Podcast artwork

Phoenixed: Inside Canada’s payroll disaster

Global Payroll Association

A new investigative podcast that dives deep into the Canadian government’s botched payroll transformation project — a $3 billion problem that still hasn’t been resolved.

Episode list

6

  • May 14, 2024

    30 min

    Episode 6: From the Ashes

    Almost eight years after the launch of its problem-plagued Phoenix pay system, the Canadian government announced some good news: it has been testing a new HR and pay platform with ...

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  • May 7, 2024

    29 min

    Episode 5: The Fallout

    Following the launch of the Phoenix pay system, the Canadian government’s troubled payroll transformation became a major news story. In a scathing report, an auditor called the pro...

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  • April 30, 2024

    23 min

    Episode 4: I Got Phoenixed

    The Canadian government's botched payroll transformation has not only cost workers their pay, but also job opportunities, marriages and houses. The Phoenix pay system’s issues even...

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  • April 23, 2024

    26 min

    Episode 3: Going Live

    As the Canadian government embarked on its payroll transformation project, IBM was tasked with customizing software for a complex public service pay system. Pressure to stay on bud...

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  • April 16, 2024

    26 min

    Episode 2: Moving to Miramichi

    Amid the Canadian government’s payroll transformation, a new federal pay centre was established in the quaint community of Miramichi, New Brunswick. Why was this sleepy city chosen...

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  • April 9, 2024

    23 min

    Episode 1: The Best Intentions

    After the Canadian government launched a new payroll system in 2016, many public servants were underpaid, some for months at a time. Civil servants who “got phoenixed” have lost jo...

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