The federal government is moving forward with its plan to require most public servants to return to the office for at least four days a week beginning July 6, despite some departments seeking extended timelines due to limited workspace availability.

The policy, announced in early February, mandates that all non-executive employees work onsite four days weekly starting July 6. Executives have already been required to be in the office five days weekly since May 4. While the July 6 deadline remains firm, deputy ministers have been granted some flexibility to stagger implementation schedules based on their departments’ capacity, according to Mohammad Kamal, spokesperson for Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is collaborating with departments to address workspace challenges.

However, several large departments, such as Global Affairs Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and National Defence, have indicated they will require additional time to fully meet the four-day return-to-office target. Global Affairs, for example, cited ongoing renovations at its Ottawa headquarters and other sites, which limit the availability of workspace and mean many employees will continue to work onsite only three days a week until renovations are completed. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has made similar accommodations due to insufficient office space. National Defence acknowledged limited capacity in certain locations, including the National Capital Region, and said managers may grant exceptions on a case-by-case basis.

Union representatives have expressed concern about workplace readiness. Sean O’Reilly, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, noted that many offices have yet to fully reinstate assigned seating, leading to continued challenges for employees seeking desks. He warned that the situation is likely to become more problematic later in the summer, as more employees return from vacation, potentially resulting in increased crowding and confusion.

The shift back toward in-person work comes amid a government effort to reduce office space. The 2024 budget included a plan to save $3.9 billion over 10 years by halving PSPC’s office footprint, a measure initially justified by the adoption of hybrid work. However, PSPC has since adjusted this plan, announcing intentions to purchase or lease additional office space to accommodate public servants. O’Reilly criticized this as more of a real estate strategy than a workflow strategy, warning that it may increase costs rather than reduce them.

Concurrently, the federal government continues to reduce the overall size of its public service. Latest figures show the number of public servants in the core administration and separate agencies dropped to 345,282 as of March 31, down from 357,965 in 2025 and 367,772 in 2024. The government aims to reach a more “sustainable” size of 330,000 employees by the 2028-29 fiscal year through attrition and early retirement incentives. Approximately 68,000 employees were notified last December of their eligibility for early retirement, with applications accepted until July 24. Kamal described the government’s approach to workforce reductions as conducted with fairness and in line with employer obligations.

Despite the lack of a comprehensive government-wide plan for the July 6 return-to-office deadline, individual departments are aligning their strategies with Treasury Board direction and operational needs while managing workspace constraints.