r/CanadaPublicServants

Dear colleagues,

As announced on February 5, 2026, all executives are required to work onsite five days per week effective May 4, 2026. The Government has now confirmed that as of July 6, 2026, all other employees eligible for hybrid work will be required to work onsite four days per week. Many federal public servants are already onsite full-time based on the nature of their work.

Following the February announcement, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat met with bargaining agents to seek input on how to implement this plan to best support employees. These conversations focused on priorities such as providing adequate workspace and equipment, meeting our duty to accommodate obligations, and ensuring appropriate health and safety at work.

A strong theme that emerged from these sessions was the importance of assigned seating to the extent possible to support teamwork. As a result, and as announced at the DM townhall last week, we are moving towards an assigned seating model where possible for our employees.

We recognize that this may take time to implement as some of our offices require reconfiguration. As we ramp up to achieve this goal, unassigned seating will allow faster alignment with the 4-day a week directive for office space across Canada. We are working with Public Services and Procurement Canada to ensure the work is completed in a timely manner. More information will be communicated to you prior to implementation.

While we will do our utmost to assure as smooth a transition and implementation as possible, there will undoubtedly still be challenges as we move forward. Know that we remain committed to supporting you as we move forward together. If you have specific concerns that you would like to discuss, please reach out to your manager.

Thank you for your professionalism and continued dedication.

---

Chers collègues,

Comme annoncé le 5 février 2026, les cadres doivent travailler sur place cinq jours par semaine à compter du 4 mai 2026. Le gouvernement a désormais confirmé qu’à compter du 6 juillet 2026, l’ensemble des autres fonctionnaires admissibles au travail hybride devront travailler sur place quatre jours par semaine. Par ailleurs, de nombreuses personnes employées à la fonction publique fédérale travaillent déjà sur place à temps plein en raison de la nature de leur travail.

À la suite de l’annonce de février, le Secrétariat du Conseil du Trésor du Canada a rencontré les agents négociateurs afin de recueillir leurs commentaires sur la manière de mettre en œuvre ce plan pour soutenir au mieux les fonctionnaires. Ces discussions ont porté sur des priorités telles que la mise à disposition d’espaces de travail et d’équipements adéquats, le respect de nos obligations en matière de mesures d’adaptation et la garantie de conditions de santé et de sécurité appropriées au travail.

Un thème récurrent qui est ressorti de ces discussions était l’importance d’offrir des places attribuées dans la mesure du possible afin de favoriser le travail d’équipe. Par conséquent, et comme je l’ai annoncé lors du Forum de la SM la semaine dernière, nous nous orientons, dans la mesure du possible, vers un modèle de places attribuées pour les membres du personnel.

Nous reconnaissons que la mise en œuvre de cette mesure pourrait prendre du temps, car certains de nos bureaux nécessitent une réorganisation. Alors que nous intensifions nos efforts pour atteindre cet objectif, le fait de ne pas attribuer de places nous permettra de nous adapter plus rapidement à la directive relative à la semaine de quatre jours pour les espaces de bureau à travers le Canada. Nous travaillons avec Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada pour veiller à ce que les travaux soient achevés en temps opportun. De plus amples informations vous seront communiquées avant la mise en œuvre.

Bien que nous fassions tout notre possible pour assurer une transition et une mise en œuvre aussi harmonieuses que possible, il y aura sans doute encore quelques défis à relever à mesure que nous progressons dans nos démarches. Sachez que nous nous engageons à vous soutenir tout au long de ce processus. Si vous avez des préoccupations particulières dont vous souhaitez discuter, veuillez communiquer avec votre gestionnaire.

Nous vous remercions de votre professionnalisme et de votre dévouement continu.

Le 22 mai 2026
** **
Le point sur la présence accrue dans les bureaux
** **
Comme il a été annoncé le 5 février 2026, tous les cadres doivent travailler sur place 5 jours par semaine depuis le 4 mai 2026. Le gouvernement a maintenant confirmé qu’à compter du 6 juillet, tous les autres fonctionnaires admissibles au travail hybride devront travailler sur place 4 jours par semaine.

