Gatineau, Que. mayor says no push for full-time return to office

Gatineau City Hall at 25 rue Laurier in Gatineau, QC is seen in this undated photo. (CTV News Ottawa)

As the City of Ottawa moves to bring its municipal employees working from home back to the office full-time, a similar move is not currently on the table across the river.

The City of Gatineau says approximately 70 per cent of its employees already work on-site full-time and there are measures in place for employees who work from home.

“For positions where telework is permitted, there are various terms and conditions that are defined in specific agreements between the employer and the employees concerned,” a statement to CTV News Ottawa said, originally in French.

“For hybrid telework, the frequency of telework must be agreed upon between the employee and their manager. Each department is responsible for establishing standards for this purpose based on operational needs and the type of activities to be performed.”

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Ottawa’s city manager, Wendy Stephanson, announced this week that municipal employees would be required to work full-time in the office starting in January. It came just days after Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced a full-time return to the office for provincial public servants and urged Ontario municipalities and the federal government to follow suit.

Currently, the federal government has workers in the office at least three days per week, and the Treasury Board Secretariat says there is no plan to change that right now.

In Gatineau, Mayor Maude Marquis-Bissonnette says there is no push to return hybrid workers to the office full-time, so long as services are maintained.

She said in a statement to CTV News Ottawa that the city council is focused on ensuring that quality services are delivered.

“For the City Council, the priority remains the quality of services provided to citizens,” she said in French. “Currently, approximately 70 per cent of our employees are already on-site for all of their shifts, taking into account direct services provided to citizens, such as the police service or public works. Field presence is, of course, ensured to provide quality services.”

The issue of hybrid work has also been discussed in the Quebec legislature.

In May, Québec Solidaire introduced a private member’s bill in the CAQ-led National Assembly to regulate a person’s right to work from home.