Federal Union Presses Ottawa for Clarity on Office Return Rumours
So there’s been quite a stir in Ottawa this week, and it all revolves around a growing wave of rumours that federal public servants might soon be required to return to the office full-time. These whispers have been spreading quickly, and they’ve made federal unions uneasy enough to take action. One union, in particular, has decided it can’t wait for an official announcement — it wants answers now.
According to the reports making the rounds, the federal government is said to be considering a major shift in its workplace policy. Instead of the current hybrid rules, where most public servants work in the office at least three days a week and executives four, a full five-day-a-week in-office mandate may be in the works. Some insiders have even said the change could be implemented as soon as January 2027, with federal executives potentially being brought back sooner than everyone else.
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Naturally, these rumours haven’t been taken lightly by those who would be directly affected. Nathan Prier, the president of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees, has already sent a letter to Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali asking for clarification. The union wants to know whether these reports are accurate, and if the government is indeed preparing to make such a substantial change.
What stands out is Prier’s concern that this might be happening without properly consulting workers or their unions. He stresses in the letter that any new directive, especially one as disruptive as a full return-to-office mandate, should not be developed behind closed doors. The last time a return-to-office policy was rolled out, he says, it was a “complete fiasco,” and unions want to avoid a repeat of that confusion and frustration. Bargaining agents, he argues, expect to be kept in the loop before any final decisions are made or announced.
At this point, the federal government hasn’t confirmed whether these changes are actually being considered. For now, the official position remains unchanged: three days a week in office for most public servants, four for executives. Still, the union’s decision to reach out formally suggests there’s enough chatter behind the scenes to trigger real concern.
So, while nothing has been finalized, the conversation about federal workplace rules is clearly heating up. Public servants, unions, and government officials may all be bracing for what could be a major shift — or trying to put rumours to rest before they spread any further. Either way, more clarity is expected, and workers are hoping it comes sooner rather than later.
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