Ottawa Aims to Persuade Hesitant Civil Servants of the Advantages of Returning to the Office

The government is getting ready to invite an unhappy workforce back to its offices on Sept. 9.

According to a new policy introduced in May, federal employees must work in the office for a minimum of three days per week, with executives required to be in for at least four days. At the moment, civil servants must be present in their offices for just two days each week.

Unions representing federal employees claim that the majority of civil servants are against the proposed cut in telecommuting and are facing challenges with commuting and balancing work and family responsibilities. Many people also claim to be more efficient when they work remotely.

A senior civil servant is advocating for increased time spent at the office in an effort to alleviate dissatisfaction.

Christiane Fox, who holds the position of deputy clerk at the Privy Council Office, informed Radio-Canada that the new policy is aimed at enhancing the overall efficiency of the federal public service and aiding individual civil servants in progressing in their careers.

Laurence Dufour, a fellow government worker in Gatineau, expressed that she does not perceive significant advantages from working in the office for three days a week - but expects the reappearance of numerous drawbacks.

She stated that we will end up spending more on parking, food, and transportation.

Fox urged public servants who opt for remote work to contemplate serving the public, Canadians, and enhancing organizations through collaboration, engagement with colleagues, and personal growth and contribution.

During the pandemic, the popularity of remote work skyrocketed among public servants.

However, the government had to modify its approach when it discovered that resolving complex files remotely was more challenging.

Fox said that the gap we identified involves complicated problems that need the collaboration of multiple organizations and individuals to address. Increased collaboration and departmental outputs are improved by spending more time together.

According to civil servant Tamy Leduc, going to the office helps improve "team cohesion," as she mentioned outside her offices.

She mentioned that the benefit for her is the opportunity to make new connections, expand her network, acquire fresh knowledge or skills from other teams, and interact with different individuals.

However, federal unions have committed to continuing their opposition and are guaranteeing continued demonstrations leading up to Sept. 9. Government employees did not organize in great numbers to oppose the new policy during the summer, but labor unions are vowing to continue the struggle in the long term.

We have submitted complaints about unfair labour practices, we have filed grievances, so that will persist. "If the employer doesn't show a commitment to change and update, this will become a problem in our upcoming negotiations in 2025," warned Alex Silas, the Public Service Alliance of Canada's national vice-president.

Silas stated that public servants have proven they can be more efficient when working remotely in multiple instances. He emphasized the need for federal employees to have the freedom to excel in their performance.

A senior member of the Liberal party has advised civil servants not to cause any trouble regarding the new office policy to prevent it from benefiting the Conservative Party in the upcoming election. Silas promptly dismissed that argument.

The Liberal government should aim for a higher standard rather than simply comparing themselves to the Conservatives and thinking, "Well, at least we're not as bad as them." Silas urged the Liberals to improve.