Majority of federal workers feeling 'dissatisfied' with return-to-office plan, PIPSC survey

Federal public servants are feeling "dissatisfied" and say productivity is down since the federal government implemented a return-to-office plan for tens of thousands of public servants six months ago, according to a new union survey.

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada kicked off National Public Service Week by unveiling the results of a survey of its 72,000 members on the return-to-office policies implemented this year.

"Six months into the implementation of a one-size-fits-all return to office order, our members report that the policy has undermined their productivity, increased their cost of living, forced them to waste time in traffic – and it hasn't improved collaboration," PIPSC President Jennifer Carr said in a statement.

PIPSC says 70 per cent of respondents reported being dissatisfied with how the return-to-office policies were implemented, with workers raising concerns about the commuting time and cost, work-life balance and environmental impacts.

Sixty-one per cent of respondents said productivity has gotten worse, while PIPSC members say 80 per cent of meetings are happening virtually.

"Public service professionals have been ordered into an office to be part of a Zoom or Teams call they could have dialed into from home," Carr said. "The proposed benefits of returning to the office are nowhere to be found."

Carr is calling on the federal government to work with PIPSC to "develop a modern workplace" that includes "flexible work arrangements" and properly equipped work spaces.

"We believe in presence for purpose," Carr said on Monday. "It means that the government would take a hard look at all of the hard work by our professionals, determine where it's done best."

Carr says the majority of PIPSC members are knowledge workers, conducting work "that can be done anywhere."

Many public servants began working from home full-time when the COVID-19 pandemic began.

In December, Treasury Board President Mona Fortier announced all federal public servants would be required to return to the office for two or three days a week.  The return-to-office plan was phased in over two months, requiring employees to work 40 to 60 per cent of their regular schedule in the office.

Fortier says the hybrid model provides public servants with a "consistent experience," while providing departments "flexibility to address exceptional operational requirements."

"Hybrid is still relatively new, and we will continue to refine and improve our approach. As we do, we have agreed to ongoing information sharing with unions so we can benefit from their perspectives," Fortier said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.

"In addition, we’ve committed to undertake a joint review with unions of our telework directive to ensure it’s well suited to current realities."

Fortier notes the Public Service Employee Survey showed more than half of employees reported that team building is best suited for the worksite.

The survey showed 44 per cent of public service workers believed in-person offices was the best place to collaborate on projects with colleagues, and only 38 per cent felt meetings were best at the workplace.

More than 70 per cent of respondents to the federal survey didn't believe the office was the best place to complete individual work.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Natalie van Rooy