Early Retirement Incentive (ERI) at the Department of National Defence
Learn more about the ERI at DND, including employee eligibility criteria and the process around this temporary, voluntary program.
The application period for the Early Retirement Incentive (ERI) program closed on July 24, 2026, and no further applications are being accepted.
Overview of ERI at the Department of National Defence
The Department of National Defence (DND) is participating in the Early Retirement Incentive (ERI), which is a temporary and voluntary program.
The ERI program provides eligible employees with the opportunity to retire earlier than normally permitted, with an unreduced pension, subject to approval based on organizational needs and priorities.
All applications will be assessed against Treasury Board criteria (detailed below), with a strong focus on maintaining operational capacity and continuity of services. At DND, Level One (L1) organizations are responsible for reviewing and recommending applications, supported by Human Resources and Finance. The L1s have designated coordinators who can answer questions and discuss the process further with employees. Please be advised that the final decision for ERI certification rests with the Deputy Minister (DM), who is reviewing applications on an ongoing basis.
Employees with an existing resignation or approved pre-retirement transition leave cannot participate in the ERI program.
Separate from the ERI program, employees can choose to retire under the normal pension provisions at any time and should advise their manager accordingly.
Treasury Board Criteria
In addition to employees meeting specific age and years of service requirements, applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis to certify that the following Treasury Board criteria are met:
- The organization needs to reduce its workforce
- Services to Canadians will be maintained
- Current and future operational or business needs will continue to be met
Important Dates
Program start: March 26, 2026
Application deadline: July 24, 2026
Last possible day of employment: January 19, 2027
Latest possible retirement start date: January 20, 2027
ERI Process and Timeline at DND
- Eligible employees must have submitted an application through the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) Application Portal (TAP) (accessible only on the Government of Canada network) by July 24, 2026.
- L1 organizations assess operational and workforce impacts, making recommendations on applications (May through August).
- The DM is the delegated authority to certify applications and once certified, ERI decisions are communicated to employees via the TAP portal (accessible only on the Government of Canada network).
- Employees whose applications have been certified by the DM will receive a detailed email outlining the next steps.
- Employees must consult their manager on a proposed retirement date and then formally submit their resignation to their manager indicating their last working day (no later than January 19, 2027), using the Notice of Departure (accessible only on the National Defence network) form (DND1346).
- Once the employee’s manager accepts and signs the Notice of Departure (accessible only on the National Defence network), the employee must submit the signed Notice of Departure (accessible only on the National Defence network) via TAP (accessible only on the Government of Canada network) by October 20, 2026, or through an alternate paper process.
- The employee’s manager will submit the signed Notice of Departure (accessible only on the National Defence network) to the Human Resource Services and Support.
- The last working day for employees approved for ERI must be January 19, 2027, or earlier, with all offboarding activities completed by January 20, 2027.
Note: Discussions between employees and their managers regarding retirement dates should not be confirmed or committed to until the ERI application has received DM certification.
Following DM certification, when establishing a retirement date, employees should allow at least 45 calendar days between the acceptance of the signed Notice of Departure (accessible only on the National Defence network) and the retirement date, to provide sufficient time for the Pay Centre and the Pension Centre to process the retirement.
Important: Employees may withdraw their ERI application at any time before their resignation is accepted. Once an employee’s manager accepts the resignation, the employee can no longer withdraw their ERI application. At that point, the retirement date is irrevocable, unless the Pension Centre determines that the employee does not meet the age, service, and employment eligibility requirements.
Employees who withdraw their ERI application after the July 24, 2026, deadline cannot submit a new application to the ERI program.
Resources
- Early Retirement Incentive
- Voluntary Early Retirement Incentive Program
- Your guide to DND’s Early Retirement Incentive (ERI)
- Final reminder of the Early Retirement Incentive deadline: July 24, 2026 (accessible only on the National Defence network)
- Pension Centre
- Early Retirement Incentive Program: Pension counselling booking for employees
- My GC Pension
- Basic pension calculator
Contacts
For departmental support and questions related to the ERI process, DND employees and managers may contact HR Connect RH (accessible only on the National Defence network) or call 1-833-747-6363.