À la suite de l’annonce de février, le Secrétariat du Conseil du Trésor du Canada a rencontré les agents négociateurs afin de recueillir leurs commentaires sur la manière de mettre en œuvre ce plan pour soutenir au mieux les fonctionnaires. Ces discussions ont porté sur des priorités telles que la mise à disposition d’espaces de travail et d’équipements, l’obligation de prendre des mesures d’adaptation et la garantie de conditions de santé et de sécurité appropriées au travail. Un thème récurrent qui est ressorti de ces discussions est l’importance d’offrir des places attribuées, dans la mesure du possible.

Par conséquent, Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada (SPAC) adoptera un modèle de places attribuées pour la majorité de ses employés. Il subsistera des places non attribuées, qui seront déterminées selon les fonctions exercées et les besoins opérationnels.

Cette transition se déroulera en plusieurs étapes :
Dans un premier temps, des espaces de travail ont été attribués aux cadres.

À compter du 6 juillet, les employés travailleront sur place 4 jours par semaine, et des places attitrées leur seront attribuées d’emblée dans la mesure du possible.

Les employés dont le lieu de travail ne peut pas les accueillir 4 jours par semaine continueront de travailler sur place 3 jours par semaine pour le moment.

Dans le cadre de la prochaine étape, d’ici le 19 juin, votre direction générale ou votre région communiquera avec vous pour déterminer ou confirmer l'emplacement de votre lieu de travail (immeuble, étage, bureau, etc.).

Nous nous engageons à communiquer clairement et rapidement avec vous pour faire en sorte que la transition et la mise en œuvre se déroulent aussi bien que possible. Cela dit, nous sommes conscients que nous pourrions rencontrer des difficultés en cours de route. Nous nous efforcerons de les résoudre au moment d’entamer la mise en œuvre.

Si vous avez des questions générales, veuillez vous adresser à l’équipe de l’Évolution du milieu de travail. Si vous avez des questions plus particulières, veuillez en discuter avec votre gestionnaire.

Nous vous remercions de votre professionnalisme et de votre dévouement habituel.
 
 
May 22, 2026
 
Update on increased on‑site presence
As announced on February 5, 2026, all executives are** required to work on-site five days per week effective May 4, 2026. The government has now confirmed that, as of July 6, all other employees eligible for hybrid work will be required to work onsite **four days per week.

Following the February announcement, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat met with bargaining agents to seek input on how to implement this plan to best support employees. These discussions focused on priorities such as providing workspace and equipment, duty to accommodate, and ensuring appropriate health and safety at work. A strong theme that emerged from these sessions was the importance of using assigned seating to the extent possible.

Consequently, Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) will transition to a majority-assigned seating model for ouremployees. Unassigned ways of working will still exist and will be determined by job functions and operational needs.

This transition will be done in phases.
As a first step, executives have been assigned a workspace
Beginning on July 6, employees will transition to a 4‑day on-site schedule, including assigned seating where feasible from the outset
In workplaces unable to accommodate 4 days per week, the current 3‑day on-site schedule will remain temporarily in effect

As a next step, between now and June 19, your branch or region will be communicating with you to identify or confirm your workspace location (building, floor, office, etc.)

We are committed to communicating with you in a clear and timely fashion to ensure as smooth a transition and implementation as possible. That being said, we acknowledge there may be operational issues that arise but we will work to address them as we move into implementation.

If you have any general questions, please reach out to the Workplace Evolution team. Specific issues should be raised with your manager.

Thank you for your professionalism and continued dedication.

Dear colleagues,

The Government has now confirmed that as of July 6, 2026, all employees eligible for hybrid work will be required to work onsite four days per week. Many federal public servants are already onsite full-time based on the nature of their work. As announced on February 5, 2026, all executives are required to work onsite five days per week effective May 4, 2026.

