Requiring employees to return to the office four days a week significantly impacts various aspects of life in Canada, not only for the public servants but for all workers. Traffic congestion in major cities like Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal has already reached critical levels and forcing daily commutes only exacerbates the problem. For many, especially parents and individuals with disabilities, a rigid four-day in-office schedule affects the delicate balance between professional and personal responsibilities, which has proven to be more manageable when working remotely.

Furthermore, encouraging a remote work culture supports environmental sustainability. The carbon footprint resulting from daily commuting contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions that Canada is working hard to reduce. A nationwide shift towards allowing remote work wherever possible can support our national goals to combat climate change.

While productivity is often cited as a reason for in-office work, there is no research that shows a correlation between in-office presence and increased work output. 

The government’s requirements for in-office presence restricts the potential talent pool by limiting hiring to specific geographical regions. By opening up remote work opportunities, public sector jobs can become more accessible to qualified candidates regardless of their location, benefiting both the employees and the Canadians they serve. Additionally, workers would spend more in their local economies, rather than money being funnelled to the corporate landlords and parking lots in major cities.

Office space is already limited in many cities, increased presence will require additional office space, a significant cost to the Canadian tax payer while remote work is a cost effective alternative. Pre-COVID19 the federal government had already planned to reduce leased and owned office space to save the tax payers millions of dollars, and employees were expected to work at least 2 days remotely under the “Activity Based Workplace” model. Returning to more on-site presence is a step backwards and a significant cost to the tax payer. 

Are you still thinking “why should I care about public servants”? Because workers uniting together is how we have achieved all the rights we currently have and “a rising tide lifts all boats”. In a time where wealth is being extracted from the working class, we need to band together to say enough is enough and demand better working conditions for everyone in Canada. There are more of us workers than there are politicians and bosses, we have collective power to fight for changes. 
 
We urge the Federal Government to reconsider and reverse their decision on mandatory four-day in-office work requirements for public servants. Doing so is not only beneficial for employee well-being but also for environmental, economic, and societal growth of Canadians. If you believe the mandate should change and want to work towards a more flexible and sustainable future, please sign this petition.