On March 1, 2022, Ontario Public Service (OPS) staff learned through the media that they would be required to return to the office 3 days a week starting April 4, 2022. This information was later confirmed via a memo from the Secretary of Cabinet to all OPS staff. 

The return to office (RTO) announcement contained a lack of transparency around who made the decision, how it was made, and why it is such a vast and abrupt departure from the previous Graduated Return to OPS Workplaces Plan (GROW) plan, which had been consulted on with relevant OPS unions. 

The new RTO plan will have a large impact on OPS staff who, until this point, have been working from home successfully since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020. In addition, RTO will have a disproportionately negative effect on immunocompromised, elderly, and other clinically vulnerable employees, and those with children under 5 for whom a vaccine is not available. 

With the recent removal of vaccination, testing, masking and social distancing requirements in Ontario, the new RTO plan does not provide a safe work environment for OPS employees. COVID-19 continues to infect, disable and kill Ontarians. The OPS as an employer is required to provide a safe work environment for all employees. As workers in Ontario, OPS employees have the legal right to refuse unsafe work, according to Section 43(3) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, when they believe that any equipment, workplace condition or contravention of the OHS act is likely to endanger you or another person's health and safety. 

As per the 2021 Employee Engagement survey (see here and here) the majority (67%) of those surveyed indicated they can complete 75-100% their work remotely. Additionally, only 10% indicated a preference for a 3 days in office/week plan, with the plurality (38%) indicating that would prefer to only report to the office as necessary, 18% preferring 2 days in the office/week and 17% preferring 1 day in the office/week. 

These findings are supported by more recent online survey data from March 2022 (see here) which shows that 93% of respondents disagree with the new RTO plan. This survey (see here) shows 46% of respondents prefer complete flexibility (working from home up to 5 days a week), 22% prefer 1 day in the office/week, and 17% prefer 2 days in the office/week. Only 2% of respondents favour 3 days in the office/week. 

The new RTO plan does not acknowledge the mental, physical and financial impacts of RTO for many employees. It is a one-size-fits-all solution to an issue that should be addressed with flexibility. It also misses an important opportunity leverage the strides the OPS has made toward digitalization over the last two years.

Demands: 

1. OPS staff demand that the Secretary of Cabinet reverse the new RTO decision and allow all employees the choice to continue working remotely up to five days a week. This should be the workplace arrangement until a new workplace policy is developed and consulted on with OPS staff. 
2. OPS staff call on their unions (including but not limited to: OPSEU, AMAPCEO, ALOC, and OCAA) to make the same demand of the Secretary of Cabinet.