‘Clear bias for employing people living in the city’: Eastern Ontario mayor criticizes federal return-to-office order

A federal office tower in Ottawa. Aug. 2, 2021. (Jackie Perez / CTV News Ottawa)

An eastern Ontario mayor is criticizing the federal government’s new return-to-office mandate, saying it “reveals the clear bias for employing people living in the city” instead of people living in nearby communities.

A directive issued last week announced that, as of May 4, executives will be required to work onsite five days per week. All other federal employees in the core public service will need to be in the office a minimum of four days per week, as of July 6.

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In a post on Facebook, North Grenville Mayor Nancy Peckford said federal public servants living in her community south of Ottawa will now face a “daily grind of up to three hours” to travel into Ottawa and Gatineau.

“To now insist on a minimum of four days (five for many) is an unequivocal signal that only those in Ottawa’s relatively small orbit work (and other major urban centres) should work for the public service, let alone attempt to excel,” Peckford said in the post Tuesday morning.

“That is unless you are willing to make a serious sacrifice of your time and well-being, and the climate. Because putting federal public servants back on the road five days a week will only worsen congestion and gridlock across the country.”

North Grenville’s biggest community is Kemptville, located approximately 60 kilometres from downtown Ottawa.

In an interview with Newstalk 580 CFRA, Peckford said Kemptville and North Grenville have benefited from the hybrid work model.

“Obviously, I feel that smaller communities outside of Ottawa have certainly benefitted from having federal public service employees supporting our local businesses in our communities,” Peckford said.

“They also have a little more time when they’re not sitting in gridlock on the 417 to give back to their communities.”

The mayor says traffic volumes on Ottawa’s roads “exceed its current capacity,” and calls the issues with Ottawa’s light-rail transit system a “débaucle” that has “left many commuters choosing their cars, not public transit.”

“At a time when the Carney government is looking for the best and brightest as part of its nation building campaign, this retreat from hybrid and remote work will have significant consequences,” Peckford wrote in her Facebook post.

“Why? Because three plus hour commute times are not tenable if you’re a caregiver of kids or elderly parents. If you have opted to live in a smaller community because it is more affordable and offers a rural atmosphere, the takeaway is that your skills are fundamentally less relevant, no matter your qualifications - unless you are willing to spend a third of your work week driving to and from the office.”

On Monday, Liberal MP Bruce Fanjoy, who represents the Ottawa riding of Carleton that is home to thousands of public servants, called on the government to reconsider its new return-to-office (RTO) mandate.

“The new RTO policy makes it harder to achieve the government’s priorities of reducing the operating cost of government, improving affordability, and respecting the environment,” Fanjoy said. “Instead, it will cost both the government and citizens more and increase pollution.”

Peckford warns requiring federal public servants to be in offices in Ottawa, Gatineau and across the country four or five days a week will “narrow the talent pool.”

“At a perilous time in our country and this world, why would the federal government limit its talent pool, not just for residents in eastern Ontario but across the country?” Peckford said.

“Speaking from my experience as mayor, your public service must reflect the people they serve. A heavy emphasis on employees from large urban centres will not always generate the best ideas and solutions. It will also force people to choose between small towns and their desire to be a federal public servant when it really matters.”

The Public Service Alliance of Canada filed an unfair labour practice complaint with the Federal Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board in response to the government’s new in-office mandate.

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