Unions warn new four‑day office rule will fuel conflict, hurt productivity, and drive costs
Tens of thousands of federal public servants are being told to spend more time in the office just as Ottawa moves ahead with deep workforce cuts and faces growing union threats of legal action and labour conflict.
The federal government will require executives in core public service departments to be onsite five days a week by May 4, and all other employees at least four days a week by July 6, according to CTV News.
Civil servants in core public administration currently report to the office three days a week, with executives in four days, under hybrid rules introduced in September 2024.
This new mandate applies to core public service departments, while separate agencies are “strongly encouraged” to take a similar approach.
A Treasury Board letter says “working together onsite is an essential foundation of the strong teams, collaboration and culture needed during this pivotal moment and beyond,” while promising to meet unions on issues such as occupational health and safety and potential assigned seating.
At the same time, the federal government is cutting headcount at scale.
More than 24,000 public servants have received notices that their jobs could be at risk over roughly two months as part of a plan to reduce the federal public service by 28,000 positions by 2029, according to CTV News.
The Canada Strong Budget 2025 set out that 16,000 full‑time equivalents will go through a comprehensive expenditure review, with another 12,000 positions – including 350 executive roles – eliminated mainly through attrition and early retirement.
CBC News separately reports that Ottawa aims to axe about 40,000 jobs – a 10 per cent cut from the civil service’s 2023‑24 peak – after already shrinking the workforce by 10,000 jobs over the past year.
The RTO decision lands in the middle of key collective bargaining rounds.
Public Service Alliance of Canada, the country’s largest public‑sector union, says the government announced its intention to require four days in the office for federal public service workers and five days for executives “in the midst of ongoing bargaining, and without any consultation with unions.”
The union calls the mandate “a slap in the face of the workers this government depends on to deliver its agenda.”
PSAC national president Sharon DeSousa says it is “insulting” for an employer – “let alone the government” – to change conditions of work while employees are in bargaining and confirms the union is examining all options, “including legal action,” as reported by CBC News.
PSAC argues that changing “prescribed presence in the workplace” during negotiations is grounds for legal action, pointing to a recent Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board decision stating employers cannot sidestep bargaining on key telework provisions.
The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) calls the move “about optics,” not “performance, collaboration, or service to Canadians,” and stresses that it comes as workers already deal with layoffs, budget cuts and “a workplace already in chaos,” as reported by CTV News.
PIPSC says it met with Treasury Board shortly before the announcement and “heard nothing” about a new mandate, raising questions about trust and governance in workforce policy.
The Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) warns the announcement, coming right after the telework ruling and ahead of new contract talks, “sets the stage for completely avoidable conflict,” as per a CAPE release cited by CTV News.
CAPE president Nathan Prier says the mandate shows “willful disregard for reality and absolute contempt for its employees and taxpayers,” and vows to push for full telework rights for all employees who can and want to work remotely.
Beyond labour relations, experts and unions highlight practical concerns that matter for productivity and disability risk.
On the real estate side, Shawn Hamilton of Proveras Commercial Realty says Ottawa needs a “demonstrable strategy” to show it can house more workers, according to CBC News.
He argues, “You can’t just bring people back for the sake of bringing them back. You’ve got to bring them back and locate them with their teams and … create opportunities for collaboration.”
He notes there are no visible plans to increase office space in the National Capital Region and questions “the math of where people will go” as the government disposes of some properties.
Unions also describe overcrowding and health issues in existing buildings.
Vivian Funk of the Association of Justice Counsel says offices are “overcrowded,” with employees “having to search for desks in the morning” and commuting “just to sit on [video calls].”
She cites reports of mould, airborne contaminants, mouse droppings on desks and northern buildings where the heat does not work, forcing staff to wear parkas and gloves at their desks.
Without additional space, the situation is “not good for productivity” or morale, Funk warns.
Transport experts point to added pressure on already strained transit networks, particularly in Gatineau.
The Société de transport de l’Outaouais has “suffered decades of underfunding,” according to transportation planner Pierre Barrieau.
Barrieau says the return will put “incredible pressure on the network” and that the agency “need[s] help, and they need it now.”