Due to space constraints, at ESDC,** **this move to 4 days per week for all employees will be staggered, beginning on July 6, 2026. As we ramp up to achieve this goal, in most of our offices, unassigned seating will allow faster alignment with the 4-day a week directive for office space across Canada.

Over the longer term, we will be driving towards dedicated assigned neighbourhoods to foster greater collaboration and enhanced teamwork. We recognize that this may take time to implement as we require more workspace and some of our worksites** **require reconfiguration. We will continue to work closely with Public Services and Procurement Canada to ensure that as many workspaces are available as quickly as possible and will provide more details on this staggered rollout before implementation.

Following the February announcement, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat met with bargaining agents to seek input on how to implement this plan to best support employees. These conversations focused on priorities such as providing adequate workspace and equipment, meeting our duty to accommodate obligations, and ensuring appropriate health and safety at work.

While we will do our utmost to assure as smooth a transition and implementation as possible, there will undoubtedly still be challenges as we move forward. Know that we remain committed to supporting you as we move forward together. If you have specific concerns about your personal circumstances that you would like to discuss, please reach out to your manager.

Thank you for your professionalism and continued dedication.

Colleagues, 

As announced on February 5, all executives are required to work onsite five days per week effective May 4. The Government of Canada has now confirmed that as of July 6, all other employees eligible for hybrid work will be required to work onsite four days per week. Many federal public servants are already onsite full-time based on the nature of their work. 

Following the February announcement, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat met with bargaining agents to seek input on how to implement this plan to best support employees. These conversations focused on priorities such as providing adequate workspace and equipment, meeting our duty to accommodate obligations, and ensuring appropriate health and safety at work. A strong theme that emerged from these sessions was the importance of assigned seating to the extent possible to support teamwork.  

As a result, Transport Canada (TC) is moving towards an assigned seating model for all employees. Specific workspaces for teams are being finalized, and planning efforts are focused on ensuring a smooth transition for all employees. Assigned seating will be available as of July 6, within the National Capital Region (NCR) and most TC regional offices. Specific transition plans are in place for TC’s Yonge Street and Dorval locations. As we ramp up to achieve the goal of assigned seating at these locations, employees providing direct services to Canadians will have priority access to available workspaces. Unassigned seating will also be leveraged to allow for faster alignment for all employees with the four days per week directive. 

While we will do our utmost to assure as smooth a transition and implementation as possible, there will undoubtedly still be challenges as we move forward. Know that we remain committed to supporting you as we move forward together. As we get closer to the July implementation date, further details related to location-specific arrangements will be shared with employees. In the meantime, we encourage you to speak with your manager if you have questions or require support during this transition. 

