Toronto/CMEDIA: It has been announced by the Treasury Board of Canada that the federal government expects federal public servants to return to in-office work for a minimum of four days a week starting this July.
A letter posted on the Treasury Board of Canada’s website says it “will be engaging with bargaining agents to seek their input on implementing this plan.”
Government executives will also soon be returning to the office for the full five days, the letter said.
Currently Civil servants come into the office three days a week, a rule that was put in place in Sept 2024 as government employees were for the most part working remotely in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year’s budget call for a reduction of the public service.
Public servants face uncertain future with the federal government offering buy-outs, early retirements and voluntary departures to public servants.
Changes to the hybrid work rules were indicated by Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney.
“There will likely be different levels of return depending on seniority, depending on role and obviously depending on capacity,” Carney said during an event with Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe.
Pushing back against return-to-office orders, Unions have been saying the government blindsided workers with Thursday’s notice.
“We’ve seen this pattern over and over again. We have, this time, half an hour’s notice on a massive change to our workplace policy,” Nathan Prier, president of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) reportedly said.
“This government does not want to have a conversation about this. They are not interested whatsoever in all of the benefits of telework.”
A round of collective bargaining is currently under process between the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) — the country’s largest public sector union and Treasury Board.
Sharon DeSousa, the union’s national president said Thursday’s announcement was “a slap in the face to all federal public service workers across this country.”
“It is insulting for any employer, let alone the government, to change the conditions of work while its workers are bargaining,” DeSousa said in a statement.
She said the union is currently examining all options, including legal action.
The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), representing over 80,000 public sector professionals, said it had also been “kept in the dark” about the government’s plans.
“This mandate isn’t about performance, collaboration or service to Canadians,” PIPSC president Sean O’Reilly said in a statement.
“It’s about optics, imposed on a workforce already dealing with layoffs, budget cuts and a workplace already in chaos.”
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A statement from the union says it will be fighting the decision “every step of the way” and that it is prepared to take legal action against changes to the in-office mandate.
The union says “nothing is off the table.”
The federal directive applies to public servants working in the core departments and agencies under the Treasury Board.
The Canada Revenue Agency has also said already it intends to follow the same approach.
