Basic civil service workers in all departments must begin phasing in a return-to-the-office plan in mid-January, working in the office two or three days a week, or 40 to 60 percent of their normal schedule. “In-person work better supports collaboration, team spirit, innovation and a culture of belonging,” Fortier told reporters at a news conference. “We’re not going back to the way it used to be. We’re reimagining our workplace.” The plan will be fully implemented by the end of March 2023, Fortier said, and will be overseen by the government’s human resources chief. Many civil servants began working from home full-time when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Since the beginning of this year, government agencies have been making their own decisions about remote and hybrid work, with many opting for a remote work model. Fortier said Thursday that the government needs consistency across all departments. “After six months, we realized there were inconsistencies in the system, for example, fairness and equity,” Fortier said. “We need consistency in how hybrid work is implemented across the federal government. … We need to have a common approach.” Conservative MP Ryan Williams said it was “about time” the government required civil servants to return to the office. “It should be January 1st and 5 days a week,” Williams, MP for Bay of Quinte, said on Twitter. “Hybrid only with exceptions.”
The Union demands the government stop the “punitive” plan
Public sector unions have strongly opposed a mandatory return to the office for federal bureaucrats, saying their members have effectively been working from home for two and a half years. They immediately prepared the plan on Thursday. The Public Service Alliance of Canada said on Twitter that the move “disenfranchises workers and their proven record of serving remote communities – for YEARS.” “Our position on telecommuting for federal public service workers remains the same: it is an issue for the bargaining table,” said the union, which represents nearly 230,000 workers. PSAC President Chris Aylward tells CTV News Ottawa the return-to-office proposal is a “poorly designed and knee-jerk reaction” from the Liberal government. “The arbitrary announcement that workers will be returning to the workplace two to three days a week right before the holidays with zero consultation with unions is completely disrespectful to the workers who have made sacrifices for Canadians,” Aylward said. “Right now we’re looking at all of our options that we have on the table.” Aylward says PSAC is on the negotiating table from June 2021 and the hybrid working model is a topic in the talks. “For the Treasury Board to now unilaterally change the terms and conditions of our members’ employment and force a return to offices is a flagrant violation of workers’ collective bargaining rights,” Aylward said. “We want this government to come to the negotiating table, negotiate remote work so we can enshrine it in our collective agreement.” The Professional Institute of Public Service of Canada accuses the federal government of choosing to “bulldoze through a bad plan that sets themselves up for an unnecessary fight.” “For over 2 years we’ve been saying that any back-to-the-office plan must be purposeful and prioritize worker productivity as well as their health and safety,” said PIPSC President Jennifer Carr. “This plan is none of that: it’s poorly thought out, punitive and makes no sense – and we’re not going to compromise on health and safety.” PIPSIC, which represents 70,000 scientists and professionals in the federal and some provincial governments, says telecommuting is on the table in new contract negotiations with the Treasury. “This does not set the stage for good faith negotiations with the employer. With the holidays right around the corner, the timing of this announcement also adds insult to injury,” PIPSC said. Fortier told reporters that “work location is an employer’s right.”
Hybrid work model ‘beneficial’ for OC Transpo and downtown, says Ottawa mayor
Lord Mayor Mark Sutcliffe is backing the Federal Government’s plan for a hybrid working model. “The federal government is the largest employer in Ottawa and clarity about the future of its workforce is critical to our local economy,” Sutcliffe said in a statement. “When civil servants return to government offices, it will be beneficial to both the public transport system and our city centre.” Ottawa’s public transit system is operating at less than 60 percent of pre-pandemic ridership this fall, in part because of the federal government’s work-from-home arrangement for public employees. Gatineau’s mayor applauded Fortier for the “balance” of the back-to-work plan. “The hybrid formula and the return of civil servants to offices is good news for Gatineau and the vitality of our downtown,” Mayor France Belisle said on Twitter in French. “This clear guidance will enable traders to better plan and optimize public transport.”
See my statement following the federal government’s announcement of the hybrid working model. —- See my statement following the federal government’s announcement of the hybrid working model. pic.twitter.com/Ub0FXd9hz2 — Mark Sutcliffe (@_MarkSutcliffe) December 15, 2022
“Very limited” exceptions
A key document from the Treasury says exemptions “may be justified in a very limited set of circumstances” and must be approved by the administration. These possible exceptions include:
Employees hired for remote work before March 16, 2020 Indigenous civil servants Exceptions on a case-by-case basis, such as illness, short-term operational requirements or other extenuating circumstances If there is a relevant business case for the employee to work remotely Workers who work remotely 125 kilometers or more from their designated work site A business model previously established and not affected by the remote default COVID-19 agreement
Employees unable to work on site can request accommodations on a case-by-case basis through their department, the historian says.
