‘They simply cannot concentrate’
Thousands of federal public servants are now working four days a week in buildings that some departments and unions say lack enough desks, parking and quiet space to accommodate them, according to a report.
The four-day in-office requirement took effect July 6, 2026. That came after the Treasury Board Secretariat announced in February that executives would return full-time by May 4 and all other federal employees would follow at four days a week.
Rebecca Anne Clark, a policy analyst with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) and president of CAPE Local 520, described her first day under the mandate as crowded and noisy, with staff seated close together while attending separate virtual meetings. "It does give a bit of a call-centre vibe," she said.
Nathan Prier, president of Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE), said some departments struggled under the previous three-day requirement, and it remains unclear which are ready for four days.
Accommodation, parking and workplace conditions
At NRCan's Booth Street office, Clark said some focus and sensitivity rooms are being removed to add workstations, a change she said affects colleagues who, like her, rely on quiet space to manage symptoms. NRCan spokesperson Marie Martin said the department is "rebalancing" such rooms throughout the building and maintains more than 70 nationwide.
Parking shortages are compounding the strain at the Department of National Defence's Carling Campus, where spokesperson Andrée-Anne Poulin said roughly 10,000 employees share about 5,000 parking spaces, according to a report form The Hill Times. Clark said parking at her own office was already difficult, with employees staying up until midnight to reserve a spot, sometimes finding it taken anyway.
At a July 8 demonstration in Ottawa, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada used foam-core mice, cockroaches and a hermit crab to represent complaints about unassigned workstations and pest reports. "It's not only lack of space, but also inadequate space," said vice-president Katie Francis, according to the report.
Departments report uneven readiness
Canada Revenue Agency spokesperson Etienne Biram told the publication that "the vast majority" of its 48,000 employees can work on-site four days a week. Employment and Social Development Canada, with 35,540 employees, acknowledged some locations need additional capacity.
Environment and Climate Change Canada, with 8,185 employees, said most sites are ready but a phased approach will be needed at several offices.
Union leaders say uneven readiness across departments raises questions about how costs and benefits were assessed before the rollout began, The Hill Times reported.
Some departments previously delayed their RTO mandate due to the lack of space for workers.
CAPE challenges cost, motives behind RTO
CAPE called on Carney to release the analysis behind the mandate and explain why the $40 billion in planned savings was abandoned without public justification.
Earlier this year, Canadian unions pushed for expanded work-from-home options in the federal and provincial public sectors, tying telework directly to fuel costs and energy security.
