Bonuses given out for 'exceptional' work and outside of 2-year wage freeze
Despite a wage freeze announced in 2009, 1,274 public sector workers in New Brunswick earned $2.9 million in bonuses last year.
The Liberal government implemented a two-year wage freeze for the public sector because of the significant budget deficit in 2009.
However, about 14 per cent of the civil service received an average of $2,260 in bonuses, according to documents obtained by the CBC.
The bonus payments were approved by each department's deputy minister and were for work deemed "exceptional."
In the Department of Health, employees who worked on the H1N1 vaccination program received bonuses, while the Department of Transportation rewarded employees who responded to flooding on provincial roads.
The Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour awarded the highest number of bonuses, with 341 employees receiving the extra pay.
The Office of the Premier and the Department of energy handed out the fewest bonuses.
