Public servants concerned about feds’ plan to increase office presence

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Some federal public servants are expressing frustration over the government’s reported plans to ask employees to work from their offices for three days a week starting in the fall, many taking to social media to express concerns about everything from commuting to finding childcare.

Tanya King, a transgender and autistic public servant working for Public Services and Procurement Canada, said she is concerned about the possibility of having to spend more time in the office, given that she has faced harassment and micro-aggressions from her coworkers.

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“I’m very nervous about going back to the office,” said King, who has been working exclusively from home while waiting for the government to approve her request to work remotely, which she made following medical advice. “I’m worried that it will be a catch-all, they will want all of us to go in without considering it on a case-by-case basis.”

“Because it’s an increase from the previous 40 per cent, the rate at which I get harassed will be increased.”

An official government announcement on the policy change is expected later this week.

A government source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity on Monday, confirmed to this newspaper that the government will soon announce changes to its hybrid work model. Details of when the new rules will be implemented are unclear, though it’s expected that changes will be put into action around September.

King said she’s “not shocked” by the news but said the government should address issues with workers’ access to workspaces and equipment before sending them back to the office more often.

“I’ve definitely found myself dealing a lot with work pass issues, security, network issues, equipment issues, desks not having chairs,” said King.

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“I believe the government should have a better plan going forward.”

In late 2022, most federal public servants were instructed that there’d be a return to the office for up to three days a week. A government directive mandated that deputy heads implement a “minimum requirement of 2-3 days per week in the workplace for all public servants” or a minimum of 40 per cent to 60 per cent of employees’ regular schedule.

Since then, the topic of telework has been a major point of contention among unions and was a sticking point during last year’s Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) strike, involving over 155,000 workers.

Sharon DeSousa, PSAC’s national executive vice-president, said the union hadn’t substantiated any of the information yet, noting that the news was “a little shocking.”

“It’s a definitely a very stark contrast to their current practices on hybrid work and so, right now, we’re just waiting to see what’s next and we will deal with it as it comes,” DeSousa said.

At a press conference with Ottawa mayor Mark Sutcliffe on Monday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said the change was “really positive news.” Sutcliffe said the change would be “better for downtown Ottawa and better for public transit.”

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Christine, a federal public servant who asked that only her first name be shared due to fear of reprisal, said employees are “furious” about the news and the response it has garnered from politicians.

A resident of Kanata, Christine highlighted concerns about OC Transpo delays and finding childcare in Ottawa.

Alex Silas, PSAC’s regional executive vice-president for the National Capital Region, said the union hadn’t been consulted about any changes to the policy. He urged the government to “stop being so sneaky” and be transparent about its plans.

“Let’s talk about this stuff and let’s work on it together,” Silas said.

Former clerk of the privy council Michael Wernick noted that half of the public service – including workers at parks, museums, border crossings and laboratories – have always had to go to their workplaces.

“It’s a trade-off,” Wernick said about remote work. “It’s obviously flexibility that’s very welcomed for some people, especially people with family responsibilities, but organizations have paid a price for it in terms of team cohesion and some productivity issues and passing on corporate values and culture.”

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“(The government) may be responding to what their MPs are hearing out there about the reputation of the public service and its overall productivity and effectiveness.”

Gilles LeVasseur, a professor of management and law at the University of Ottawa, said that, before sending employees back to the office more regularly, the government must address issues with workstations and scheduling to ensure there is space for workers.

LeVasseur said he expects to see a progression in how often public servants are asked to work in person, likely reaching four or five days within the next few years.

He added that PSAC’s mistake was failing to enshrine language on remote work in the collective agreement during last year’s bargaining.

“Now they’re going to be fighting to change whatever it will be, the decision of the government,” LeVasseur said.

Acknowledging workers’ stress and frustration, Silas said PSAC plans to build on the gains it made around telework in future rounds of bargaining. PSAC said in a statement Monday that it asked to meet with Treasury Board president Anita Anand to discuss the potential policy change.

“This is going to continue being a priority at the bargaining table until we see until we see some real modernization in the federal public service about how we work,” Silas said.

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