Federal civil servants in the office 4 days a week? Not for now

After the return to the office of federal civil servants three days a week which has experienced numerous failures since September, the government assures that it does not intend to tighten the screw further for the moment. The current plan and for the next 10 years “takes into account presence in the office three days a week,” confirms Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC).

Il is not planned to modify […] the number of days in the officereports the manager of media relations at the Privy Council Office, Pierre-Alain Bujold.

An increase in office presence would require further analysis and modeling by department and site to determine adjustments to the current planadded SPAC.

The Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE), however, would not be surprised if the government changes its mind and eventually asks its employees to come to the office four days a week. The president of theACEP, Nathan Prayrecalls that the unions were not consulted before the announcement last May of the return to three days a week.

This decision was taken because the performance and image of the public service were at stake, while employees worked face-to-face only two days a week. According to internal Treasury Board Secretariat documents, the federal government feared losing public trust.

The consequences are still being felt

Several officials still have difficulty digesting the unilateral imposition of these rules.

It's a lack of respect for the workers […] employees are frustratedrelate Nathan Pray in interview.

Since September, unions and civil servants have denounced inconsistencies. Employees must, for example, report to shared offices – which they must reserve – and do not necessarily rub shoulders with their colleagues who work from other floors or other buildings.

The employer processes [les fonctionnaires] like children, he is not concerned with the quality of their work, but rather with where they are physically sitting. Workers are tired of seeing their working conditions deteriorate.

Maintaining numerous virtual meetings has even led to Internet problems at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Having no money to update its network, the ministry decided to reduce the quality of the video in the software Teams to reduce the pressure on it. This has led to a degradation in the quality of the videos: the images are choppy, there is a noticeable delay between the sound and the image and the video is frozen at times.

No widespread problems, says government

Ottawa, however, claims to have prepared during the summer by creating a hybrid work environment, including improvements to technological infrastructure, the provision of robust digital tools and secure systems for collaborative work, as well as layouts of physical office spaces that encourage collaborationsays Mr. Bujold of the Privy Council Office.

We encountered challenges during the transition, but the teams do their best to resolve issues when they arise.

The Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) emphasizes that it was up to each department to implement government direction regarding prescribed presence in the workplace. Spokeswoman Rola Salem adds that Each organization has unique operational realities that influence and guide its implementation of direction.

Asked about the lessons learned in recent months, the SCT it not being able to identify specific issues that would apply generally to the public service.

The Treasury Board office did not wish to comment on the return to the office of civil servants, citing that it is an administrative decision and not a political one.

Unions intend to campaign for flexibility

L’ACEP urges the government to reverse course and put an end to what it considers to be failed exercise by granting more flexibility to employees.

The presence at the workplace of each person employed by the government should be motivated strictly on the basis of justified presencesays for her part the president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, Jennifer Carr, who is ending her mandate in controversy after not being re-elected.

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The past year is one of the worstestimated Nathan Pray, adding that many civil servants now fear losing their jobs due to cutbacks. Several agencies and departments have already abruptly ended contracts and the Treasury Board Secretariat has not ruled out carrying out workforce adjustments if necessary.