In the midst of ongoing bargaining, and without any consultation with unions, the federal government announced its intention to require all federal public service workers to be in office four days a week beginning July 6, 2026, while executives will have to be on-site five days a week starting May 4, 2026. 

This new in-office mandate is a slap in the face of the workers this government depends on to deliver its agenda. 

It is insulting for any employer, let alone the government, to change the conditions of work while its workers are in bargaining. Negotiations are currently underway for the majority of federal public service workers receiving this news.  

Changing the Direction on prescribed presence in the workplace in the middle of ongoing negotiations is grounds for legal action.  

This decision comes just two weeks after PSAC members at the Library of Parliament won a decision by the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB), which ruled that the employer cannot avoid negotiating key telework provisions into the collective agreement.   

It's clear that this government has a cynical vision for the future of public services. Prime Minister Carney’s government spent the past month sending out over 24,000 workforce adjustment notices, 10,000 going to PSAC members alone, slashing positions across the federal public service. Forcing the remaining workers back in the office for four days a week shows how little the government respects its workers.  

Today’s announcement will cost taxpayers. The government’s own analysis shows it could save $6 billion by expanding remote work for tens of thousands of federal workers and selling unneeded office space. This decision, alongside the mass cuts to vital public services, means that people in Canada will be paying more for reduced services when there are clear, cost-saving alternatives. 

PSAC will be fighting this irresponsible decision every step of the way. We are prepared to take any legal action against changes to the in-office mandate. We negotiated an agreement on remote work and they continue to violate it. We will be taking a different approach this time. We will fight, and nothing is off the table.