‘100 per cent of my in-office day is spent working virtually’: public servants describe uneven return to office

Nearly three months in, staff across six departments describe early-morning parking scrambles, hoteling desks with missing equipment, and sagging morale, while others say their offices have adjusted well.

Since the four-day in-office requirement took effect on July 6, public servants across departments and regions describe uneven experiences on the ground, from parking and desk shortages to offices that house none of their colleagues. The Hill Times photograph by Aidan Raynor

News

BY MZWANDILE PONCANA

October 1, 2026

Nearly three months into the federal government's four-day, in-office mandate, one Employment and Social Development Canada employee says he was assigned to a regional office for a single reason: to satisfy the on-site requirement.

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