Tens of thousands of federal public service workers will be spending more time in the office in Ottawa and Gatineau starting next week, as the federal government introduces new hybrid work rules.
Starting Monday, federal employees in the core public administration will be required to be in the office a minimum of three days a week, and executives will need to be on-site a minimum of four days a week.
“Working together onsite strengthens collaboration within and across teams and increases opportunities for learning and sharing,” said a letter from John Hannaford, Clerk of the Privy Council, and Bill Matthews, Secretary of the Treasury Board of Canada.
“Maximizing these benefits while continuing to provide flexibility for employees supports excellence in the public service and allows us to continue delivering services to Canadians and strengthen their confidence in the public service.”
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at what you need to know about the new rules for hybrid work.
New rules
As of Sept. 9, public servants in the core public administration who are eligible for a hybrid work arrangement will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days per week, according to the Treasury Board of Canada website.
Executives will be expected to be on-site a minimum of four days per week.
The Treasury Board says the three-day requirement applies to groups of employees in organizations who have been permitted to temporarily continue working remotely based on specific work models (call centre employees) and it applies to Information Technology employees who had been exempted from the previous direction.
The new hybrid work requirements will see 282,152 employees in the core public administration be required to be in the office a minimum of three days a week.
The federal government has said it is “strongly recommended” that departments and agencies outside the core public service adopt a “similar strategy, to ensure a coherent approach for the whole public service.”
Why is the federal government introducing new work rules?
When the federal government announced the updated hybrid work model in May, officials said, “requiring a minimum of three days on-site per week reflects the benefits that consistent in person interactions offer.”
“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.”
Christiane Fox, Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council, told CTV News Ottawa last month that a return to the office will “help our ability to perform as organizations.”
“I think that our expectation is that, as we build stronger teams and stronger cultures, that leads to better services to Canadians, which is our ultimate objective,” said Fox.
What were the hybrid work rules prior to Sept. 9?
In March 2020, the federal public service adopted a “remote-by-necessity” operating model during the COVID-19 pandemic with the majority of employees working from home on a full-time basis, according to the Treasury Board website.
In March 2023, the Treasury Board Secretariat introduced a “common hybrid work model” for the core public administration, requiring employees to work on site at least two or three days per week.
Is the federal government ready for employees to return to the office?
In a message to employees on Sept. 3, Hannaford and Matthews said departments have been working with Public Services and Procurement Canada and Shared Services Canada over the summer to prepare for the return of employees a minimum of three days a week.
“While most organizations are ready to welcome all of their employees to the office at least three days per week, and executives four days per week, we know there will continue to be issues to address,” the letter states.
“As issues arise, we are committed to working quickly to respond to them. We also know that some departments will need additional time to ensure their workplaces are ready, such as buildings that are currently under renovation. All organizations will be actively seeking employee feedback so that the transition to additional onsite work is marked by open exchanges and ongoing improvement.”
Exemptions for the return to the office
The Treasury Board website says exemptions to the new hybrid work rules may be granted, by the assistant deputy minister level, to employees for the following reasons:
- Employees hired to work remotely prior to March 16, 2020.
- Indigenous public servants whose location is critical to their identity to work from their communities.
- Employees who, with the permission of their ADM, are working remotely 125 km or more from their designated worksite.
- Exceptional exemptions on a case-by-case basis, on a time-limited or longer-term duration (for example, short-term operational requirements, extenuating circumstances).
The Treasury Board says the employer has the “exclusive management right to designate the location of work and to require employees to return to their designated workplace.”
“Managers should ensure that individual circumstances are considered on a case-by-case basis, including human rights obligations, such as the duty to accommodate, or whether an employee has a reasonable explanation for absences from the designated workplace, such as illness, family care obligations, or compliance with COVID19 self-isolation protocols,” says the Treasury Board direction on the prescribed presence in the workplace.
“Managers seeking to ensure compliance have tools available to them, including several administrative actions. Managers should discuss with their labour relations teams and ensure that individual circumstances are considered on a case-by-case basis.”
Unions challenge return-to-office mandate
The federal public service unions continue to fight the new hybrid work arrangements, with court challenges, petitions and rallies.
A Federal Court judge has ordered a full hearing to review the Public Service Alliance of Canada’s application to quash the new three-day-a-week office mandate. Justice Glennys McVeigh dismissed the Treasury Board’s attempts to stay the court challenge, ordering a full hearing.
“It cannot be said that the Attorney General’s argument clearly renders the type of ‘show stopper’ or “knockout punch” necessary to strike PSAC’s Application at this stage,” McVeigh ruled last month.
“Although I am choosing not to exercise my discretion to strike the Application at this stage, this decision should not be interpreted as an endorsement of PSAC’s arguments. I simply conclude that the parties must argue this matter based on a full record.”
PSAC is launching a $1 million advertising campaign to protest the new office mandate, and is urging members to sign an online petition calling on the government to repeal the office mandate.
The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada says it will deliver a petition to department deputy ministers on Sept. 9, “demanding approval of a mass departmental exemption to return to office.”
OC Transpo service
As tens of thousands of federal employees return to the office in Ottawa and Gatineau a minimum of three days a week, the O-Train will not be running as frequently during midday and evening non-peak periods.
Ottawa’s transit service has reduced service to every 10 minutes on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
“These service adjustments better reflect current demand and travel patterns and account for forecasted fall ridership,” OC Transpo said. “This change will be closely monitored and can be adjusted if there is a change in ridership levels.”