The Ford government is offering voluntary buyouts to thousands of Ontario Public Service employees, in an effort to reduce costs without slashing jobs.

“The government is exploring measures to manage its compensation costs in a way that ensures vital services to citizens are not compromised while avoiding involuntary job losses,” reads a memo obtained by the Star sent to all public service employees by Steve Orsini, cabinet secretary and head of the OPS.

The buyouts are being offered against the background of Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s promises during the provincial campaign that no jobs would be lost, as the government struggles with a deficit of $14.5 billion.

Ontario’s fiscal watchdog has said the budget deficit is $1.2 billion lower than what the government has projected.

“To help streamline the size of the Ontario Public Service (OPS), the current focus is on leveraging available programs that will allow employees to exit the organization on a voluntary basis,” adds the memo.

“As such cabinet has approved a time-limited transition exit initiative expansion and a new voluntary exit program within the OPS.”

The transition exit initiative expansion plan has been open to regular and regular part-time OPS employees who are represented by five unions, including the Ontario Public Service Employees Union, since 2013, Orsini’s memo says.

Starting in January 2019 it will be temporarily expanded to four other groups of employees.

A similar voluntary exit program will also be temporarily created and made available to seven groups of regular and regular part-time employees.

Employees can apply immediately, but they can’t leave until the new year, states the memo.

With files from Robert Benzie