Department releases ‘New approach to increasing on‑site presence at headquarters and regional offices’
A shortage of office space has forced Global Affairs Canada (GAC) to delay its four-days-in-the office mandate, according to a report.
The government agency is postponing its plan because it does not have enough workspace to support the change, CBC reported, citing an internal memo obtained by Radio‑Canada.
The department is also contending with renovation projects at its headquarters and regional offices that are further reducing available desks and offices, according to the report.
The shift affects the majority of GAC’s unionised staff, who are currently required to be in the office three days a week. They had been preparing for a move to four days in line with a federal directive from the Treasury Board Secretariat, which announced in February that all unionised federal public servants would be required to return to the office at least four days a week starting July 6.
Instead, GAC’s memo says unionised employees will continue to report to the office three days a week “for an indefinite period of time” because of a shortage of desks and “ongoing renovation work that is limiting available workspace,” CBC reported.
The new approach will remain in place until “sufficient workspace” becomes available, according to the document, entitled “New approach to increasing on‑site presence at headquarters and regional offices.”
New attendance rules
Beginning Sept. 15, at least one of an employee’s three in‑office days must be either a Monday or a Friday, CBC reported, citing the memo.
While most unionised employees will stay on a three‑day schedule, executives will still be required to work from the office five days a week starting May 4, as originally planned, according to the report. Managers – whether unionised or not – and assistant directors reporting to a director will be required to work in the office four days a week, with that requirement phased in between July 6 and Sept. 15.
The memo says the physical presence of managers “helps ensure employees receive timely and consistent in‑person guidance, which contributes to strengthening teamwork and collaboration.” Managers present four days a week will be given an assigned workspace, in contrast to many staff who continue to rely on shared or unassigned desks.
Ontario’s full-time return-to-office (RTO) mandate officially took effect Jan. 5, 2026.
Union reaction and move to tighter telework governance
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) said the change at GAC supports its long‑standing concerns about the federal return‑to‑office push.
“This flip‑flop confirms exactly what we’ve been stating from the beginning: forcing everyone to return to the office is a logistical mess,” the union said, according to CBC.
Sean O’Reilly, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), previously said that some departments have been unable to comply fully because “there’s a lack of space across the public service,” according to a report released in February.
CBC also reported that the department is introducing a “standardized annual telework agreement renewal cycle,” which it says will provide “greater clarity and predictability” in workspace management. Telework agreements must be renewed in order to take effect on Sept. 15, effectively giving managers and HR a regular opportunity to review remote‑work arrangements against operational and space constraints.
O’Reilly told CBC he expects other federal departments may follow GAC’s lead.
“It’s refreshing to finally have a department realize what we’ve been saying for months — that there’s not enough space,” he said, according to the report. “I wouldn’t be surprised if more departments [start] making similar announcements over the next couple of weeks.”
The push to get employees physically back in offices has sparked a crisis in retention and recruitment, with employers reporting productivity challenges even with on-site work, according to a previous survey.
RTO mandates
Here is a list of federal departments requiring workers to be in the office four times a week.
|
Employer / grouping |
Employee group |
Required minimum in‑office days |
Start date |
Notes for HR professionals |
|
Core public administration (most federal departments and agencies under the Treasury Board) |
Most unionised/non‑executive public servants eligible for hybrid work |
4 days per week |
6 July 2026 |
Central Treasury Board direction sets a 4‑day minimum for the bulk of hybrid‑eligible staff in core departments, making this a system‑wide benchmark for office‑first hybrid in large, unionised workforces. |
|
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) |
Most public service workers (non‑executive) |
4 days per week |
6 July 2026 |
CRA, though a separate agency, has aligned with the Treasury Board’s 4‑day standard, signalling that separate agencies may follow the same pattern and reinforcing the need for consistent hybrid policies across large public employers. |
|
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) |
Managers and assistant directors (unionised or not) |
4 days per week |
Phased in between 6 July and 15 September 2026 |
GAC is using a phased 4‑day requirement for managers while keeping most unionised staff at three days due to space constraints, showing how some employers are differentiating attendance expectations by level when implementing federal guidance. |
And here’s a list of those requiring 5 in-office days each week:
|
Employer / grouping |
Employee group |
Required minimum in‑office days |
Start date |
Notes for HR professionals |
|
Core public administration (most federal departments and agencies under the Treasury Board) |
Executives (EX level) |
5 days per week |
4 May 2026 |
Treasury Board has set a full‑time, in‑office standard for executives, positioning leaders as the first cohort to return to traditional office patterns and highlighting the symbolic and practical importance of visible leadership in hybrid transitions. |
|
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) |
Executives |
5 days per week |
4 May 2026 |
CRA’s executives are also expected to be on site five days a week, mirroring the core public service and underscoring how leadership presence is being used to anchor culture and accountability across complex, distributed operations. |
|
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) |
Executives |
5 days per week |
4 May 2026 |
GAC is maintaining the five‑day requirement for executives even while delaying a wider 4‑day return for unionised staff, illustrating how some organisations are decoupling leadership attendance from broader workforce schedules when operational or space constraints arise. |
