Ottawa to change hybrid work policy

• The federal government is expected to announce that public servants will have to be in the office three days a week, rather than two.

The change in hybrid work policy will likely be put into effect in September, a government source confirmed. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity, adding that a government announcement isn’t expected until later this week.

The news outlet Le Droit was the first to report the upcoming changes.

When the government released its directive on back to the office in late 2022, most federal public servants were told it would be up to three days a week.

That directive mandated that deputy heads implement a “minimum requirement of 2-3 days per week in the workplace for all public servants” or a minimum of 40 per cent to 60 per cent of employees’ regular schedule.

Since then, the topic of telework has been a major point of contention among unions and was a major sticking point during last year’s Public Service Alliance of Canada strike, involving more than 155,000 workers.

Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat spokesperson Joie Huynh said in an email Monday that the federal public service was committed to hybrid work, but did not respond to whether the government was planning to amend its rules around how many days employees are required to be in the office.

“We will continue to assess how hybrid work is implemented and optimized across the public service, adapting as necessary,” Huynh said.

PSAC said the government had not discussed changing its hybrid work policy during consultations.

“A move by the Treasury Board in this direction would be in stark contrast to their current practices on hybrid work and recent announcements,” PSAC wrote in an online statement, noting it had contacted Treasury Board President Anita Anand to “immediately” discuss the potential changes. “Public service workers deserve a well-defined and fair approach to hybrid work, developed in consultation with federal bargaining agents.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford described more days spent in the office as “really positive news.”

“It’s all about revitalizing the downtown core here in Ottawa,” said Ford at a news conference with Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe on Monday. When asked if three days is enough, Ford said it was “a good start.”

“It’s always nice to see everyone go to work five days a week, he added.

Sutcliffe reiterated the premier’s remarks, telling reporters “downtown Ottawa has been hit disproportionately, compared to other Canadian cities, by the effects of hybrid work.”

In its recent budget, the federal government pledged to reduce its office space by 50 per cent, which Sutcliffe said “will have a devastating impact on our economy.”