Federal workers return to the office 4 days a week. Will it be smooth sailing or 'another hot mess'?

It’s the number one daylight of the number one hebdomad union soldier employees are expected to return to the office for a minimum of four days a week.

The mandate, announced in February and known colloquially as RTO4, increases the in-office requirement from three days a week, in place since September 2024.

Executives have been required to attend the office five days a week since May.

The Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada has said departments will work with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) in cases where there aren't enough workstations to accommodate the four-day in-office requirement.

While the department said it's focused on "optimizing" existing space, since the February announcement it has entered into leases for 1,280,223.45 square feet of office space across Canada — the equivalent of 16.6 World Cup soccer fields, three-quarters of it in Ottawa and Gatineau.

In a statement, PSPC said those leases may "not necessarily mean a net increase in occupied space" and may address different operational needs such as renewal or relocation.

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In May, Treasury Board said increasing in-office requirements would include a return to assigned seating "for the majority of employees," but that some deputy ministers would have leeway to "stagger implementation" to match requirements.

PSPC said it will close its GCcoworking sites on Sept. 30 and reallocate them to departments that need more space to meet the four-day in-office mandate.

PSPC is itself among the federal organizations that lack enough space to meet the four-day in-office requirement for all employees this week, so some employees will continue to work on-site three days per week.

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The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) have filed unfair labour practice complaints against the government.

"Right now our members are complying, but we’re taking legal action when it comes to protecting their rights,” said PSAC president Sharon DeSousa.

"There's a problem with the work sites … there’s problems with getting parking, traffic, and now we’re having four days in the office and it’s just going to be another hot mess."

PIPSC has pledged to document reports of overcrowded offices, insufficient workspace and other problems as they arise.

The president of the Union of Taxation Employees said about half of the Canada Revenue Agency’s offices lack enough space for all the workers who are due to return Monday.

RTO4 is also expected to heighten demand for commuter parking and transit. Some downtown parking lots have converted to monthly passes or added valet service after the last sudden increase in demand.

The Department of National Defence has struggled with parking for more than 10,000 employees at its headquarters in Kanata. The Moodie Drive facility has approximately 5,000 parking spaces, and workers have called transit and pathway options inadequate.

Employees have been offered temporary parking space at the nearby Connaught Range, with shuttle service to the Carling Campus. 

The City of Ottawa says approximately 7,000 long-term parking spaces are available across the city. Scott Caldwell, area manager of roads and parking services, said the city is working with the federal government on mitigation strategies, but declined to provide details. 

"We expect high demand to be even higher, and that to be expressed through the number of people looking for parking," Caldwell said in late June. "Ultimately, there is a limit of how many spaces there are in the downtown core area."

Meanwhile, a February memo obtained by The Canadian Press showed the federal government’s top public servants were concerned about OC Transpo’s ability to support the influx of workers.

Pat Scrimgeour, OC Transpo’s director of transit customer systems and planning, said in a statement that O-Train lines 1 and 2 are operating at full capacity during the work week, and the network is ready for more riders.

In June, OC Transpo identified 10 routes it will monitor this summer to determine whether changes are needed to accommodate more riders.

"Bus reliability continues to improve, and our efforts are focused on better maintenance planning and onboarding new zero emission buses," Scrimgeour said, noting there will be another system-wide assessment in September as the school year begins.

Federal officials worried OC Transpo can't handle return-to-office

OC Transpo has also stopped providing 105 school bus trips, which may free up high-capacity buses for routes serving government workers.

For its part, Gatineau’s transit agency said it has enough drivers to meet demand. 

“All our resources are already on the roads. We cannot add more service, but we will be able to ‘double’ certain routes where there are urgent needs,” wrote STO spokesperson José Lafleur in a French-language statement.

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