Return-to-office mandate a step backwards for all Canadians

One month in, the federal government’s hybrid work policy remains a colossal failure that has left workers scrambling and raised tensions to a fever pitch just as more than 155,000 federal public service workers prepare to cast their ballot in strike votes across the country. The flawed policy has led to a situation that is not only bad for workers, but also bad for Canadians who rely on federal public service workers to deliver essential services day in and day out. Workers are facing enormous challenges to workplace productivity, health and safety, and employee well-being. The offices aren’t ready. There’s a lack of equipment and a shortage of workstations. One worker told us there were only eight cubicles ready for about 70 to 80 employees in one section, meaning that some have had to work on the floor or the lunchroom counter. Is this how our government expects workers to deliver the highest standard of service to Canadians? From the floor and lunchroom counters? And if you need accommodations and ergonomic equipment? We’re being told members are expected to haul around all their equipment every day they’re in the office. Is this the best use of their time? Alex Silas is the regional executive vice president of the National Capital Region section of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. Photograph courtesy of PSAC So far, the accommodation process is as clear as the muddy water coming out of some of the drinking fountains in the buildings. We heard a story from a member who told us that the buildings themselves have fallen into disrepair, with chunks of ceiling falling over cubicles, and signs posted indicating people should not consume the tap water. Why are workers returning to buildings if the water isn’t drinkable? Consider all this in addition to the very plain and clear fact that mandating a return-to-office during the cold and flu season during a pandemic in shared workspaces continues to be an occupational health and safety issue. And all of that is just considering what happens once you arrive to your office. If you decide to gamble with our transit system, some members are finding a need to make up for lost time by—you guessed it—working the rest of their hours at home. If you need to drive to work with your ergonomic chair, you’re encountering traffic jams and commute times. That’s still more time that could be spent serving Canadians. And the pressure on workers and their families is enormous. It’s important to keep in mind that the pandemic has been a mass disabling event, with long-term health consequences. Demand for care is increasing at a time when the generation that can provide it is under significant strain to find child care and long-term care spaces. For a government that talks big when it comes to gender equity, they have sorely overlooked a comprehensive gender-based analysis when it comes to the return-to-office mandate. And to be clear, workers aren’t asking to work remotely full time. We just want to ensure that any return to the office is negotiated transparently, makes sense, and doesn’t put people at risk and have adverse effects. At a fundamental level, the mandate is a violation of our right to collectively bargain, and is a decision that will endanger the services we all depend on. Let’s not forget that thousands of PSAC members have been on the frontlines throughout the entire pandemic, and due to the nature of their work, continue to be on the ground providing service to Canadians. At the end of the day, tens of thousands of Public Service Alliance of Canada members are taking strike votes because they’re asking to be treated fairly. They’re fighting for respect and fair wages as they – like millions of Canadians workers – are seeing their buying power shrink in the face of inflation. As Canada’s largest employer, the federal government should be leading the way by paving the path forward for all workers to be compensated fairly with wages that keep up with the cost of living. Instead, the government is choosing to nickel-and-dime workers at the bargaining table. And it has added salt to the wound by mandating a senseless return to office policy on hundreds of thousands of workers who’ve continued to deliver the same critical services to Canadians during the pandemic – whether they were working remotely or in the office. Workers and Canadians deserve a better deal. Alex Silas is the regional executive vice president of the National Capital Region section of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, which represents tens of thousands of workers in the Ottawa-Gatineau area. The Hill Times