Thank you for your professionalism and continued dedication.

~~~~~~~

Collègues, 

Comme annoncé le 5 février, tous les cadres sont tenus de travailler sur place cinq jours par semaine à compter du 4 mai. Le gouvernement du Canada a maintenant confirmé qu’à compter du 6 juillet, tous les autres employés admissibles au travail hybride devront travailler sur place quatre jours par semaine. Par ailleurs, de nombreux fonctionnaires fédéraux travaillent déjà sur place à temps plein en raison de la nature de leurs fonctions. 

À la suite de l’annonce de février, le Secrétariat du Conseil du Trésor du Canada a rencontré les agents négociateurs afin de recueillir leurs commentaires sur la meilleure façon de mettre en œuvre ce plan pour soutenir les employés. Ces discussions ont porté sur des priorités telles que la disponibilité d’espaces de travail et d’équipements adéquats, le respect de nos obligations en matière d’adaptation, ainsi que la garantie d’un milieu de travail sain et sécuritaire.  Un thème important qui est ressorti de ces discussions est l’importance d’offrir des places attribuées dans la mesure du possible afin de favoriser le travail d’équipe.   

Par conséquent, Transports Canada (TC) évolue vers un modèle de postes de travail attribués pour tous les employés. Les espaces de travail dédiés aux équipes sont en cours de finalisation, et les efforts de planification visent à garantir une transition harmonieuse pour tous les employés.  Les postes de travail attribués seront disponibles à compter du 6 juillet 2026 dans la région de la capitale nationale (RCN) et dans la plupart des bureaux régionaux de TC. Nous avons mis en œuvre des plans de transition particuliers pour les sites de TC situés sur la rue Yonge et à Dorval. 

Alors que nous progressons vers l’objectif de postes de travail attribués à ces emplacements, les employés offrant des services directs aux Canadiennes et Canadiens auront un accès prioritaire aux espaces de travail disponibles. Des postes de travail non attribués seront également mis à profit afin de permettre une mise en conformité plus rapide de tous les employés avec la directive exigeant une présence sur place quatre jours par semaine. 

Bien que nous ferons tout notre possible pour assurer une transition et une mise en œuvre aussi harmonieuses que possible, il y aura sans doute encore des défis à relever au fur et à mesure que nous avançons. Sachez que nous demeurons déterminés à vous soutenir tout au long de cette démarche collective. À mesure que la date de mise en œuvre de juillet approchera, d’autres détails concernant les modalités propres à chaque emplacement seront communiqués aux employés. Entre-temps, nous vous encourageons à discuter avec votre gestionnaire si vous avez des questions ou si vous avez besoin de soutien pendant cette transition. 

Merci de votre professionnalisme et de votre dévouement continu. 

In an all staff sent out today, StatsCan announced that "Due to space constraints, our move to 4 days per week or 80% for all employees will be staggered."

Edmonton, Halifax, Sturgeon Falls, and Winnipeg are ready for July 6, while the other offices are not with no timelines mentioned for when they could be.

I am pursuing a new job opportunity which is in the same agency as mine, but different location/department, so they will not see me in person. I'm currently late into pregnancy, ready to start my mat leave in a couple of weeks (already submitted and approved). I am also "affected" under WFA, and I will get an opting letter when i come back after 18 months, as my program will not exist. I had a very promising interview and a great discussion with a hiring manager, but I didn't disclose my pregnancy and plans for mat leave. What do people normally do in these situations? Can I even accept an offer if i'm on protected leave? Should I have disclosed it earlier? Any advice is appreciated

Has anyone successfully kept their maiden name on email while keeping their married last name on pay?

I opted to change my name to my husband’s so I would have the same last name as my child. I have a publication record so wanted to keep my maiden name at work. I understand this is becoming common practice. I could have hyphenated but I don’t like that option as it creates really long names, and potentially infinite hyphens if you pass it to your kids.

I asked HR before doing all the paperwork to change my banking and they said it was reasonable and fine. Then IT said it was impossible but eventually agreed. When I returned from mat leave my name was changed without my consent to my husband’s last name.

I’m now 6 months into a never ending battle to get my maiden name back. I’ve involved my union and they’ve asked for anyone that may have successfully implemented something like this. So if you have, please let me know.

I will probably resort to changing all my stuff back to my maiden name and just socially using my husbands name, but it’s a lot of paperwork (especially with a toddler at home) and this feels like a very backwards constraint in an organization that supposedly supports women.

Just wondering for any ECCC employees who work at the office in Gatineau (200 Boulevard Sacre-Coeur) if there is a safe space to store a bike and any showers/changerooms. I may be transferring in and currently ride my bike into work.

https://www.acep-cape.ca/en/news/governments-rto-philosophy-benefits-commercial-landlords-not-canadians

​

