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Ontario government workers set to return to office full-time as of Monday
The Ontario government ended hybrid work for 50,000 provincial employees to boost productivity and support downtown businesses amid union protests.
On Jan. 5, 2026, Ontario Premier Doug Ford ordered Ontario government employees back to the office five days a week, saying it would boost productivity and support downtown small businesses.
The Canadian Union of Public Employees and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union say about 10,000 alternative work arrangement requests and more than 6,000 flexible-work requests remain unaddressed.
Available office spaces have shrunk since 2019, leaving some Ontario government employees perching on windowsills while the province spends hundreds of millions to reacquire space, officials say.
CUPE members at Ontario Health atHome staged lunch-break protests Monday, warning the mandate could disrupt essential health services relied on by sick and injured Ontarians.
Critics contend the return favors real estate owners such as Brookfield, reverses 40 per cent real estate savings, and risks recruitment and retention, while the government argues it boosts productivity, mentorship and downtown foot traffic.