US EditionOttawa Liberal MP Calls on Feds to Reconsider 4 Day a Week Office Mandate for Public Servants
Experts and unions warn the four-day office return may overwhelm space and transit; federal employees face increased commuting costs and environmental impacts, says Public Service Alliance of Canada.
- On Feb. 9, 2026, the federal government ordered executives to return full-time on May 4 and public servants to work four days a week starting July 6.
- A message to deputy department heads last week said working on-site builds strong teams and culture, but critics and analysts say no clear evidence shows it improves productivity or service delivery.
- Union leaders including Vivian Funk said, `Some of our members are coming in to find mouse droppings on their desks in the morning`, and experts warn OC Transpo and underfunded Société de transport de l'Outaouais face space and transit strains.
- Labour-Market observers warn that forcing full-time office return will increase costs for the average federal employee, with commute expenses consuming 3–11 per cent of gross salary, and reduce the talent pool, as telework reduces emissions by 29–54 per cent, according to Statistics Canada.
- Experts say the four-day mandate may be the limit, as government needs a clear strategy for space, and disposals send a confusing message, according to Chamberlin.
35 Articles
35 Articles
Ottawa Liberal MP calls on feds to reconsider 4 day a week office mandate for public servants
The Liberal MP in the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton is calling on the federal government to reconsider its new return-to-office (RTO) mandate for public servants, saying it will “cost the government and citizens more.”
Winnipeg Free Press
Liberal MP asks government to reconsider return-to-office policy for public servants
Breaking News, Sports, Manitoba, Canada
No desks, no strategy: Experts say government's latest return-to-office order ignores reality
With federal public servants mandated to return to the office four days a week this summer, experts and unions are sounding the alarm over a lack of clear strategy or infrastructure to support such a move.
Op-ed: What the federal government’s return-to-office mandate gets wrong
The federal government’s decision last week to require employees to return to the office four days a week, and executives five, has been framed by some as a necessary step toward productivity, accountability and organizational cohesion. But beneath the surface, this policy risks sending a far more damaging message: that presence still matters more than performance, and that trust remains conditional rather than foundational.
Union files complaints as feds increase public servants' in-office time
By Catherine Morrison Canada’s largest federal public sector union has filed several unfair labour practice complaints – and another union is warning of a possible strike – as the government moves to increase public servants’ in-office time. The federal government is ordering public servants to be in the office at least four days a week starting in July, while executives are expected to return to the office full-time in May. Sharon DeSousa, nati…
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