TL;DR- Parolin v. Cressey is a useful private sector precedent that reinforces the legal principle underpinning union grievances against RTO. It doesn't give fed public servants a direct path to a lawsuit but it strengthens the broader legal narrative. The incremental rollout may have eroded the clarity of our collective objection. If you haven't filed or supported a grievance the window matters, act quickly and document your dissatisfaction in writing, especially if you're unrepresented.

I've been doing some reading after the latest RTO escalation and came across this case. Wondering if anyone has seen this come up in union discussions, grievances, or legal advice?

Short version: a private sector employee in BC had worked from home for 3 years and on a flexible schedule for 10 years. Employer suddenly told her to come back to a standard 9 to 5 in-office schedule and the court found that amounted to constructive dismissal, meaning the employer had fundamentally changed a core term of her employment. Company had to pay out 19 months notice.

The key principle being that long-standing remote and flexible work arrangements, even without a written contract, can become implied terms of employment through consistent practice and employer acquiescence. You cant just snap your fingers and reverse years of accepted working arrangements.

I ***know*** this won't directly apply to us because we operate under collective agreements, the PSEA, and the FPSLRA vs common law employment contracts and we don't typically sue our employer in civil court, our route is grievances and labour arbitration.

BUT! The reasoning in Parolin, that a long-standing practice acquires the force of a contractual term, is precisely the argument PSAC and others are making in their policy grievances. The gov't negotiated a Letter of Agreement on Telework after the 2023 strike. Unions argue the current RTO directives violate the spirit and terms of what was agreed. Parolin adds weight to the idea that you can't walk back years of sanctioned remote work w/out proper process.

***The part that should concern all of us:*** look at how this RTO escalation has actually unfolded. First it was 2 days in office, then 3, now 4 with execs already at 5. Each increment came gradually with enough time between steps that mass refusal never properly formed. In a private sector constructive dismissal case one of the key questions is whether the employee ***clearly and promptly objected to the change***. The incremental approach, whether by design or just how policy rollouts work, had the effect of preventing a clean moment of refusal. Employees appeared to have accepted each new baseline before the next one landed.

By the time we got to 4 days the employer can point back and say employees accepted 2, then 3, then 4 with no real objection at each step. The effect is the same regardless of intent.

I also want to flag that complying might weaken the case against RTO. For most fed public servants, work now grieve later is actually the correct legal posture. The public sector labour relations system is built around that principle and complying does not automatically waive your grievance rights as long as you file a timely grievance. We see this response here *all.the.time.*

For colleagues in non-unionized or private sector adjacent roles, complying without any written protest could seriously weaken a constructive dismissal argument though.

For all of us, years of silent compliance with each incremental RTO increase with no documented objection does create a factual record the employer will use down the road. So if you havent already, make your dissatisfaction known in writing, to your manager, through your union rep, or by filing or supporting a grievance. Unions need a paper trail and so do you.

PSAC has been pushing members to file individual grievances arguing the mandate violates the negotiated telework agreement. CAPE has gone further saying they need conciliation and strike rights in the next bargaining round rather than going straight to arbitration, because arbitrators cant award new rights like telework protections, they can only reference what other unions already have.

Has anyone spoken to their union rep about this case specifically? Curious if it's actually being referenced in grievance submissions or arbitration prep.

Some of the pushback I've seen cited in this forum:

"Management rights, the employer can tell us where to work." True in principle but mgmt rights arent absolute. They're constrained by collective agreements, negotiated letters of agreement, and the duty to bargain in good faith. The 2023 telework LOA is key.

"Parolin is BC private sector law, doesnt apply to us." Fair on the direct application but legal reasoning crosses jurisdictions and sectors in labour arbitration all the time, especially on questions of what constitutes a fundamental change to working conditions.

"We're still employed and getting paid so how is this constructive dismissal." For most fed public servants that's true, the vehicle is grievance not a lawsuit. But for colleagues on term positions, individual telework agreements, or roles specifically recruited as remote, the constructive dismissal framing may be more directly relevant...

"This is just post-COVID everywhere is doing RTO." Maybe, but the fact that a telework agreement was specifically negotiated and signed distinguishes fed public servants from employees who just happened to work from home during the pandemic. For many of us, working remotely for many years, there is no office to "return" to. Some of us have been working from home for the better part of a decade.

SSC is reducing our language tutoring from 2 sessions a week down to 1 starting June 1 due to budget reductions.

Meanwhile, CBC language requirements keep getting stricter and bilingualism is being emphasized more and more.

