question.
The results highlight ongoing morale problems at CBSA, where employees reported worse outcomes than the broader public service on issues such as work-life balance, job satisfaction and recognition for their efforts.
Mark Weber, national president of the Customs and Immigration Union, said he wasn’t surprised. “The agency is usually dead last, or close to it,” he told The Canadian Press, citing heavy-handed discipline, lengthy grievance battles and staffing shortages. “Our members tell us how disappointed they are… and it doesn’t really seem to change.”
CBSA spokesperson Jacqueline Roby said the agency is committed to employee well-being and a safe workplace free from harassment, but acknowledged that many factors influence job satisfaction.
CSIS employees, despite low ratings on workplace environment, expressed relatively high pride in their work, with 84 per cent saying they were proud of what they do and 77 per cent reporting they liked their job overall. Still, the Union of Safety and Justice Employees said morale remains low, citing delays in implementing a 2022 collective agreement and unequal treatment of some union members.
At the other end of the spectrum, the RCMP External Review Committee and the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying scored perfect results, with 100 per cent of staff calling their workplaces great.
The survey was conducted between October 28 and December 31, 2024, by Statistics Canada in partnership with the Treasury Board Secretariat.
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