PSAC cannot substantiate rumours circulating in the media this week that the federal government plans to increase its mandate to three days in the office per week for federal public service workers.

There has been no official confirmation from Treasury Board, nor has the employer discussed changing its hybrid work policy during our regular consultations to update the Directive on Telework.

A move by Treasury Board in this direction would be in stark contrast to their current practices on hybrid work and recent announcements.

The government has moved ahead in recent years to reduce their office footprint and just weeks ago in the federal budget announced they plan to sell half of all federal buildings.

Meanwhile, members overwhelmingly report that the current mandate of 40% of time in-office  isn’t being consistently or equitably enforced by most departments and managers. And when workers come into the office, many already have trouble finding adequate space to work, and often end up spending their office days on virtual calls with colleagues nationwide without ever meeting in person.

It’s clear Treasury Board has not been able to manage their current telework policy, and public service workers are once again caught in the middle as speculation swirls about potential changes.

Better remote work protections

This is exactly why PSAC fought for stronger telework protections in our collective agreements, to provide a mechanism for workers to contest their telework agreement if they think it’s being applied to them unfairly.

We continue our work to implement the letter of agreement on telework reached during our last round of bargaining, and create joint panels within each department to review telework requests individually to ensure these issues are addressed effectively and fairly.

Public service workers deserve a well-defined and fair approach to hybrid work, developed in consultation with federal bargaining agents. PSAC has reached out to Treasury Board President Anita Anand to immediately discuss the potential shift in their telework policy and its impact on workers.