How are employees supposed to meet higher French requirements while the employer cuts the very training that helps people succeed?

Is anyone else experiencing this? I’m talking about managers that don’t task out work, don’t seem to care what their team is doing, how the work is going or follow up on anything, are away a lot. I’ve gone through multiple managers in the last few years and keep coming across this. One was acting, so the hands off approach was understandable there. Maybe it’s just very low morale with RTO and cuts, so they’re doing the bare minimum. I’m glad to have the job and the paycheck, but man, I just feel like, what am I doing with my time every day? Nevermind trekking to an office to do very little. I communicate when I finish work and let them know I can take stuff on, and I get promises of new tasks, or to schedule a meeting to discuss more work, but it never amounts to much. There’s lots of work to be done, but it’s not my role to organize it and make sure it gets done, so I don’t. I’m open to feedback on my work and worry I’m doing something wrong, but I’m not being told there’s an issue. I’m also not really interested in constantly prodding someone to do their job or handhold. It just builds resentment, so I try to avoid that by focusing on language and skills development learning. I guess it could be worse, but I just feel so useless.

Good morning/afternoon,

Following the February announcement from Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat regarding the Government of Canada’s direction to increase on-site presence, I am writing to provide an update on our implementation.
In July 2026, the Agency will begin the gradual transition to a four-day week on-site schedule, or 80% of a regular monthly schedule, for non-executive employees.
As many CRA buildings and offices can accommodate this change, we are able to proceed with the increase in these locations. However, some locations do not yet have the capacity to support the change. As a result, there will be some differences in requirements and timing between branches, regions, and even buildings.

The ability of a branch or region to offer flexibility to employees in selecting which days they will be on-site will depend on work point availability. In some cases, a fixed schedule with assigned days may be required.

All employees will receive a follow-up message, at least two months prior to when the new on-site requirement will impact them. For employees located in a regional building, you will be contacted by regional management. For employees located in a headquarters building, you will receive this message from your branch management. This message may provide employees with specific details, such as any assigned days.

Unassigned seating remains the standard workplace model, except where operational requirements require assigned seating. Employees are expected to continue to use the e-Concierge system to plan their on-site presence.
Employees are asked not to update their Workplace Arrangement Agreements (WAAs) at this time, as system updates are currently in progress. Additional information regarding WAA will be shared in the coming weeks.

I understand that this transition will require adjustments for many of you, and I appreciate your understanding and professionalism as we implement these changes across the Agency.

The first email I opened today was from my boss telling us to complete the new mandatory training course “Ethical Considerations in Artificial Intelligence”. This training seems to be based around the integration of generative AI into the job rather than actually considering its ethics. Can I get out of this training that goes against my personal values and ethics?? Should I just do it to train the future AI models who will be taking our jobs?

Hi everyone

I've been in the PS since 2021 working in the regions. I'm feeling burnt out, demoralized, and stuck. I joined straight out of post-secondary. At first it was a huge blessing. It still is however I feel stuck in terms of where I can grow in my career in the PS. When I joined as a student during covid, career outlook was very positive as positions that used to be reserved for the NCR were spread out to the regions thanks to remote work. However, with the recent government initiatives such as the SERLO, RTOs, and ERI, opportunities out in the region has dwindled significantly compared to covid era.

I'm currently acting as a PM-03. Does anyone know if there is any place we can reach out specifically within the PS that can help us clarify our career path? I'm in my late 20s and have been seriously considering switching careers because I can't see myself doing this until I retire. I feel that my career is not mine but beholden to the powers that be instead.

Pretty much the title. I received 2 deposits from "Canada", one for $145, and one for $1,224. I am well aware this money shouldn't be spent if I received it in error, but I have no idea why I would have received it and wondering if anyone had any insight?

For Context:

1 - I already filed my taxes and received my tax return money, so it's not that.

2 - I am a former public servant, but I left the public service years ago. My pension contributions, and any other money they owed me before I left, has long since been squared away to my knowledge.

3 - I haven't applied for any type of program or anything like that where the government would send me money (EI, etc)

4 - I checked MyCRA, and there is no scheduled payment, or previously scheduled payments for these amounts. Even if there was, this is not the bank account MyCRA uses for my direct deposit.