City of Ottawa reviewing hybrid work requests on ‘case-by-case’ basis ahead of 5-days a week mandate

City of Ottawa managers are reviewing hybrid work requests from municipal employees on a case-by-case basis, as the city prepares to welcome all employees back to the office full-time in the new year.

City Manager Wendy Stephanson announced in August that, as of Jan. 1, the city would return to “five days in the office as the new standard for all city employees.”

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The Toronto Star reported last week that nearly 11,000 Ontario government employees requested to work from home following the provincial government’s mandate to return to the office full-time.

A City of Ottawa spokesperson told CTV News Ottawa that the municipality did not have statistics on the number of requests from municipal employees to continue with hybrid work.

Ottawa’s chief human resources officer said, “hybrid work will remain flexible and based on operational needs.”

“Managers continue to review requests case-by-case, ensuring we are maximizing workspaces and maintaining a consistent employee presence in City facilities to best support resident service,” Pamela LeMaistre said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa.

Council approved a motion in September that encouraged senior managers to maintain the current hybrid policy in place at Ottawa City Hall.

The City of Ottawa currently employs approximately 17,100 full-time equivalent positions, which includes police, fire, paramedics and Ottawa Public Health. Approximately 85 per cent of municipal staff are required to be on site or in the office five days a week.

“Our in-office standard starts from a five-day onsite schedule to improve workplace culture and support excellent service delivery to residents, with flexibility applied where the nature of the work allows,” LeMaistre said.

“Beginning in January, eligible employees will be onsite more consistently throughout the standard five-day work week. This will help strengthen collaboration, improve service delivery and support knowledge sharing across teams. We will continue to provide tools and supports to help managers and employees through this transition.”

The City of Ottawa’s hybrid employees have been required to be in the office a minimum of two days per week.