Since the beginning of March, the federal departments have been gradually returning to on-site or hybrid operations after it was given the go-ahead by the Treasury Department, which oversees the federal workforce. The Treasury Board said in a statement that “there is no one-size-fits-all approach” and deputy ministers each have authority over how their officials will make that performance. But with decisions in the hands of each department, some civil servants are frustrated by the lack of consistency. “We don’t see a clear direction as to what a return to work looks like,” said Sharon DeSousa, national executive vice-president of the Canadian Alliance of Public Service, a union that represents about 200,000 workers across the country. He said he has heard from union members about a lack of answers and a sense of “uncertainty” surrounding the return to work, particularly with how plans look different from department to department. Sharon DeSousa, speaking in front of Canada’s Treasury building at a rally, says public service workers are seeing different return-to-work plans from department to department. (Jean Delisle/CBC) DeSousa said workers deserve to have safe and healthy work environments, adding that everyone’s mental health has suffered from the pandemic. Workers need to know the government has their backs, he said. “They need consistency, they need support, they need to ensure their health and wellbeing is taken care of and they need clear communication.” WATCHES | Federal workers still see ‘uncertainty’ over back-to-work plan, union says
Federal workers still see ‘uncertainty’ over back-to-work plan, union says
Sharon DeSousa, national executive vice-president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, says it’s not yet clear how a hybrid work model for federal employees will be implemented.
“Lax, vague instructions”
Kristina MacLean, who works for the Department of National Defense, said she is currently pushing for a hybrid work model, but the lack of strong language outlining telecommuting options makes that difficult. “We’ve done the job, we’ve shown we can do the job, now it’s time for us all to be a little flexible.” MacLean said the lack of consistency between departments is a “major problem”. “Right now it’s at the discretion of the employer,” he said. “Depending on what department you’re in or what category you’re in, you’re treated differently and you could all be working in the same office.” Kristina MacLean, shown here at a workers’ rights rally, says she is concerned about inconsistent return-to-work plans that are at the discretion of the employer. (Jean Delisle/CBC) MacLean said she has found that communication around return to work consists of “loose, vague instructions” that are subject to interpretation. “I think that puts us on dangerous ground because if it’s completely at the discretion of the employer, how are we going to protect the rights of the workers?” In its labor force survey for the month of August, Statistics Canada said it continued to see an upward trend in people reporting hybrid work arrangements, with 8.6 per cent of respondents working in a hybrid model. Statistics Canada said it does not have data on the number of federal public service employees currently working remotely or in a hybrid model.
Differences between departments
CBC News reached out to various federal departments about their plans for returning workers to the workplace. The Department of Canadian Heritage did not respond to the CBC in time for publication.
The Canada Revenue Agency said it will move to a hybrid work model and gradually increase the number of employees working on-site. The Treasury Department said it is adopting a hybrid plan where most employees will work a combination of in-person and on-site work, and hopes employees will eventually spend 50 percent of their time in the office. The Department of Justice said it is now adopting a hybrid working model and workers who want to work from home will need to have approved telecommuting agreements by October 3. There is currently no minimum number of days to work at the department level. The Department of National Defense has said it will gradually transition to a hybrid workforce in the coming months. About 50 percent of its employees were working on-site during the pandemic, he said. The Ministry of Public Security has said it will adopt a hybrid model, with telecommuting agreements set in collaboration with workers’ managers. He said the process is expected to be completed by November 2022. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) said it officially launched its flexible work model on September 6, with many of ESDC’s employees continuing to work on site. Environment and Climate Change Canada said it has maintained critical services on the ground throughout the pandemic and that an increasing number of workers have been coming to work on a regular basis in recent months. By September, all executives are expected to have a regular and continuous on-site presence, and all remote employees or managers must have a signed telecommuting agreement. Fisheries and Oceans Canada said a significant number of its employees continued to work on-site throughout the pandemic, and during the summer employees returned to offices across the country. Hybrid work arrangements have been adopted and the department said it expects workers to be in the office one to two days a week. Health Canada and the Public Health Service of Canada said the health and safety of their workers is a top priority as they transition to a hybrid workforce. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said it is continuing to transition to a hybrid workplace model. Indigenous Services Canada said it plans to return to workplaces this fall and will be expected to be in person one day a week or more. Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada said it continues to work on a phased return to the workplace for the fall as more workers return to work. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada said it is implementing a back-to-the-office plan with the majority of its employees adopting a hybrid plan, working on-site two to three days a week on average. Some employees will have more or fewer days in the office depending on their job function. The Public Service and Procurement Agency of Canada said it is gradually transitioning to a hybrid workplace. Transport Canada said each employee has an individual employment agreement with their manager and employees have the option of returning to work full-time or a hybrid schedule depending on their work demands. The work arrangements must be implemented by September and several workers have already worked on site throughout the pandemic.
