Canada’s ‘back-to-the-office’ mandate for public servants takes effect
The Canadian government’s new mandate requiring public servants to work in their federal office for a minimum of three days a week takes effect today.
The mandate forms part of the common hybrid working model across the public service, which has been gradually rolled out across the federal government since May 2024, aiming to “maximise the benefits of on-site presence and bring greater consistency to the application of hybrid work for employees, while maintaining flexibility for employees to work remotely”.
The refined requirement means that from today, all federal public servants in the core public administration who have an approved hybrid work arrangement will work on site for a minimum of three days each week. This increases to four days for senior officials.
However, the order is still being challenged by trade unions, who say a one-size-fits-all approach does not work and are seeking a review of the mandate.
Read more: One third of Canadian public servants consider leaving government over return-to-office rules
Canadian government aims for ‘consistent in-person interactions’
The updated requirement “reflects the benefits that consistent in-person interactions offer”, according to the government guidance.
It states that: “These include more effective collaboration and onboarding of new talent, as well as building a strong culture of performance that is consistent with values and ethics of the public service. This approach is consistent with many provincial and territorial governments and private sector organisations.”
The move to three days a week office working was first announced in May, with the objective of providing time for both employers and employees to adapt.
The government has also said that the “federal public service has embraced a hybrid work model and will continue to do so”. Catherine Blewett, secretary of the Treasury Board, and Jacqueline Bogden, chief human resources officer, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, said that the updated requirement “aligns with the government’s commitment to reduce its office footprint by 50%”.
“Departments and agencies continue to work with Public Services and Procurement Canada to ensure workplaces can accommodate the common hybrid work model, namely by implementing unassigned workspaces,” they said.
Unions seek review
However, trade unions are seeking a review of the directive. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) has launched a legal case to quash the mandate, warning that it means federal public service workers will be returning to ill-equipped offices.
The federal court will hear the case, and PSAC national president Sharon DeSousa said that the union wanted a “fair and transparent approach to telework”.
She commented: “Remote work is the future of work, and we won’t let the government off the hook for breaking their commitments and ignoring the voices of federal public service workers.”
PSAC has also said it will launch a national joint telework campaign alongside other unions to challenge the order.
Ahead of the implementation today, another union, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, said: “We strongly disagree with a one-size-fits-all approach that has no evidence to support it, puts our members’ health and safety at risk, and undermines employee productivity, which negatively impacts the services Canadians rely on.”
It said the union supports the principle of “presence with purpose” – being at the office when justified by operational needs, adding: “We continue to advocate for what was promised: a hybrid-by-design approach that considers employees’ unique circumstances and job requirements.”
Ahead of the implementation, Jennifer Carr, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, told a rally: “We may not win this tomorrow. We may not win this next week. But if we continue to fight, this is the new future of work for federal public servants and for workers everywhere.”
Majority of Canadian public servants working remotely
Global Government Forum (GGF) research last year found that the vast majority of public servants in Canada were working remotely for at least part of their job. The issue of remote working also formed one of the areas of dispute between staff and employers that led to a two-week long strike by 120,000 Canadian public servants in 2023.
GGF’s research has also revealed how much public servants value remote working. When asked to identify the most attractive benefits when looking for future employment, remote working was named as the top priority by respondents, highlighted by over three quarters of respondents (76%). Respondents rated remote working above other factors including an attractive salary, flexible working hours and a meaningful purpose to their role – although all of these factors were highlighted by more than half of respondents. Over 76% of women said they see remote working as the most attractive benefit, compared to 69% of men.
About Richard Johnstone
Richard Johnstone is the executive editor of Global Government Forum, where he helps to produce editorial analysis and insight for the title’s audience of public servants around the world. Before joining GGF, he spent nearly five years at UK-based title Civil Service World, latterly as acting editor, and has worked in public policy journalism throughout his career.
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