Two more federal unions call for Commons committee to investigate 3-day a week office mandate

The Peace Tower on Parliament Hill is pictured with fall coloured maple leafs in Ottawa on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. (Sean Kilpatrick/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Two more federal public service unions are calling on a House of Commons committee to investigate the federal government's new return-to-office mandate.

As of Sept. 9, federal employees in the core public service are required to be in the office a minimum of three days a week, while executives must be in the office four days a week.

The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) are joining the Canadian Association of Public Employees (CAPE) in calling on the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO) to conduct a "thorough investigation."

"PIPSC is alarmed by the government's approach to returning employees to the office," the union said in a statement.

"The union emphasizes that many public servants have adapted to flexible work models that enhance productivity and support work-life balance, which are at risk with the mandatory 'one-size-fits-all' approach." 

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PIPSC president Jennifer Carr says workers are "being forced to return to grossly inadequate offices without justification."

"The lack of sound, evidence-based decision-making seriously impacts employees and wholly disregards the benefits of flexible working arrangements to all Canadians – from productivity gains to better equity, diversity, and inclusion, and opening up good public sector jobs across Canada," Carr said.

"Modern, flexible work models enhance public service delivery."

PSAC said in a news release it was also joining CAPE and PIPSC in calling for a full investigation into the policy.

"PSAC fully supports CAPE and PIPSC in their calls for an investigation into the office mandate," said PSAC National President Sharon DeSousa. "It's a poorly planned, arbitrary policy that's harming workers, reducing productivity, and wasting taxpayers' money. It's time for the government to face the facts and address the damage this mandate is causing across the public service."

"Remote work isn’t just a convenience, it’s common sense. When federal public service workers are trusted to choose how and where they work best, they thrive — and so does the public service," DeSousa wrote in a letter to the clerk of the committee, Marc-Olivier Girard. "We urge OGGO to prioritize this investigation to address the systemic issues and ensure that federal workers have the necessary support to perform their jobs effectively."

Earlier this month, CAPE called on the Commons committee to investigate the new three days a week office mandate, saying there has been "catastrophic failures" with the new mandate.

"The government’s recent three-day return-to-office policy has proven ineffective for thousands of our members," Nathan Prier, president of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees, said in a letter to the committee. "Promoted as a means to enhance collaboration, many employees find themselves commuting to the office only to participate in MS Teams meetings with colleagues located in different parts of the building, city, or even across the country."

CAPE wanted the investigation by the Commons committee to look at several issues, including insufficient workspaces, "health and safety violations," the noisy office environment, inadequate equipment, limited meeting and collaboration spaces, work-life balance and the "impact on stress and anxiety."

PSAC, PIPSC, CAPE and other unions have opposed the new return-to-office mandate. In August, the Federal Court agreed to hear PSAC's application to quash the new office mandate, but a court date has not been set.

The federal government shifted to a work from home environment at the start of the COVID pandemic in 2020. In 2023, the government introduced a requirement for workers to be in the office a minimum of two days a week.