10-year IT employee — VDP decision. Would you opt in?

I’m looking for perspective from others who have been through workforce adjustment or Voluntary Departure Program (VDP) decisions.

I’ve been with the federal public service for about 10 years as a software engineer/architect. I genuinely like my current job and department. Good team, interesting work, stable environment. I’m not bilingual, which obviously limits mobility.

I have the option to opt into a VDP program that expires in the relatively near future.

If I opt in:

• I have up to 120 days to choose between:

• a Transition Support Measure (TSM), or

• entering the 12-month surplus priority program.

• During the surplus period, I remain employed and have priority status for other FPS roles, with HR actively trying to place me.

• In practical terms, I would only be laid off if I can’t secure another position within \~16 months total.

My intent if I opt in would be:

• Actively pursue private sector roles during the 120-day window.

• If I land something strong, leave with the buyout.

• If I don’t land anything, take the surplus priority option and remain in the FPS.

I’ve been increasingly curious about the private sector, mainly around compensation growth and exposure to different engineering cultures. Morale in the Canadian public sector seems to be at an all time low with job cuts, looming RTO-4, unions losing salary ground to inflation year after year. It seems like the trend will only continue into the foreseeable future.

The best IT minds seem to be inevitably pushed toward upper management or private sector simply based on the structure of job positions that seem to bias management bloat over well compensated engineers and architects.

I’m also risk-aware. I have a young family to support, and I value the government pension and stability.

From a risk/reward perspective, this feels like a rare window of optionality. But walking away from a job I actually like feels a little uncomfortable.

For those who have faced VDP or experienced the 12 month surplus period, who weren’t planning to use this as a bridge to retirement:

• Did you regret your decision?

• Did surplus priority actually work as intended?

• Would you take this kind of structured “soft exit ramp” again?

Appreciate any thoughtful input.

*edit* Just to add some detailed nuance, to hopefully draw out some of the more focused insight I’m after.

Thanks to HoG for the clarification about the PIPSC 12 month surplus priority option. This is a major factor in my challenge to make a decision. If I was in the same situation as part of a CA that did not offer such a soft landing, I would easily elect not to participate in the VDP. I am in a very fortunate position compared to many others.

Given that I can opt into VDP, search elsewhere for 120 days, then choose the 12 month option to likely remain in the FPS, albeit with another department, the risk of opting in to VDP seems relatively low. This is dependent on whether the 12 month priority hiring option is actually as good an opportunity as it seems - does “priority hiring status” actually result in people successfully landing positions in other departments? I would really love to hear from someone who has been through this.

I do realize where I am posting, and that there’s most likely an inherent lean towards a certain perspective. But I’m hoping there are a few people out there who have lived through this exact experience, or something similar enough, who be willing to share their successes or regrets from varying lenses.

My decision is not simply should I stay or should I go, but more of a should I stay, or…should I stay for up to 16 months, with a 4 month window to search for greener pastures outside the core FPS, which includes crown corporations, other levels of government, consulting, private sector, basically anything that would make the TSM worthwhile…failing to find the greener pasture within that window I would most likely not elect to leave the FPS, but rather to leave my current department within the 12 month period following the deadline at the end of the 4 month window for the opting decision.

It’s the sheer complexity of this situation that prompted my post in the first place, and this subsequent edit, in the hope that I would get more than just “public = safe” and “private = risky” responses to help me navigate this exceedingly difficult personal decision.