Recent data reveals that a significant number of public servants in Canada’s three largest federal departments are not fully adhering to Ottawa’s remote work mandate, which requires in-office presence for a minimum of three days per week. The federal government’s latest hybrid work policy, implemented in early September 2024, mandates that all staff under the Treasury Board work on-site at least three days weekly, with executives expected to be present for four days. However, compliance rates across major departments have varied, raising questions about the effectiveness of the policy.
Among the three largest federal departments, the Department of National Defence (DND) reported the lowest compliance rates, particularly in the National Capital Region. DND, which employs approximately 28,700 people, recorded a national compliance rate of 60 percent in January 2025, down from 72 percent in both October and September. December saw a notable drop, with only 31 percent of DND staff adhering to the three-day rule.
The compliance rates for DND staff in the Ottawa area were consistently lower than those elsewhere. In November, 57 percent of National Capital Region employees met the three-day requirement, compared to 69 percent of their counterparts outside the region. In September and October, compliance rates were 70 percent in the capital region versus 76 and 77 percent in other areas.
According to DND spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin, these figures do not account for all forms of leave, including vacation, training, and sick days. She emphasized that the data only reflects employees with hybrid work arrangements, noting that roughly half of DND’s workforce continued full-time on-site work throughout the pandemic and beyond. “DND’s compliance monitoring equips leadership with general information needed for oversight of the workforce,” Poulin said. “Managers are responsible for monitoring individual compliance by accounting for the location of employees during working hours.”
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), with a workforce of around 59,000, reported higher compliance rates. In December, 80 percent of CRA employees fulfilled their in-office requirements, up from 76 percent in November and 77 percent in October. CRA spokesperson Benoit Sabourin described the agency’s transition to increased on-site work as smooth, with most employees now operating under a hybrid model.
Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), which employs just over 39,000 people, has maintained a fairly steady compliance rate of approximately 75 percent since the new policy took effect in September.
Smaller federal departments and agencies showed mixed results. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), which has about 13,000 public servants, reported a significant improvement in compliance, jumping from 72 percent in September to 93 percent in January. Meanwhile, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), employing around 6,800 staff, noted that 60 percent of their workforce are front-line employees who have been on-site since the pandemic’s onset. Among the remaining staff, compliance ranged from 73 percent between October and January, excluding the December holiday period.
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat reiterated that managers are tasked with overseeing their employees’ performance and workplace presence. According to a Treasury Board document, non-compliance with the in-office work rule can result in disciplinary action, including verbal or written reprimands, suspension without pay, and even termination of employment. “Before taking any of the above measures, managers should ensure that individual circumstances are considered on a case-by-case basis,” the document states. It also highlights the need to accommodate human rights obligations, such as the duty to accommodate or valid explanations for non-compliance.
Despite the policy’s enforcement, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), which represents a large portion of federal public servants, confirmed that they have not received reports of any members being suspended or dismissed for failing to adhere to remote work rules. Furthermore, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat stated that it does not collect data on specific disciplinary actions taken against employees.
As the federal government continues to push for greater in-office presence, these compliance rates reflect the ongoing challenges of balancing remote work flexibility with operational requirements. The data underscores a broader conversation about the future of hybrid work in Canada’s public sector and how both employees and leadership are adapting to these evolving workplace policies.
