Public servants yet to receive clear plan for return to workplace
As vaccination coverage continues to climb in Ottawa, there is talk about a return to the workplace for many businesses come the fall.
But Ottawa’s largest employer has yet to lay out a plan.
The federal government has provided some information and updates on a return to office buildings for public servants, but it has been limited and only on an individual department basis.
“We don’t have any real concrete answers,” said Chris Aylward, President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.
“Where exactly am I going to be working in October, November, or December? Will I be home, back in the workplace? That uncertainty is causing a lot of anxiety.”
Downtown businesses suffering
The empty building across the downtown are taking a toll on surrounding businesses.
“It’s definitely been a challenging situation to be in,” said Radha Chaudhary, Executive Chef at Aiana Restaurant.
The O’Connor Street restaurant opened just before the pandemic looking to bring in business from federal workers. Their return can’t come soon enough.
“That would be significant. We’re talking about thousands and thousands of individuals coming back to work. Being right by the LRT station, it is a very high foot traffic area when the offices are in session,” said Chaudhary.
All of the uncertainty surrounding a return to in-person working in all sectors across the country has taken a toll.
A report from LifeWork’s monthly mental health index shows 25 per cent of Canadians are unclear about their employer’s plan for a return to work places.
Twelve per cent don’t believe their employer has a plan. The two groups reported the lowest mental health scores this month.
“We are finding that those Canadians who don’t have that clarity on what the return will look like, their mental health is much more compromised than those who do,” said Paula Allen, Senior Vice-President at LifeWorks.
Treasury Board not planning fixed date
In a statement to CTV News the Federal Treasury Board said, in part “Many public service employees will continue to work remotely, and effectively, for the foreseeable future. The principles of prudent, gradual and phased-in access to worksites continue to guide us, so neither an announcement nor a fixed-date approach are being considered or planned.
“The President of the Treasury Board and the Minister of Digital Government both received a mandate from the Prime Minister to work with public sector unions to explore options for increasing flexibility in the work arrangements of federal employees.
“In the meantime, as with many private organizations, research is underway to determine what form post-pandemic workplace flexibility will take, including exploring options to increase flexibility in the work arrangements of federal employees.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.