OTTAWA — The Canada Revenue Agency is looking to hire or rehire about 1,700 call centre workers over the next few months to manage an influx of calls during the upcoming tax season.
Melanie Serjak, an assistant commissioner at the CRA, says the agency is aiming to reach a total of around 4,500 agents to handle a "very high forecast" in demand.
Serjak says it's normal for the CRA to increase its staffing levels during the high peak season, when the agency can receive more than 300,000 phone calls per day.
At the height of last year's tax filing season, she says the agency had about 3,300 call centre staff.
The agency is seeking to grow its staffing levels as several departments and agencies are warning their employees of looming job cuts.
While the planned hiring at the CRA's call centres will involve temporary workers, assistant commissioner Maxime Guenette says decisions are still being made about the agency's permanent workforce.