Approximately 10% of unionized federal public servants are still facing delays in returning to the office four days a week due to space constraints, as confirmed by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). The initiative, known as RTO4, mandated federal employees to be in the office for a minimum of four days a week starting from July 6, in contrast to the previous three-day requirement since September 2024. Executives have been obligated to attend the office five days a week since May.
PSPC, responsible for managing offices of around a hundred government departments, aims to reduce the 10% figure to 5% by March 2027 through optimizing existing office spaces and providing additional premises if necessary. The federal real estate portfolio’s complexity necessitates ongoing adjustments in space requirements, according to Mohammad Kamal, director of communications for the Treasury Board president.
Statistics Canada, Global Affairs Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), and the Immigration and Refugee Board currently have employees attending the office three days a week. Statistics Canada anticipates having adequate office space in the National Capital Region to accommodate employees four days a week by mid-November, with no set date for employees in other cities.
Global Affairs Canada has deferred the return to in-person work four days a week, with 55% of employees in the National Capital Region remaining in-office three days a week. IRCC plans to transition all National Capital Region employees to four days a week by mid-October, while employees in other cities will continue with three days in-office.
PSPC aims for 90% of its employees to be physically present four days a week by January 2027. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) confirmed compliance with office presence requirements.
The federal government committed to reinstating assigned seating for most public servants in May, with PSPC currently facilitating the four-day in-office requirement through assigned or unassigned workstations. Among the 11 ministries and agencies contacted, only Statistics Canada and GAC have confirmed that a majority of their employees will have assigned seats.
Critics, including the president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, Sean O’Reilly, and the president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, Sharon DeSousa, have raised concerns about the policy’s impact on productivity and service quality for Canadians. DeSousa highlighted the inconsistency of the four-day return policy and its alleged failure to enhance public services.