Proposal would shift hybrid work from internal policy choice to legally protected entitlement
Two months before the federal government’s requirement for all federal public service workers to be in office four days a week, more than 25,000 people have shown support for a federal e‑petition calling on Ottawa to amend the Canada Labour Code to guarantee a minimum level of hybrid work for computer‑based employees in federally regulated sectors.
E‑7142 – initiated by Tania Pereira from Etobicoke, Ont. – asks the House of Commons to give eligible employees “the right to perform their work remotely for a minimum of three (3) days per week,” unless their role involves emergency, medical, caregiving or other functions “where physical presence is demonstrably essential.”
The proposal would shift hybrid work from an internal policy choice to a legally protected entitlement for a large portion of the federally regulated workforce.
The petition is sponsored in the House of Commons by Liberal MP James Maloney of Etobicoke—Lakeshore. E‑7142 has attracted 25,605 validated signatures as of the writing of this story. The petition will close for signatures on July 15, 2026.
The largest number of signatures came from Ontario (12,710) and Quebec (5,943), followed by British Columbia (2,119) and Alberta (1,177), with participation reported in every province and territory.
Petition cites 'arbitrary' RTO mandtes
The Canada Labour Code sets minimum labour standards for about 900,000 employees across banking, telecommunications, transportation, postal services, pipelines and Crown corporations. The petition states that, without explicit protections, “employees remain vulnerable to arbitrary return‑to‑office mandates that undermine work–life balance, inclusion, and competitiveness,” indicating that attendance decisions could become subject to statutory standards rather than solely organisational policy.
This comes after, in February, the federal government announced its intention to require all federal public service workers to be in office four days a week beginning July 6, 2026, while executives will have to be on-site five days a week starting May 4, 2026, as noted by Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).
In February, the federal government insisted it can secure enough desks for public servants as it moves to a four‑day‑a‑week office mandate, even as unions and experts warn that many buildings are already at or beyond capacity. However, Treasury Board spokesperson Martin Potvin acknowledged that “there may not be enough workstations at some locations to meet the four‑day work week requirement for all staff” at the start of the rollout, according to a CBC report.
An April report noted that Shared Services Canada is scrapping its desk “hoteling” model for Ottawa-Gatineau employees and moving to a neighbourhood‑based seating plan as the federal government tightens its return‑to‑office rules.
Five key demands aimed at Parliament
The E‑7142 petition asks the federal government to take five specific actions that would embed hybrid work in federal law.
- First, it calls for an amendment to Part III of the Code to guarantee the three‑days‑per‑week remote‑work right for employees whose job functions are primarily computer‑based, with limited exceptions where on‑site presence is considered essential.
- Second, e‑7142 would require employers to justify higher in‑office requirements. It seeks an obligation for federally regulated employers to provide “written, evidence‑based justification if they require more than two (2) in‑office days per week” for such employees. This would require HR and line managers to support attendance policies with documented operational reasons, creating additional record‑keeping responsibilities.
- Third, the petition calls on the government to “prohibit any adverse employment action (including dismissal, demotion, or negative performance evaluation) solely on the basis of exercising this right.”
- It also urges the Minister of Labour to develop “compliance and enforcement measures—including penalties for non‑compliance and clear channels for employee complaints,”
- It asks Ottawa to “position Canada as a global leader in modern, sustainable, inclusive work practices by embedding hybrid work as a statutory labour standard under federal law.”
Productivity, inclusion and climate rationale
E‑7142 links hybrid work to a series of workplace outcomes. It states that “remote and hybrid work improves productivity, lowers absenteeism and turnover, and supports caregivers, people with disabilities, and rural workers.” The petition presents telework as a factor in retention and workforce participation across different employee groups.
It also cites Statistics Canada estimates that feasible telework “could cut 9.5 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions annually, helping meet Canada’s climate goals.” This connects hybrid‑work design to national sustainability objectives, placing telework alongside other environmental and social considerations that employers track.
No government response or legislative timetable has yet been publicly announced.
PSAC has asked its members to sign the petition.
“Whether you work in the federal public service, a federally regulated workplace, or the private sector, we know that remote work increases productivity, lowers operating costs, decreases traffic, and improves quality of life. Workers deserve the right to negotiate work arrangements that balance flexibility with operational needs, not have them imposed without consultation,” the union said in a statement posted on its website.
“This petition is one way to send a clear message to Parliament that workers expect better. Remote work isn’t just about convenience, it’s about equity, accessibility, and building workplaces that reflect today’s workforce.”
Employment lawyers previously interviewed by Canadian HR Reporter say that in Canada, where employees enjoy stronger protections than in many jurisdictions, employers who tighten RTO rules face legal complexity if long‑standing hybrid or remote arrangements have become implied terms of employment. They warn that unilateral changes to where people work can lead to constructive dismissal claims if contracts lack clear language on work location, and stress the importance of notice, consistency and accommodation when recalling staff.
The Treasury Board website says there were 9,340 executives working for the federal government as of the end of March 2025, out of 357,965 public servants. This table details the headcounts of people required to be on-site four days a week under Treasury Board policy, not measured attendance:
