The Canada Flag flies on the Peace Tower of Parliament Hill as pedestrians make their way along Sparks Street Mall in Ottawa.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press
The federal government is moving ahead with its July 6 deadline for public servants to return to the office at least four days a week, even as some departments have announced longer timelines because of a lack of available space.
The federal government said in early February that as of July 6, all non-executive employees will be required to work onsite four days a week. The policy allowed deputy ministers some leeway in enforcement if needed. Executives have been required to work in the office five days a week since May 4.
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The July 6 timeline remains, although there is some flexibility for departments, Mohammad Kamal, a spokesperson for Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali, said in a statement to The Globe and Mail.
“In certain cases, deputy heads may stagger their implementation schedules to match their workplace realities, while aiming to maximize the on-site presence of employees beginning July 6,” he said, adding that Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is working closely with departments to ensure they have adequate workspaces.
Some large departments, including Global Affairs, Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada and National Defence have said they will need more time to meet the four day a week target.
Union leader Sean O’Reilly, President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, said most workplaces are clearly not ready.
Treasury Board has not released a government-wide breakdown of how all departments are planning for the July 6 deadline. Treasury Board Secretary Bill Matthews told a House of Commons committee last month that departments are moving back to assigned seating, as opposed to desk hoteling, so that teams can work together.
“Workforces are more productive that way,” he said.
Mr. O’Reilly said many offices across the public service have yet to fully return to assigned seating.
“People are still going to be hunting for desks, and it’s not productive,” he said. “You want to go to the office and get to work. You don’t want to go to office and figure out where the hell you’re sitting for the day.”
Mr. O’Reilly said the situation will become more challenging later in the summer when most employees are back from vacation.
“We’re going to see increased chaos,” he said.
Like many other office workplaces, the public service embraced hybrid work during the pandemic and has gradually increased the number of days per week that employees are required to be in the office.
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But the shift has coincided with a push by the federal government to cut back on office space.
The 2024 budget announced a plan to save $3.9-billion over 10 years by requiring PSPC to reduce its office portfolio by 50 per cent.
At the time, the budget said this was possible because the federal government had “shifted to hybrid work.”
That plan has since been revised and PSPC has been announcing plans to buy or lease new office space for public servants.
“It feels like it’s a real estate strategy and not a workflow strategy,” Mr. O’Reilly said. “And what blows my mind the most is that the government’s trying to reduce the costs of the public service. This is only increasing costs.”
The shift to in-person work is overlapping with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s push to reduce the overall size of the federal public service.
Annual population data for the public service released this month show that as of March 31, there were 345,282 public servants in the core public administration and separate agencies. That’s down from 357,965 in 2025 and 367,772 in 2024. Last year’s budget said the government is aiming to reach 330,000 by the 2028-29 fiscal year, which it described as “a more sustainable public service size.”
The government is hoping to hit this target primarily through attrition and early retirement incentives, but many departments have also announced workforce adjustments, which can include layoffs.
Eligible public servants have until July 24 to apply for the early retirement incentive. The government sent letters to about 68,000 employees in December, informing them that they are eligible for the program.
Mr. Kamal, the Treasury Board President spokesperson, said in a statement that the government is “encouraged” by the level of participation to date in the early retirement incentive.
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“The government is managing workforce reductions with fairness and compassion, and in line with Canada’s obligations as an employer,” he said.
In the absence of government-wide data regarding the July 6 deadline, some departments have outlined their specific plans.
For instance, National Defence spokesperson Pamela Hogan said in an e-mail that managers may authorize exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
“The department is preparing for increased on-site presence and will do so in alignment with Treasury Board direction and operational requirements,” she said. “National Defence has limited capacity in certain locations, including in the National Capital Region.”
Global Affairs spokesperson Jason Kung said in an e-mail that because of renovations underway at the department’s Ottawa headquarters and other locations, many non-executive staff will continue to work on site three days a week until more renovated space becomes available.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada spokesperson Julie Lafortune described a similar arrangement that will apply there “until we have sufficient office space.”