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As public servants are battling to secure unassigned desk space in federal offices amid the government’s return-to-office orders, one department is offering staff a prize – one month in a closed office space in exchange for a charitable donation.
In a memo obtained by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) said staff based in the National Capital Region who make a donation to the charity of their choice by Oct. 16 would be entered in a raffle to win either one month in a closed office or one week in the secretary general’s office once the department returns to its building at 1 Promenade du Portage in Gatineau, Que., which is under construction.
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The memo, which was about a “Giving Day” event, set off a torrent of criticism from unions and public servants, many of whom have struggled to secure desk space in offices in recent weeks.
“What’s next? A contest to get your Phoenix issues resolved faster?,” said Sharon DeSousa, the national president of PSAC. “Come on now. So many of our members go to work and sit at desks that don’t have the proper equipment for them to do their jobs, and that’s if they can find a desk at all. Raffling off an office space like it’s some grandiose prize is absurd and insulting to workers who are delivering critical services to the public every day.”
DeSousa said the raffle takes things to “a whole new level of absurdity.”
In an email, CRTC spokesperson Leigh Cameron refused to say why the prize was chosen and how many workers in the department have assigned seating.
“We have been able to welcome our executives to the office four days per week, and our temporary space allows us to welcome all employees two days per week,” Cameron said. “As soon as the CRTC returns to its building, which we expect will occur in the coming months, we will welcome all employees to the office at least three days per week. The CRTC will continue to engage with staff at all levels as it implements the common hybrid work model.”
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The federal government’s updated remote work mandate took effect in early September, requiring all staff employed under the Treasury Board to work on-site a minimum of three days a week. For executives, the expectation is that they work in the office four days a week.
Since then, public servants have expressed concerns about not having assigned spaces to work and struggling to book high-demand desk space using the government’s system. Some employees have said they’ve had to work in lobbies, lunch rooms and even phone booths due to a lack of desks.
Several government departments and agencies have had to delay their staff’s increased return to the office for the time being as they just don’t have enough space.
“Why should workers feel pressured to donate their [paycheque] for the chance to win an assigned desk,” PSAC said on social media. “The solution to inadequate office space is a flexible telework mandate.”
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