Federal public servants will spend four days each week in government offices beginning this July under new rules announced Thursday, while senior executives face full-time attendance starting in May.
Bill Matthews, Treasury Board secretary, informed deputy ministers that the government intends to expand workplace presence requirements. Executives will report to offices five days weekly, effective May 4. Other employees eligible for hybrid work will follow with four-day requirements by July 6.
Core government departments must comply with the directive. While separate federal agencies received strong encouragement to implement matching policies.
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“Working together onsite is an essential foundation of the strong teams, collaboration and culture needed during this pivotal moment and beyond,” Matthews wrote alongside Chief Human Resources Officer Jacqueline Bogden and Associate Chief Human Resources Officer Francis Trudel.
Current policies require three days of weekly office attendance for most federal workers, with executives attending four days. Those rules began in September 2024.
Public sector unions responded with sharp criticism. Sharon DeSousa, who leads the Public Service Alliance of Canada, called the announcement “a slap in the face to all federal public service workers across this country.”
“It is insulting for any employer, let alone the government, to change the conditions of work while its workers are in bargaining,” DeSousa stated Thursday. Her union represents nearly 230,000 workers and currently negotiates contract terms with the Treasury Board.
Sean O’Reilly, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, learned of the changes less than one hour before the government made them public. “This mandate isn’t about performance, collaboration or service to Canadians,” O’Reilly said, describing the move as “insulting and disrespectful.”
Nathan Prier, who leads the Canadian Association of Professional Employees, said the announcement “demonstrates that this government has both a willful disregard for reality and absolute contempt for its employees and taxpayers.”
Officials pledged consultation with union representatives on matters including workspace assignments and workplace safety. Public Services and Procurement Canada will coordinate with departments to verify sufficient office capacity.
Ontario mandated full-time office work for provincial employees beginning January 5. Alberta plans similar requirements next month. Major Canadian banks, including Royal Bank of Canada and Bank of Montreal, now require four days of weekly on-site work.
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