Canada (Commonwealth Union)_ In the spring, the federal government will compel public employees to work in person at least two to three days a week, or 40 to 60% of their regular schedule.
Mona Fortier, head of the Treasury Board, stated at a news conference Thursday afternoon that the adjustment was made to develop a standardized approach to remote work for the federal government. “In-person work promotes stronger cooperation, team spirit, inventiveness, and a sense of belonging,” she said. “We’ve now seen that greater justice and equity in our workplaces are required, as is consistency in how hybrid work is applied across the federal government.” Fortier stated that the government had opted to transition to a hybrid system and had directed departments and organizations to test various hybrid systems to see what worked and what didn’t. During that time, Fortier claimed they discovered disparities in approach, mostly via what she called “fairness and equality” in the system.
Jennifer Carr, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), which represents over 70,000 government scientists and professionals, said staff had been doing their tasks efficiently from home and she is dissatisfied with the justifications given for the mandate. Carr also stated that her union was given one hour’s notice before the announcement. “To hear the minister claim the decision was about serving Canadians, and not offering particular instances [of how] is one of the things that I find a little dishonest,” she added. Carr stated that her group are also taxpayers who want the best use of government funds, referring to previous conversations about saving money by keeping public servants work remotely.
“They are compensated for the job they create, not where they generate it,” Carr says of her colleagues. To accomplish this mission, they will have members of the public come into [Government of Canada] work centers or work sites and sit on computers and conduct the same sort of job.
