OTTAWA — Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali stated on Monday that he is unaware of any discussions regarding a potential mandate for public servants to return to the office full time by 2027. His comments came in response to inquiries from reporters following a letter from Nathan Prier, president of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees, who sought clarification on rumors about a new return-to-office directive.

“I’m hearing from news outlets, so I’m not aware of that,” Ali said before the question period on Parliament Hill. He added that he is looking into the matter but emphasized that “nothing has changed.”

Reports indicate that the federal government is contemplating a policy that would require public servants to work in the office five days a week by January 2027, with executives possibly returning even sooner. Prier expressed concern in his letter, noting that the rumors are causing significant anxiety among union members, especially following staffing cuts announced in Budget 2025.

“Coming so soon after staffing cuts announced in Budget 2025, these rumors are causing significant anxiety among our members, who are already facing uncertainty from workforce adjustments and unresolved issues from previous RTO directives,” Prier stated.

The issue of remote work has been contentious in the public service since the COVID-19 pandemic forced many federal employees to work from home in 2020. As public health restrictions eased, the government implemented a plan in 2023 for workers to return to the office two to three days a week. Currently, a policy in effect since September 2024 mandates that public servants work at least three days a week in the office, while executives are required to be in the office four days a week.

Rola Salem, a spokesperson for the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, confirmed via email that the policy regarding required in-office days has not changed. “We have no further information to share,” Salem said, declining to comment on whether discussions about changes are ongoing.

Prier expressed disappointment at the possibility of another major policy shift without consulting the union and workers. He described the previous return-to-office rollout as a “complete fiasco” and expects that bargaining agents will be informed before any decisions are finalized.

Sharon DeSousa, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, criticized a leaked Treasury Board document that reportedly outlines plans for a five-day in-office mandate. “This plan lacks imagination and is completely out of touch with what’s best for workers and taxpayers,” DeSousa said in an email. She also noted that the current office model has been problematic, citing insufficient desk space and overcrowded shared workspaces.

“It’s not too late for the government to walk this plan back,” DeSousa added, indicating that her organization has reached out to Ali’s office for an immediate meeting.

In 2022, former Treasury Board president Mona Fortier stated that hybrid work was “here to stay.” Martin Potvin, a spokesperson for the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, reiterated in January that the government’s hybrid work approach aims to “most effectively serve Canadians” while reducing its office footprint.

In August, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced that thousands of Ontario civil servants would return to the office full time by January. He praised the City of Ottawa’s decision to require its employees to work five days a week in the office starting in the new year and urged the federal government to adopt a similar approach. “It’s time to bring people back to work, that they can be mentored, they can collaborate. It’s a lot easier looking at someone in the eye than sitting over a telephone or a computer screen,” Ford said.

When asked about potential changes to return-to-office rules following Monday’s cabinet shuffle, Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Sabia responded, “no, not today.”