As of July 6, the federal government's four-day return-to-office mandate is officially in effect for most public servants, shifting from three in-person days to four. While executives have been full-time in-office since May 4, rank-and-file employees made the jump this week, at least those in departments with sufficient space.
Mixed reactions from employees and businesses
Alex Tran, owner of Ugly Monday cafe in downtown Ottawa, welcomes the increased foot traffic. “We mostly cater to office workers,” he said. “No one wants to work on Monday, right?” Tran noted that downtown foot traffic and sales have risen in recent months, calling it “a good sign for us.”
However, many public servants express frustration. Dylan Farrell, a Transport Canada employee, said the mandate feels arbitrary. “A lot of them are stressed, discouraged and very jaded,” he said. “It very much feels like we’re being pushed around for an agenda.” Farrell argued that his job doesn't change whether in-office or remote, and in-person work complicates tasks like private meetings or calls. “It doesn’t help us in any way. It does lead to people being more tired, more frustrated.”
Some prefer in-person work
Not all employees share Farrell's view. Tony Romkey, also at Transport Canada, said he prefers face-to-face collaboration over email or Microsoft Teams. “I think it’s good,” he said. Romkey, who takes the O-Train to work, acknowledged complaints about parking shortages and high fees, and noted that some colleagues are outright refusing to come in, putting managers in a tough spot.
Transit and logistics concerns
Other public servants raised concerns about crowded and unreliable buses and trains. OC Transpo's Pat Scrimgeour said in an email that both rail and bus systems met demand during Monday's peak morning commute. Glen Gower, chair of the city's transit committee, said everything went “as planned” on day one, but with many public servants on vacation and schools out for summer, his attention is on the fall.
The federal mandate follows similar policies from the Ontario government and the City of Ottawa. As a Canadian taxpayer, Farrell sees return-to-office mandates as a poor use of public money. “It does lead to people being more tired, more frustrated,” he reiterated.
